A Glean movie guide
Masterpieces of Mind Games
Suspense that stays with you.
Gripping psychological thrillers that challenge your perception of reality.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Silence of the Lambs
A chilling masterclass in psychological profiling and the high-stakes game between hunter and prey.
Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
- 02
Se7en
A grim, atmospheric descent into a serial killer's twisted logic that tests the sanity of its investigators.
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.
- 03
Parasite
A razor-sharp exploration of class dynamics that shifts from social satire into a tense psychological trap.
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
- 04
Memento
A brilliant, reverse-chronological puzzle that forces you to experience the protagonist's fractured memory.
Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.
- 05
Shutter Island
A haunting, atmospheric mystery where the line between investigation and delusion begins to blur.
World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor.
- 06
Gone Girl
A sharp, cynical look at the deceptions within a marriage that keeps you guessing with every perspective shift.
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.
- 07
The Prestige
A complex story of obsession and sacrifice where two magicians engage in a lethal game of one-upmanship.
A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.
- 08
The Sixth Sense
A poignant and suspenseful relationship between a therapist and a boy who sees the impossible.
Following an unexpected tragedy, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe meets a nine year old boy named Cole Sear, who is hiding a dark secret.
- 09
Oldboy
A brutal and operatic revenge tale that culminates in one of cinema's most devastating psychological reveals.
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.
- 10
Fight Club
A visceral exploration of identity and societal alienation that builds to a massive psychological revelation.
A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.
- 11
Black Swan
A visceral portrayal of a perfectionist's mental collapse as the pressure of performance turns into a nightmare.
A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".
- 12
Mulholland Drive
A surreal, dream-like journey through Hollywood’s dark underbelly that defies easy explanation.
Blonde Betty Elms has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia. Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman's identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.