dreamlike backdrop

Movies with dreamlike vibe

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Science Fiction Drama Romance Simulation & Reality-Shift Sci-Fi Relationship Drama
8.3
20041h 48min

Overview

In a world where a clinic deletes your worst heartbreak, a quiet man signs up to erase his ex—only to relive their love in reverse as it’s ripped from his mind. Trapped inside his own vanishing memories, he scrambles to hide her in forgotten corners of his past before she disappears for good.

Themes

Memory manipulation ethics, Amnesia and longing, Memory erasure consequences, Jealousy in relationships, Nonlinear timelines of memory, Relationship problems under manipulation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

If Only

2. If Only

Drama Romance Fantasy Bittersweet Romance Tragic Drama
7.0
20041h 32min

Overview

After his impetuous musician girlfriend, Samantha, dies in an accident shortly after they had a fight (and nearly broke up), Ian Wyndham, a grief-stricken British businessman living in London gets a chance to relive the day all over again, in the hope of changing the events that led up to her getting killed.

Themes

Memory shaping identity, Grief and coping, Devotion under pressure, Time loop and agency, Love vs ambition, Creative pursuit vs relationship

Available on

Amazon Video
fuboTV
The Roku Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Big Fish

3. Big Fish

Adventure Fantasy Drama Adventure Epic Narrative Fantasy
8.0
20032h 5min

Overview

Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.

Themes

Tall tales vs reality, Parent-child relationship, Aging and illness, Magical realism in life, Fame from storytelling, Love and commitment

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Millennium Actress

4. Millennium Actress

Drama Animation Romance Fantasy Psychological Drama
7.8
20021h 27min

Overview

Documentary filmmaker Genya Tachibana has tracked down the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, who mysteriously vanished at the height of her career. When he presents her with a key she had lost and thought was gone forever, the filmmaker could not have imagined that it would not only unlock the long-held secrets of Chiyoko’s life... but also his own.

Themes

Memory vs forgetting, Pursuit of art across decades, Memory as performance, Story within the story, Surreal dreamlike imagery, Aging cinema and studio decay

Available on

Apple TV
Crunchyroll
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Cat Returns

5. The Cat Returns

Adventure Fantasy Animation Drama Family
7.1
20021h 15min

Overview

Young Haru rescues a cat from being run over, but soon learns it's no ordinary feline; it happens to be the Prince of the Cats.

Themes

Human-animal bond, Self-discovery through adversity, Kindness as courage, Transformation and empowerment, Guardianship by unlikely allies, Choice and independence

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Interstate 60

6. Interstate 60

Adventure Comedy Fantasy Drama Globetrotting Adventure
7.5
20021h 56min

Overview

An aspiring painter meets various characters and learns valuable lessons while traveling across America.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Dream vs duty, Freedom vs expectation, Surreal road trip, Art as life purpose, Legal culture satire

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Dragonfly

7. Dragonfly

Drama Thriller Fantasy Tragic Drama Supernatural Fantasy
6.1
20021h 44min

Overview

A grieving doctor is being contacted by his late wife through his patient's near death experiences.

Themes

Grief under professional pressure, Pregnancy and loss, Communication with the dead, Ethical conflicts in medicine, Humanitarian impulse vs danger, Cultural encounter and guidance

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Overview

David Aames has it all: wealth, good looks and gorgeous women on his arm. But just as he begins falling for the warmhearted Sofia, his face is horribly disfigured in a car accident. That's just the beginning of his troubles as the lines between illusion and reality, between life and death, are blurred.

Themes

Illusion vs reality, Memory loss, Jealousy in romance, Appearance vs identity, Dreams and suspension, Life extension ethics

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Overview

Prot is a patient at a mental hospital who claims to be from a far away planet. His psychiatrist tries to help him, only to begin to doubt his own explanations.

Themes

Perception versus reality, Belief under scrutiny, Trauma and coping mechanisms, Imagination versus evidence, Care under doubt, Duty of care under pressure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Waking Life

10. Waking Life

Animation Drama Fantasy Adult Animation Psychological Drama
7.7
20011h 41min

Overview

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 relationships with others, and the meaning of life.

Themes

Posthumanity ideas, Meaning of life, Free will, Social philosophy, Philosophical discussions, Situationist politics

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.