The Most Mind-Bending Sci-Fi Movies You Need to Watch
Prepare to have your perception of reality shattered with these mind-bending sci-fi movies that will take you on a trip through the furthest reaches of the imagination. From surreal odysseys to disquieting nightmares, these movies defy conventional storytelling and offer an unforgettably strange viewing experience.
Altered States
Altered States is a mind-bending psychedelic journey that takes its protagonist to the outer edges of existence. Director Ken Russell's 1980 sci-fi movie draws inspiration from real-life writer John C. Lilly's experiments with isolation tanks, LSD, and other mind-altering interventions. The film follows William Hurt's psychologist as he delves into accessing genetic memories, resulting in some of cinema's most striking depictions of extra-sensory experiences.
James Duval as Frank The Rabbit with his right eye distorted in Donnie Darko
The thin plot of Altered States is mostly used to facilitate a visually stunning portrayal of the protagonist's exploration of altered states of consciousness, making it an unforgettable and surreal experience for viewers.
William Hurt in a trance in Altered States.
Brazil
Terry Gilliam's 1985 dystopian comedy, Brazil, uses the sci-fi genre for political satire, blending fanciful silliness with unremittingly bleak social commentary. The movie follows the journey of a lowly clerk who inadvertently becomes a revolutionary terrorist, leading to an anarchic descent into madness.
A man with a sword in Brazil
Brazil is a bizarre movie that oscillates between hilarity and horror, offering a unique and thought-provoking viewing experience that was ahead of its time.
A Monolith in 2001 A Space Odyssey
Donnie Darko
Richard Kelly's cult classic debut, Donnie Darko, is a bizarre teen drama/sci-fi/horror blend that made an overnight superstar of its leading man, Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie follows the angsty teen, plagued by visions of an imaginary man-sized rabbit, as he unravels dark secrets in his small town. Donnie Darko's ending explains everything (sort of), but the movie remains a surreal and disorienting experience.
Donnie Darko and Gretchen Listlessly Sit in an Empty Movie Theater in Donnie Darko
The odyssey endured by Donnie throughout the movie is utterly original, leaving a lasting impression on viewers with its surreal narrative and mind-bending plot twists.
Donnie Darko in Class
Naked Lunch
David Cronenberg's adaptation of William S. Burroughs' infamous novel, Naked Lunch, offers a hellish vision that delves into the darkest alleyways of the sci-fi genre. The movie presents a nightmarish autobiographical story of Burroughs' troubled life, featuring talking typewriters, insects, doppelgängers, and grotesque humanoid abominations.
Peter Weller's William sits at a bar with a monster in Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch stays true to its source material, delivering a terrifying trip into the surreal and psychedelic realm of the sci-fi genre, leaving audiences in a state of disquiet and awe.
Dave in a tunnel on a spaceship in 2001 A Space Odyssey
Paprika
Satoshi Kon's influential animated sci-fi masterpiece, Paprika, is a tough-to-decode journey into the subconscious. The movie features a dream detective who must retrieve a device that allows the user to enter the dreams of others, resulting in a series of sequences devoid of logic and psychics. Paprika's exploration of various subconscious realms makes it a truly mind-bending experience for viewers.
Doctor Atsuko Chiba voiced by Megumi Hayashibara looks up directly into the camera in a scene from Paprika
Paprika's take on the invasion of dreams is a lot weirder than its contemporaries, offering a visually stunning and surreal portrayal of the subconscious mind.
The multi-coloured star gate in A Space Odyssey
Under the Skin
Jonathan Glazer's discomfiting sci-fi horror, Under the Skin, presents a unique cinematic nightmare that delves into themes of gender, power, and sexuality. The movie follows Scarlett Johansson's nameless extraterrestrial as she seduces men in Scotland before feeding on their life force, creating a disquieting and disorienting experience for viewers.
The alien sits in the woods in Under the Skin
Under the Skin is a nightmarish meditation on existential concepts, offering an unforgettably strange and discomfiting viewing experience that defies conventional sci-fi horror tropes.
The alien removes Scarlett Johansson's skin in Under the Skin 2014
Southland Tales
Richard Kelly's 2006 sci-fi/comedy/satire hybrid, Southland Tales, is an endlessly ambitious and utterly bizarre cinematic experience. The movie follows a string of seemingly unrelated characters as they cross paths in a complex, labyrinthine conspiracy, leading to a fascinating and glorious mess of a narrative.
Dwayne Johnson wearing a suit in Southland Tales
Set in the extremely near future of 2008, Southland Tales presents a thought-provoking and disorienting exploration of the sci-fi genre, offering viewers a trip through a complex and ambitious narrative.
A man stares at the Star Gate in 2001 A Space Odyssey
EXistenZ
David Cronenberg's underrated EXistenZ stands out as his oddest work yet, deviating from his recurring obsession with body horror. The movie revolves around nested realities as a video game developer finds herself pursued by killers in a game of her own creation, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
Jude law points a pistol in eXistenZ
EXistenZ offers a rare and disorienting departure from Cronenberg's body horror sub-genre, delivering a mind-bending and surreal exploration of nested realities within the sci-fi genre.
The woman stands by the sea in Under the Skin
Beyond the Black Rainbow
Panos Cosmatos' wild movie, Beyond the Black Rainbow, feels like a trip gone wrong, presenting a delirious nightmare of jaw-dropping visuals and grating sound design. The movie follows a mute woman attempting to escape a mysterious facility, uncovering dicey experiments along the way, resulting in an unsettling and disorienting cinematic experience.
Eva Allan as Elena sitting in an observation room in Beyond the Black Rainbow
Driven by a pulsing, bass-heavy score, Beyond the Black Rainbow offers a disquieting and surreal journey through a nightmarish sci-fi story, unlike any other offerings in the genre.
Monolith From 2001 A Space Odyssey
12 Monkeys
Terry Gilliam's time-bending thriller/satire, 12 Monkeys, defies easy genre labels with its trippy narrative. The movie tells the tale of a convict sent back from a post-apocalyptic future to discover the cause of a killer virus, leading to a mind-bending and surreal exploration of time and existence.
Brad Pitt sitting next to Bruce Willis' bed in 12 Monkeys
12 Monkeys is one of the weirdest sci-fi movies ever, offering a disorienting and surreal viewing experience that defies traditional storytelling and genre conventions.
A man stares in a dark abyss in Under the Skin
2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick's legendary masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, remains as mind-blowing as ever, even decades later. The movie's famously strange closing sequence sends its hero through the Star Gate, compressing space, time, and experience into one dimension and shattering the viewers' minds in the process.
Laura looks up with a cold look on her face in Under the Skin.
2001: A Space Odyssey offers a trippy meditation on existence, proving that sci-fi can be truly surreal and mind-bending, transcending the boundaries of traditional narrative storytelling.
