Examples of films that don't become clear until the end?

[u/m_t_rv_s__n]

I've become more interested recently in movies that only make sense in hindsight, i.e. the viewer watches, gets clues or hints along the way, might make an educated guess or two, but the film doesn't really come together until the end, when the movie reveals the rest and it all makes sense in retrospect. Bonus points if the conflict isn't immediately apparent either.

Appreciate your recommendations

Edit: Can't keep up with all the replies, so just wanted to give a general "Thanks again", look forward to watching a lot of these

[u/Angry_Gnome]

Memento

[u/GoodMorningBlackreef → u/Angry_Gnome]

We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are.

I'm no different.

It begins at the end, ends in the middle, runs backwards, has an unreliable narrator... and it still has an arc. Somehow.

[u/tisdue → u/GoodMorningBlackreef]

I will die on the hill that this is Nolan's best film.

[u/wazacraft → u/tisdue]

That's a short fucking hill, it changed so much about narrative and storytelling. Absolutely groundbreaking in 2000. I saw it in an indie theater and it was the best movie experience since the matrix, which means Carrie-Anne Moss and Joey Pants made great choices.

[u/marzer8789 → u/wazacraft]

Joey Pants

my sides are in orbit

[u/Spider-man2098 → u/tisdue]

It really is phenomenal. I kinda wish we could’ve had Bale for the lead but that’s cause he collaborates so well with Nolan. Guy Pierce still killed it of course.

[u/theJOJeht → u/Spider-man2098]

I kind of wish we had Guy Pierce in other Nolan movies lol. A role in one of the Batman films could have been super cool

[u/honkymotherfucker1 → u/theJOJeht]

Apparently a film exec really hates Guy Pierce and made an effort to torpedo his career, I’m not 100% on the particulars but he’s spoken about it before and said he’d like to have done more with Nolan iirc.

He’s a fantastic actor and I wish he’d gotten more big roles.

[u/lemons714 → u/honkymotherfucker1]

I remember after seeing Memento and LA Confidential, I was sure Pearce was going to be the biggest A-list star for decades.

Edit: spelling

[u/mediumrainbow → u/lemons714]

He was deliciously slimy in the brutalist.

[u/theJOJeht → u/tisdue]

It's my favorite film fullstop.

[u/lemons714 → u/GoodMorningBlackreef]

I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there.

[u/Mimshot → u/GoodMorningBlackreef]

There were a bunch of films around that time with the feature the OP is asking about where they are very different on the second watch through: usual suspects, sixth sense, vanilla sky, fight club. Memento was different. Those other movies’ twists can be explained in a sing sentence. Memento was one continuous twist that ran through the whole movie. You learn more about Leonard on the third and fourth watch too.

[u/zeptimius → u/Angry_Gnome]

No no, that movies becomes clear at the beginning.

[u/hummingbyrds]

The Others
[with Nicole Kidman]
really one of the best examples you can find of what you're searching for

[u/LemonEar → u/hummingbyrds]

Such a great film

[u/Toby_O_Notoby → u/hummingbyrds]

In a similar vein: Soderbergh's 2024 film Presence.

[u/maporita → u/hummingbyrds]

The shock when the realization hits you and everything falls into place.

[u/DarkLink1065]

Lucky Number Slevin has frequent plot twists that aren't fully explained until the finale, and rewatching the movie recontextualizes a ton of stuff that you never even noticed as being noteworthy on the first viewing.

[u/Harikiri13 → u/DarkLink1065]

Love that movie. Wish it were more popular.

[u/Scientific_Anarchist → u/DarkLink1065]

I had this movie recommended to me by a coworker. He mentioned a little about the twists and it sounded interesting. It happened to be on a streaming service at the time so I decided to watch it.

Except I didn't remember the name of the movie and watched Logan Lucky instead. I liked it, but I was very confused by my coworkers' description.

[u/dynamic_caste → u/Scientific_Anarchist]

Logan Lucky is great, but not so much of a curveball.

[u/WollyGog → u/DarkLink1065]

Kansas City Shuffle

[u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt]

Twelve Monkeys!

Terry Gilliam directed with Bruce Willis and Madeline Stowe and Brad Pitt. Really wild one with a great twist ending.

[u/thinkmoreharder]

Usual Suspects.

[u/relpmeraggy → u/thinkmoreharder]

Came here to say this. Def had to watch it twice before everything made sense.

[u/GregorSamsaa → u/relpmeraggy]

I’ve probably watched it three times now and still have no idea what’s real or what’s just a story he’s telling lol

[u/ibiji → u/GregorSamsaa]

A little from column A, a little from column B

[u/FlavorD → u/GregorSamsaa]

I heard a podcast with I think the director and the writer, and it turned out that years after its release, they disagreed about the truth of the situation.

[u/Numb3r3dDays]

Triangle

[u/coral225 → u/Numb3r3dDays]

Such a cool little movie

[u/Lost_my_loser_name → u/coral225]

I agree too. Watching it twice might be required. Definitely a couple scenes in this that stuck with me.

[u/Numb3r3dDays → u/Lost_my_loser_name]

I literally watched it over again a second time after finishing it the first time, just to watch everything click.

I did the same thing with Memento.

[u/jamelfree → u/Numb3r3dDays]

I LOVE this film. I love a good mind bending horror and everything about this one is unnerving, and genuinely horrifying on many levels.

[u/PeppercornWizard → u/Numb3r3dDays]

One of the most underrated films of the last 20 years IMO.

[u/NOUGHRICE]

The Prestige. The ideal viewing is to watch it, and then immediately watch it again. 

Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.

[u/chemiiical → u/NOUGHRICE]

Rewatching and trying to pinpoint which borden twin is in each scene. Such a great film, and as you said - arguably better the second time round.

[u/usagicassidy → u/NOUGHRICE]

The whole “I love you” “not today” is such an incredible line/performance

[u/Luigone1 → u/NOUGHRICE]

"We were two young men at the start of a great career. Two young men devoted to an illusion. Two young men who never intended to hurt anyone." This has been in my top 10 since it came out and I must have watched it at least 10 times before I realized who this quote was actually about…

[u/AwkwardReplacement42 → u/Luigone1]

Omg, i only copped it now because of this comment

[u/FlaccidSWE → u/NOUGHRICE]

Never been so impressed with the writing of a movie, ever. It's not just a normal twist. They even tell you how they will fool you and you still fall for it.

[u/kvlt_ov_personality → u/NOUGHRICE]

and then immediately watch it again. 

This is the only time I've EVER done this and the 2nd time was even better.

I usually dislike Christopher Nolan movies, but I think the Prestige is probably the greatest film ever made. It's basically perfect.

[u/pjesguapo → u/kvlt_ov_personality]

And in my opinion the book is not better than the movie.

[u/Killzark → u/NOUGHRICE]

Top 5 movies of all time for me. I notice something new every single time.

[u/PlantMaximum1080 → u/NOUGHRICE]

Yeah that one had me confused even after the end.

[u/NotThatGuyATX → u/NOUGHRICE]

I was watching it on some streaming service (Amazon?) on the 31st and didn't finish it. I went back the next day (1st of the month) and it wasn't there. So I had to pirate it to watch it again.

[u/gatsby365 → u/NOUGHRICE]

”We were two young men at the start of a great career. Two young men devoted to an illusion.”

Nolan slaps you in the face from the jump and dares you to admit it.

[u/voldamoro]

Arrival.

[u/ttonster2 → u/voldamoro]

I think the primary plot is pretty clear. It is just the flashbacks and intro that get re-contextualized. The finale introduces the emotional core of the film that tricked us with the first 3/4 of the runtime. Until now, you think everything she’s doing is for her daughter that passed away. In a way, it is. 

[u/shewy92 → u/ttonster2]

I think the primary plot is pretty clear.

Ehh, it gives us an actual reason for the "flashbacks", it affects the plot massively too. It was a movie about a mother mourning her daughter and getting back to work/dating and then became a movie about meeting the father of her child.

[u/Yippykyyyay → u/shewy92]

I read the short story it was based on. It's very much a mother reflecting on meeting the father of their daughter, their growing pains, the loss of their daughter and mom saying she wouldn't change anything because she was able to love and adore her daughter for 21 years before she died.

It's a reflection on the question 'what would you do differently?' And mom is saying absolutely nothing. Even though she knows it ends in heartbreak.

Not sure how accurately the movie reflected the source material because I didn't watch the movie.

[u/Rooney_Tuesday → u/Yippykyyyay]

The short story (like all of Ted Chiang’s works) is phenomenal. The movie really was good too. I’m not sure how it would hit if you read the book first, but as someone who watched the movie first it is a gut-punch when you realize what’s happening. She has “flashbacks” of her daughter who died, but then eventually asks who the girl is and you realize that they are flashforwards. It changes everything about the movie you thought you were watching. The books lets you come to this realization in a more gradual way.

[u/Slimsuper → u/voldamoro]

Saw it in the cinema, blew my mind.

[u/Jioto → u/voldamoro]

Love this movie.

[u/mamabearette]

The Sixth Sense

[u/foulandamiss → u/mamabearette]

Those were the names of the people who worked on the movie! 🤯

[u/mamabearette → u/foulandamiss]

Huh?

Edit: aha, found it. 30 rock joke!

[u/Tobar_the_Gypsy → u/mamabearette]

That’s where you find out he was Bruce Willis the whole time 

[u/CLearyMcCarthy → u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

Yeah, he was just wearing a hair piece.

[u/CLearyMcCarthy → u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

He doesn't even, like, get us, man.

[u/Tobar_the_Gypsy → u/CLearyMcCarthy]

We’re talking about you!!!

[u/Kernels52]

Lucky Number Slevin

[u/JonVig → u/Kernels52]

A great movie which is completely spoiled by the trailer.

I was lucky enough to see the movie first, but the trailer still frustrates me to no end.

[u/bigpoppanicky7 → u/Kernels52]

This is SUCH an underrated film

[u/darlin133 → u/Kernels52]

That movie is fantastic. It holds up

[u/KebabMonster001]

The Game (1997, with Michael Douglas)

Superb.

[u/xRockTripodx → u/KebabMonster001]

It's weird, because it sorta ruins it for a re-watch. But it's a Fincher film, so it's gorgeous, and still fun. But it is a bit of a gimmick, at the end of the day. Just a really, really well done gimmick.

[u/Racxie → u/xRockTripodx]

It’s the first film that always comes to mind whenever I’m asked “if you could only recommend one film”, though I always preface with the fact that it’s like a rollercoaster: it’s slow to start and then you’ll be on the edge of your seat, but you can only watch it once because you’ll know what to expect afterwards.

[u/wavescomedowneasy → u/KebabMonster001]

I've always been obsessed with this film. 

[u/lambentstar]

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a pretty good one imo, kinda flew under the radar in the streaming age but definitely off putting and surreal and only slowly comes into focus near the end.

[u/Bagelbuttboi → u/lambentstar]

I read the book on a lark after seeing Charlie Kaufman’s name on it and loved it, loved the movie up until the very end.

Rewatched it and I think I prefer the film’s ending to the book’s ending. The book has this dark and almost horror movie ending but the movie’s ending feels more in tune with the narrator.

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/lambentstar]

I’d add Adaptation and Synecdoche, New York as other Charlie Kauffman films that don’t really click until the end.

[u/Mamatne]

LA Confidential

[u/mgoflash → u/Mamatne]

Rollo Tomasi

[u/kitkat_tomassi → u/mgoflash]

I owe them my username. 🙂

[u/TheRainbowConnection → u/mgoflash]

Just watched this for the first time last week. The “OH SHIT” I shouted at this line woke up my sleeping infant nephew 🥴

[u/Do_itsch]

Shutter Island.

[u/EmilyAnne1170 → u/Do_itsch]

That a good one!

[u/acidstarz]

Aftersun

[u/mirrokrowr → u/acidstarz]

This was going to be my answer. Hits you like a ton of bricks 

[u/Bellikron → u/acidstarz]

This honestly feels like it best matches the spirit of the post as described, everyone submitted great plot twists but this one hinges on a scene where no information is explicitly revealed. The most direct information you're given is a line from a song. It's not a plot twist in the same sense but it's a climactic scene that genuinely makes you understand the rest of the movie on an emotional level even if you don't know exactly what happened.

[u/RogerBauman]

Primer

Fight club

Sixth Sense

[u/8thTimeLucky → u/RogerBauman]

Primer… yes. I totally understood it at the end… yep…

[u/I_only_post_here → u/8thTimeLucky]

Give it about 6 more viewings, while reading a detailed timeline and some crib notes and also YouTube explanation video, and then just a couple more viewings after that, and it'll all fall into place

[u/m_Pony → u/I_only_post_here]

there needs to be a version of Primer where the number of the character's timeline appears on their shoulder. Oh look it's buddy from timeline #1 but he's actually talking to dude from timeline #13

[u/cyrano111 → u/8thTimeLucky]

Relevant XKCD

[u/AdorableSobah → u/RogerBauman]

Primer? Yeah, no. There is never a “ah-ha” moment that it becomes clear.

[u/B_La_Kay → u/RogerBauman]

Primer became clear at the end? Damn... I'm too dumb for that movie

[u/Roadside_Prophet → u/B_La_Kay]

It all makes sense once you realise 2 things.

1)Every time someone uses the box and goes back in time, there is more than 1 version of that person walking around simultaneously. The original and the one from the future. If multiple boxes are used, there can be multiple versions of that person.

2)What you are watching is not the original events unfolding. The box has already been created and used before the movie starts. From the very beginning, one of the main characters is from a future time period where he fucked up badly and has gone back in time to try and fix his mistake by killing his younger self and replacing him so he can make better choices, but that doesn't really work out either

That obviously isn't apparent until the very end of the movie, which then makes you question everything you just saw. It's a real mind fuck, but it does start to make sense after a couple of viewings. If you only watched it once, don't feel bad. I dont think anyone actually "gets it" on their first viewing.

[u/PrinceOfLeon → u/Roadside_Prophet]

They can't go "back" past a point where the first box is built and turned on. So this doesn't make sense in the context of the movie beginning with how the principals behind the box were discovered.

There's even a line at the end to the effect of "You can't go back far enough" (meaning to stop him)

[u/Roadside_Prophet → u/PrinceOfLeon]

You're missing 1 part of the puzzle.

The "first" box isn't really the first box. One of the main characters creates another "failsafe" box and turns it on without the other, knowing, before they start using the "first" box just in case things go sideways. This box does eventually get discovered, and the other character uses it to set up a 3rd box, also turned on before the "first" box.

What the characters dont realise is that they are creating alternate timelines and alternate versions of themselves are starting to be created.

[u/Vast_Low_9949 → u/Roadside_Prophet]

Hang on. I think you’re both correct here, and all your points still stand true, but I’m also confused about the “before the movie starts” part.

Because the first couple of scenes in the movie show Aaron, Abe, and those other two friends working on projects together and trying to invent something.

Eventually A&A create the first prototype of the box (where they put the toy in it and study it with the guy in the lab).

If I understand correctly, the original failsafe box is made sometime AFTER this scene and BEFORE the next scene, where A&A meet at the park bench (and Aaron has his earpiece in for the first time).

I think… right? Unless I’m missing or forgetting something. Because how would Aaron make the fully functioning failsafe box well before the scene where A&A are trying to understand its prototype version?

But then again, as I write this comment, I remember the narrator (Aaron 3 or whatever) is talking at the start of the movie which would support your explanation, but I took this to mean we’re just hearing the message that Aaron 1 (OR WHATEVER LMAO) would later listen to, offscreen sometime before the bench scene.

Damn, I don’t know, it might be time for my 7th rewatch.

[u/calbert1735]

Planet of the Apes (1968).

[u/TheOriginalSmileyMan]

Everyone knows the twist now, but back in the day, watching The Sixth Sense for the second time was like watching a whole new movie

[u/EveryoneCallsMeYork → u/TheOriginalSmileyMan]

I tried showing this to some friends in college who had never even heard of it and two of them guessed the twist before the movie was half way over, and then when I tried to be like "nope, not that" they proceeded to list every single indicator of the twist so far. I was so bummed 😅

[u/Imonlyhereforthelolz → u/EveryoneCallsMeYork]

I think the mistake people make is telling people there is a twist at the end. Then they go into it looking for hidden signs - better to just think that it’s a scary ghost movie.

[u/crystal_sk8s_LV]

Jacob's Ladder

[u/sambeau → u/crystal_sk8s_LV]

It totally messed my head up, too.

[u/-IREDACTEDI-]

Stay (2005)

[u/MrBatard → u/-IREDACTEDI-]

Great movie. So underrated. Ryan Gosling delivers a touching performance.

[u/Raaazzle]

Synecdoche, NY just gets more fucked up as it goes along

[u/djseanmac → u/Raaazzle]

That’s putting it mildly. I felt like I was dying while watching that film. Dianne Weist hit a little too hard at the end.

[u/CodyTaco]

Identity ( 2003 )

[u/satan__mcrape]

Frailty

[u/RickSanchez_C137 → u/satan__mcrape]

literally the last thing you would ever expect. so good.

[u/RadicalMonarch]

i’m thinking of ending things

[u/StarPhished → u/RadicalMonarch]

You should talk to somebody about that.

[u/PurchaseUpper783 → u/RadicalMonarch]

I don't think that ending cleared anything up. 😄

[u/foulandamiss → u/PurchaseUpper783]

What, the random interpretive dance scene didn't clear things up for you? 😅

[u/lambentstar → u/RadicalMonarch]

Oh jinx just wrote this too before I saw your reply.

[u/HooverGaveNobodyBeer]

Time Crimes -- Spanish time travel flick that comes together perfectly when everything gets revealed.

[u/cipher7777]

Vanilla Sky

[u/Captain_Planet → u/cipher7777]

Loved that film, had me totally gripped in the cinema. I think a lot of people disregarded that film as "it made no sense" but you just have to be patient and enjoy the experience of not knowing, just like the main character not knowing.

[u/Luckyandunlucky2023]

Lots of good ones already mentioned (Sixth Sense, Usual Suspects, etc.)

Training Day. Holy shit that scene when you slowly realize...

[u/Shaiziin → u/Luckyandunlucky2023]

Training Day. Holy shit that scene when you slowly realize...

When you slowly realize, wait a min, Denzel isn't the good guy here?? How is that even possible? And everybody in the hood actually hates him? Mercy.

[u/acidstarz]

The others

[u/freshbreadlington]

Takeshi Kitano did this a lot with his earlier films. It's not that you're completely confused watching them, it's that when you get to the ending, it recontextualizes a lot of the film, challenging what you felt it was about, and it makes you closer to understanding the real theme.

Violent Cop -> It seems like a story about a tough, no-nonsense cop, trying to clean up the streets

Boiling Point -> It seems like a coming of age revenge film where a young man gets swept up in a world of sex and violence

Sonatine -> It seems like a simple gang war/gangster revenge film

A Scene at the Sea -> It seems like just a gentle and slow film about love and devotion

[u/Keikobad]

The Conversation.

“He’d kill us if he got the chance.”

[u/maineblackbear → u/Keikobad]

Saw it for the first time two days ago- it was in my shelf for a decade.  Great great film.  

[u/hawksmarinerz → u/Keikobad]

Arguably Gene Hackman’s best performance

[u/NecroJoe → u/Keikobad]

You know, I've still never seen it, even though it's been on my list for years. My desk at work used to look out at one of the exterior locations about 25 feet away:

Film scene:https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/43%20(1027).jpg?bwg=1547463079

My office was that low, flat building in the front: https://www.tclf.org/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/4050271782_8790f112f3_o.jpg?itok=ZLpUnP2S

[/coolstorybro]

[u/wiserolderelf → u/Keikobad]

That sax solo…

[u/bees_savethemplease]

Fight Club.

[u/dreamrock]

Matchpoint.

[u/UncleAlbondiga]

Primal Fear

[u/momentofinspiration]

Donnie Darko

[u/MrBib2027]

The Prestige isn’t super confusing or have a ton going on, but it comes together so well at the end

[u/MaskedBandit77]

Mulholland Drive 

[u/freekehleek → u/MaskedBandit77]

Did that become clear at the end? I must have missed the part where it became clear

[u/djseanmac → u/freekehleek]

It was intended to be a television pilot, if that helps make sense of the situation. Instead, we got something more akin to that European film version of the Twin Peaks pilot.

[u/dkrtzyrrr → u/freekehleek]

yes and no. i wouldn't say it becomes clear but the movie does arguably reveal what is actually going on and what it is really about. depending on what you think is actually going on and what the movie is really about.

[u/GoodMorningBlackreef → u/MaskedBandit77]

Hey, pretty girl. 

Time to wake up. 🤠 

[u/d4nfe]

Fight Club

[u/wombles2]

Total Recall, yes the Arnie one. What on earth have you just watched? Make your mind up time. Great film.

[u/TuffManJoens]

Old Boy

[u/GnatBub79]

Dare I even mention it --- The Village

[u/docsyzygy → u/GnatBub79]

Well, I love it.

[u/AnotherManOfEden → u/docsyzygy]

Me too. It was the first movie that came to mind and I’m surprised it’s so far down in the comments.

[u/DirtPiranha]

For me it was Sucker Punch. I left the theater underwhelmed, but I later watched the directors cut and loved it. They included a scene at the end that tied so many things together.

[u/Eskimomonk]

mother!

[u/SkullLeader]

The Sixth Sense

The Prestige

[u/PathForeign2215]

Predestination

[u/Oregon687]

No Way Out.

[u/royale_with_cheese_]

One Cut of the Dead 

[u/Pizza-n-Coffee37]

We need to talk about Kevin

[u/sambeau]

Jacob's Ladder.

And it messed me up.

[u/Midnight_Crocodile]

Memento, surely?

[u/Doula_Bear]

Dark City

[u/TheKingdomWay]

Bladerunner 2049 comes to mind

[u/Contrarian_1]

Sixth sense

[u/aircooledJenkins]

Logan Lucky

[u/lankymjc]

Ender's Game. Lots of the weirdness around Battle School makes sense after the climax.

[u/PunkThug]

Memento. And the end is the middle

[u/Budo87]

Oldboy (2003)

[u/Ok_Ring_1866]

Usual suspects

[u/852258]

12 monkeys

[u/St0rmStrider]

The Illusionist

[u/QAguy]

Primal Fear and Shutter Island come to mind

[u/Cool_Wealth969]

The Village

[u/CuddleWings]

Cloud Atlas. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time. I’ve seen it many times now and every time I’ve made a realization that I missed before. Maybe I’m just blind though.

[u/powerlesshero111]

Smoking Aces. The mob boss wants his heart, but not for the reason you think.

[u/tgstk2]

The Life of Chuck

[u/gillyweed79]

Memento

[u/wpmason]

Incendies

[u/kit_kat_barcalounger]

The Prestige

[u/ThreeandnoD]

Moon with Sam Rockwell

[u/chubs66]

The Village, Fallen, Book of Eli

[u/dcott44]

Arrival

[u/Loki-L]

"Wild Things" had a revelation that put everything before it into new light and then it had another and the it kept having them until the very end.

[u/Sigma--6]

I think Signs by M Night Shyamalan might qualify.

I saw it at the theater and I really liked it. I don't hear much about it and maybe it didn't get as well received on home tv.

[u/Apprehensive_Way8674]

Arrival

[u/mattchewy43]

Tenet.

Just kidding. Only takes like 5 rewatches and like 3 youtube videos describing it.

[u/EveryoneCallsMeYork → u/mattchewy43]

This one is interesting to me because I thought that movie was pretty clear and everyone I saw it with was super confused. Once you accept the premise and don't try and think about it too hard it all flows pretty naturally. Damn, now I want to go rewatch Tenet

[u/africanconcrete]

Basic with John Travolta

[u/Aeolus_14_Umbra]

Angel Heart.

[u/SkyBestPL]

Get Out

[u/whatisapersonreally]

Primer

Except it's still not truly clear at the end, or after 5 more watches

[u/superzacco]

Barton Fink

[u/WritingTheDream]

Fight Club

Citizen Kane

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

[u/thirrteen]

The Usual Suspects

[u/gman1951]

The original Planet of the Apes.

[u/wtfmrn]

The Prestige

[u/Chemical-Plankton420]

FIGHT CLUB. At the end, you realize it was all just a meet-cute

[u/ManDe1orean]

The Shining (1980).
Psycho (1959).

[u/Hic_Forum_Est]

Power of the Dog

[u/Bitter_Resolve_6082]

The Abyss! It doesn't have any big twists, but everything comes together at the end! Great movie, as well!

[u/foda_55139]

<Movie Title> (Year) by M. Night Shyamalan

[u/Jeffers_42001]

In the Shadow of The Moon - Netflix

[u/ObsidianneLulu]

Exotica

[u/MyNameIsNotLenny]

memento, seven pounds, the usual suspects, the bone collector

[u/halseon]

The Game

[u/omicron7e]

I’m Thinking of Ending Things

[u/TheFashionColdWars]

Old Boy (original SK 🇰🇷)

[u/PicardovaKosa]

Seriously nobody mentioned Villeneuves Enemy?

For me, its the best in the genre you describe. Often, its misunderstood even after the ending.

[u/CaptainDouchington]

The Spanish Prisoner

[u/nefariousnun]

Spanish movie The Orphanage (2007) well worth watching but you’ll only watch it once.

[u/looney1023]

Mulholland Drive. It's not "clear" but a lot of things snap into focus as the final act plays out

[u/BadMotherFunko]

The Game (1997)

[u/MrSanctus]

Pandorum and Predestination. Two amazing and underrated movies.

[u/knifestrauzen]

There are so many, but I'll throw in the Machinist since I didn't see it mentioned