A Glean movie guide
Mind-Bending Thrillers That Never Let Up
Trust no one. Question everything.
High-stakes mysteries and psychological puzzles designed to keep you on the edge of seat.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Memento
A non-linear puzzle that forces you to experience the protagonist's disorientation in real-time.
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.
- 02
Shutter Island
A haunting psychological descent where the line between reality and delusion constantly blurs.
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.
- 03
Gone Girl
A razor-sharp thriller that weaponizes perspective shifts to keep you questioning every character's motive.
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.
- 04
The Usual Suspects
An intricate criminal web built on a legendary narrative that demands your full attention until the final frame.
Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord's almost supernatural prowess.
- 05
Prisoners
A grueling, high-stakes search for the truth that explores the dark lengths a father will go to for his family.
Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street.
- 06
The Game
A paranoid masterpiece where a simple gift spirals into a life-threatening conspiracy with no clear exit.
In honor of his birthday, San Francisco banker Nicholas Van Orton, a financial genius and a cold-hearted loner, receives an unusual present from his younger brother, Conrad: a gift certificate to play a unique kind of game. In nary a nanosecond, Nicholas finds himself consumed by a dangerous set of ever-changing rules, unable to distinguish where the charade ends and reality begins.
- 07
Oldboy
A visceral and shocking mystery that pairs brutal action with a devastating psychological revelation.
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.
- 08
Parasite
A genre-defying social thriller that pivots from a clever con into a high-tension nightmare.
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.
- 09
Se7en
A grim and atmospheric procedural that leads toward one of the most intense climaxes in cinema history.
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.
- 10
Coherence
A claustrophobic, high-concept mystery where a simple dinner party dissolves into a reality-warping puzzle.
Four couples gather for dinner the night a mysterious and powerful comet passes overhead.