Existential crisis movies and TV shows – page 5
Best films
New films
| The Duel (2023) | 4.3 | |
| Redux Redux (2025) | 6.6 | |
| Night Silence (2024) | 5.5 | |
| Grrr.. (2024) | 4.2 | |
| Sakaal Tar Hou Dya (2025) | 9.1 |
List of existential crisis movies
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: Czech Republic, Slovakia
Duration: 146 min.
Story:
The psyche of a ruthless secret agent in Cold War Czechoslovakia begins to unravel when he obsesses over the girlfriend of a suspected subversive he is tracking. This taut political thriller is a bleak and potent rendering of the emotional ...
Style:
suspense, political thriller, neo noir, psychological, disturbing ...
Plot:
secret police, communist party, villain as protagonist, secret agent, obsession, cold war, paranoia, totalitarianism, male female relationship, agent, social problems, relationship problems ...
Time:
80s
Place:
czechoslovakia, czech republic, eastern europe, central europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: Serbia, Monaco, Spain, Switzerland
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Five scenarios in which people have trouble distinguishing truth from illusions. Each segment reflects the motto of Voltaire's Candide: "Optimism is insisting everything is good, when everything is bad."
Style:
thought provoking, anthology, reflective, surreal, tragicomedy ...
Plot:
satire, irony, frustration, absurdism, social commentary, paradox, deception, bittersweet, existential crisis, moral ambiguity, mental disorder, down on your luck ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
serbia
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Apprehended by an unlikely bounty hunter, Jason Valentine uses his phone call privilege to dial a random number. Add a mime and other passers-by, for a dusk to dawn existential adventure.
Style:
existential, road movie, offbeat, dark comedy, surreal ...
Plot:
bounty hunter, mime, chance meeting, existential crisis, character study, odd couple, loneliness, identity, travel, telephone call, bittersweet, slice of life ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
florida
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: Czech Republic
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Petr is a courier, a messenger as a matter of fact. He is one of those young men who believe that on their bikes they have become part and parcel of the atmosphere of modern cities. He is a non-conformist who refuses to settle into today‘s ...
Style:
melancholic, art house, moody
Plot:
anti conformist, bike messenger, alienation, loneliness, rebellion, frustration, anti hero, anti establishment, identity crisis, existential crisis, angry, working class ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Mystery
Country: Italy, USA
Duration: 75 min.
Story:
"Leave out any hope of salvation, now you're getting in, to never leave again" (Hell - Canto III) It's been years since Beatrice died. Dante, now lonely, has lost control of his life and nothing on Earth is able to help him. Is a ...
Style:
spiritual, allegory, mystical, emotional, poetic ...
Plot:
hell, purgatory, paradise, afterlife, soul searching, grief, supernatural, soul, loneliness, loss, transformation, mourning ...
Place:
italy
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Rebel. Icon. Legend. James Dean’s untimely death on September 30, 1955, shocked the world and helped define an entire generation. This gripping drama chronicles the reactions of an Arkansas college town to the tragedy and focuses on Jimmy J., a ...
Style:
southern gothic, period drama
Plot:
grief, tragedy, mourning, mental breakdown, self destructing, loss of innocence, car crash, teenage angst, obsession, youth culture, isolation, fan culture ...
Time:
1950s, year 1955, 50s
Place:
arkansas
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Norway
Duration: 83 min.
Story:
The anarchist Ottar is being locked up in a mental institution after a serious of tantrums that involves rage against the machine.
Style:
bleak, period piece, political drama
Plot:
mental institution, paranoia, social commentary, anti establishment, character study, authoritarianism, alienation, existential crisis, surveillance, isolation, nonconformity, counterculture ...
Time:
70s, year 1978, 20th century
Place:
europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 158 min.
TV show
Story:
Richard II, who ascended the throne as a child, is a regal and stately monarch. He believes he is the rightful ruler of England, ordained by God, yet he is a weak and ineffective king - wasteful in his spending habits, unwise in his choise of ...
Style:
historical drama, bleak, period piece, melancholic
Plot:
shakespeare, royalty, medieval, british history, monarchy, power struggle, political intrigue, betrayal, tragedy, literary, character study, identity crisis ...
Time:
medieval times, middle ages, 14th century
Place:
britain, england
Is relevant?
26
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Argentina
Duration: 72 min.
Story:
"It is absolutely wrong to believe that other people are in a position of undertanding our deepest feelings." - Mishima
Style:
psychological, art house, contemplative, thought provoking, existential ...
Plot:
loneliness, alienation, misunderstanding, identity, existential crisis, intimate, regret, social isolation, human nature, memory, minimalism, realism ...
Is relevant?
137
Genre: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 84 min.
Story:
Married for 20 years since the age of 15, Nina's husband suddenly decides to leave her.
Style:
melancholic, realistic, sensual, intense
Plot:
marital separation, midlife crisis, female protagonist, infidelity, adultery, abandonment, female sexuality, loneliness, self discovery, depression, middle aged woman, character study ...
Time:
2000s
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: Croatia
Duration: 75 min.
Story:
Stola has been spending his summer in the sweltering haze of festival parties. But one day, he runs into Roko, an old acquaintance, who is on a mission to discover medieval frescoes at a nearby monastery. Roko convinces Stola and a random group of ...
Style:
allegory, contemplative, existential, mysterious, art house ...
Plot:
road trip, self discovery, symbolism, isolation, coming of age, existential crisis, friendship, haunting, intimate, youth culture, slow burn, festival ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: Argentina
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
Trying to escape danger in a post-apocalyptic world, Bannon realizes that his very existence will be put to the test.
Style:
tense, bleak, grim, dark, suspense
Plot:
survival, post apocalyptic, desperation, escape, danger, struggle for survival, desolation, wasteland, dystopia, journey, isolation, loneliness ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama
Country: Czech Republic, Slovakia
Duration: 78 min.
Story:
A wealthy middle-aged man at the airport witnesses a tiny incident involving an unknown, perhaps Arab, young man and airport staff. After the young man is confronted directly at the airport toilets, he feels himself subject to an indefinable but ...
Style:
tense, psychological thriller
Plot:
paranoia, obsession, suspicion, surveillance, cat and mouse, stalking, airport, confrontation, alienation, isolation, moral ambiguity, slow burn ...
Time:
2020s, 21st century
Place:
europe, central europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Netherlands, Croatia, Germany
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Full Contact is a contemporary tale of a man trying to find new purpose in life after accidentally bombing a school through a remotely operated drone plane. Ivan, operating the plane from a far away air force base, has never been to the foreign ...
Style:
dark, bleak, melancholic, psychological thriller
Plot:
guilt, moral ambiguity, military base, existential crisis, isolation, war crime, remorse, ethical dilemma, trauma, male nudity, mature, character study ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Argentina, Chile, Germany, Netherlands
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
One early morning, at the beginning of a very hot summer, Mariano, a sixteen-year-old teenager, returns home, jumps into the pool and does some laps with a stopwatch. Then he gets out and mows the lawn, where he accidentally cuts the mower’s power ...
Style:
semi serious, realistic, disturbing, melancholic, art house ...
Plot:
dark humor, friendship, teenage life, family relations, parents and children, youth, family drama, survival, coming of age, relationships, existential crisis, slice of life ...
Time:
2010s, 21st century
Place:
latin america, argentina
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
A successful "house tuner" in New York City, who calibrates the sound in people's homes in order to adjust their moods, meets a client with a problem he can't solve.
Style:
psychological, realistic, emotional, poignant, dark ...
Plot:
manipulation, couple relations, society, redemption, tragedy, character study, alienation, isolation, melancholy, therapy, slow burn, modern life ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy
Country: Sweden
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
Insurance Director Stig Roxby is worth a hundred times more than an ordinary high school teacher. But he doesn't think that's enough, but sees himself forced to work with four other director colleagues to lift the bonus cap to be even more ...
Style:
satirical, realistic, ironic, biting, cynical ...
Plot:
greed, satire, ambition, corporate greed, materialism, high society, loneliness, office politics, midlife crisis, identity, office, self discovery ...
Place:
eastern europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Country: Canada
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
After calling a late-night party hotline that promises out-of-this-world fun, uptight yuppie Conor Sweeney must battle the pint-sized forces of evil unleashed through his phone line, led by the maniacal rock n’ roll goblin FRANKIE FREAKO.
Style:
dark comedy, horror comedy, surreal, independent film, cult horror ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
goblin, workaholic, dark humor, existential crisis, rock and roll, mayhem, supernatural, camp, satire, chaos, body horror, identity ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama
Country: Iran
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
The film tells the story of a reclusive taxi driver in Tehran in the days leading up to an earthquake. He has chosen to distance himself from society and to be passive so as not to be hurt. Finally one of his passengers gives him enough motivation ...
Style:
atmospheric, melancholic, psychological, existential
Plot:
character study, isolation, taxi driver, loneliness, slice of life, introspection, intimate, nightlife, existential crisis, minimalism, slow burn, everyday life ...
Place:
tehran, middle east, iran
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: Romania
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A young man from Constanța who has his own business aims to expand, but he doesn't have the resources.
Style:
road movie, crime drama, art house, melancholic, tense ...
Plot:
social commentary, journey, moral ambiguity, coming of age, transformation, moral dilemma, character study, realism, ambition, betrayal, survival, smuggling ...
Time:
2000s
Place:
transylvania, romania, black sea, bucharest
Is relevant?
133
Genre: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Four people, isolated in their different ways are trapped in the desert and changed forever. Against impossible odds, can they find meaning - life, laughter and love before it is too late?
Style:
psychological, existential, emotional, atmospheric, melancholic ...
Plot:
isolation, desert, thirst, survival, loneliness, transformation, australian outback, character study, heat wave, friendship, introspection, intimate ...
Time:
year 2017
Place:
australia
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Country: India
Duration: 158 min.
Story:
A young man's lover dies in a freak accident, saddened by this he tries to kill himself by driving his car over a hilltop. A portal opens through an alternate universe and, rescued by his look-alike, he finally meets his lover.
Style:
romantic drama, epic fantasy, melancholic, lyrical, wistful
Plot:
alternate reality, star crossed lovers, soul mate, strong female lead, existential crisis, sacrifice, rescue mission, young adult, forbidden love, coming of age, parallel world, fight ...
Place:
india
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: France
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
La Possibilité d'une île is a 2008 film directed by Michel Houellebecq, loosely based on his 2005 novel The Possibility of an Island.
Style:
existential, melancholic, contemplative, philosophical, art house ...
Plot:
cloning, clone, human clone, identity, identity crisis, isolation, alienation, loneliness, dystopia, existential crisis, adaptation, ethical dilemma ...
Time:
future, 2000s
Place:
belgium
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
TV show
Story:
As the world is threatened by the sudden appearance of a mysterious alien mothership, best friends Koyama Kadode and Nakagawa “Ontan” Oran carry on about their high school life. But as they grow up, they face existential questions, learning ...
Style:
anime, thrilling, captivating, melancholic, surreal ...
Plot:
alien invasion, slice of life, friendship, school, coming of age, alien encounter, teenager, friends, alien, teenage protagonist, teenage life, everyday life ...
Is relevant?
2K
Genre: Drama
Country: Serbia
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
An apotheosis of loyalty and love. A tale of lost happiness and dreams, fears and transience, supremacy of fate and laws of nature, gratitude and cruelty of nature, inability of man to change that and influence the course of his own life.
Style:
poignant, melancholic, emotional, contemplative, meditative ...
Plot:
love, nature, loss, fate, loyalty, tragic romance, bittersweet, grief, fatalism, destiny, retiring, nostalgia ...
Time:
70s
Place:
serbia
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography
Country: Greece, France
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
The true story of the greatest Greek writer of the 20th century, Nikos Kazantzakis, based on his work, Report to Greco, which is, essentially, his autobiography.
Style:
psychological, thrilling, captivating, philosophical, reflective ...
Plot:
writers, biopic, freedom, greek, writer's life, independence, autobiography, humanism, spiritual journey, idealism, identity, dream ...
Time:
20th century
Place:
greece, crete, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Music
Country: Spain
Duration: 176 min.
Story:
Hamlet suspects his uncle has murdered his father to claim the throne of Denmark and the hand of Hamlet's mother, but the prince cannot decide whether or not he should take vengeance.
Style:
captivating, philosophical, atmospheric, suspense, dark ...
Plot:
opera, shakespeare, murder mystery, tragedy, shakespeare's hamlet, murder, death, revenge, tragic hero, murderer, uncover truth, intrigue ...
Place:
denmark
Is relevant?
598
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Russia
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
Modern Russian take on Felinni's "La Dolce Vita" focuses on a few days from one popular Moscow journalist's life and the essential attributes of his life: Sex, betrayal, love, friendship, murders, etc.
Style:
art house, sensual, existential, stylized, psychological ...
Plot:
journalism, sex, city life, social commentary, moral ambiguity, media, infidelity, betrayal, partying, decadence, celebrity culture, nightlife ...
Place:
moscow russia
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy
Country: Russia
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
A young man drops out of university and goes to the police. He's done nothing wrong he just wants a job. A particular job. Playing the victim in murder reconstructions. Maybe by getting close to death he can manage to cheat on his own.
Style:
art house, surreal, thought provoking, psychological, philosophical ...
Plot:
murder, social satire, post soviet, accusation, absent father, victim, dark humor, experiment, murder investigation, meaning of life, monologue, poisoning ...
Place:
russia
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
The first of four installments in the groundbreaking Heartbeat of the World anthology film series. Comprised of several short films by some of the world's most exciting directors, Words with Gods follows the theme of religion - specifically as ...
Style:
anthology, serious, realistic, contemplative, suspense ...
Plot:
buddhism, atheism, hinduism, religion, faith, religions or cults, society, christianity, islam, clergy, spirituality, belief ...
Time:
year 2014, 21st century
Place:
serbia
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
