20 Brilliant Mind-F*ck Movies
3. Memento
Amnesia and memory-loss has been explored endlessly at the movies, but never has a film played it more engagingly than Christopher Nolans Memento. Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano star in a psychological noir where the protagonist rarely has a firm grip on whats actually happening around him.
Pearces Leonard Shelby is unable to store new memories, so relies on an intricate system of polaroid pictures and tattoos to determine the facts of his life. These tell him that his wife was killed, and remind him of a few vital clues hes found to help identify the murderer.
Meanwhile, flashbacks playout in black and white, creating a non-linear narrative that contradicts itself at times and confounds the viewer throughout. When all the pieces finally slot together, youve got a movie mind-f*ck thats near-impossible to beat.