The Athenian aristocrat Phaedrus said, “Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” Phaedrus clearly understood media literacy.
Some films, like John Wick and Minions, don't have much of an agenda beyond the surface level. However, many more movies feature hidden meanings, subliminal messages, and subtle themes that fly 50,000 feet over many viewers' heads.
Whether these complicated and winding films feed the brain or induce migraines, it's difficult to deny their importance to the discussion of cinematic themes and involuted storytelling. Movies that require viewers to open Wikipedia, do their homework, and put their thinking caps on before rewatching are the works that critics live for.
1. Ex Machina (2014)
One of the truly stellar science fiction films of the 2010s, Ex Machina presents fairly obvious messages about the ethical quandaries of creating artificial intelligence. Look beyond the surface themes, and you'll see how audiences have found several more subtle messages implanted by writer-director Alex Garland.
From the AI's name (“Ava,” which some have related to “Eve” in the Bible) to suggestions that such AI is tantamount to the creation of the atomic bomb, viewers must read between the lines to catch the grander implications within Ex Machina.
2. Leave the World Behind (2023)
Netflix's 2023 thriller-drama captured plenty of attention, as a star-studded cast led by Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke fueled one of the streaming platform's most-watched films of the year. However, those uninitiated in symbolism found menacing herds of deer and other cryptic messages sprinkled throughout the movie confusing.
To truly understand Leave the World Behind, consider wading through the darker annals of social media. There may be far more to the abundant symbolism than meets the eye, perhaps even harbingers of real-world events to come.
3. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Those who have visited a fraternity house in the past decade have likely encountered at least one The Wolf of Wall Street-themed poster. Rather than the cautionary tale about the inevitable pitfalls of unethical business practices, Martin Scorsese's rollicking financial comedy has become a rallying cry for the entrepreneurially minded and capital-craving.
It seems as if many audience members have rewatched the first hour or so before turning it off (before the arrests and the self-inflicted repetitional carpet-bombing rear their heads). Those who see Jordan Belfort as an aspirational figure definitely misinterpreted the message.
4. The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Those who merely watch movies as meaningless entertainment (nothing wrong with that) might have missed the Biblical themes throughout James Cameron's Arnie-led blockbusters. Within the overarching theme of humanity versus machines, several themes appear inspired by scripture.
Reformulating themes from The Bible is nothing new for filmmakers. In the Terminator films, audiences can spot dialogue and themes that echo the Ten Commandments (Thou shalt not kill), the war between good and evil, and a savior dying for the sins of others. If one isn't looking for these themes, though, they can be easy to miss.
5. Halloween Ends (2022)
Those expecting Halloween Ends to continue Michael Myers' truly terrifying reign of terror got something else entirely. Within ten minutes of starting David Gordon Green's 2022 slasher, audiences quickly realized how outlandish, cheesy, and downright bad the remaining hour and 41 minutes would be.
Those who altered their outlook to view the cringeworthy flick as a so-bad-its-hilarious comedy may have identified the film's point. After all, bombastic comedic actor Danny McBride contributed as a member of the film's writing team, which may have hinted that the plot's utter ridiculousness was a feature rather than a flaw.
Many critics also complained that swapping out Michael Myers for Corey Cunningham felt like an unnecessary departure from the point of the new Halloween films. On the contrary, it's the whole point of the trilogy. Only the keenest of moviegoers caught on to Corey's role as the culmination of the trauma Haddonfield endured and the residual evil Myers' reign of terror left behind. This is a little buried by a finale that forces Laurie to confront the memories of Myers that she was trying to bury once and for all.
6. The Shining (1980)
On its face, Stanley Kubrick's classic thriller explores the perils of being stranded in isolation during brutal winters. Yet, few films have launched more theories and discussions about deeper meanings, and considering Kubrick's legendary brain, these quests for non-obvious messages are warranted.
Fans and critics have posited that The Shining has veiled implications about the moon landing, genocide, the underworld, and more. The documentary Room 237 decodes Kubrick's more intricate subliminal messages. Odds are, most who've seen this timeless terror missed several points along the way.
7. There Will Be Blood (2007)
Paul Thomas Anderson's cinematic masterpiece about ruthless oil baron Daniel Plainview appears to profile the dangers of pursuing wealth without restraint. The movie's complex themes about religion and the changing landscape of American values made it a classic.
In particular, Plainview's pronouncement to a Machiavellian preacher that “I am the third revelation!” has attracted the eye of film analysts. Some critics concluded that Plainview's industrial pursuits represented the nation's pivot away from religion and towards a more money-focused ethos. That's a point that went way above most audience members' heads.
8. Fight Club (1999)
Diehard fans of UFC and bare-knuckle boxing might view Fight Club as, well, a movie about a fight club. As many fans realized once the credits rolled, the film had something far more meaningful to say than “Put your dukes up.”
Based on author Chuck Palahniuk's eponymous novel, David Fincher's film examines the emptiness of materialism, disaffected youth, and the meaning of masculinity. Of course, there's fighting too. Just don't miss the broader thematic world within which the fighting takes place, else you'll kind of miss the whole point of the movie.
9. Donnie Darko (2001)
Though it's become a cult hit, Donnie Darko originally sank at the box office, raking in only $110,494 in its opening weekend. Many fans still don't understand the movie's meaning or message, and theater audiences don't necessarily flock to films that leave them with more questions than answers.
Concepts like tangent universes, vortexes, the symbolism of artifacts, and time travel make it difficult to wrap one's head around this dark sci-fi adventure. It's easy to see how even ardent fans could miss the points director Richard Kelly wants trying to get across, as one might need a PhD to grasp this complicated, perplexing plot.
10. Inception (2010)
Christopher Nolan has never shied away from brain-melting plots centered on complex ideas about time and dimensions. While beloved, Inception is simply a film many people lack the cognitive equipment to make sense of.
This isn't a slight towards audiences but, instead, an acknowledgment that Nolan is one of the most cerebral, ambitious directors of his time. Those who don't have to pause Inception several times to try to figure out the plot and meaning should submit their MENSA International membership application immediately.
11. American Psycho (2000)
American Psycho stands tall in a long line of films with broadly misinterpreted tone and messaging. The protagonist, Patrick Bateman, is an absurd, exaggerated caricature of chauvinism and might-makes-right attitudes run amok.
Instead, many viewers count Patrick Bateman among their heroes. They might emulate his brash confidence or unflappable cool, missing the point that Christian Bale's psychotic character is an utterly cautionary example to be rejected rather than embraced.
12. Joker (2019)
Viewers could take many messages away from Joker. They might see it as confirmation that, in their eyes, the world is going to heck in a handbasket. Some might view the film as an endorsem*nt of vigilantism.
According to director Todd Phillips, the most pressing message in Joker is “the power of kindness.” It's a safe bet that most audiences did not initially take that message away. In retrospect, considering who faces Arthur Fleck's wrath and why, it is a fairly obvious conclusion.
13. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Eyes Wide Shut has become go-to fodder for those wary of what goes on at secretive meetings of America's elites. While many viewers might take Stanley Kubrick's final film as a fictional fantasy meant only for entertainment, many believe the film was a revelation of real-world rituals.
Fans allege Kubrick imbued his films with deep meaning. Analysts have delved deep into classics from 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut, often concluding that the director means to tell audiences something beyond the obvious. Kubrick's sudden death six days after screening the film for Warner Brothers executives has only fueled speculation that those who view Eyes Wide Shut as “just a movie” miss a far more sinister point.
14. Wall Street (1987)
Like Al Pacino in Scarface, Wall Street‘s Gordon Gekko became an unlikely aspirational figure. This proves that a protagonist's relative goodness or badness lies in the eye of the beholder. It also proves that audiences perhaps don't really understand who they're rooting for.
Rather than becoming the blatant embodiment of excess and greed that director Oliver Stone intended him to be, Gekko became a celebrated reference point in many hip-hop songs. While many viewers got Stone's point, many others flipped the point on its head and saw Wall Street as an endorsem*nt rather than a condemnation.
15. Into the Wild (2007)
One of the most visually delicious films of the decade, Into the Wild details the sudden disappearance of discontented youth Christopher McCandless. Based on a true story (and Jon Krakauer's excellent book of the same name), director Sean Penn certainly paints McCandless as a fearless traveler searching for fulfillment in the wilds of Alaska.
However, viewers who see the movie as a celebratory tale miss the heartache that McCandless caused by cutting off communication with his family and ultimately dying a solitary death at a young age.
