The following are seven philosophical films I feel are worthy of your time. I have watched all of them on multiple occasions. Many have affected me profoundly. Now I want to share them with you while providing a brief commentary on the themes of each.

Be warned: Most of these films are not easy watches. None of them are structured using the typical Hollywood framework of filmmaking, and they may be jarring for viewers unfamiliar with these types of films. There are surreal elements, long-winded scenes, jumping timelines, and a greater focus on atmosphere and emotion at the expense of narrative storytelling. Many are also international productions.

My advice would be to try out some of these films with an open mind. Go into them looking for a unique experience rather than expecting to be entertained. In the same way you would if you were going on a long, leisurely drive somewhere, take in the views and the sounds and pay attention to how they make you feel. I hope you enjoy the list.

1. Waking Life (2001) Director: Richard Linklater

Let’s kick off the list with a film that had a big influence on me during my teenage years. Richard Linklater’s Waking Life is a surreal and atmospheric peek into the world of dreams. We follow a young man as he navigates what appears to be an ever-changing dream environment. The film is made up of a series of isolated scenes. In one scene, he converses with a philosopher; in the next, he observes a private character moment. This first-person tracking from scene to scene, combined with the rotoscope animation style and the ethereal soundtrack, gives Waking Life a unique dream-like tone.

As the story progresses, our dream boy begins to lose touch with what’s real and what’s not and is left trying to grapple with the strangeness of existence. Is there even a difference between reality and dream? Life and death? Existence and non-existence?

I believe Waking Life is a rare film that manages to activate feelings of existential wonder and terror in the viewer. It speaks to that deep, often repressed, part of ourselves that knows there’s more to life than the material grind. It forces us to confront and question what we’re doing here and what it all means, and it does this using the experience of dreaming — a surreal, magical, aspect of life that we’re all at least somewhat familiar with and yet tend to ignore.

2. A Ghost Story (2017) Director: David Lowery

Next up, we have David Lowery’s A Ghost Story, one of the newer films on the list. This is going to be a controversial pick. This film’s slow pace and minimalist approach might not appeal to everyone, but these qualities are central to its quiet exploration of mortality and time.

First off, unlike most traditional ghost stories, the viewer experiences the film through the eyes of a ghost. It silently observes events while unable to make contact with the living. There’s something haunting about the idea that the deceased are still present and watching. And the viewer becomes emotionally involved with what that would be like. I think this is the main reason the film stuck with me.

Secondly, it explores the fundamental impermanence of life. Can anything endure in a world that is constantly shifting? Does our life and death have a higher meaning? Does anything matter at all? These are questions we’re all forced to face at some point. This film may not give us the answers, but it does present some hard truths regarding what’s really important.

I don’t promise you'll have the time of your life watching this one. But like many important experiences in life, it’s often the sombre ones that grow you the most.

3. Stalker (1979) Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker is one of those films that I don’t think anyone fully understands, but curious minds are drawn back time and again in an attempt to discover its secrets — including myself.

The story follows three men, a writer, a scientist, and a stalker (the guide), as they journey into a restricted area known as The Zone. This area supposedly possesses mystical qualities that defy the laws of nature. There are even rumours that it grants wishes. However, it’s also dangerous and has taken the lives of many of those who have ventured there before — which is why a stalker is required to lead the way.

For many characters, The Zone offers salvation from the dreary, material, and finite nature of their world. It’s a glimmer of hope in an otherwise concrete reality. This is especially true for the stalker, who is beckoned back to The Zone because it makes him feel alive and connects him with something true beyond the suffering of his existence.

Stalker, therefore, is about faith. Can we still believe in something transcending the seemingly material reality we’ve found ourselves trapped in? Is there anything out there that will provide us with answers? These are philosophical questions that are central to my interests and I believe this film addresses them. Maybe we don’t need to search for the transcendent, when it has always existed, right here, around and within us, at this very moment.

You can watch Stalker for free on YouTube.

4. Ikiru (1952) Director: Akira Kurosawa

Kurosawa’s Ikiru is the oldest film on this list and is considered by many to be a classic — maybe even one of the greatest films of all time.

The story follows a bureaucrat who has spent the vast majority of his life mindlessly focused on his work duties at the expense of family, community, and experiencing all life has to offer. However, his attitude shifts when he’s diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer and is forced to come to terms with the harsh reality of his situation — not only is his life coming to an end but he’s also wasted most of it.

The title, translated as “to live” in English, encapsulates the philosophical questions at the heart of the story: What does a good life look like? How can we make the best of our short time here?

These questions are relevant to all of us and really get to the heart of what philosophical enquiry is all about. Yet, we tend not to want to think about them because it’s emotionally challenging and forces us to come to terms with the ways in which we’re not living up to our own standards of a good life.

“There’s something noble about suffering. Misfortune teaches us the truth.”

Ikiru is an impactful film because, through the eyes of the main character, we get a visceral sense of what facing the end of life would be like. We see the suffering that accompanies a wasted life and rightfully reflect on our choices and what potentially needs to shift to reduce regrets when we find ourselves in a similar situation.

5. Synecdoche, New York (2008) Director: Charlie Kaufman

Synecdoche, New York is a surreal maze of a film from the mind of Charlie Kaufman. Various Kaufman films could be included on this list but I decided on this one as its themes are the most expansive.

We follow middle-aged theatre director Caden Cotard as he navigates the second half of his life. He feels his days are gradually withering to an end as he deals with health issues, relationship problems, and a career that hasn’t lived up to expectations. After winning the MacArthur Fellowship, he decides to use the grant to build a small-scale version of New York City inside a warehouse in New York City and cast actors to play the roles of real people living in the city — it gets weird.

This is a demanding watch. You need to give it your full attention if you want to follow along and formulate an interpretation of events. For example, time moves in a way that reflects the human experience of time moving faster as we age. So the time difference between scenes is often years. Blink and you’ll lose track of what’s going on — much like the characters in the film do.

Personally, I think Synecdoche, New York is a powerful exploration of the human condition. It spotlights the need to control the events of our lives. We attempt to resist the certainties of life, like ageing and death, through various means including having children or leaving behind artistic work —a pursuit that’s ultimately futile. No matter how powerful we become, higher forces will always be more so. The infinite nature of universal intelligence reaches peaks above and beyond what can be contained or captured.

6. The Thin Red Line (1998) Director: Terrence Malick

I was blown away when I first saw Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line. I was expecting a standard war film. Instead, I got a philosophical exploration of life, death, nature, beauty, and faith. What I love about this film is that it works in two ways: it’s deeply reflective while remaining entertaining enough to keep the viewer engaged.

The opening sequence sets the tone for the entire piece. The contemplative, almost mystical, Private Witt has gone AWOL from the 25th Infantry Division and is living the natural life with an island tribe. He swims in the ocean and plays with the local children, displaying a palpable connection with nature and the human soul. This lifestyle is then directly contrasted by the image of a passing warship as Witt is brought back into the fold. Witt’s character grounds the philosophical themes of this film:

Firstly, the beauty of nature vs the destructive tendencies of mankind — a theme that’s conveyed through the backdrop of war in the Pacific, as well as the natural beauty that exists in this part of the world which Witt can appreciate more than most. This theme is very much relevant to war, however, it can also just as easily be applied to the crippling aspects of modern life, such as unlimited technological progress at the expense of natural conservation.

Secondly, a more subtle theme is the transcendent nature of moral judgement. Private Witt seems to almost float outside the battle scenes — removed somehow. Like an impartial observer, he’s able to see the beauty in all of it — in both life and in death. And it’s Witt’s sage-like reaction to the horror of war that I think gives this film its spiritual depth.

“One man looks at a dying bird and thinks there’s nothing but unanswered pain. But death’s got the final word. It’s laughing at him. Another man sees that same bird, feels the glory. Feels something smiling through him.” — Private Witt

The Thin Red Line is a human film. It’s a personal and realistic look at the realities of war with nuanced characters and perspectives, while also transcending them all with beautiful cinematography and a hint of the spiritual.

7. Perfect Days (2023) Director: Wim Wenders

I first saw Perfect Days at the theatre when it was released. I went into it with no expectations and came out of it feeling like I had just done a 2-hour meditation session. If you give this film your full attention, it will transform the way you see life, at least for a while, and that’s the beauty of it.

Perfect Days is simple in concept and execution. It follows the daily routine of a Japanese man who works as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. It’s not particularly exciting, or funny, or even intellectually challenging. What it does have is heart. The viewer becomes immersed in this man’s life not because it’s interesting, but because it’s pure and innocent.

The man we follow is happy with his simple life. He takes pride in his work, gets joy from the natural world, and finds satisfaction in the small comforts of his routine: a morning coffee, lunch in the park, and reading a book before bed. He doesn’t need more than that and what makes this film so great is that it goes against Western conditioning that has convinced us our purpose in life should be accumulation, achievement and expansion for their own sake.

This film humbles you and makes you grateful for your life in a way that feels real and special. At its core, Perfect Days is about cultivating an appreciation for existence. It’s a reminder of how we can fall in love with life itself without requiring it to show up in any specific colour or shade.

That’s it. Now it’s your turn to start watching them. Good art has the power to transform you. Don’t underestimate the value of consuming thought-provoking or emotionally captivating media to expand your sense of self and your understanding of the world. My life has been changed by the power of cinema and I know yours can be too.

Ben Worrall