10 Movies and TV Shows Similar to Identity (2003)

Description: Both 'Fight Club' and 'Identity' feature unreliable narrators and explore themes of split personality and identity crisis. The twist endings of both films completely change the viewer's understanding of the protagonist's reality.

Fact: Brad Pitt actually chipped a tooth during filming but kept it for his character. The film was controversial for its violent content upon release. The 'single frame' inserts of Tyler Durden were director David Fincher's idea.

Description: Both 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Identity' are psychological thrillers with famous twist endings that make viewers reconsider the entire film. They share themes of perception versus reality and feature protagonists who are not what they initially seem.

Fact: Bruce Willis was paid $14 million for his role. The famous line 'I see dead people' was improvised by Haley Joel Osment. M. Night Shyamalan wrote the script in 1995 but couldn't get funding until after his success with 'Wide Awake'.

Description: 'Memento' shares with 'Identity' a non-linear narrative structure and a protagonist struggling with memory and identity. Both films use their storytelling techniques to immerse the viewer in the protagonist's confused mental state, culminating in shocking revelations.

Fact: The film is presented in reverse chronological order. Christopher Nolan's brother, Jonathan Nolan, wrote the short story that inspired the film. Guy Pearce studied amnesia patients to prepare for his role.

Description: Like 'Identity', 'The Others' is a psychological horror film with a twist ending that redefines everything that came before. Both films use isolation and a small cast to create tension, and both play with the audience's perception of reality.

Fact: Nicole Kidman performed all her own piano playing in the film. The film was shot entirely in Spain. Director Alejandro Amenábar also composed the film's score.

Description: Like 'Identity', 'Donnie Darko' blends psychological thriller elements with surreal, reality-bending storytelling. Both films feature protagonists struggling with their perception of reality and feature twist endings that leave room for interpretation.

Fact: The film was shot in 28 days. Jake Gyllenhaal was only 19 during filming. The director's cut includes pages from Roberta Sparrow's book that explain more of the time travel theory.

Description: Similar to 'Identity' (2003), 'The Machinist' delves into psychological horror and the unreliability of the protagonist's perception. Both films explore themes of guilt, identity, and mental instability, with a twist ending that recontextualizes the entire narrative.

Fact: Christian Bale lost 63 pounds (

Description: Like 'Identity', 'The Prestige' features themes of duality and deception, with a twist ending that changes everything. Both films are about the nature of identity and feature protagonists who are not what they seem.

Fact: Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman learned real magic tricks for their roles. David Bowie plays Nikola Tesla. Christopher Nolan directed this between 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight'.

Description: 'Black Swan' shares with 'Identity' themes of psychological breakdown and identity crisis. Both films feature protagonists whose perception of reality becomes increasingly unreliable as the story progresses.

Fact: Natalie Portman trained in ballet for a year before filming. Darren Aronofsky originally conceived the project as a follow-up to 'Requiem for a Dream'. The film uses body doubles extensively to create its unsettling effects.

Description: Like 'Identity', 'Shutter Island' is a psychological thriller with a protagonist whose grasp on reality is questionable. Both films feature isolated settings (a motel in 'Identity', an asylum in 'Shutter Island') and twist endings that challenge the viewer's understanding of the story.

Fact: This was the fourth collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film is based on Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel of the same name. The lighthouse scene was shot in a real, decommissioned asylum.

Description: 'Inception' shares with 'Identity' a focus on layered realities and the question of what is real. Both films play with the audience's perception and feature protagonists whose understanding of their own identity is central to the plot.

Fact: The spinning top at the end was a last-minute addition. The hallway fight scene took 3 weeks to shoot. Leonardo DiCaprio suggested his character should have children to add emotional weight.