Michigan’s Most Googled Movie Explanations Revealed in New Study: Which Movies Confused Viewers the Most?

Photo by Caio 

Article courtesy of Ditto Transcripts,

• Donnie Darko is the most confusing movie among Michigan viewers, with 544 average monthly Google searches for its explanation.
• Shutter Island and Inception rank second and third, with 481 and 243 average monthly Google searches for their explanations, respectively.
• Donnie Darko, Shutter Island and Inception are the top three most confusing movies nationally.

A new study has revealed the most confusing movies among fans in Michigan, with Donnie Darko ranking number one.

The study, conducted by transcription services company Ditto Transcripts, analyzed the average monthly number of Google searches in Michigan for terms related to explanations of popular movies, such as ‘Donnie Darko plot explained’ and ‘Shutter Island ending explained,’ to determine which movies are confusing viewers in the state the most.

The top five most confusing movies in Michigan

Donnie Darko has an average monthly search volume of 544 in the state. It’s also the number one most confusing movie nationally, ranking first in 47 states and racking up a total of 19,317 average monthly Google searches across the US. In the movie, a teenager follows the instructions of a mysterious figure in a rabbit suit who predicts the end of the world. The storyline includes time loops and alternate realities that make it unclear what is real and what is symbolic.

Terms related to Shutter Island explanations are searched an average of 481 times per month in the state. The movie ranks number one in three states, and number two in all the rest, with a national average monthly search volume of 16,378. In the movie, a US Marshal investigates a psychiatric facility on an isolated island. The story is told through the main character’s delusions, making viewers question what is real, as it ends with him finding out he is actually a patient at the facility.

Inception explanations are searched an average of 243 times per month in the state. Overall, the movie is searched an average of 9,531 times per month in the US. The movie follows a thief who enters people’s dreams to steal secrets from their subconscious. He is then tasked with planting an idea in his target’s mind to return home. It shifts between different realities and leaves the audience questioning if the hero ever actually woke up at the end.

Explanations for the movie Enemy are searched an average of 242 times per month in the state. Nationally, it racks up a monthly average of 9,331 Google searches. A professor discovers a man who is his exact double and becomes obsessed with him. The film uses imagery of giant spiders, symbolizing subconscious fears, and has an ambiguous ending, which suggests that the professor and his “double” are one person.

Interstellar is next, with an average monthly search volume of 205 in the state and 8,026 nationally. The film follows a NASA crew who travel through a wormhole to find a new planet for humans as Earth faces extinction. On the planet they arrive on, every hour that passes is equal to seven years on Earth, meaning many years pass on Earth before they return home.

Ben Walker, CEO of Ditto Transcripts, has commented:

“Looking at the list, the movies people find the most confusing tend to be in the thriller and sci-fi genres. These tend to confuse audiences more because they are full of unexplainable events that defy logic. The common theme in all of these movies is ambiguity, and details of their storylines are left open to the viewer’s interpretation. There isn’t one clear meaning for movies like this, and this is done intentionally.

“Leonardo DiCaprio stars in two of the top five movies listed, Shutter Island and Inception, while Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Donnie Darko and Enemy, pointing to how certain actors can become associated with movies that have mind-bending storylines.

“If you are looking for a movie that challenges your perception, consider starting with this list of the most confusing.”

Source:

Google Keyword Planner

Methodology:

A seed list of 150 movies that are commonly regarded as confusing was collated. Google Keyword Planner was used to determine the average monthly search volume for the terms ‘[movie] explained,’ ‘[movie] ending explained,’ ‘[movie] plot explained,’ and ‘[movie] timeline explained,’ both on a state and national level, to reveal the movies confusing viewers the most within the state and across the US.

The top 30 most confusing movies nationally