1. Samsara.
This film tops my list for good reason. It was produced by the same collaborators who produced Baraka and Chronos and released in 2011. Samsara is the Sanskrit word literally meaning “continuous flow,” describing the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The visuals are stunning. The musical scores are impressive. It shows us how little prevents us from becoming a unified global consciousness.
2. Waking Life.
What is reality? What are dreams? These are just two questions analyzed in Waking Life, one of Rickard Lanklater’s most notable and famous films. The protagonist of the movie wanders about interacts with different characters – each scene just as important as the last. This movie is incredibly philosophical, bringing us to the most important question: is this life real? And what is reality anyway?
3. Pretty much anything by Andrei Tarkovsky.
Solyaris, Stalker, and The Mirror are all excellent films. Tarkovsky is truly the pinnacle of thought provoking film-making of Soviet cinema. Each one will make you feel the same way after watching it. There’s tons of symbolism in his work. I highly recommend his films.
4. Under The Skin.
Under The Skin is one of the best roles Scarlett Johanson has ever had in my opinion. In it, she’s an alien tasked with seducing men and then “harvesting” them. I won’t reveal anything outside of that other than the movie’s main theme of examining reincarnation, death, and human consciousness. Very cool stuff.
5. Uncle Boomnee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.
Of all the films in the list, this is the one I most recently watched and I absolutely adored it. Uncle Boomnee, which was released in 2010, follows the titular character in his final days alive. He goes on a journey with his loved ones to explore his past lives in spirit and in physical form. It deals with reincarnation, memory, transformation, and facing down death.