# What is the most thought provoking movie you've watched?



## Extraverted Delusion (Oct 23, 2011)

I've recently come to a dead-end in my efforts of scouring internet movie databases for movies with apparent substance. Whether that's a lack of my own self-sufficiency or a stroke of bad luck, I managed to stumble upon another personality-based forum with the same subject matter in a thread. It proved to be more than resourceful for my quest.

And so I begin to steal this wonderful idea and bestow it upon thee...

Be honest. Sit and think for a minute, truly.... what is the most thought provoking flick you've seen in your life? A movie that planted an idea in your head (ha ha to whoever guesses Inception with this quote) which you couldn't escape from. This could be more than one, if you must.

To name a few, here are some of my favorites:

The Prestige (absolute mindbogglement)
Thank You For Smoking (fantastic take on argumentativeness, brought out the child in me when dealing with people -- in a good way)
The Matrix/Terminator 2 (Similar concepts, and I was rather young and the concept was intriguing)
The Machinist (something that kept me guessing, no movie can do this generally)
The Number 23 (could have been executed better but the concept is good)
Revolver (*highly underrated*, but execution is a little outlandish)

I'm sure there were a couple of others, but I'm drawing blanks.

Post away!


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## Impermanence (Apr 24, 2012)

Inception is another one.


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## Hiccups24-7 (Oct 17, 2009)

The Sunset Limited (2011) for me this has major repeat value, it's set in just one room with two people yet covers so much.

also:- 

2001: a space odyssey - though sparse and slow the underlying theme is pretty whoaa.
Blade Runner
Donnie Darko
Synecdoche, New York
Good Will Hunting
Home Room
Dogma xP it has its moments.


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## Xiong Mao (Apr 19, 2012)

In no particular order:_

- Baraka
- Extremely Loud & Incredible Noisy
- Inception
- Martian Child
- August Rush
- Sweet Nothing's in My Ear
- Sound & Fury 
- Children of a Lesser God

_...to name a few


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## LimeDegree (Mar 6, 2012)

Some of the movies that really synch up with me probably won't be so enjoyable for others.

_- Fallen
_- _Pleasantville
_- _Brick_
_- Watchmen_


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## MyName (Oct 23, 2009)

2001-A Space Odyssey, most certainly. Also Vertigo and The Seventh Seal (and tons of other Ingmar Bergman movies). Although it would help if you defined "thought-provoking" a bit more clearly.


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## Bipedal P 314 (Dec 10, 2011)

Waking Life
Inception
A Scanner Darkly
Watchmen
Donnie Darko
Children of Men
Fight Club
Impostor


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## Snakecharmer (Oct 26, 2010)

*The Life of David Gale* Great film about an anti-death penalty activist
*Pay it Forward*
*Inception*
*The King's Speech*


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## rycbar (Aug 2, 2011)

Most recently would be _Tree of Life_.


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## grmpf (Mar 18, 2010)

"Into the Wild" tought me that I have finally grown up. As a youngster I would surely have sympathised with Chris, but now I see the selfishness of his choices.
Of the depressing type: "Never Let Me Go". The idea of futileness combined with what it means to have a desire to live.
And the most disturbing film (and thus thoughtprovoking through trauma) must have been "Old Boy"...


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## GROUNDED_ONE (May 23, 2012)

Here is my quick list and what they meant to me:
Shutter Island - wow..psychology has come a long way
Raging Bull - epitome of rage issues
Girl Interrupted - what happens when you push people's buttons for too long
Cast Away - what would you do alone on an island? favorite what if question
River Runs Through It - family traditions and brotherhood
Stand By Me - childhood friendship and it's importance or lack there of in forming you as an adult


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## MrBojangles (May 29, 2012)

inception 
Remeber the titans 
city of god 
memories of matsuku (is quite sad ) 
fight club 
the boy in stripped pyjamers ( because the boy in stripped pj's might mislead someone )


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## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

Youth without youth (2007)
Donnie Darko (the first one)
The Butterfly Effect
Surrogates


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## Zombie Devil Duckie (Apr 11, 2012)

The Survivors

The Survivors (1983) - IMDb

Not only a very funny movie, but the lesson it gives from almost 30 years ago is still valuable, especially in media today.

- ZDD


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## Jetsune Lobos (Apr 23, 2012)

MyName said:


> Although it would help if you defined "thought-provoking" a bit more clearly.


How much elaboration does one need to do on what's basically a "what film makes ya think?" thread?

Define your request for defining.


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## Extraverted Delusion (Oct 23, 2011)

MyName said:


> Although it would help if you defined "thought-provoking" a bit more clearly.


Quote from the original post:

*A movie that planted an idea in your head (ha ha to whoever guesses Inception with this quote) which you couldn't escape from*.

Simply put, not every movie leaves a profound and lasting impression on one person. Taking my chances with what "profoundly thought provoking" means will net me equal results to something worded a little more differently. Essentially, people would post their favorite mindfucks and twisted flicks which emanated off the viewer for a longer period of time than a usual movie would.


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## OrdinarinessIsAFWTD (Jun 28, 2011)

Rashomon
Last Year at Marienbad
Woman in the Dunes
Blowup
Persona
The Mirror
Videodrome
Brazil
The Decalogue
Inland Empire


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## Subtle Murder (May 19, 2012)

Good Will Hunting - my gosh, I have rarely come across a film as well written as this one. 
The Mist - based on a Stephen King book, not very philosophical, but holy crap!
Shutter Island
Memento
The Fountain
Being John Malkovich
The Others (lol, oldschool!)
Ink
Repo! The Genetic Opera

I can't think of any more. I'll come back to it.


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## poisonpinkpony (May 29, 2012)

_We Need To Talk About Kevin_ really made me wish that I could read people's thoughts so I could see what makes some of them killers. And it really made me not wanting to have any children.


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## GROUNDED_ONE (May 23, 2012)

poisonpinkpony said:


> _We Need To Talk About Kevin_ really made me wish that I could read people's thoughts so I could see what makes some of them killers. And it really made me not wanting to have any children.


Yeah... I need to see this!


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## xxxlovefactorxxx (May 27, 2012)

Shutter Island.


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## elle vs (May 29, 2012)

"The Tree of life" 
and more recently "Prometheus".. (which actually reminded me more of Blade Runner than Alien.. weird right?)


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## Kormoran (Mar 15, 2012)

A film called Threads from 1984. Highly recommend it.


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## Pikestarkey (Jun 30, 2012)

You don't choose a life, you live one. 'The way' is a pretty powerful movie.
GQ


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## Planisphere (Apr 24, 2012)

Not in any particular order:

Law Abiding Citizen
Donnie Darko
Blade Runner
V for Vendetta
Equilibrium
Inception
Surrogates

There were a LOT of thought-provoking movies, all making me think of different subjects. But the ones that probably left the biggest mark on me were Equilibrium, Inception, and Surrogates. Equilibrium made me think of both the destructive and creative powers passion gives us; Inception made me think of how dangerous ideas can be if not tempered with something; Surrogates made me think of people pretending to be something they aren't, yet what they're pretending to be is not actually any better than who they really are. VERY good movies.


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## josie18 (Jun 30, 2012)

well some thought provoking movies that i have seen are:
the boy in the stripped pajamas 



the pianist 



never let me go 



inception


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## CrabbyPaws (Mar 5, 2012)

V for Vendetta
Avatar
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas 
Flubber
Wall-e


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## ProfessorLiver (Mar 19, 2011)

The movie that provoked the most thought in me was 2001: A Space Odyssey because it made me go "wut". and I haven't stopped thing about it.

Movies don't generally provoke a lot of thought from me about the condition of the world. Requiem For A Dream kind of did, though, because while I don't believe in any supreme being, I've always believed that the nature of the universe is constant balance, and it kind of rocked my world be to reminded that not everything balances out in the end. Sometimes bad shit happens and you just can't do anything about it because fuck you.


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## paccplayer11 (May 30, 2012)

Oldboy. I couldn't stop thinking about it for a couple of days. What a mental roller coaster.


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## Paradox1987 (Oct 9, 2010)

In no order:

_Dead Man Walking_
One of my favourite films of all time. Excellent score and plot, well acted and really hammers some points home about humanity, mortality, good and evil.

_The Green Mile_
Yes, yes yes, a better book I know. But the movie was well done.

_Inception_

_Watchmen_

_Jarhead_

_Shawshank Redemption_
Same deal as with the Green Mile.


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## Setsuna (Jun 27, 2012)

I know that some of these have been mentioned already, I'm just throwing my hat into the ring as well:

Never Let Me Go
Inception
American Beauty
Signs


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## CoeurGrenadine (Jun 1, 2017)

Recently I watched The Truman Show, and what strikes me is the accuracy of the message. Because Truman here represents an individual that does not fit in. He is trapped in a society which is false and hypocritical, controlled by both mass media and corporations that shaped that world. It makes me think about how are treated people who does not fit in. People who want's thing society forbid/makes difficult for individual to achieved. 




Also I rewatched The Lifeguard and I remember that I really thought about life, new beginning and all the first time I watched it. It made echoes to that sensation that the more I grow up the more I realize that life isn't going to "really" begin or to change unless I make a move.


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## CoeurGrenadine (Jun 1, 2017)

I almost forgot that one. I found it really empowering. It gives hope.


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## LittleDreamer (Dec 11, 2016)

Life is Beautiful:crying:


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## Wisteria (Apr 2, 2015)

Eternal sunshine of spotless mind
The Truman show
Fight club
Black swan


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## Energumen (Apr 24, 2015)

Children of Men
12 Monkeys
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
A Clockwork Orange
Big Fish
Swiss Army Man
Groundhog Day
The Science of Sleep
Donnie Darko
Inception
The Fountain
Fight Club
Gran Torino


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## ae1905 (Jun 7, 2014)

@Cheveyo, be scared, be very, very scared!


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## Cheveyo (Nov 19, 2010)

ae1905 said:


> Cheveyo, be scared, be very, very scared!




Why?


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## ae1905 (Jun 7, 2014)

Cheveyo said:


> Why?




cuz that's the world you live in


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## nO_d3N1AL (Apr 25, 2014)

I'll name a few that come to mind:

The Devil's Advocate
Groundhog Day
Source Code
A Beautiful Mind
The Imitation Game
Who Am I?
Inception
The Adjustment Bureau
Kill Bill vol. 2
Divergent (come on, this is PerC after all, everyone here has to have _some _interest in personality!)
Scarface (1983)


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