20 Brilliant Mind-F*ck Movies
17. Black Swan
Natalie Portman in a ballet movie who thought that would turn out to be one of the biggest brain-bafflers in recent cinematic history? With creepy direction from Darren Aronofsky fused with a stellar script from Andres Heinz, Mark Heyman and John McLaughlin, seemingly simple plot elements become the core components of Black Swans dizzying storytelling.
This one gets to you by creating a false sense of security. Aronofsky whisks you into a film that seems like a fairly normal dance movie, but slowly pushes his protagonist Nina to the point of insanity. The intensity of her job, and the pressure upon her, results in toe-crawlingly bloody hallucinations and entirely imaginary scenes from Ninas mind.
Because the story unfolds from Ninas perspective, were constantly unsure of whats real within the world of Black Swan. A rewatch might help you piece a few bits together, but theres an enigma here that cant be solved.