# Recommend me some ontological mystery movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512 "2012-06-27T23:13:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/21 "2012-06-28T17:51:16Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > … Pandorum was pretty good, I thought, though some people disagree. \*Pandorum \*was excellent. It’s one of those movies I never really heard much about, but rented it anyway and was quite pleasantly surprised. Ben Foster is a really good actor. I think it fits what the OP is looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Private\_Bin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@Private\_Bin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Private_Bin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/22 "2012-06-28T18:14:24Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > \*Pandorum \*was excellent. It’s one of those movies I never really heard much about, but rented it anyway and was quite pleasantly surprised. Ben Foster is a really good actor. I think it fits what the OP is looking for. It was OK, man. It wasn’t excellent. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/23 "2012-06-28T18:21:03Z")
I enjoyed Dark City and Pandorum, and Steambath. For the life of me I can not remember the name of the original movie nor the remake, but there was a movie set on a steamship apparently making an atlantic crossing, where the people are dead. It was remade as an Alfred Hitchcock/Twilight Zone/Outer limits episode, and remade again a few years back and modified to be on a cargo ship. ---
**Author:** ![Flip\_Pancake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f1d935/32.png) [@Flip\_Pancake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flip_Pancake)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/24 "2012-06-28T18:24:42Z")
_Phone Booth_ and _Buried_ come to mind, but the lead characters are fully aware of who they are. In _Mulholland Drive_, one of the leads loses her memory after a car accident and goes in search for clues to her identity. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/25 "2012-06-28T18:27:14Z")
I’m afraid to watch Mulholland Drive. Isn’t that the movie where _everyone_ walks away going “uh…WTF just happened?” ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/26 "2012-06-28T20:27:04Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I’m afraid to watch Mulholland Drive. Isn’t that the movie where _everyone_ walks away going “uh…WTF just happened?” Well yes it is ambiguous, however I was able to piece together what I think is going on and it makes almost perfect sense. Without giving away too much I believe the film is a mix of hallucination and memories of one of the characters we see early on, pay attention to the man hired to kill someone. Or watch it and then look up theories. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/27 "2012-06-28T21:58:30Z")
_The Bourne Identity_ sorta fits, although he is not really locked into a physical area. But as far as not knowing who he is, who is behind his predicament, etc., it fits. _The Truman Show_ also sorta fits. Truman is kept on the island and doesn’t know who is behind his predicament, although it takes him a while to understand that he is _in_ a predicament. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/28 "2012-06-28T23:08:03Z")
It’s not a movie, but the TV series [The Prisoner](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner) seems to fit in with your OP (doesn’t know how he’s there, why he’s there, or how to get out). ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/29 "2012-06-28T23:21:00Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > An [ontological mystery](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OntologicalMystery), according to TV Tropes is when: > > The characters are locked in, have no idea how they got there, why they’re there, or how to get out, nor do they know exactly who is behind their predicament, if anyone. So apparently the people who write TV Tropes have no idea what [“ontological”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology) means. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/30 "2012-06-29T00:09:52Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > So apparently the people who write TV Tropes have no idea what [“ontological”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology) means. Okay fine, epistemological mystery. Jeeezus! ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/31 "2012-06-29T00:51:50Z")
I really liked [Triangle](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1187064/). ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/32 "2012-06-29T00:59:45Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I’m afraid to watch Mulholland Drive. Isn’t that the movie where _everyone_ walks away going “uh…WTF just happened?” Yes. Exactly this. It’s a cool looking and intriguing movie but I don’t want to spend three hours afterwards trying to excavate some meaning from the plot. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/33 "2012-06-29T01:14:48Z")
_The Exterminating Angel_ fits the definition but I’m hard-pressed to lump it in with the others mentioned (well, the ones that I’ve seen at least). It’s totally surreal, although not Dalí-surreal–I don’t really know how to describe it. I’m not even sure I can recommend it, although even now it weirds me out a bit, so I guess it had some value. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/34 "2012-06-29T01:45:31Z")
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1945) movie of an Agatha Christie novel, is not quite on target but sort of vaguely. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/35 "2012-06-29T02:06:43Z")
Let’s see - Loved _Bourne Identity_ and _The Truman Show_. The book/novella of _And then There Were None_ was too good; no movie rendition has ever come close. I’ll try _Triangle_. Ok, on the other note, I watched _Eden Log_ and for now all I have to say is a) Too dark b) Too muted and d) TERRIBLE dubbing and d) What. The. _Fuck_. More maybe tomorrow when I think on it for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/36 "2012-06-29T02:10:39Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Yes. Exactly this. It’s a cool looking and intriguing movie but I don’t want to spend three hours afterwards trying to excavate some meaning from the plot. I should add that I don’t mind walking away from a movie and thinking about it for days or even weeks…but like you say, it shouldn’t be thinking to try and just figure out what the hell I just watched! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/37 "2012-06-29T03:27:26Z")
> [@dataguy](#): > > I also liked the Cubes. However, they reminded me of something I saw on television many years ago with a similar story. It was called The Cube and I kept looking for it to reappear on TV or someplace, but it never did. > > The other day I searched for it again, and lo, there it was on YouTube. I also learned that it was originally created by Jim Henson (yes, the Muppet guy) but there are no Muppets/puppets in it. > > I’m convinced that all of the Cube movies were extensions of this original idea. You can see it [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKq12c6FAr0). > > Enjoy. This was probably the most brilliantly absurdist, surrealist thing I’ve ever seen. I love the Muppets but now I think Henson was wasted on this fuzzy things. Long story short, I loved this. Thanks for linking to it. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/38 "2012-06-29T03:30:04Z")
The Outer Limits Episode _Demon With a Glass Hand_ was an excellent example of that. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/39 "2012-06-29T04:03:02Z")
How about PI, a mathematician discovers something spooky and mysterious powerful corporations are after it, or are they? I haven’t seen it yet but Cypher 2002 seems to be in the genre, a man takes a illegal job as a corporate spy and starts having odd headaches and realizes not everything is what it seems when he meets a fellow corp spy. Cargo 2009(is this the same movie as Alien Cargo?) a woman who is working a long term space flight where workers take shifts and then go into cryosleep discovers something bizarre on the ship and has to wake others to help her solve the mystery. The Village, a young blind woman in a isolated 18th century village must venture to the outside world to seek needed medicine, despite the fact the woods are full of strange monsters. Might be worth a look if you don’t already know the twist 😛 ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512/40 "2012-06-29T04:03:54Z")
> [@Private\_Bin](#): > > It was OK, man. It wasn’t excellent. I thought it was excellent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-ontological-mystery-movies/626512.md?page=3)