10 Mysterious Sci-Fi Films That Gave Nothing Away

This Russian sci-fi drama tells the story of a man, simply called The Stalker, who must navigate two people through a sealed off area called The Zone. Beyond The Zone lies a mysterious Room which supposedly grants wishes. Not only is the movie almost three hours but it moves at a slow pace. The director, Andrei Tarkovsky, said he made the first few scenes intentionally slow to give casual viewers a chance to leave. In the opening, Tarkovsky is letting the audience know that he's taking his time because there's a lot to unpack.

As the characters ponder the existence of The Room and examine their own lives, you realise that this film is going to end with a lot of questions unanswered. Unsurprisingly, the movie was criticised upon its release for being too confusing and unfocused. Even the title is misleading. ("Tracker" is a more accurate term for the Stalker.)

However, the meaning behind Stalker isn't meant to be spelt out for the viewer. You don't have to understand a movie to enjoy it. The film's purpose is to make the viewer mull over what they just watched and evaluate themselves.