Enter The Dream World
Inception is a great movie, combining elements of a conventional heist with a psychologically-charged dream world thriller. The result is one of Nolan’s finest movies to date, and a real modern classic. If you’ve finished streaming this one and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top picks for alternate viewing. So without further ado, we present 10 movies to check out when you’ve finished watching Inception.
Coherence
Coherence is a film that rewards you for repeat watches but delivers one heck of a thriller regardless. The premise is simple – a group of friends sit down to eat dinner when a black out plunges them in darkness. With a comet flying overhead, the only lights in the neighbourhood stem from a house down the road. While this sounds simple, the movie soon turns into a puzzle box labyrinth that plays with the idea of time in a very clever way. I won’t spoil anything here but suffice to say this is a really great indie flick and well worth jumping into blind. As a fun fact, the first 20 minutes were completely improvised too! You can read our thoughts on Coherence in our movie review here!
Twelve Monkeys
Despite the excellent quality of its small screen cousin, the original big screen movie is just as endearing. Twelve Monkeys plays on the idea of rewriting history and revolves around a man sent back through time to stop a viral outbreak from dooming humanity. It’s a simple idea in truth and one that works well to produce a decent 90’s thriller you’re unlikely to forget in a hurry. Bruce Willis puts on a great performance too and the movie lends itself to some lovely twists and turns along the way.
Memento
Another Nolan classic, Memento is a story that plays out in reverse. This isn’t just a gimmick though, and instead the movie works beautifully by playing on this concept time and again. The main protagonist of the piece has a severe case of short term memory loss and as the movie progresses, we shift further backwards through the time to uncover exactly what’s going on. With the end already known, it’s left up to us to work out why this has occurred. With black and white segments along with colour being used to show time being played out in both directions, Memento is a stunning achievement and an excellent movie well worth checking out.
Looper
Looper is another of those films that warrants repeat watches and does some pretty neat tricks with time. Set in 2074, the rules of the world revolve around the mob sending their target to the past to get rid of them. When the protagonist of this tale is sent back to kill himself, it brings with it a twisty-turny, unpredictable picture that keeps you guessing right to the very end. This is one of those movies that plays better with its themes and tone than it does the sci-fi elements but it’s one heck of an experience nonetheles. This one should definitely be on your radar if you’re a fan of Inception.
The Butterfly Effect
You could easily poke holes in The Butterfly Effect’s logic but there’s no denying that the film makes for an enthralling watch. Like Inception, this movie takes a unique idea and completely runs with it, producing a whole world around our protagonist that’s incredibly rewarding to watch play out. The story itself revolves around Evan Treborn who suffers blackouts during significant events of his life. As he grows up, he starts to remember these key moments, which shape the man into the person he becomes. Thrilling, exciting and full of neat ideas, this is the quintessential thriller for a real mind-bending ride.
Minority Report
If you’re looking for something with a similar heist vibe to Inception and full of thrilling set pieces, Minority Report is well worth a watch. Set in the year 2054, Minority Report revolves around a special police unit called “Precrime” who jump back through time to arrest criminals before they break the law. The result of this is a utopian world where crime is non-existent. All seems well until Anderson (our protagonist) is predicted to commit a murder in the next 36 hours. With Anderson unaware of who his victim is, he sets out to try and uncover what’s happening and prove himself innocent. Expect plenty of action set pieces, crazy twists and a brilliant third act that ties everything together.
Interstellar
Christopher Nolan movies pop up a lot on these lists but Interstellar is an interesting picture in that it shares a fair few similarities to Inception. Much like the dream world, Interstellar plays with the concept of time but changes its focus to outer space instead. At the center of this conflict lies a ravaged Earth, with humanity on its last legs and seemingly out of options. In a bid to try and save the human race, Cooper sets out with an eccentric group of explorers to travel through a wormhole in space to ensure humanity’s survival. What ensues is an intriguing, time-bending adventure that asks some pretty big, thought provoking questions about us as a species. This one won’t be for everyone but for those taken by the premise, there’s enough here to enjoy.
The Game
The Game is a fascinating, psychologically charged movie that makes you question just what’s real and what’s not. The story here revolves around Nicholas Van Orton, a very wealthy San Francisco banker but a loner who spends his birthdays on his own. On his 48th birthday, Nicholas’ long-missing brother Conrad suddenly returns and gives Nicholas a bizarre birthday present. This comes in the form of a card granting him entry to unusual entertainment provided by something called Consumer Recreation Services (CRS). Giving in to curiosity, Nicholas visits CRS and finds himself caught in a game like none other. Well written and full of some shocking twists, this is one game you should absolutely take some time to play.
Dark City
Dark City is a gritty, moody film that shares some similar themes to Inception. Here though our protagonist is John Murdoch who awakens amnesia-stricken and alone in a strange hotel. Struggling to recall what’s happened to him, John is wanted by authorities for a series of brutal and bizarre murders. As John starts to piece together his past, he finds a murky underworld controlled by a group called The Strangers. These guys have the ability to put people to sleep and alter the city and its inhabitants. This causes Murdoch to set out and try to stop them before they take control of his mind. This unconventional sci-fi movie is incredibly unique and will undoubtedly keep you guessing right to the very end.
The Matrix
The Matrix is quite simply a ground breaking movie. From its bullet time camera work to the shocking reality our main characters find themselves in, The Matrix is sci-fi at its absolute best. For those unaware, the movie revolves around a hacker called Neo. When a beautiful stranger called Trinity invites him to a club by following a white rabbit, he stumbles upon a shocking truth about our reality. Well written, intriguing and incredibly though provoking, The Matrix was a landmark picture for its time and remains one of the quintessential sci-fi movies of our time. So there we have it, our 10 Movie picks to keep you busy after watching Inception. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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