THEME EXPLORATION

human versus fantasy

37 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
Dersu Uzala
Dersu Uzala
1975 · —
Day for Night
Day for Night
1973 · François Truffaut
Cast Away
Cast Away
2000 · Robert Zemeckis
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
2000 · Yoshiaki Kawajiri
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968 · Stanley Kubrick
Aguirre the Wrath of God
Aguirre the Wrath of God
1972 · Werner Herzog
Princess Mononoke
Princess Mononoke
1997 · Hayao Miyazaki
State of Fear
State of Fear
1990 · Janusz Kijowski
Jaws
Jaws
2026 · Steven Spielberg
Kensuke's Kingdom
Kensuke's Kingdom
2026 · Neil Boyle
Give You A Candy
Give You A Candy
2024 · Liu Jiangjiang
Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart (Hridayam)
Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart (Hridayam)
2026 · Hardik Gajjar
Miracle of Flight
Miracle of Flight
1974 · Terry Gilliam
Francisco Perales, Luis García Berlanga , Madrid, Cátedra
Francisco Perales, Luis García Berlanga , Madrid, Cátedra
1997 · Luis García Berlanga
So Can I
So Can I
1975 · Abbas Kiarostami
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2014 · Peter Jackson
Pause
Pause
2018 · Tonia Mishiali
Arrest
Arrest
2019 · Samit Basu & Shashanka Ghosh
La Constellation Jodorowsky (Louis Mouchet, ). Available on Fando y Lis DVD, Fantoma, , and Santa Sangre DVD, Anchor Bay, .
La Constellation Jodorowsky (Louis Mouchet, ). Available on Fando y Lis DVD, Fantoma, , and Santa Sangre DVD, Anchor Bay, .
1995 · Alejandro Jodorowsky
Mil cretins
Mil cretins
2011 · Ventura Pons
Mountain Vigil
Mountain Vigil
1964 · Artavazd Pelechian
Solomon Kane
Solomon Kane
2009 · MJ Bassett
Painted Skin: The Resurrection
Painted Skin: The Resurrection
2012 · Wuershan
The Wizard of the Emerald City, Part I
The Wizard of the Emerald City, Part I
2025 · Igor Voloshin
Miracle in Milan
Miracle in Milan
1951 · Vittorio De Sica
Wild Strawberries
Wild Strawberries
1957 · Ingmar Bergman
Dillinger Is Dead
Dillinger Is Dead
1969 · Marco Ferreri
Dust in the Wind
Dust in the Wind
1986 · Hou Hsiao-hsien
Like Water for Chocolate
Like Water for Chocolate
1992 · Alfonso Arau
Man on Wire
Man on Wire
2008 · James Marsh
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
1927 · F. W. Murnau
Der Angriff der Gegenwart auf die übrige Zeit
Der Angriff der Gegenwart auf die übrige Zeit
1985 · Alexander Kluge
The Shop on Main Street
The Shop on Main Street
1965 · Ján Kadár
Alice
Alice
1988 · Jan Švankmajer
En nombre de Dios
En nombre de Dios
1987 · Patricio Guzmán
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
2008 · Guillermo del Toro
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
2011 · Nuri Bilge Ceylan
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Guillermo del Toro Mexico

His films blend magical realism with human vulnerability, exploring how fantastical elements reveal deeper truths about the human condition.

 Hayao Miyazaki Japan

His animations consistently pit ordinary humans against enchanted worlds, examining how wonder and imagination shape our understanding of reality.

 Terry Gilliam United States/United Kingdom

His surreal narratives deliberately collide imagination with harsh reality, questioning which world is more authentic and damaging to the human spirit.