7 mind-bending movies that will force you to question reality

Winter is coming. In Finland, the summer midnight sun is replaced by a miserable state of mid-afternoon dusk. Curling up on a couch to dream yourself away is a logical response to these conditions.

Smart and challenging movies offer a superior form of escapism. This selection of ambitious films will leave you questioning the nature of reality. They aim for a state where the line between dreaming and chemical enhancement becomes blurred.

After watching these, a walk outside in foul weather may be necessary to reconnect with the physical world. The list begins with accessible titles before ascending the steep rock wall of Mount Bizarro.

1. Being John Malkovich (1998)

Struggling puppeteer Craig (John Cusack) deals with a dead career and a stalling marriage to Lotte (Cameron Diaz). He takes a random office job and discovers a portal into the body of actor John Malkovich. The real puppet master is office queen bee Maxine (Catherine Keener). She ensnares Malkovich, Craig and Lotte while exploiting the discovery for hedonistic gain.

Director Spike Jonze created a timeless film. Set in New York City, the package remains approachable and funny despite a complex plot rich in symbolism. The movie features under-appreciated gender-bending twists and a lineup of Hollywood stars mocking their own public images.

2. A Scanner Darkly (2006)

Philip K. Dick stories are typically weird and paranoid. This adaptation follows an undercover narcotics agent (Keanu Reeves) in Orange County. He descends into a subculture plagued by a new drug and faces a surveillance state that exceeds Orwellian predictions. The film was shot digitally and traced using a rotoscope technique to create a glowing animation style. The cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson.

3. Mulholland Dr. (2002)

David Lynch delivers a masterpiece that critiques Hollywood. Betty (Naomi Watts) arrives in LA with dreams of stardom and begins helping Rita (Laura Harring), an amnesiac car crash victim. The story descends into a nightmare of jealousy and an exploration of the darker traits of the film industry.

Characters interact with an uncaring showbiz machine that treats everyone as disposable. The feverishly tense soundtrack by Angelo Badalamenti sways between dreamy tones and psychotic eeriness. It is exactly what one expects from the composer of the Twin Peaks theme.

4. The Holy Mountain (1973)

This film is a test. It presents a spiritual escape from industrial civilization through saturated 1970s colors. Nothing prepares the viewer for this journey. Passing this test indicates an ability to enjoy the remaining movies on this list.

5. Pi (1998)

Pi is an early masterpiece from Darren Aronofsky. Obsession drives the plot as a mathematician (Sean Gullette) loses himself. The protagonist abandons scientific conventions for ancient mysticism to find a master key for the universe. The soundtrack features 1990s staples including Clint Mansell, Massive Attack, Autechre, Orbital and Aphex Twin.

6. Songs from the Second Floor (2000)

Swedish director Roy Andersson works with the precision of a painter. He portrays contemporary society by following a desperate entrepreneur through a grey mid-life coma. The film addresses the first cracks in the Nordic welfare state and the fears associated with globalization.

One glacially moving shot depicts a reverse Ättestupa where a young girl is thrown down a cliff before grey spectators. Andersson uses this to critique his own generation’s consumption and its impact on younger generations.