Posted on Apr 24, 2021

21 Movies That — Simply Put — Confused The Absolute Heck Out Of People

If "I'm sorry, what?!" was a genre.

Allie Hayes

BuzzFeed Staff

Listen — we've all watched a movie at some point in our lives where, as the credit rolled, the only reaction we could muster was: "Huh?!"

NBC

Well, this week redditor u/MigosFritos asked, "What movie left you completely confused in terms of the plot?" and people were ready to be open and honest about the movies they found to be a little...

Miramax

So, with all of that in mind, here are just a few of the most perplexing plots shared:

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

"Probably an obvious answer."—u/PapaTwoToes — MGM

"Probably an obvious answer."
—u/PapaTwoToes

MGM

"Probably an obvious answer."
—u/PapaTwoToes

2. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

"Though, that was mainly because there were multiple plots going on at once that weren't connected in any way until the end, and I had a hard time following them all. Every few minutes, I was like, 'All right, so now we're back to focusing on this...wait, what was happening here again?'"—u/DonnyMox — Sony Pictures Releasing

"Though, that was mainly because there were multiple plots going on at once that weren't connected in any way until the end, and I had a hard time following them all. Every few minutes, I was like, 'All right, so now we're back to focusing on this...wait, what was happening here again?'"
—u/DonnyMox

Sony Pictures Releasing

"Though, that was mainly because there were multiple plots going on at once that weren't connected in any way until the end, and I had a hard time following them all. Every few minutes, I was like, 'All right, so now we're back to focusing on this...wait, what was happening here again?'"
—u/DonnyMox

3. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

"There was just way too much creative license for me to know what the heck was going on. My brain kind of flatlined when I saw some of my favorite dinosaurs looking all wrong. The part when the T-Rex blood was used to heal a raptor was when I just couldn't pay attention anymore."—u/EveryBase427 — Universal Pictures

"There was just way too much creative license for me to know what the heck was going on. My brain kind of flatlined when I saw some of my favorite dinosaurs looking all wrong. The part when the T-Rex blood was used to heal a raptor was when I just couldn't pay attention anymore."
—u/EveryBase427

Universal Pictures

"There was just way too much creative license for me to know what the heck was going on. My brain kind of flatlined when I saw some of my favorite dinosaurs looking all wrong. The part when the T-Rex blood was used to heal a raptor was when I just couldn't pay attention anymore."
—u/EveryBase427

4. Donnie Darko (2001)

"It's a brilliant movie and I've seen it many, many times — but I still have no idea what it's about."—u/Scallywagstv2 — Pandora Cinema

"It's a brilliant movie and I've seen it many, many times — but I still have no idea what it's about."
—u/Scallywagstv2

Pandora Cinema

"It's a brilliant movie and I've seen it many, many times — but I still have no idea what it's about."
—u/Scallywagstv2

5. Tenet (2020)

"It's not as bad when you can watch it with subtitles."—u/mattcruise — Warner Bros. Pictures

"It's not as bad when you can watch it with subtitles."
—u/mattcruise

Warner Bros. Pictures

"It's not as bad when you can watch it with subtitles."
—u/mattcruise

6. The Room (2003)

"The first time I saw it was with a friend who told me how 'gloriously bad' it was, so we both got a bit drunk before watching it. It was more just glorious levels of 'What the hell is going on?!'"—u/Adora_Vivos — TPW Films

"The first time I saw it was with a friend who told me how 'gloriously bad' it was, so we both got a bit drunk before watching it. It was more just glorious levels of 'What the hell is going on?!'"
—u/Adora_Vivos

TPW Films

"The first time I saw it was with a friend who told me how 'gloriously bad' it was, so we both got a bit drunk before watching it. It was more just glorious levels of 'What the hell is going on?!'"
—u/Adora_Vivos

7. Quantum of Solace (2008)

"It's a Bond movie. I have seen it several times, but fail to get the actual plot."—u/OldMork — Sony Pictures Releasing

"It's a Bond movie. I have seen it several times, but fail to get the actual plot."
—u/OldMork

Sony Pictures Releasing

"It's a Bond movie. I have seen it several times, but fail to get the actual plot."
—u/OldMork

8. I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

"I couldn't really wrap my brain around that one."—u/EerieArizona — Netflix

"I couldn't really wrap my brain around that one."
—u/EerieArizona

Netflix

"I couldn't really wrap my brain around that one."
—u/EerieArizona

9. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)

"Like, it’s not complicated or super-confusing, but after all these years, I‘m still not actually sure what the underlying plot of the film (on its own, without the context of the trilogy) was."—u/JohnBrown1ng — Lucasfilm Ltd.

"Like, it’s not complicated or super-confusing, but after all these years, I‘m still not actually sure what the underlying plot of the film (on its own, without the context of the trilogy) was."
—u/JohnBrown1ng

Lucasfilm Ltd.

"Like, it’s not complicated or super-confusing, but after all these years, I‘m still not actually sure what the underlying plot of the film (on its own, without the context of the trilogy) was."
—u/JohnBrown1ng

10. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

"I bet if I watched it again I’d get it, but I was pretty lost the first time around."—u/Thirty_Helens_Agree — StudioCanal

"I bet if I watched it again I’d get it, but I was pretty lost the first time around."
—u/Thirty_Helens_Agree

StudioCanal

"I bet if I watched it again I’d get it, but I was pretty lost the first time around."
—u/Thirty_Helens_Agree

11. Cloud Atlas (2012)

"One of the VERY few movies I've started watching and never at any point finished. Also, the only movie I've sat down and watched for over an hour and said, 'What the actual hell am I watching?' I had literally ZERO idea what was going on or what it was about."—u/Myrdok — Warner Bros. Pictures

"One of the VERY few movies I've started watching and never at any point finished. Also, the only movie I've sat down and watched for over an hour and said, 'What the actual hell am I watching?' I had literally ZERO idea what was going on or what it was about."
—u/Myrdok

Warner Bros. Pictures

"One of the VERY few movies I've started watching and never at any point finished. Also, the only movie I've sat down and watched for over an hour and said, 'What the actual hell am I watching?' I had literally ZERO idea what was going on or what it was about."
—u/Myrdok

12. Mulholland Drive (2001)

"It doesn’t make any sense at all."—u/Tipsy_Danger — Universal Pictures

"It doesn’t make any sense at all."
—u/Tipsy_Danger

Universal Pictures

"It doesn’t make any sense at all."
—u/Tipsy_Danger

13. Black Swan (2010)

"I know it’s one of those psychological thrillers, but I feel like I’m a few cards short of a full deck every time I watch those. The first time I watched the end of this, I thought the big reveal was that she really was a swan all along...I think I missed the mark on that one."—u/NotTheBelt — Fox Searchlight Pictures

"I know it’s one of those psychological thrillers, but I feel like I’m a few cards short of a full deck every time I watch those. The first time I watched the end of this, I thought the big reveal was that she really was a swan all along...I think I missed the mark on that one."
—u/NotTheBelt

Fox Searchlight Pictures

"I know it’s one of those psychological thrillers, but I feel like I’m a few cards short of a full deck every time I watch those. The first time I watched the end of this, I thought the big reveal was that she really was a swan all along...I think I missed the mark on that one."
—u/NotTheBelt

14. Frozen 2 (2019)

"My main question was: What is the plot? I asked some friends, and they got confused, too. Think about it: there are some characters running around and singing...but what was it about?"—u/Watershipper — Walt Disney Studios

"My main question was: What is the plot? I asked some friends, and they got confused, too. Think about it: there are some characters running around and singing...but what was it about?"
—u/Watershipper

Walt Disney Studios

"My main question was: What is the plot? I asked some friends, and they got confused, too. Think about it: there are some characters running around and singing...but what was it about?"
—u/Watershipper

15. Synecdoche, New York (2008)

"I was confused as to what the plot was — apart from existential dread."—u/admadguy — Sony Pictures Classics

"I was confused as to what the plot was — apart from existential dread."
—u/admadguy

Sony Pictures Classics

"I was confused as to what the plot was — apart from existential dread."
—u/admadguy

16. Shutter Island (2010)

"I've watched it three times and I'm still not sure if Leonardo DiCaprio is mentally unstable, or if it's all a conspiracy — but I guess that was the point."—u/CrankaWhiskour — Paramount Pictures

"I've watched it three times and I'm still not sure if Leonardo DiCaprio is mentally unstable, or if it's all a conspiracy — but I guess that was the point."
—u/CrankaWhiskour

Paramount Pictures

"I've watched it three times and I'm still not sure if Leonardo DiCaprio is mentally unstable, or if it's all a conspiracy — but I guess that was the point."
—u/CrankaWhiskour

17. Chinatown (1974)

"I've watched it twice and still have no idea what the point was."—u/DeliciousAge8966 — Paramount Pictures

"I've watched it twice and still have no idea what the point was."
—u/DeliciousAge8966

Paramount Pictures

"I've watched it twice and still have no idea what the point was."
—u/DeliciousAge8966

18. Southland Tales (2006)

"I watched it, then made my friends watch it, and we were all dumbfounded. I still have no idea."—u/TaintedLike-Like — Sony Pictures

"I watched it, then made my friends watch it, and we were all dumbfounded. I still have no idea."
—u/TaintedLike-Like

Sony Pictures

"I watched it, then made my friends watch it, and we were all dumbfounded. I still have no idea."
—u/TaintedLike-Like

19. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

"I didn't get that movie at all. I know it's popular, it won many awards, and I fully appreciate the technical and acting efforts of everyone involved, but after I finished the movie I felt like I was reading a book about quantum mechanics. I received the information, but it didn't help me at all to understand what just happened."—u/c082 — Fox Searchlight Pictures

"I didn't get that movie at all. I know it's popular, it won many awards, and I fully appreciate the technical and acting efforts of everyone involved, but after I finished the movie I felt like I was reading a book about quantum mechanics. I received the information, but it didn't help me at all to understand what just happened."
—u/c082

Fox Searchlight Pictures

"I didn't get that movie at all. I know it's popular, it won many awards, and I fully appreciate the technical and acting efforts of everyone involved, but after I finished the movie I felt like I was reading a book about quantum mechanics. I received the information, but it didn't help me at all to understand what just happened."
—u/c082

20. Magnolia (1999)

"It's a great film for the performances involved, but the movie ends with frogs raining down from the sky?! It seemed so random that it actually angered me."—u/HarrumphingDuck — New Line Cinema

"It's a great film for the performances involved, but the movie ends with frogs raining down from the sky?! It seemed so random that it actually angered me."
—u/HarrumphingDuck

New Line Cinema

"It's a great film for the performances involved, but the movie ends with frogs raining down from the sky?! It seemed so random that it actually angered me."
—u/HarrumphingDuck

21. And finally — Avengers: Endgame (2019)

"How could they defeat Thanos from the past, but have the snap still happen? Also, how could Steve go back to the past, but still end up in the same timeline?"—u/CatastropheWife — Marvel Studios

"How could they defeat Thanos from the past, but have the snap still happen? Also, how could Steve go back to the past, but still end up in the same timeline?"
—u/CatastropheWife

Marvel Studios

"How could they defeat Thanos from the past, but have the snap still happen? Also, how could Steve go back to the past, but still end up in the same timeline?"
—u/CatastropheWife

Now it's your turn! What's a movie that confused the absolute heck out of you upon first watch? Share all of your thoughts in the comments below!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. H/T Reddit.

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