surreal backdrop

Movies with surreal vibe

Wonder Boys

521. Wonder Boys

Comedy Drama Dark Comedy Relationship Drama
7.2

20001h 51min

Germany, Japan

Director: Curtis Hanson

Grady is a 50-ish English professor who hasn't had a thing published in years—not since he wrote his award winning 'Great American Novel' 7 years ago. This weekend proves even worse than he could imagine as he finds himself reeling from one misadventure to another in the company of a new wonder boy author.

Themes

Midlife crisis via publishing pressure, University politics and secrecy, Adultery strains career, Infidelity complicates trust, Dog drives consequences, Gay theme under pressure

Available on

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

Uzumaki

522. Uzumaki

Mystery Fantasy Horror Supernatural Horror Mindbender Mystery
6.1

20001h 30min

Japan

Director: Higuchinsky

The inhabitants of a small Japanese town become increasingly obsessed with and tormented by spirals.

Themes

Spiral obsession, Phobia and control, Social coercion, Mass contagion

Available on

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

Happy Accidents

523. Happy Accidents

Comedy Romance Science Fiction Romantic Comedy Time Travel Sci-Fi
7.1

20001h 50min

United States

Director: Brad Anderson

A comedy that pays tribute to the science fiction genre -- specifically, the sub-genre of time travel. But here the alternate reality is contemporary New York City where past and future experiences of trust, commitment and denial are cleverly put to the test. Just as Ruby is beginning to relish her first-ever healthy relationship, Sam begins muttering about being a time traveler from the year 2470.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Time travel ethics, Reality versus illusion, Future obsession, Manipulation across timelines, Commitment and doubt

Available on

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

Being John Malkovich

524. Being John Malkovich

Comedy Drama Fantasy High-Concept Comedy Psychological Drama
7.7

19991h 53min

United States

Director: Spike Jonze

One day at work, unsuccessful puppeteer Craig finds a portal into the head of actor John Malkovich. The portal soon becomes a passion for anybody who enters its mad and controlling world of overtaking another human body.

Themes

Control through embodiment, Desire and rejection, Ownership and autonomy, Identity collision, Immortality via bodies, Betrayal and manipulation

Available on

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

Fight Club

525. Fight Club

Drama Thriller Mind Game Thriller Psychological Drama
8.8

19992h 19min

Germany, United States

Director: David Fincher

A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.

Themes

Insomniac alienation, Consumerism critique, Deception and imposture, Dual identities, Debt-system disruption, Underground violence

Available on

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

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

526. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Adventure Drama Comedy Globetrotting Adventure Satire
7.5

19981h 58min

United States

Director: Terry Gilliam

Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.

Themes

Deception under pressure, Desert excess, Drug paranoia, Surreal misperception, Narcotics convention chaos, Identity erosion under influence

Available on

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

The Big Lebowski

527. The Big Lebowski

Comedy Crime Satire
8.1

19981h 57min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Joel Coen

Jeffrey 'The Dude' Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker who only wants to bowl and drink White Russians, is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski, a wheelchair-bound millionaire, and finds himself dragged into a strange series of events involving nihilists, adult film producers, ferrets, errant toes, and large sums of money.

Themes

Slacker ethos under pressure, Nihilism through satire, Mistaken identity consequences, Absurd crime under noir, Money versus ordinary life, Deception and misdirection

Available on

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

Perfect Blue

528. Perfect Blue

Animation Thriller Anime Mindfuck Thriller
8.0

19981h 22min

Japan

Director: Satoshi Kon

Rising pop star Mima quits singing to pursue a career as an actress. After she takes up a role on a popular detective show, her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima's reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia.

Themes

Paranoia and psychosis, Celebrity worship, Stalker threat, Career vs acting, Split personality, Dual realities

Available on

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

Dark City

529. Dark City

Mystery Science Fiction Dystopian Sci-Fi Unreliable Perspective Mystery
7.6

19981h 41min

Australia, United States

Director: Alex Proyas

A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans.

Themes

Memory transfer ethics, Urban gothic mood, Parallel world anxiety, Dystopia under pressure, False memory manipulation, Serial killer motif

Available on

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

Deconstructing Harry

530. Deconstructing Harry

Comedy Drama Dark Comedy Relationship Drama
7.3

19971h 36min

United States

Director: Woody Allen

Writer Harry Block draws inspiration from people he knows, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to become alienated from him as a result.

Themes

Writer's block pressure, Art vs life tension, Deception through narration, Alienation through exposure, Self-destructive impulse, Compromised relationships under scrutiny

Available on

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