Have you ever watched a film that left you wondering, “What in the world just happened?” According to Freud, the Thanatos or death drive is the reason why surprise is a difficult psychological impact to generate. The surprise feels ordinary in the next minute because death is the ultimate destination (and “Final Destination” is not on the list). Some films, on the other hand, resist the attitude and still have enough bizarre turns to leave you perplexed for a day or forever. Here are a few of the top films that will leave you speechless that are available on HBO Max.
Carnival of Souls (1962)
Many people view this psychological horror movie, which was directed by Herk Harvey, as a classic work of art. Starring Candace Hilligoss, Herk Harvey, Frances Feist, and Sidney Berger, it centers on Mary Henry (Hilligoss), who goes to Utah and gets a job as a church organist after miraculously surviving a car accident in Kansas. But she continues to see images of a pale-faced, ghoulish guy (“The Man”; played by Harvey) and others who resemble him. Does she have a bad dream? Or do the ghouls actually exist? The truth is revealed by a body found after an automobile accident. You can watch the movie here to find out more.
Caddo Lake (2024)
“Caddo Lake,” a mind-bending mystery film co-directed by Logan George and Celine Held, centers on two characters, Ellie (Eliza Scanlen) and Paris (Dylan O’Brien), who are drawn to the Deep South’s titular lake by their personal tragedies. Time travel and family secrets are woven into the unfolding of truths as the two venture into the swampy waters. The man, who is also a producer, combines the past and present in an M. Night Shyamalan-style drama to create an engrossing, twist-filled story. It is available to view here.
Diabolique (1955)
Henri-Georges Clouzo’s classic French psychological thriller “Les Diaboliques,” also known as “Diabolique,” is based on Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac’s 1952 novel “She Who Was No More” (Celle qui n’était plus). In it, two women plot the murder of Michel Delassalle (Paul Meurisse), the ruthless headmaster of a boarding school. Both are teachers at Michel’s school: his mistress Nicole (Simone Signoret) and his sickly wife Christina (Véra Clouzot).
But when Michel’s body vanishes from the swimming pool where the women had disposed of it, things become murky and frightening. Christina also begins to see the ghost of her spouse following her around the school. Nicole is terrified because she doesn’t want anything that she did to be revealed. Does this imply that Michel is still living? Is Christine experiencing hallucinations? If so, what happened to Michel’s body? “Diabolique,” a picture that continuously adds twists and provides an extra twist at the very end, served as the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” It is available to view here.
Malignant (2021)
Annabelle Wallis plays Madison Mitchell in James Wan’s “Malignant,” a film in which she has the ability to see crimes being committed in real time in her dreams. The murderer, albeit concealed in the shadows, is the same, even though the victims are different. When the thing calls, it turns out to be Gabriel, Madison’s childhood imaginary friend. Even if it’s true, she still needs to figure out why Gabriel is killing people and figure out how to stop more deaths.
Unbeknownst to her, the case revolves around a sinister personal secret that holds the key to all of her inquiries. Wan does an excellent job of creating a fresh and eerie fusion of the supernatural and the spooky. Madison’s character is admirably portrayed by Wallis, who strikes a balance between curiosity and fear. “Malignant” is available for viewing here.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
The absurdist psychological thriller “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” by Yorgos Lanthimos tells the story of a surgeon who must confront the repercussions of his actions in the operating room. His failure to save a patient takes the shape of a horrible scenario as he battles to defend his wife and two kids from the “gaze” of a young child. As things worsen, the surgeon is compelled to do something he never thought he would do, which leads to a shocking conclusion. “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” a gripping and unsettling Lanthimos drama starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, and Alicia Silverstone, provides a stark look at the inexplicably peculiar aspects of the human psyche. It is available to view here.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
In Bryan Singer’s cult classic crime thriller “The Usual Suspects,” a criminal named Roger “Verbal” Kint, who has survived an explosion, is brought in for interrogation. What he tells the investigators makes for an incredibly entertaining viewing. We learn about the enigmatic Turkish crime lord Keyser Söze, who is thought to operate in the shadows because there is no evidence of his existence, as he explains what motivated him and his associates to travel to the boat. An exquisitely written crime drama about deceit and lies comes to an unexpected end when the question of whether what Verbal is saying is true is answered at the end. “The Usual Suspects” is a must-see because of the outstanding performances by Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, and Kevin Pollak. It is available for streaming here.
