The 10 Most Confusing Movies Ever Made (5 of 6)

Memento

Wow, more Nolan? So unexpected! Christopher Nolan tells a revenge story backwards while our hero’s memory refuses to go forward. Guy Pearce tattoos clues on himself, leaves Polaroids like breadcrumbs, and still can’t trust the narrator, who sounds exactly like him, by the way. The film seamlessly transitions between black-and-white and color scenes, bringing them together in a pivotal moment that transforms everything. It’s a rare thriller that makes you complicit in its confusion and asks what you’ve forgotten.

Predestination

This film, inspired by Robert A. Heinlein’s “All You Zombies,” depicts a time-traveling ouroboros that consumes its own tail before requesting dessert with the same mouth. Ethan Hawke recruits a mysterious bartender’s confidences, and soon identities start folding in on each other. Every reveal makes you re-evaluate the previous reel; every paradox tightens the emotional knot. First-time watchers might as well queue it up twice.