10 movies for smart people 

0:41 DONNIE DARKO 1:24 MEMENTO 2:16 PRIMER 2:56 REVOLVER 3:39 INTERSTELLAR 4:13 2001:A SPACE ODYSSEY 5:12 INCEPTION 5:50 THE TREE OF LIFE 6:24 TENET 7:01 ARRIVAL

The library in our small town hosts a : ”10 movies-1 per week” every fall. Hand picked films for amateur connoiseurs for a $15 season ticket. (now it’s about $23) They started in -99 and when they showed the 4th film in 2003 , it was ”Memento”. I can still remember the wow feeling when I left the building. Pearce and Pantoliano are acting fantastic together , and the cutting of the movie is nothing short of genius level.

Tennet?! Whoops. I think you meant THE PRESTIGE. Tennet is for ppl who want to feel smart for watching a movie. The Prestige is the most cerebral screenplay ever crafted, maybe next to Memento.

The Best Offer could also be on this list in my opinion. I saw that movie 3 times and I still didn't realize who was actually behind it. Geoffrey Rush and Sylvia Hoeks nailed it.

One of the best "movies for smart people" I've ever seen is the original version of Sleuth made in 1972 which is really difficult to find.

Thank you for making this list. I have seen most. You could add Contact to that list. I wish there were more of these movies.

I saw all of them, and I'm not smart..

Forgot to mention The Prestige

Momento and Arrival are probably my favourites on the list, though they are all spectacular films in their own separate ways. Definitely have to watch Revolver and Primer as I have not seen them yet

I've seen 60% of these movies Arrival, Donnie Darko, Interstellar, Inception, Revolver & Memento. Memento was the only one that stood out for me.

“I saw Inception…. Or at least I dreamt I did.” -Michael Scott

Revolver IS Absolutely a must watch, it’s one of those rare films that when seen at the right time of your life with an open mind can actually really “transcend” you. It’s that deep.. you just need to be in the right place (internally) to get the most out of it. It’s a contemplation not a thing you watch without investing yourself in it.. it’s wasted on the casual or shallow person.

Gattaca, the movie asks if genetic screened humans are better than regular humans. What if questions SF is good at exploring

I'm disappointed M Night Shyamalan didn't seem to make more of an impact. Some of his movies we're really on a different level, but then More of them seemed flat and then he seemed to disappear but, then again, I don't follow movies a lot anymore. So it could be me.

Movies for smart people that you might have missed: Rollerball (which is Keanu Reeves favourate movie btw)

Ghost in the Shell (Anime), Anatomy of a Fall, Patterns, Shutter Island, Network, The Whale, Fight Club, Seven, Deathtrap and for the smartest TV-series; Dark.

Ngl tree of life was hard to get into but once you get over the first hour its absolutely incredible.

I love all of the movies on your list and have to throw “Contact” into the ring of contention…some say the end was not a good enough of a payoff but it certainly makes you think!

I'd knock inception out. Kind of basic plot if you'd seen the matrix already. Any of these could replace it. Cloud Atlas The Truman Show Who's afraid of Virginia Wolf

Christopher Nolan having 4 of the 10 movies on this list says a lot about him as one of the best directors of all time

Thanks a lot for the list. Just watched "Memento" and its a great movie. Also gives you that open-ended question like inception does. I guess Nolan like to do that.

Memento is my favorite how about the movie Blade Runner from 1982

Great list. My honorable mention would be "Closet Land"

"Arrival" does not fit with your other excellent choices. Anybody who has taken Linguistics 101can figure out its premise pretty quickly. The rest, the- the baby, etc. is sheer tear jerking excess.

Some of my favorite flicks. I will watch Revolver now (the only one I haven`t). I have a thing for low budget, Primer is the gem. Memento is just brilliant, no doubt. You should check The Man From Earth (my fav film ever), Coherence, The One I Love, Durante la Tormenta (Mirage), Timecrimes (Cronocrimenes), Exam, 12 angry men, in case you haven`t. Cheers !!!

Agree with some below. Great scifi does not make as much money as the shoot-em flicks so we don't get enough of them.

4 Christopher Nolan movie, he is on another level 🙌

3. Primer 4. Revolver 5. Interstellar. 6. 2001 : space odyssey 7. Inception 8. The Tree of Life. 9. Tenet 10. Arrival Mr.Nobody, pie.. You are welcome 😊

Good selection man... Cool.

Being John Malkovich.The Game.Truman Show..Yes revolver is also brilliant

Donnie Darko, Arrival and Pi are the best from this list for me, but great bunch of movies. Kudos!

great list, great style! thank you

AKA top movies to see if you want peace and quiet from others watching with you.

- Brazil, by Terry Gilliam - Vainilla Sky, by Cameron Crowe

First time seeing Jason Statham with hair 😮

Thank you. I would add Steven Soderbergh's "Let Them All Talk" (2020) to the list.

Inception is my favorite❤❤

Cube, Fight Club, Animal Farm

Excellent choices

Thank you for this list. I do miss the Wow factor that some movies can induce.

The Identity. Just a good movie for anyone who wants to see

Great video. Congratulations.

Guys, I am looking for movies to boost my motivation and energy. Do you have any more recommendations? Movies, after which I felt more power and motivation: > Limitless > John Wick > Catch me if you can > Iron man > The equalizer > Wonderwoman > The wolf of wallstreet

Great work you are doing man... Taste matches🙌🙌

Revolver is the only I I have not seen, I will check it out. You need to watch Coherence (2013). You also need to watch foreign films. Many great ones that have a lot more to say about the nature of existence & reality that most American made films.

Actually I didn't enjoy Tenet so much. It is interesting until I find it hard to see how this strategy could actually work. A movie I actually expected in such a list is Contact, a hard SciFi movie based on the great book by the astronomer Carl Sagan. On the other hand I found Source Code is worth mentioning, and Butterfly Effect to some degree. I didn't watch all of these movies yet, but I will have a go with The tree of Life and Revolver, which I might have watched before, but forgot. Another movie fitting to this list topic, although a bit over the top action packed but multilayered and a bit underrated movie, was Sucker Punch. Another one worth mentioning are eXistenZ, and of course 12 Monkeys.

Not really a "complex" movie itself, but a very clever psychological one in my opinion is the movie "Incident in a ghostland". If you're tired of boring horrormovies where the characters do stupid things i just can recommend this one to you.

Everything everywhere all at once!

Good choice. I would add Fight Club to the list.

For me, watching THE TREE OF LIFE was like doing a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces missing!

Inception was riveting too

I not only have seen over half of them, but these are some of my favorites. So I just be wicked smaht by now.

They're all good except Tenet

All Chris Nolan films. Dude is cerebral as hell Also: Everything, Everywhere all at once. Breaks brains for breakfast

My humble suggestion for your viewing: "Nine Days"

I saw Tree of life at the opening screening, sold out in the mega room of a mega cinema. The whole audience bonded with laughs at the dinosaur scene, and was still laughing exiting the room. Probably one of the worst films I've seen and one of the best projection I've been part of 😂

"Peppermint Candy", 1999, S. Korea.

I'm surprised you didn't Mention zardoz which the music you use came from

Actually you did a good job. Obviously I agreed with all of your picks,

Brain is very good but if we not awaken spiritually....... oh boy......

To sum it all up, Christopher Nolan is the GOAT

Thank you so much for this - now I have movies made for emotional reward and intellectual stimulation....What better than to have the forces of biology behind movie enjoyment.

Great list.

Tenet is the same forward and backwards, literally, TE-N-ET

Just watch nolan’s entire career. And then again. And again. Until you either become smart or end up paranoid.

Cronenberg's "Dead Ringers" featuring the heavenly twins. Also, "Ex Machina".

1. Brick 2. Waking Life 3. Anna 4. Cube 5. Saw 6. Silence of the Lambs 7. Gosford Park 8. Catch Me If You Can 9. The Usual Suspects 10. Cosmopolis If You Can Figure Out Plot Summation And Easter Eggs 🤓

Watch; what the bleep do we know!

Like the background classical music. Could you please the me what it is.

Good list.

Revolver is one of the best movies ever!

Forgot to mention: Stay (2005)

actually revolver was very good. It got me thinking.

BATEMAN 😎 RULES! 🩸🪓

Being john malkovitch, Barracuda, prestige, Miller’s crossing, usual suspects, burn after reading, once upon a time in america

Great list. I would add Annihilation and The Signal.

Add The Fountain to the list!!!

Boring movies with great actors. Fincher movies are amazing and smart

The Tree of Life?! Naah. I agree with the rest, but The Tree of Life is just pretentious. Too artsy to actually being strong enough to deliver a compelling message. The beginning of the film is beautiful from a cinematic experience, I'll give you that. Other movies that I think are iconic "for smart people" are Idiocracy and Fight Club.

Tree of Life was absolutely insufferablely bad

You can add "The Man from the Earth"

Thank you very much

You should add "Coherence" (2013)

Christopher Nolan definitely the filmmaker of my lifetime

Leave the World Behind

Thanks a lot I mea it!

Porky's?!? 🤣 Sorry, couldn't resist...

I backed out when he said.. “Grab yo high school diploma” I do not qualify to continue… Let me know what it’s like on… “THE OTHER SIDE”…… 😶 🥺🥺🥺😢😢🥺😢😩😫😭

The prestige ✨

Glaring omission: Billy Madison

watch more movies other than nolan movies.

The best way to be smarter is to start by feeling dumber.

I love Nolan. That being said: You really included interstellar? :) His by far most stupid movie, with stupid people doing stupid things...

W vid.

You should add the original moon landing to this list. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I did not like Arrival as it did not explain why the aliens came and left without any achievment neither to them nor to humans

Can we please stop categorization of people??? Art is for any human being, and by the by, who gave you the authority to decide who’s smart and isn’t???

must watch following if u r nolan fan

The Prestige

Donny Darko , still can't get my head around it !