A Glean movie guide
Mind Games: The Best Psychological Thrillers
Don't trust your eyes.
Masterpieces of suspense, mental tension, and reality-bending twists.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Silence of the Lambs
A chilling mental chess match between an FBI trainee and a brilliant, cannibalistic psychiatrist.
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
A fragmented, non-linear puzzle that forces you to experience the protagonist's memory loss 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.
- 03
Se7en
A grim, atmospheric hunt for a serial killer that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche.
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.
- 04
Shutter Island
A haunting investigation on a remote island where the line between reality 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.
- 05
Parasite
A masterclass in escalating tension that uses social dynamics to fuel a shocking psychological spiral.
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.
- 06
Gone Girl
A sharp, cynical look at a crumbling marriage that evolves into a high-stakes game of manipulation.
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 layered mystery of obsession and deception where two magicians sacrifice everything for the ultimate trick.
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
Black Swan
A visceral depiction of a dancer’s descent into madness as the pressure for perfection takes its toll.
A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".
- 09
Vertigo
Alfred Hitchcock’s definitive study of obsession, identity, and the haunting power of the past.
A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.
- 10
Get Out
A brilliant blend of social commentary and psychological dread that builds to a terrifying revelation.
Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.
- 11
The Machinist
A haunting character study of a man whose year-long insomnia leads to a total breakdown of reality.
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.
- 12
Oldboy
A brutal and complex revenge tale centered on extreme psychological manipulation and long-term isolation.
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.