10 Movies & Shows Like 1999 (2017)

Description: Explores themes of reality manipulation and the blurring of lines between constructed environments and genuine existence, focusing on a protagonist unaware of his life being a fabricated spectacle.

Fact: The film's concept was inspired by an episode of The Twilight Zone. It was one of the first major films to address the then-nascent reality TV phenomenon.

Description: A surreal exploration of identity and consciousness, featuring a literal portal into another person's mind, challenging perceptions of self and reality.

Fact: John Malkovich initially turned down the role of himself multiple times before agreeing. The film was Spike Jonze's directorial debut.

Description: Revolutionary in its depiction of a simulated reality, questioning the nature of existence and human perception within a digitally constructed world.

Fact: The film's iconic bullet time effect required a rig of still cameras firing in sequence. It won four Academy Awards, all in technical categories.

Description: Examines themes of identity crisis and societal disillusionment through a protagonist who creates an alternate persona to escape his mundane existence.

Fact: The film's violence caused significant controversy upon release. The production team actually formed a real fight club during filming to prepare for the scenes.

Description: A psychological thriller that plays with perception and reality, featuring a protagonist who interacts with entities that may or may not be there.

Fact: The film's famous twist was so well-kept that many crew members didn't know about it until seeing the final cut. It was the highest-grossing horror film for nearly 20 years.

Description: Examines suburban disillusionment and the search for meaning beneath surface-level appearances, featuring a protagonist who radically changes his life perspective.

Fact: The plastic bag scene was inspired by a real viral video the director saw. Kevin Spacey initially turned down the role but changed his mind after one meeting with the director.

Description: Presents a fragmented narrative structure that mirrors the protagonist's short-term memory loss, forcing viewers to piece together reality alongside him.

Fact: The film's reverse chronological structure was initially considered too confusing for audiences. It was based on a short story by the director's brother.

Description: Mixes psychological thriller elements with science fiction, presenting a troubled protagonist who experiences bizarre visions that may or may not be real.

Fact: The film was largely ignored upon its initial release but gained a massive cult following after its DVD release. The director's cut includes pages from the fictional book 'The Philosophy of Time Travel'.

Description: Delves into the nature of memory and identity, questioning the authenticity of emotions and experiences when they can be artificially altered or erased.

Fact: The script was sold to Focus Features on the condition that Michel Gondry would direct. The film's nonlinear narrative was initially confusing to test audiences.

Description: Explores layered realities and the malleability of perception through dream-sharing technology, blurring the lines between different states of consciousness.

Fact: The spinning top at the end wasn't originally in the script - it was added during production. The hallway fight scene took three weeks to shoot and used a rotating set.