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, thought provoking, philosophical, psychological, inspirational and complex films and TV shows about / with existentialism, philosophy, loneliness, storytelling, psychology, dialogue, mentor, life philosophy, moving and life & death plots mostly in Drama, Sci-Fi and Romance genres shot in USA, UK, Germany and other countries.
existentialism movies
3458
TOP 10 movies tagged as existentialism: Her (2013), Waking Life (2001), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Never Let Me Go (2010), Naked (1993), Ex Machina (2014), Demolition (2015), Eraserhead (1977), Amelie (2001), BoJack Horseman (2014).

List of existentialism movies

Type:
 8.0
 722K
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, crying, clever ...
Audience: date night, teens, chick flick, adult
Plot: loneliness, artificial intelligence, existentialism, philosophy, love, melancholy, computer, cyberspace, impossible love, solitude, love story, relationship problems ...
Time: near future, future, year 2013, distant future, 2030s ...
Place: los angeles, california, usa
Is relevant?
 7.6
 69K
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, cerebral ...
Audience: kids, adult
Plot: philosophy, existentialism, dream, surrealism, alternate reality, trippy, consciousness, bohemian life, sleeping, meaning of life, life philosophy, imagination ...
Time: 20th century, year 2001, 2000s, 21st century
Place: texas, tibet
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: philosophical, cult classic, confusing, art house, surreal ...
Plot: existentialism, depression, death, writers, theater, twists and turns, schizophrenic, loneliness, philosophy, writer's life, mental illness, actor ...
Time: year 2008, 90s, 2000s, future, 21st century
Place: new york, usa, manhattan new york city, berlin germany
Is relevant?
 7.1
 159K
Never Let Me Go (2010)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
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, melancholic, depressing, psychological, heartbreaking ...
Audience: teens, date night, girls' night, chick flick, adult ...
Plot: dystopia, boarding school, existentialism, distopia, childhood, cloning, sadness, friendship, transplant, couples, love story, love and romance ...
Time: year 1978, 2010s, 50s, year 2010, 70s ...
Place: england, europe
Is relevant?
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 7.7
 48K
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, philosophical, black comedy, compassionate ...
Audience: adult
Plot: existentialism, sexual abuse, nihilism, humiliation, voyeurism, alienation, drifter, character study, sex scene, rape, cruelty, rapist ...
Time: 90s, year 1993
Place: london, england, united kingdom, manchester, europe
Is relevant?
 7.7
 633K
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, twist ending, philosophical, mind bending ...
Audience: girls' night, adult
Plot: artificial intelligence, robot, androids, technology, existentialism, cyborgs, cyberpunk, isolation, manipulation, androids and robots, female robot, consciousness ...
Time: future, near future, 2010s, year 2015, year 2014 ...
Place: england
Is relevant?
 7.0
 131K
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, romantic drama, psychological, touching ...
Plot: death, depression, death of wife, grief, existentialism, father in law son in law relationship, nervous breakdown, self discovery, widower, loss of wife, honesty, car accident ...
Time: year 2015, 2010s, year 2016
Place: new york
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, dark comedy, psychedelic, black comedy, independent film ...
Audience: teens, date night, adult
Plot: midlife crisis, existentialism, satire, theater, surrealism, actor, dark humor, showbiz, father daughter relationship, mental illness, alter ego, backstage ...
Time: year 2014, 2010s, 21st century
Place: new york, manhattan new york city, ethiopia, america, los angeles ...
Is relevant?
 7.2
 142K
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, psychological, avant garde, art house, experimental ...
Plot: surrealism, baby, existentialism, nightmare, insanity, psychology, dream, loneliness, psychosis, factory, dark humor, eccentricity ...
Time: 70s, year 1977, 20th century
Place: america, philadelphia
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, buddhist monk, monk, guilt, existentialism, buddhist, nature, beautiful scenery ...
Time: year 2003, 2000s, 21st century
Place: south korea, tibet, korea, east asia, asia ...
Is relevant?
 8.3
 835K
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, sweet, touching, inspirational, sentimental ...
Audience: girls' night, teens, chick flick, date night
Plot: loneliness, love, fall in love, imagination, cafe, lifestyle change, life, optimism, female protagonist, love story, love and romance, life philosophy ...
Time: year 2001, 90s, 70s, year 1974, 20th century ...
Place: paris france, france, europe, montmartre paris, quebec
Is relevant?
 8.8
 228K
BoJack Horseman (2014)
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 25 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, dark comedy, black comedy, sitcom ...
Audience: kids, teens, adult
Plot: depression, existentialism, cynicism, sadness, hollywood, down on your luck, adult humor, addiction, anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic animal, talking animal, mature ...
Time: 2010s, future, 2020s, 21st century
Place: california, los angeles, usa
Is relevant?
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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, chick flick, family friendly
Plot: mathematics, mental illness, schizophrenia, genius, paranoia, insanity, imagination, scientist, prodigy, nobel prize, imaginary friend, mathematician ...
Time: year 2001, 60s, 1940s, 20th century, 2000s ...
Place: harvard university, boston, new jersey, detroit, persia ...
Is relevant?
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: anime, mecha, psychological, serious, exciting ...
Audience: kids, teens, teen drama
Plot: loneliness, existentialism, self doubt, father son relationship, psychological trauma, loss, depression, giant robot, young heroes, post apocalypse, suffering, piloted giant robot ...
Time: year 2015, 2010s, 2000s, future, 21st century
Place: japan
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: philosophical, psychological, humorous, witty, dark comedy ...
Audience: girls' night
Plot: existentialism, private detective, self discovery, jealousy, making love, philosophy, relationships, investigation, environmental activism, meditation, buddhism, multiple storylines ...
Time: year 2004, 20th century, 21st century
Place: seattle
Is relevant?
 7.0
 320K
The Platform (2019)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, 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, mind bending ...
Plot: survival, struggle for survival, confined, food shortage, cannibalism, social injustice, prison, social differences, isolation, rivalry, danger, survival horror ...
Time: future, 2010s
Place: iberian peninsula
Is relevant?
 8.3
 1.3M
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, sexual, dark comedy, sexy ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, kids, girls' night, teen drama ...
Plot: midlife crisis, dysfunctional family, existentialism, age difference, obsession, loneliness, coming of age, older man younger woman relationship, dysfunctional marriage, youth, adultery, suburbs ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, year 1999, year 2013
Place: usa, america, los angeles, iran
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: surreal, psychological, melancholic, romantic, philosophical ...
Audience: date night, chick flick, teens, girls' night, adult
Plot: memory, amnesia, relationships, surrealism, loneliness, existentialism, melancholy, love, love story, dream, memory loss, couples ...
Time: 2000s, year 2004, future, year 2003, 21st century
Place: persia, america, usa, north america, new york
Is relevant?
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6398
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3009
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4491
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10255
 8.1
 765K
Trainspotting (1996)
Genre: Crime, 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, captivating, dark comedy, black comedy ...
Audience: boys' night, teens, teen drama
Plot: addiction, heroin, drug addiction, drug abuse, existentialism, dark humor, counterculture, junkie, life is a bitch, subculture, dialogue, social misfits ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, year 1996
Place: scotland, edinburgh scotland, london, england, britain ...
Is relevant?
 8.8
 2.8M
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, cerebral, clever, twist ending ...
Audience: date night, teens, adult
Plot: dream, virtual reality, memory, alternate reality, teamwork, imagination, subconscious, philosophy, twists and turns, fictional reality, existentialism, lucid dream ...
Time: year 2010, future, 2000s, 2010s, near future
Place: japan, paris france, los angeles, iran, tokyo ...
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, philosophical, emotional, sentimental, intellectual ...
Audience: girls' night, teens, chick flick, family friendly, date night ...
Plot: mathematics, genius, professor, prodigy, life, life philosophy, psychology, philosophy, mentor, psychotherapy, university, life lesson ...
Time: year 1997, 20th century, 90s, 2010s
Place: boston, harvard university, america, persia, massachusetts ...
Is relevant?
 7.4
 332K
Predestination (2014)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Australia, USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story: Predestination chronicles the life of a Temporal Agent sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to prevent future killers from committing their crimes. Now, on his final assignment, the Agent must stop the one criminal that has ...
Style: surprise ending, philosophical, confusing, clever, mind bending ...
Audience: boys' night, family friendly, chick flick, adult
Plot: time travel, time loop, plot twist, time machine, time paradox, twists and turns, parallel universe, gender, destiny, existentialism, changing the past or future, loner ...
Time: year 1975, future, 2010s, 1940s, year 2014 ...
Place: usa, new york, peru, cleveland ohio
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: experimental, art house, artsy, existential, contemplative ...
Plot: nihilism, existentialism, depression, loneliness, minimalism, introspection, existential loneliness, boredom, loser, time travel, lsd, trauma ...
Time: 70s, 20th century
Place: paris france, france
Is relevant?
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 5.9
 89K
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, psychological, suspenseful ...
Plot: trapped, psychological torture, paradox, young couple, mysterious man, human experiment, suburbs, voyeurism, evil child, buying a house, evil wins, unhappy ending ...
Time: 2010s, 21st century
Is relevant?
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA, Germany
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, witty, surreal, visually appealing ...
Audience: family friendly, teens, adult
Plot: hotel, art theft, mentor, mentor protege relationship, prison escape, murder, escapades, twists and turns, gunfight, painting, fictional country, lawyer ...
Time: 1930s, year 2014, 20th century, 60s, 80s ...
Place: eastern europe, alps, europe, persia, america ...
Is relevant?
 7.7
 466K
The Game (1997)
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story: In honor of his birthday, San Francisco banker Nicholas Van Orton, a financial genius and a coldhearted loner, receives an unusual present from his younger brother, Conrad -- a gift certificate to play a unique kind of game. In nearly a nanosecond, ...
Style: psychological, surprise ending, twist ending, suspense, neo noir ...
Audience: adult
Plot: twists and turns, mind game, manipulation, psychology, puzzle, uncover truth, existentialism, surveillance, life & death, game, life turned upside down, disorder ...
Time: 20th century, 90s, year 1997
Place: san francisco, usa, bay area, california, seattle ...
Is relevant?
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 116 min.
Story: A tale of passion, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane, a barber in a small California town, is dissatisfied with his life, but his wife Doris' infidelity presents him with a chance to change it.
Style: neo noir, atmospheric, psychological, visually appealing, cerebral ...
Plot: twists and turns, existentialism, dark humor, character study, murder, misfit, infidelity, blackmail, trial, eccentricity, false accusation, deception ...
Time: 1940s, year 2001, y2k, 2000s, 20th century ...
Place: california, usa
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, uplifting, inspirational, touching, twist ending ...
Audience: date night, chick flick, teens, kids, family friendly ...
Plot: prison, prison escape, freedom, friendship between men, hopes, friendship, corruption, human spirit, justice, prison life, life, stephen king ...
Time: 1940s, 1950s, 90s, year 1994, 2010s ...
Place: usa, maine, columbus ohio, persia, iran ...
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: clever, sexy, emotional, philosophical, realistic ...
Audience: girls' night
Plot: obsession, love affair, existentialism, paranoia, time loop, women, memory, character study, unfulfillment, surgery, psychology, relationships ...
Place: korea, asia, india
Is relevant?
The Tree of Life (2011)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 139 min.
Story: The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his ...
Style: philosophical, artsy, surreal, atmospheric, visually stunning ...
Audience: teens, family outing
Plot: childhood, philosophy, spirituality, existentialism, coming of age, death, father son relationship, hopes, parenthood, religion, grief, family relations ...
Time: 1950s, year 2011, prehistory, 20th century, 50s ...
Place: texas, southern usa, america, usa, china
Is relevant?
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