#5 – Jacob’s Ladder
This psychological horror from 1990 was directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Tim Robbins as the eponymous Jacob. It follows the story of Jacob’s apparent descent into madness as he is torn apart by visions, nightmares, and the appearance of demons that may or may not be real. All this is interspersed with flashbacks to his time as a Vietnam veteran. The movie is saturated with Jacob’s confusion and fear: what is he seeing, and why is he seeing it? Worst of all, are these visions real?
Hailed as both a terrifying horror and one of the most puzzling films out there, Jacob’s Ladder became an instant classic. It makes for great viewing, but you might have to sleep with the lights on afterwards.