THEME EXPLORATION

Idealism vs reality

30 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
The Matrix
The Matrix
1999 · Lana Wachowski & Lilly Wachowski
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
2018 · Terry Gilliam
Avalon
Avalon
2001 · Mamoru Oshii
Immersion
Immersion
2023 · Takashi Shimizu
Masculin Feminin
Masculin Feminin
1966 · Jean-Luc Godard
The Act of Killing
The Act of Killing
2012 · Joshua Oppenheimer
Primary Colors
Primary Colors
1998 · Mike Nichols
Close-Up
Close-Up
1990 · Abbas Kiarostami
El espiritu de la colmena
El espiritu de la colmena
1973 · Victor Erice
Alice
Alice
1988 · Jan Švankmajer
Altered States
Altered States
1980 · Ken Russell
Blue
Blue
2018 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Gimme Shelter
Gimme Shelter
1970 · Maysles Brothers
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
1920 · —
Red Bells
Red Bells
1982 · Sergey Bondarchuk
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth
2006 · Guillermo del Toro
The World
The World
2004 · Jia Zhangke & Wang Xiaoshuai
Ella McCay
Ella McCay
2026 · James L. Brooks
Guru
Guru
2026 · Yann Gozlan
Now You See Me: Now You Don't
Now You See Me: Now You Don't
2026 · Ruben Fleischer
Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience
Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience
2026 · Paul Dugdale
The Devil's Bride
The Devil's Bride
2026 · Azhar Kinoi Lubis
A Soft Note on a Sharp Scale
A Soft Note on a Sharp Scale
1961 · Ritwik Ghatak
Blow-Up
Blow-Up
1966 · Michelangelo Antonioni
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
2016 · Ang Lee
Castaway
Castaway
1986 · Nicolas Roeg
Francisco Perales, Luis García Berlanga , Madrid, Cátedra
Francisco Perales, Luis García Berlanga , Madrid, Cátedra
1997 · Luis García Berlanga
O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man!
1973 · Lindsay Anderson
Riten
Riten
1969 · Ingmar Bergman
The Mosquito Coast
The Mosquito Coast
1986 · Peter Weir
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Andrei Tarkovsky Soviet Union

His philosophical films explore the gap between spiritual ideals and the material world through meditative narratives and visual poetry.

 David Lynch United States

He contrasts suburban American idealism with underlying darkness and psychological corruption, revealing the violence beneath manufactured perfection.

 Wong Kar-wai Hong Kong

His visually stunning films juxtapose romantic ideals and nostalgic dreams against the harsh realities of urban life and human impermanence.