A Glean movie guide
Mind-Bending Masterpieces
Dive into the complex.
High-concept thrillers and sci-fi puzzles that challenge your perception of reality.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Matrix
A definitive look at simulated reality that remains a benchmark for high-concept action.
Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.
- 02
Tenet
Christopher Nolan pushes the boundaries of time-manipulation in this intense, large-scale espionage thriller.
Armed with only one word - Tenet - and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
- 03
Memento
A brilliant, non-linear puzzle that forces you to experience the protagonist's fractured memory firsthand.
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.
- 04
Arrival
An intellectually profound take on first contact that uses linguistics to explore the nature of time.
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
- 05
Shutter Island
A masterclass in psychological tension that keeps you questioning what is real until the final frame.
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
Paprika
This visually stunning film explores dream-sharing technology with a surrealism that inspired many modern classics.
Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a research psychologist who uses a device called the DC Mini to enter her patients' dreams, wherein she adopts the alter-ego "Paprika". When the device is stolen, she must stop rogue elements from merging the dream and waking worlds.
- 07
Source Code
A tight, high-stakes puzzle that uses a repeating time-loop to build relentless momentum.
When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
- 08
Dark City
An atmospheric noir-sci-fi that masterfully questions the malleability of human memory and identity.
A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans.
- 09
Coherence
A brilliant low-budget thriller that turns a simple dinner party into a mind-bending exploration of reality.
Four couples gather for dinner the night a mysterious and powerful comet passes overhead.