A Glean movie guide
Mind-Bending Thrillers
Prepare to question everything.
A curated selection of tense, cerebral films that will keep you guessing until the end.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Silence of the Lambs
An FBI trainee must navigate the twisted mind of an incarcerated serial killer to stop another murderer.
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
Memento
This non-linear masterpiece forces you to experience the world through the eyes of a man with no short-term 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.
- 03
Shutter Island
A U.S. Marshal’s investigation into a missing patient spirals into a haunting exploration of psychological trauma.
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.
- 04
Parasite
A poor family’s infiltration of a wealthy household turns into a high-tension game of social manipulation.
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.
- 05
Black Swan
A ballerina’s pursuit of perfection descends into a surreal and terrifying psychological breakdown.
A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake."
- 06
Gone Girl
A missing person case unravels into a dark, twist-heavy examination of a toxic marriage.
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
Two rival magicians engage in a dangerous game of obsession that blurs the line between art and reality.
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 Machinist
An industrial worker suffering from chronic insomnia begins to lose his grip on what is real.
Trevor, an insomniac lathe operator, experiences unusual occurrences at work and home. A strange man follows him everywhere, but no one else seems to notice him.
- 09
Misery
A famous author finds himself trapped in a nightmare when he is 'rescued' by his most obsessed fan.
After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
- 10
Nightcrawler
A sociopathic freelancer blurs the lines of morality to capture the most gruesome footage in L.A.
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.