10 Movies With Mind-Bending Plots

This unsettling yet highly enjoyable movie sits as an early entry in the now-popular 'body horror' genre. The plot centres around an American psychopathologist, Edward Jessop, who theorizes that alternate states of consciousness may, in fact, be as real as our perceived 'waking' state. To further his research, Jessop visits a mysterious tribe in Mexico and partakes of a sacred potion which induces an extreme hallucinogenic experience.

Returning home, Jessop begins to experiment with sensory deprivation, via a flotation tank, in an attempt to replicate the drug's effects. Terrifyingly, Jessop's visionary journeys begin to manifest as real physical changes. After one such 'trip' he emerges transformed into a savage caveman-like figure, and is uncontrollable.

Maverick Ken Russell (The Devils, Women In Love) directs this disturbing feature, which marks the screen debuts of both William Hurt (Body Heat, Avengers) and Drew Barrymore (Donnie Darko, Grey Gardens). It's a punishing watch but, unlike many of the films on this list, there is at least a happy ending to this sorry tale.