Cerebral movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant cerebral movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out thought provoking, cerebral, philosophical, inspirational, psychological and complex films and TV shows about / with storytelling, existentialism, philosophy, twists and turns, moving, dialogue, death, loneliness, trippy and waking up plots mostly in Drama, Sci-Fi and Thriller genres shot in USA, Canada, UK and other countries.
3453
TOP 10 movies tagged as cerebral: Stalker (1979), Awakenings (1990), Adaptation. (2002), Arrival (2016), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Donnie Darko (2001), Time Lapse (2014), Mr. Nobody (2009), I Origins (2014), Lucy (2014).
Best films
New films
| Matlock (2024) | 7.5 | |
| The Green Knight (2021) | 6.6 | |
| Scavengers Reign (2023) | 8.6 | |
| Durgo Rahasya (2023) | 5.6 | |
| Green (2024) | 5.4 |
155K
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Soviet Union
Duration: 162 min.
Story:
Near a gray and unnamed city is the Zone, a place guarded by barbed wire and soldiers, and where the normal laws of physics are victim to frequent anomalies. A Stalker guides two men into the Zone, specifically to an area in which deep seeded ...
Style:
philosophical, atmospheric, bleak, art house, psychological ...
Audience:
family friendly, adult
Plot:
stalker, post apocalypse, dystopian future, surrealism, psychokinesis, dog, wish come true, trippy, human nature, distopia, escapades, post apocalyptic ...
Time:
future, distant future, year 1979, near future
Place:
soviet union, ussr, russia
Is relevant?
175K
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician, uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease. Leonard is the first patient to receive the controversial treatment. His awakening, filled with awe and enthusiasm, ...
Style:
inspirational, sentimental, cerebral, psychological, touching ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, teen drama
Plot:
hospital, mental illness, mental institution, illness, doctors and patients, medical, fighting illness, doctor, medicine, catatonia, disability, patient ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, 1930s, 60s, year 1969
Place:
bronx new york city, new york, america, usa
Is relevant?
213K
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
A love-lorn script writer grows increasingly desperate in his quest to adapt the book 'The Orchid Thief'.
Style:
philosophical, satirical, cerebral, clever, absurd ...
Plot:
depression, satire, twins, filmmaking, siblings relations, writer's block, mentally unstable, imagination, loser, existentialism, loner, writers ...
Time:
year 2002, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
florida, new york, california, usa, new orleans
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 139 min.
Story:
An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save what's important to her by connecting with the lives she could have led in other universes.
Style:
cerebral, surreal, psychedelic, philosophical, mind bending ...
Audience:
kids, family friendly, adult
Plot:
female protagonist, multiverse, fight, alternate universe, surrealism, chinese immigrant, lgbt, immigrant, parallel world, midlife crisis, kung fu, mother daughter relationship ...
Time:
2020s, future
Place:
brighton
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
852K
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
Style:
psychological, philosophical, intellectual, reflective, twist ending ...
Audience:
family friendly, teens, adult
Plot:
first contact, alien, female protagonist, linguist, ufo, extraterrestrial, alien contact, time, alien invasion, creature, science, alien race ...
Time:
year 2016, future, 2010s
Place:
montana, china, america, massachusetts, venezuela ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 135 min.
Story:
At Princeton University, John Nash struggles to make a worthwhile contribution to serve as his legacy to the world of mathematics. He finally makes a revolutionary breakthrough that will eventually earn him the Nobel Prize. After graduate school he ...
Style:
psychological, touching, cerebral, dramatic, intellectual ...
Audience:
teens, date night, chick flick, family friendly
Plot:
mathematics, mental illness, schizophrenia, genius, paranoia, insanity, imagination, scientist, prodigy, nobel prize, imaginary friend, mathematician ...
Time:
year 2001, 60s, 1940s, 20th century, 2000s ...
Place:
harvard university, boston, new jersey, detroit, persia ...
Is relevant?
905K
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
Style:
psychological, surreal, mind bending, atmospheric, philosophical ...
Audience:
teens, date night, adult, teen drama
Plot:
mental illness, imaginary friend, schizophrenia, psychology, time travel, insanity, parallel universe, suburbs, surrealism, time loop, trippy, schizophrenic ...
Time:
80s, year 2001, 2000s, future, 20th century ...
Place:
los angeles, america, usa, virginia, harvard university
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures 24 hours into the future and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop.
Style:
twist ending, psychological, cerebral, intellectual, confusing ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
time travel, time machine, time paradox, plot twist, parallel universe, time loop, twists and turns, murder, paranoia, blackmail, time, party ...
Time:
future, 2010s, year 2014, near future
Is relevant?
256K
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: Belgium, Germany, Canada, France, UK, Luxembourg, USA
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
Nemo Nobody leads an ordinary existence with his wife and 3 children; one day, he wakes up as a mortal centenarian in the year 2092.
Style:
psychological, surreal, mind bending, philosophical, thought provoking ...
Audience:
date night, teens, adult
Plot:
time, destiny, philosophy, choice, alternate reality, depression, twists and turns, butterfly effect, surrealism, utopia, multiple outcomes, parallel world ...
Time:
future, year 2009, year 1975, year 2011, 2010s ...
Place:
canada
Is relevant?
140K
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
I Origins follows a molecular biologist studying the evolution of the human eye. He finds his work permeating his life after a brief encounter with an exotic young woman who slips away from him. As his research continues years later with his lab ...
Style:
thought provoking, mind bending, spiritual, philosophical, enigmatic ...
Plot:
reincarnation, eye, metaphysics, genetics, buddhism, religion, atheism, death, spirituality, love story, sex scene, elevator ...
Time:
year 2014, 2010s, 90s, year 1998, year 2005 ...
Place:
india, usa, new york, asia, delhi ...
Is relevant?
574K
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: France, Germany, Taiwan, Canada, UK
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.
Style:
futuristic, intellectual, surreal, philosophical, exciting ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, chick flick, boys' night, adult
Plot:
supernatural, intelligence, superhuman powers, brain capacity, tough girl, experimental drug, supernatural ability, telekinesis, transformation, consciousness, telepathy, human brain ...
Time:
year 2014, future, stone age, 2010s, 1900s ...
Place:
france, new york, paris france, berlin germany, rome italy ...
Is relevant?
2.0M
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. ...
Style:
suspenseful, surprise ending, neo noir, detective, bad ending ...
Audience:
chick flick, adult
Plot:
serial killer, investigation, twists and turns, psychopath, psychology, mind game, police investigation, police, police detective, sin, maniac, murder ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, year 1995
Place:
los angeles, usa, persia, iran, america ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 149 min.
Story:
Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
Style:
futuristic, philosophical, mind bending, cerebral, psychedelic ...
Audience:
family outing, kids, teens, adult
Plot:
space travel, artificial intelligence, astronaut, outer space, space, moon, computer, scientist, human versus computer, extraterrestrial, deception, spacewalk ...
Time:
future, year 2001, 20th century, 2000s, stone age ...
Place:
persia
Is relevant?
260K
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Seven strangers are taken out of their daily lives and placed mysteriously in a deadly cube where they all agree they must find their way out.
Style:
psychological, surreal, suspenseful, mind bending, twist ending ...
Audience:
boys' night, adult
Plot:
survival, trap, trapped, claustrophobia, isolation, group of strangers, mathematics, maze, survival horror, death, fear, game of death ...
Time:
90s, future, 20th century
Place:
canada
Is relevant?
661K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
Style:
neo noir, psychological, disturbing, suspense, atmospheric ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
character study, sociopath, journalism, obsession, cynicism, psychopath, manipulation, morality, journalist, violence, deception, ethics ...
Time:
year 2014, 2010s, near future, 21st century
Place:
los angeles, california, usa, venice beach california, america ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realises that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his ...
Style:
surreal, psychological, melancholic, romantic, philosophical ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick, teens, girls' night, adult
Plot:
memory, amnesia, relationships, surrealism, loneliness, existentialism, melancholy, love, love story, dream, memory loss, couples ...
Time:
2000s, year 2004, future, year 2003, 21st century
Place:
persia, america, usa, north america, new york
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 145 min.
Story:
John Anderton is a top 'Precrime' cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they're committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator targets him for a murder charge.
Style:
futuristic, neo noir, cerebral, suspense, tech noir ...
Audience:
boys' night, date night, chick flick
Plot:
cyberpunk, distopia, dystopian future, dystopia, murder, foreknowledge, precognition, frame up, psychic, murder mystery, time loop, police investigation ...
Time:
future, near future, distant future, 20th century, year 2002 ...
Place:
washington d.c., virginia, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: New Zealand, USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
Chris Neilson dies to find himself in a heaven more amazing than he could have ever dreamed of. There is one thing missing: his wife. After he dies, his wife, Annie killed herself and went to hell. Chris decides to risk eternity in hades for the ...
Style:
surreal, philosophical, touching, inspirational, spiritual ...
Audience:
chick flick, teens, family friendly, teen drama
Plot:
afterlife, heaven and hell, redemption, life & death, life philosophy, heaven, destiny, metaphysics, hell, love, fantasy world, female artist ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
cuba
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the ...
Style:
neo noir, suspense, atmospheric, suspenseful, serious ...
Audience:
date night, adult
Plot:
hitman, psychopath, shooting, serial killer, peril, desert, human nature, brutality, death, sheriff, cruelty, bounty hunter ...
Time:
year 2007, 2000s, 20th century, year 1980, 80s
Place:
texas, el paso texas, mexico, america, austin texas ...
Is relevant?
257K
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world.
Style:
surreal, melancholic, atmospheric, philosophical, artsy ...
Audience:
teens, adult
Plot:
afterlife, surrealism, metaphysics, buddhism, cancer, spirituality, immortality, multiple storylines, death, love, alternate reality, obsession ...
Time:
future, 2000s, year 2006, 16th century, 21st century
Place:
spain, tibet, latin america, europe, guatemala ...
Is relevant?
310K
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
Contact is a science fiction film about an encounter with alien intelligence. Based on the novel by Carl Sagan the film starred Jodie Foster as the one chosen scientist who must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and ...
Style:
inspirational, philosophical, cerebral, emotional, thought provoking ...
Audience:
teens, adult
Plot:
science, nasa, space travel, scientist, alien encounter, astronomy, first contact, religion, space and aliens, intelligence, alien contact, research ...
Time:
future, 90s, 20th century, distant future
Place:
puerto rico, new mexico, florida, washington d.c., usa ...
Is relevant?
2.5M
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, UK, Canada
Duration: 169 min.
Story:
Interstellar chronicles the adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
Style:
futuristic, mind bending, cerebral, clever, philosophical ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, kids, girls' night, date night ...
Plot:
space travel, time travel, outer space, nasa, astronaut, father daughter relationship, space, dystopian future, survival, end of the world, robot, space exploration ...
Time:
future, year 2014, 2010s, near future, 21st century
Place:
los angeles, colorado
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 166 min.
Story:
Tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences.
Style:
touching, philosophical, sentimental, dramatic, melancholic ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick, teens, girls' night, adult
Plot:
destiny, true love, life philosophy, life & death, aging, existentialism, love and romance, life changing, melancholy, magic realism, love, life lesson ...
Time:
50s, 1940s, 20th century, 1930s, year 2008 ...
Place:
southern usa, cambodia, usa, new orleans, russia ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min.
Story:
A man robs a bank to pay for his lover's operation; it turns into a hostage situation and a media circus.
Style:
cerebral, tense, dark comedy, suspenseful, clever ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
bank robbery, hostage, bank, heist, lgbtq, hostage situation, bank robber, character study, heat wave, fbi agent, true crime, gay ...
Time:
20th century, year 1975, year 1972, 70s
Place:
new york, brooklyn new york city, persia, usa, north america ...
Is relevant?
191K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 157 min.
Story:
Tells the true story of a 60 Minutes television series exposé of the tobacco industry, as seen through the eyes of a real tobacco executive, Jeffrey Wigand
Style:
cerebral, political, sexy, suspense, clever ...
Plot:
journalism, whistleblower, courtroom, politics, corruption, reporter, corporate crime, journalist, conspiracy, terrorist, tobacco, lawyer ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, year 1999
Place:
new york, washington d.c., kentucky, south carolina, mississippi ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Truman Burbank is the star of "The Truman Show", a 24-hour-a-day "reality" TV show that broadcasts every aspect of his life -- live and in color -- without his knowledge. His entire life has been an unending soap opera for ...
Style:
philosophical, thought provoking, psychological, surreal, touching ...
Audience:
teens, family outing, teen drama
Plot:
self discovery, simulated reality, video surveillance, alternate reality, fictional reality show, dystopia, freedom, hidden camera, utopia, paranoia, consciousness, loneliness ...
Time:
year 1998, 20th century, 90s, future
Place:
florida, persia, america, usa, los angeles
Is relevant?
633K
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Caleb, a 26 year old coder at the world's largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives at the remote location he finds ...
Style:
psychological, futuristic, twist ending, philosophical, mind bending ...
Audience:
girls' night, adult
Plot:
artificial intelligence, robot, androids, technology, existentialism, cyborgs, cyberpunk, isolation, manipulation, androids and robots, female robot, consciousness ...
Time:
future, near future, 2010s, year 2015, year 2014 ...
Place:
england
Is relevant?
439K
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: Spain, USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
The Machinist is the story of Trevor Reznik, a lathe-operator who is dying of insomnia. In a machine shop, occupational hazards are bad enough under normal circumstances; yet for Trevor the risks are compounded by fatigue. Trevor has lost the ...
Style:
psychological, twist ending, surprise ending, depressing, surreal ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
insomnia, insanity, uncover truth, obsession, mysterious character, paranoia, losing-it hero, twists and turns, schizophrenia, life is a bitch, secrets, alienation ...
Time:
year 2004, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
usa, america, persia, los angeles
Is relevant?
378K
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Mexico, Netherlands
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
Construction worker Douglas Quaid discovers a memory chip in his brain during a virtual-reality trip. He also finds that his past has been invented to conceal a plot of planetary domination. Soon, he's off to Mars to find out who he is and who ...
Style:
futuristic, cerebral, cult classic, mind bending, ambiguous ending ...
Audience:
kids, manly, boys' night
Plot:
cyberpunk, mars, dystopia, secret agent, dystopian future, virtual reality, memory, memory loss, false memory, space colony, conspiracy, chase ...
Time:
future, 20th century, near future, 90s, year 1990 ...
Is relevant?
2.8M
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 148 min.
Story:
Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another ...
Style:
psychological, mind bending, cerebral, clever, twist ending ...
Audience:
date night, teens, adult
Plot:
dream, virtual reality, memory, alternate reality, teamwork, imagination, subconscious, philosophy, twists and turns, fictional reality, existentialism, lucid dream ...
Time:
year 2010, future, 2000s, 2010s, near future
Place:
japan, paris france, los angeles, iran, tokyo ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
