Can anyone recommend a movie similar to The Fall or The Father that has a theme of spiraling confusion?

It’s a bit hard to describe but I felt like both had moments of spiraling confusion with the protagonist watching their worlds fall apart around them that I found really captivating.

I’m trying to think of other examples but The Fall and The Father are ones that came to mind. They are both fantastic films I’d highly recommend.

frefi@lemmy.dbzer0.com mentioned mother! (2017) which was the other example that was on the tip of my tongue.

CritFail,

Memento

Flumpkin,

There is an older post on reddit for “Mindfuck movies”

Alenalda,

I haven’t seen these movies, but I saw Beau is Afraid last year and it sounds like it fits the bill. Very strange film.

CorrodedCranium,
@CorrodedCranium@leminal.space avatar

Oh yeah Beau is Afraid definitely fits this

frefi,
@frefi@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

I haven’t seen the example you’ve listed (The Fall is already on my watchlist and I’m now adding The Father to it too), but I’ll try to recommend some that I hope are relevant:

  • Possession (1981)
  • Eraserhead (1977)
  • Perfect Blue (1997)
  • Paprika (2006)
  • mother! (2017)
  • House (1977)
  • Mulholland Drive (2001)
  • Videodrome (1983)
  • eXistenZ (1999)
  • The Hourglass Sanatorium (1973)
  • Beau Is Afraid (2023)
  • Dream Scenario (2023)
  • Dementia (1955)
  • Annihilation (2018)
  • Donnie Darko (2001)
  • The Wolf House (2018)
  • The Lighthouse (2019)
  • The Third Part of the Night (1971)
  • The Devil (1973 or 1988 depending where you look)
Flumpkin,

I loved Annihilation (2018). I even read the book before watching the movie, still good.

CorrodedCranium,
@CorrodedCranium@leminal.space avatar

The author’s written a few other books outside of the Southern Reach trilogy that are pretty good as well

Flumpkin,

Thanks! I’ll check out Borne by Jeff Vandermeer

CorrodedCranium, (edited )
@CorrodedCranium@leminal.space avatar

mother! (2017)

Thank you! That was the third example that on the tip of my tongue. I have been meaning to watch Perfect Blue and Paprika. I own a copy of both so I’ll definitely check them out.

Not so fun fact for you: I didn’t know what The Lighthouse was about and watched it one night when I was visiting my dad

frefi,
@frefi@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Oof, that reminds me of the first time I watched Mulholland Drive, I watched it with my parents 🫥 I didn’t know what it was about either when I picked it out

Chef_Boyargee,

I’d have to recommend Pi (1998). Runners up would probably be Requiem For A Dream (2000) and Black Swan (2010)

morphballganon,

I’ve seen The Fall but not the other one you mention.

You might like:

Pan’s Labyrinth

Primer

Children of Men

Run Lola Run

Eyes Wide Shut

The Fountain

After Hours

Skyfall

Varyk,

I haven’t seen either of those, so I’m not sure, but angel heart(1987), they look like people(2016) sound like what you’re talking about, as does the autopsy of Jane doe(2016), although the events happened in a single evening.

The problem is I need more specifics of what you’re looking for. The protagonist having their world that fall apart around them is the main premise or at least central theme of so many movies, like the 1982 Thing is an amazing story about somebody’s world falling apart, but I’m not sure if that’s what you’re looking for.

I think shutter Island is a good nominee, to mention the other comments. While knowing any twists will obviously damage the impact of the twist, I think the descent into madness itself is portrayed well in that movie.

CorrodedCranium,
@CorrodedCranium@leminal.space avatar

Yeah sorry it’s a bit hard to explain especially if you haven’t seen them. I don’t feel like I have a good enough cinematic vocabulary to explain it properly.

It’s a bit of layered theme. Confusion is at its core but so is despair and helplessness. Movies like The Thing and Falling Down are good examples of people’s lives falling apart but they don’t really feel as hopeless or confused almost verging on chaos. Their lives are falling into a different kind of disarray I’d say.

I’ll check out some of your recommendations though. I don’t think I’ve seen the first two but I have seen The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

Varyk,

Those first three definitely have confusion and hopelessness, let me think.

Oldboy 2003 of course. Exciting, but hopelessness and confusion are the name of the game there.

Oh the Wicker Man 1973!

Antichrist(2009)

The void(2016) certainly does hopelessness well, but it might be too weird and thriller

Creep 2014, but I might just be recommending good movies at this point haha. Another single day movie, but things really fall apart.

CorrodedCranium,
@CorrodedCranium@leminal.space avatar

Thanks! I’ve been meaning check out The Wicker Man. I have another reason to do so.

whirledoutside,

Shutter Island, maybe?

I saw it when it came out and didn’t think that much of it, then rewatched it a few months ago and really got taken along on its tide.

CorrodedCranium,
@CorrodedCranium@leminal.space avatar

Do you think Shutter Island relies heavily on a twist? I feel like I’ve heard how the movie ends

whirledoutside,

Yeah unquestionably it does. It certainly doesn’t build in the same way The Father does for instance, but I think on a rewatch (and therefore knowing the twist) it becomes more about a gradual unravelling of Leo’s perceptions.

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