10 Horror Movies That Totally Confused You

Some great horror films, you just can't wrap your head around!

third part of the night
Polski State Film

There’s a lot to be said for the charm of a movie that can totally confound you. You want to be kept guessing, for the ending to be a complete mystery throughout to keep you on your toes. This has to be done just right, however, because if it’s not then we can easily step over into “WTF is going on?!” territory - and nobody wants to be there.

Calling a movie confusing isn’t necessarily an insult, I mean think of all the whining people did about Inception being difficult to wrap their heads around. Requiring thought doesn’t make a movie bad, and has the potential to elevate the whole thing to god-like status if all the right boxes are ticked - where everyone who watches it comes out feeling very Big Brained and happy with themselves.

Unfortunately, not every confusing movie you watch is going to have a moment of clarity or a satisfying payoff. You just have to roll the dice and hope for the best. At least in horror, a bit of confusion can aid the scare-factor and pave the way for some fantastic nasty surprises; so stay optimistic!

10. Amulet

third part of the night
Magnolia Pictures

If Imelda Staunton’s face still sends a chill down your spine from seeing her playing the vile Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter franchise, then you can cash that in here to see her in a real scary movie and get bonus fear!

Staunton plays a sinister nun who leads our protagonist, Tomaz, into a very tricky situation. At first thinking that he is helping a woman take care of her sick mother, Tomaz finds that he has gotten himself involved in guardianship of a demon.

Tomaz has a sinister past, of which we get glimpses in a few flashbacks throughout the film. Their exact relation to the present is not made clear but we can take a guess, as we also take a guess as to who the demon is, why they are there, why Imelda Staunton wants someone to take care of it, and a million other things.

The main source of confusion in this film comes from not knowing how the present is meant to interact with the past, and also understanding characters’ motivations in such a bizarre situation. It’s not necessarily a bad film, but it does err on the side of being a little too unexplained for its own good.

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