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10 Films Just as Mind-Bending as I'm Thinking of Ending Things
by
kennedy hill
Everett Collection / Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
I’m Thinking of Ending Things, in true Charlie Kaufman fashion, leaves audiences in an inescapable haze concerning what happened during its two-hour runtime. Adapted from Iain Reid’s debut novel, the movie’s premise seems simple enough: a woman contemplates breaking up with her boyfriend as they travel to visit his parents for the first time. That naïve read of the story lasts for about five minutes, then odd imagery and disjointed conversations pepper through the film until it ends with scenes of absurdity that are supposed to say something that, well, not everybody will get. For those who enjoyed the ride of Kaufman’s Netflix thriller, here’s a roundup of 10 films to watch until the acclaimed director releases his next cinematic brain-teaser.
©USA Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
Being John Malkovich
This 1999 Kaufman classic follows a puppeteer who finds a doorway directly into the mind of A-list actor John Malkovich. Arguably the filmmaker’s most quintessential movie, this John Cusack- and Cameron Diaz-led movie is a natural next stop on the Kaufman express.
©Newmarket Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection
Donnie Darko
If a young Jake Gyllenhaal isn’t enough to draw you to this creepy cult classic, its reality-bending plot should pull your attention. While sleepwalking, teen Donnie Darko (Gyllenhaal) is visited by a life-size demonic bunny who tells him the world will end in 28 days. Donnie struggles to comprehend the encounter and a following string of eerie events as made up, real, or something in between. Not only does this film share an engaging, albeit heady, premise with I’m Thinking of Ending Things, it also gets bonus points for an imaginary character.
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Inception
The final spinning top scene is one of the most memorable movie moments from 2010, and there’s still no clear answer on what it signified, leaving viewers to interpret the ending on their own. Christopher Nolan’s Inception is a clear choice for this list as its layers of dream infiltration are notoriously difficult to track. Even if you’ve already seen this one, watching it through the lens of a Kaufman film could connect a few dots.
©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
Marriage Story
Maybe it wasn’t Kaufman’s intricate plot that interested you, but its subdued depiction of a deteriorating relationship. If that’s the case, then Netflix’s Marriage Story is a safe bet for a fulfilling watch. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver star in this intimate, raw portrayal of a breaking marriage, in which things actually do end.
©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection / Copyright Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
The Truman Show
Jim Carrey, who worked with Kaufman for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, stars in this psychological dramedy. It’s nearly impossible to describe this film without spoiling the movie, but here’s a hint: not everything is as it seems.
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Mulholland Drive
David Lynch, the director best known for the original Twin Peaks, has a style as distinctive as Kaufman’s, and Mulholland Drive is an excellent gateway into the works of this revered filmmaker. A brunette amnesiac seeks the help of a Midwestern blonde when she wakes up in the streets of Los Angeles with no memory of how she got there, weaving themes of mystery and identity throughout the story’s unveiling.
©Newmarket Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection
Memento
Christopher Nolan makes this list a second time with his 2000 psychological thriller Memento. Told nonchronologically, a man with short-term memory loss aims to find the man responsible for his wife’s murder, if only he can remember the clues long enough.
©Focus Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
Lost in Translation
Bill Murray won an Oscar for his leading role opposite Scarlett Johansson, where their two wayward characters form an unlikely friendship after a chance meeting in a Tokyo hotel bar. A quiet film that navigates relationships, romantic and otherwise, Sofia Coppola’s 2003 film continues to be a memorable portrayal of human connection.
©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
10 Cloverfield Lane
I’m Thinking of Ending Things has a perpetual uneasiness signaling that something is off, and so does this 2016 sci-fi thriller. A woman wakes up in a strange man’s bunker, and she’s left to decide whether to stay confined to his house and rules or take her chances outside with the possible monsters that lurk beyond the walls.
©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Synecdoche, New York
Kaufman’s writing voice was already well established by the time he released his directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a down-on-his-luck theater director who moves to New York City to restart his life with a new troupe and experiment inspired by the city.