10 Movies With Mind-Bending Plots

This reality-bending romantic thriller is by some way the most warm-hearted entry here, although German-Swiss director Marc Forster, who also gave us The Kite Runner, Quantum Of Solace and World War Z, never lets things descend into schmaltz. Written by Zach Helm (Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium), the plot follows Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), a disillusioned IRS agent who lives a hum-drum life, until he finds himself enchanted by cafe owner Maggie Gyllenhaal.

That's just one side of the story, however. The real tension arises from the voice in Crick's head (Emma Thompson), who appears to be narrating Harry's life. When Harry's watch stops working and he asks a bystander for the correct time, resetting it, the narrator casually mentions that this simple action will eventually lead to Harry's death.

We have three strands at work here – a will-they/won't-they love story, the mystery of Harry's forthcoming demise and Harry's quest to discover the true nature of the narrator inside his mind. Ferrell puts in a fine and restrained performance, ably assisted by Dustin Hoffman's excellent turn as a literary expert who tries to help the lovable IRS agent.