Existentialism movies and TV shows

The list contains the best, new and most relevant existentialism movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out weird, psychological, philosophical, inspirational, existential and surreal films and TV shows about / with existentialism, moving, psychology, philosophy, surrealism, coming of age, kiss, death, dream and male nudity plots mostly in Drama, Romance and Sci-Fi genres shot in USA, UK, Germany and other countries.
existentialism
 3278
existentialism movies
TOP 10 movies tagged as existentialism: Never Let Me Go (2010), Her (2013), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Waking Life (2001), The Man Who Sleeps (1974), I Heart Huckabees (2004), Eraserhead (1977), Youth (2015), Naked (1993), Ex Machina (2014).

List of existentialism movies

Type:
Year:
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 7.1
 153K
Never Let Me Go (2010)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 103 min.
Story: As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy spend their childhood at an idyllic and secluded English boarding school. As they grow into adults, they must come to terms with the complexity and strength of their love for one another while also preparing for ...
Style: sad, depressing, melancholic, heartbreaking, psychological ...
Audience: chick flick, teens, girls' night, date night, teen drama ...
Plot: boarding school, dystopia, distopia, existentialism, cloning, childhood, sadness, love triangle, alternate reality, transplant, couples, love and romance ...
Time: year 1978, 2010s, year 2010, 50s, 80s ...
Place: england, europe
Is relevant ?
 8.0
 665K
Her (2013)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min.
Story: In the not so distant future, Theodore, a lonely writer purchases a newly developed operating system designed to meet the user's every needs. To Theodore's surprise, a romantic relationship develops between him and his operating system. ...
Style: melancholic, philosophical, futuristic, touching, clever ...
Audience: date night, teens, chick flick, adult
Plot: loneliness, artificial intelligence, existentialism, philosophy, love, computer, cyberspace, impossible love, relationship problems, psychology, human nature, unlikely relationship ...
Time: future, near future, 2010s, year 2013, distant future ...
Place: los angeles, california, usa
Is relevant ?
Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story: A theater director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play.
Style: psychological, depressing, surreal, independent film, confusing ...
Plot: depression, existentialism, death, theater, magic realism, schizophrenic, obsession, writers, twists and turns, philosophy, writer's life, loneliness ...
Time: year 2008, 2000s, 90s, future, 21st century
Place: new york, usa, berlin germany, manhattan new york city
Is relevant ?
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea, Germany
Duration: 103 min.
Story: This South Korean film takes place on an isolated lake, where an old monk lives in a small floating temple. The monk has a young boy living with him, learning to become a monk. We watch as seasons and years pass by.
Style: philosophical, atmospheric, melancholic, meditative, spiritual ...
Plot: buddhism, life & death, coming of age, isolation, meditation, existentialism, buddhist monk, monk, buddhist, beautiful scenery, nature, life changing experience ...
Time: year 2003, 2000s, 21st century
Place: south korea, korea, east asia, tibet, asia
Is relevant ?
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 7.7
 67K
Waking Life (2001)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like reality, free will, our ...
Style: philosophical, spiritual, psychedelic, surreal, stylized ...
Audience: kids, adult
Plot: philosophy, existentialism, dream, trippy, surrealism, alternate reality, consciousness, bohemian life, meaning of life, life philosophy, psychology, imagination ...
Time: year 2001, 20th century, 2000s, 21st century
Place: texas, tibet
Is relevant ?
The Man Who Sleeps (1974)
Genre: Drama
Country: France, Tunisia
Duration: 77 min.
Story: In this French tour-de-force a young student decides to have no more interaction with the world than is needed to minimally sustain life. His increasingly automaton-like behavior is coupled with a strange clarity of insight about the world around ...
Style: art house, experimental, existential, contemplative, surreal ...
Plot: existentialism, nihilism, depression, introspection, loneliness, alienation, time travel, social outcast, daily life, trauma, lsd, minimalism ...
Time: 70s, 20th century
Place: paris france, france
Is relevant ?
I Heart Huckabees (2004)
Genre: Comedy
Country: UK, Germany, USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story: A husband-and-wife team play detective, but not in the traditional sense. Instead, the happy duo helps others solve their existential issues, the kind that keep you up at night, wondering what it all means.
Style: surreal, philosophical, psychological, humorous, witty ...
Audience: girls' night
Plot: existentialism, private detective, self discovery, jealousy, investigation, relationships, buddhism, suburbs, multiple storylines, escapades, environmental activism, strong sexual content ...
Time: year 2004, 20th century, 21st century
Is relevant ?
 7.3
 126K
Eraserhead (1977)
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story: Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.
Style: surreal, avant garde, art house, psychological, experimental ...
Plot: surrealism, nightmare, insanity, existentialism, baby, psychology, art, dream, psychosis, eccentricity, factory, electricity ...
Time: 70s, year 1977, 20th century
Place: america
Is relevant ?
 7.3
 83K
Youth (2015)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Switzerland, UK, France, Italy
Duration: 124 min.
Story: YOUTH explores the lifelong bond between two friends vacationing in a luxury Swiss Alps lodge as they ponder retirement. While Fred has no plans to resume his musical career despite the urging of his loving daughter Lena, Mick is intent on finishing ...
Style: melancholic, talky, philosophical, touching, psychological ...
Plot: aging, composer, screenwriter, father daughter relationship, hotel, life & death, sex scene, husband wife relationship, existentialism, spa, art, orchestra ...
Time: year 2015, year 2016, 2010s, 21st century
Place: switzerland, swiss alps, italy, venice, alps
Is relevant ?
 7.7
 44K
Naked (1993)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 131 min.
Story: Johnny flees Manchester for London, to avoid a beating from the family of a girl he has raped. There he finds an old girlfriend, and spends some time homeless, spending much of his time ranting at strangers, and meeting characters in plights very ...
Style: disturbing, talky, compassionate, realistic, philosophical ...
Audience: adult
Plot: existentialism, sexual abuse, drifter, humiliation, nihilism, rape, alienation, voyeurism, sexual humiliation, rough sex, rapist, secrets ...
Time: 90s, year 1993
Place: london, england, europe, united kingdom, manchester
Is relevant ?
 7.7
 582K
Ex Machina (2014)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story: Caleb, a 26 year old coder at the world's largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives at the remote location he finds ...
Style: psychological, futuristic, philosophical, twist ending, mind bending ...
Audience: girls' night, adult
Plot: artificial intelligence, robot, androids, existentialism, technology, cyberpunk, isolation, cyborgs, manipulation, androids and robots, female robot, psychology ...
Time: future, 2010s, year 2015, year 2014, year 2016 ...
Place: england
Is relevant ?
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min.
Story: A fading actor best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and ...
Style: surreal, psychological, dark comedy, black comedy, psychedelic ...
Audience: date night, teens, adult
Plot: midlife crisis, existentialism, theater, surrealism, showbiz, actor, magic realism, satire, father daughter relationship, dark humor, alter ego, art ...
Time: 2010s, year 2014, 21st century
Place: new york, los angeles, america, ethiopia, manhattan new york city ...
Is relevant ?
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 7.0
 268K
The Platform (2019)
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Spain
Duration: 94 min.
Story: Two people per level. An unknown number of levels. A platform with food for all of them. Are you one of those who think too much when they are up? Or of those who have no guts when they are down? If you discover it too late, you will not live out of ...
Style: suspense, disturbing, suspenseful, psychological thriller, futuristic ...
Plot: struggle for survival, survival, confined, food shortage, prison, cannibalism, social injustice, social differences, rivalry, social relations, danger, fear ...
Time: future, 2010s
Place: iberian peninsula
Is relevant ?
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 135 min.
Story: At Princeton University, John Nash struggles to make a worthwhile contribution to serve as his legacy to the world of mathematics. He finally makes a revolutionary breakthrough that will eventually earn him the Nobel Prize. After graduate school he ...
Style: psychological, touching, cerebral, dramatic, intellectual ...
Audience: teens, date night, family friendly, chick flick
Plot: mathematics, mental illness, schizophrenia, genius, paranoia, insanity, scientist, mathematician, imaginary friend, nobel prize, obsession, prodigy ...
Time: year 2001, 60s, 20th century, 1940s, 2000s ...
Place: boston, harvard university, new jersey, persia, detroit ...
Is relevant ?
 8.3
 791K
Amelie (2001)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: France, Germany
Duration: 122 min.
Story: At a tiny Parisian café, the adorable yet painfully shy Amélie (Audrey Tautou) accidentally discovers a gift for helping others. Soon Amelie is spending her days as a matchmaker, guardian angel, and all-around do-gooder. But when she bumps into a ...
Style: feel good, inspirational, touching, sweet, stylized ...
Audience: chick flick, teens, girls' night, date night
Plot: loneliness, love, magic realism, fall in love, imagination, female protagonist, cafe, love and romance, optimism, lifestyle change, surrealism, life ...
Time: year 2001, 70s, 90s, year 1974, 20th century ...
Place: paris france, france, europe, montmartre paris, quebec
Is relevant ?
 7.0
 111K
Demolition (2015)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story: An emotionally desperate investment banker finds hope through a woman he meets in Chicago.
Style: melancholic, philosophical, psychological, touching, independent film ...
Plot: grief, death of wife, depression, self discovery, death, existentialism, father in law son in law relationship, car accident, destruction, widower, psychology, mental illness ...
Time: year 2015, 2010s, year 2016
Place: new york
Is relevant ?
 8.3
 1.2M
American Beauty (1999)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min.
Story: Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.
Style: melancholic, thought provoking, dark comedy, sexual, dramatic ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, girls' night, kids, teen drama ...
Plot: midlife crisis, dysfunctional family, existentialism, age difference, obsession, loneliness, coming of age, older man younger woman relationship, nymphet, dysfunctional marriage, adultery, older man young girl relationship ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, year 1999, year 2013
Place: usa, america, los angeles, iran
Is relevant ?
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min.
Story: Will Hunting has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. When he solves a difficult graduate-level math problem, his talents are discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau, who decides to help the misguided youth reach his potential. ...
Style: psychological, emotional, philosophical, sentimental, intellectual ...
Audience: teens, family friendly, chick flick, girls' night, date night ...
Plot: mathematics, professor, genius, prodigy, philosophy, psychology, life philosophy, life, university, psychotherapy, mentor, existentialism ...
Time: 20th century, year 1997, 90s, 2010s
Place: boston, harvard university, massachusetts, america, persia ...
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 8.8
 186K
BoJack Horseman (2014)
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 1982 min.
TV show
Story: Meet the most beloved sitcom horse of the 90s - 20 years later. BoJack Horseman was the star of the hit TV show "Horsin' Around," but today he's washed up, living in Hollywood, complaining about everything, and wearing colorful ...
Style: adult animation, humorous, adult cartoon, sitcom, dark comedy ...
Audience: kids, teens, adult
Plot: existentialism, depression, cynicism, down on your luck, sadness, anthropomorphism, hollywood, addiction, anthropomorphic animal, talking animal, mature, showbiz ...
Time: 2010s, future, 2020s, 21st century
Place: los angeles, california, usa
Is relevant ?
 8.1
 130K
Persona (1966)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: Sweden
Duration: 85 min.
Story: A young nurse, Alma, is put in charge of Elisabeth Vogler: an actress who is seemingly healthy in all respects, but will not talk. As they spend time together, Alma speaks to Elisabeth constantly, never receiving any answer. Alma eventually ...
Style: minimal cast, psychological, surreal, sexual, atmospheric ...
Plot: existentialism, surrealism, medical, actress, mute character, dream, patient, silence, art, insanity, alienation, nurse ...
Time: year 1966, 60s, 20th century
Place: eastern europe, scandinavia
Is relevant ?
 8.8
 2.5M
Inception (2010)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 148 min.
Story: Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another ...
Style: psychological, mind bending, clever, cerebral, surreal ...
Audience: teens, date night, adult
Plot: dream, virtual reality, memory, alternate reality, twists and turns, imagination, subconscious, philosophy, existentialism, fictional reality, heist, puzzle ...
Time: year 2010, future, 2000s, 2010s, near future
Place: paris france, japan, los angeles, iran, tokyo ...
Is relevant ?
 8.1
 722K
Trainspotting (1996)
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story: Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.
Style: disturbing, psychedelic, dark comedy, cult classic, black comedy ...
Audience: boys' night, teens, teen drama
Plot: addiction, heroin, drug addiction, drug abuse, existentialism, counterculture, junkie, dark humor, life is a bitch, redemption, dialogue, subculture ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, year 1996
Place: scotland, edinburgh scotland, london, england, britain ...
Is relevant ?
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story: The hopes and dreams of four ambitious people are shattered when their drug addictions begin spiraling out of control. A look into addiction and how it overcomes the mind and body.
Style: psychological, disturbing, bleak, depressing, emotional ...
Audience: kids, adult
Plot: addiction, drug abuse, heroin, drug addiction, insanity, mental illness, junkie, drug, depression, dream, loneliness, drug addict ...
Time: year 2000, future, y2k, 20th century, 90s ...
Place: new york, america, britain, usa, coney island brooklyn new york city ...
Is relevant ?
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Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)
Genre: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: At the turn of the century, the Angels returned to Earth, seeking to wipe out humanity in an apocalyptic fury. Devastated, mankind's last remnants moved underground to wait for the day when the Angels would come back to finish the job. Fifteen ...
Style: mecha, anime, psychological, serious, exciting ...
Audience: teens, kids
Plot: self doubt, existentialism, father son relationship, loneliness, depression, loss, psychological trauma, young heroes, suffering, piloted giant robot, absent mother, post apocalypse ...
Time: year 2015, 2010s, 2000s, future, 21st century
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Country: UK, Germany, USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: The Grand Budapest Hotel tells of a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars and his friendship with a young employee who becomes his trusted protégé. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance ...
Style: atmospheric, stylized, surreal, witty, offbeat ...
Audience: family friendly, teens, adult
Plot: hotel, prison escape, art theft, mentor protege relationship, murder, luxury hotel, escapades, painting, gunfight, greed, fictional country, mentor ...
Time: 1930s, year 2014, 2010s, 20th century, 60s ...
Place: eastern europe, alps, europe, america, persia ...
Is relevant ?
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story: Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realises that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his ...
Style: psychological, surreal, melancholic, romantic, mind bending ...
Audience: date night, chick flick, teens, girls' night, adult
Plot: memory, surrealism, dream, love, love story, memory loss, existentialism, loneliness, couples, amnesia, relationships, introspection ...
Time: 2000s, year 2004, future, year 2003, 21st century
Place: persia, america, usa, new york
Is relevant ?
 7.1
 13K
Time (2006)
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: South Korea, Japan
Duration: 97 min.
Story: To save her relationship, a woman puts herself through extensive plastic surgery.
Style: psychological, emotional, clever, realistic, philosophical ...
Plot: love affair, existentialism, obsession, paranoia, memory, women, character study, unfulfillment, surgery, relationships, psychology, plastic surgery ...
Place: asia, korea
Is relevant ?
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 142 min.
Story: Framed in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, ...
Style: clever, inspirational, touching, sentimental, twist ending ...
Audience: date night, kids, chick flick, teens, family friendly ...
Plot: prison, prison escape, freedom, human spirit, hopes, stephen king, life, friendship between men, friendship, plot twist, life philosophy, adaptation ...
Time: 1940s, 90s, 1950s, 2010s, year 1994 ...
Place: usa, america, iran, persia, pacific ocean ...
Is relevant ?
Yi Yi: A One and a Two... (2000)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Taiwan, Japan
Duration: 173 min.
Story: Each member of a family in Taipei asks hard questions about life's meaning as they live through everyday quandaries.
Style: touching, art house, philosophical, depressing, lyrical ...
Plot: midlife crisis, first love, existentialism, wedding, children, dysfunctional family, coma, lovers reunited, love, photography, ex boyfriend ex girlfriend relationship, marital crisis ...
Time: 2000s, 90s
Place: japan, taipei, east asia, asia, tokyo ...
Is relevant ?
 5.9
 73K
Vivarium (2019)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Ireland, Belgium, Denmark
Duration: 97 min.
Story: A young woman and her fiancé are in search of the perfect starter home. After following a mysterious real estate agent to a new housing development, the couple finds themselves trapped in a maze of identical houses and forced to raise an ...
Style: surreal, suspense, disturbing, suspenseful, mind blowing ...
Plot: trapped, psychological torture, paradox, human experiment, young couple, evil child, buying a house, suburbs, evil wins, unhappy ending, real estate agent, mysterious man ...
Time: 2010s, 21st century
Is relevant ?
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