surreal backdrop

Movies with surreal vibe

Castaway on the Moon

381. Castaway on the Moon

Drama Comedy Romance Bittersweet Romance Relationship Drama
8.0

20091h 59min

South Korea

Director: Lee Hae-jun

Overview

Mr. Kim is jobless, lost in debt and has been dumped by his girlfriend. He decides to end it all by jumping into the Han River – only to find himself washed up on a small, mid-river island. He soon abandons thoughts of suicide or rescue and begins a new life as a castaway. His antics catch the attention of a young woman whose apartment overlooks the river. Her discovery changes both their lives.

Themes

Isolation and longing, Urban alienation, Debt and escape, Improvised communication, Accidental companionship, Resilience through improvisation

Available on

The Roku Channel
Tubi TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Mary and Max

382. Mary and Max

Animation Comedy Drama Adult Animation Dark Comedy
8.1

20091h 32min

Australia

Director: Adam Elliot

Overview

A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York.

Themes

Solace through letters, Loneliness through isolation, Friendship across distance, Family neglect effects, Identity through diagnosis, Resilience through connection

Available on

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

Bronson

383. Bronson

Drama Action Crime Psychological Drama Prison Crime
7.0

20091h 32min

United Kingdom, Denmark

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Overview

A young man who was sentenced to 7 years in prison for robbing a post office ends up spending 30 years in solitary confinement. During this time, his own personality is supplanted by his alter ego, Charles Bronson.

Themes

Isolation and confinement, Violence as spectacle, Authority and control, Art as outlet, Blurred lines between crime and performance, Body as shield

Available on

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

The Secret of Kells

384. The Secret of Kells

Animation Family Fantasy Animated Fantasy Adventure Quest Fantasy
7.5

20091h 18min

Ireland, France

Director: Tomm Moore

Overview

Adventure awaits 12 year old Brendan who must fight Vikings and a serpent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary Book of Kells. In order to finish Brother Aiden's book, Brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a secret quest that will take him beyond the abbey walls and into the enchanted forest where dangerous mythical creatures hide. Will Brendan succeed in his quest?

Themes

Mythology under siege, Sacred knowledge preservation, Forest as refuge, Craft under pressure, Intergenerational learning, Raiders as external threat

Available on

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

Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder

385. Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder

Animation Comedy Science Fiction Adult Animation Parody
7.3

20091h 30min

United States

Director: Peter Avanzino

Overview

Leela becomes an outlaw when she and a group of ecologically-minded feminists attempt to save an asteroid of primitive life forms and the Violet Dwarf star from being destroyed, while Fry joins a secret society and attempts to stop a mysterious species known as the "Dark Ones" from destroying all life in the universe.

Themes

Collective action under pressure, Environmental activism vs development, Secret societies and telepathy, Preservation of endangered life, Private ambition vs ecology, Mind-reading power vs privacy


In the Loop

386. In the Loop

Comedy Satire
7.4

20091h 46min

United Kingdom

Director: Armando Iannucci

Overview

The US President and the UK Prime Minister are planning on launching a war in the Middle East, but—behind the scenes—government officials and advisers are either promoting the war or are trying to prevent it.

Themes

Institutional distrust, Media manipulation, Dissent suppression, Political incompetence, War planning push, Bureaucratic maneuvering

Available on

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

Bedtime Stories

387. Bedtime Stories

Fantasy Comedy Family Romance Supernatural Fantasy
6.0

20081h 39min

United States

Director: Adam Shankman

Overview

Skeeter Bronson is a down-on-his-luck guy who's always telling bedtime stories to his niece and nephew. But his life is turned upside down when the fantastical stories he makes up for entertainment inexplicably turn into reality. Can a bewildered Skeeter manage his own unruly fantasies now that the outrageous characters and situations from his mind have morphed into actual people and events?

Themes

Wishes come true storytelling, Imaginary kingdom dream logic, Life turned upside down consequences, Miraculous event reshapes power, Disorder destabilizes family, Imagined futures challenge authority

Available on

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

A.R.O.G

388. A.R.O.G

Science Fiction Fantasy Comedy Time Travel Sci-Fi Parody
7.4

20082h 7min

Türkiye

Director: Ali Taner Baltacı

Overview

Commander Logar fools Arif and sends him 1.000.000 years back in the time. He must civilize people from past to reach today.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Collaboration under pressure, Oppression and resistance, Adaptation under threat, Competition and ritual, Technology versus tradition

Available on

Amazon Video
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Futurama: Bender's Game

389. Futurama: Bender's Game

Animation Comedy Science Fiction Action Fantasy
7.3

20081h 28min

United States

Director: Dwayne Carey-Hill

Overview

When Leela is insulted by a group of space-rednecks (like regular rednecks, but in space), she enters the Planet Express ship in a demolition derby. Leela emerges victorious, but when she brings the damaged ship home, and the Professor sees the fuel gauge, he's enraged by the hit he's going to take at the Dark Matter pump. Now the crew have to find a way to break Mom's stranglehold on starship fuel, even if they have to wade through a Lord of the Rings-inspired fantasy-land to do it!

Themes

Corporate control of resources, Role playing as escape, Fantasy world as hazard, Memory erasure as concealment, Science powering fantasy conflict, Reality vs fantasy boundary


Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

390. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Adventure Animation Comedy Family Globetrotting Adventure
6.7

20081h 29min

United States

Director: Eric Darnell

Overview

Alex, Marty, and other zoo animals find a way to escape from Madagascar when the penguins reassemble a wrecked airplane. The precariously repaired craft stays airborne just long enough to make it to the African continent. There the New Yorkers encounter members of their own species for the first time. Africa proves to be a wild place, but Alex and company wonder if it is better than their Central Park home.

Themes

Leadership competition, Group resilience under threat, Resourceful cooperation, Romance and social dynamics, Survival within shared space, Power shift and alliance

Available on

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