THEME EXPLORATION

reality vs fantasy

29 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
The Matrix
The Matrix
1999 · Lana Wachowski & Lilly Wachowski
Overlord: The Undead King
Overlord: The Undead King
2017 · Naoyuki Ito
Alice
Alice
1988 · Jan Švankmajer
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
1988 · Terry Gilliam
Pause
Pause
2018 · Tonia Mishiali
Avalon
Avalon
2001 · Mamoru Oshii
Animals
Animals
2012 · Marçal Forés
Miracle in Milan
Miracle in Milan
1951 · Vittorio De Sica
The Act of Killing
The Act of Killing
2012 · Joshua Oppenheimer
Primary Colors
Primary Colors
1998 · Mike Nichols
Dillinger Is Dead
Dillinger Is Dead
1969 · Marco Ferreri
Close-Up
Close-Up
1990 · Abbas Kiarostami
El espiritu de la colmena
El espiritu de la colmena
1973 · Victor Erice
Heavenly Creatures
Heavenly Creatures
1994 · Peter Jackson
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
2008 · Guillermo del Toro
Altered States
Altered States
1980 · Ken Russell
Blue
Blue
2018 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
1920 · —
The World
The World
2004 · Jia Zhangke & Wang Xiaoshuai
Guru
Guru
2026 · Yann Gozlan
Now You See Me: Now You Don't
Now You See Me: Now You Don't
2026 · Ruben Fleischer
Parallel Tales
Parallel Tales
2026 · Asghar Farhadi
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
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
2016 · Ang Lee
Castaway
Castaway
1986 · Nicolas Roeg
O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man!
1973 · Lindsay Anderson
Riten
Riten
1969 · Ingmar Bergman
The Moon Is a Green Cheese
The Moon Is a Green Cheese
1977 · Mai Zetterling
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Guillermo del Toro Mexico

His films blend magical realism with historical reality, using fantasy as a lens to explore human trauma and desire against oppressive backdrops.

 David Lynch United States

He deconstructs the boundary between waking reality and dream logic, creating narratives where the surreal and mundane become indistinguishable.

 Kongkiat Khomsiri Japan

His films obsessively interrogate perception and identity by collapsing the distinction between fictional worlds, memories, and objective reality.