12 Best Philosophical Movies on Netflix Right Now (2022) – We live in circles, or more precisely, loops! We move from one instant, one action, or one location to another, only to return to that instant, activity, or location. To put it another way, the world operates in closed, fast-moving, unending loops. There are times when you wish to slow down or pause and think on our lives’ loop structure. The greatest approach to accomplish this mental workout is to go to a movie theater that is screening a ‘philosophical movie.’ Yes, we’re talking about those movies today that could change your life. Scroll down to see a list of incredibly amazing philosophical movies on Netflix that are now accessible for streaming. Many of these films are also available on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Time Trap (2017)
‘Time Trap,’ directed by Ben Foster and Mark Dennis, is a science-fiction action-adventure film. The film, starring Brianne Howey and Cassidy Erin Gifford, is set in a remote part of Texas and follows a group of anxious students who are frantic to find their missing professor. They eventually end up in a mysterious cave as a result of their personal investigation, where their curiosity leads to various events that appear to show evidence of space-time distortion. The film explores complicated time travel notions that have piqued the interest of philosophers for ages.
Marriage Story (2019)
Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta co-star. Noah Baumbach directed, wrote, and co-produced the drama film ‘Marriage Story.’ It is about a difficult relationship between an actress and her successful theatrical director spouse. After attempting to fix their marital problems through counseling, the couple’s issues remain unresolved, and their problems persist. While ‘Marriage Story’ may not fully depict the complexities of the husband-wife relationship, it does provide an intimate insight of the issues that frequently develop when a couple falls out of love.
Irreplaceable You (2018)
‘Irreplaceable You,’ directed by Stephanie Laing, is a story about the friendship of two individuals who have known each other since they were children. Abbie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Sam (Michiel Huisman) live a lovely existence in New York City until one day it is found that Abbie has cancer. As soon as she learns of this, Abbie decides she needs to find a new person for Sam to fall in love with. She accepts the task of looking for such a person. As she goes about her business, Abbie encounters a number of people who become significant influencers on her life. They tell her that it is crucial to live one’s life to the fullest, no matter how little time we have. This film instills in us a positive philosophical view of death, as something to be accepted as a natural part of life rather than something to be feared.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
‘Black Mirror’ is without a doubt one of the most enlightening television shows we’ve ever seen. Through its distinct storylines, this series has opened our eyes to the numerous horrors that the technologies around us might give rise to. When the creators of the show launched their film ‘Bandersnatch,’ anticipation were sky high because the film promised a movie-watching experience unlike anything we had ever seen before. The film’s plot revolves around a video game producer who, inspired by the book Bandersnatch, wants to turn it into a game in which the user gets to pick how the plot progresses. As he progresses through the game, this character realizes that he has no control over his own life. And who is in charge of his life? We are the audience.
End Game (2018)
‘End Game,’ a short documentary directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, throws light on palliative care and offers profound insights into the brevity of human existence and the terrible reality of death. ‘End Game,’ which follows some of the most dedicated and visionary medical practitioners who are continually fighting the struggle of life and death with their patients, shifts its focus to terminally ill patients in a San Francisco hospital. While providing people with much-needed spiritual and medical assistance, some of these doctors have taken on the arduous mission of changing people’s attitudes around death and life.
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
‘Pieces of a Woman,’ based on Mundruczó and Wéber’s stage play, is a drama film that follows the Boston couple Martha and Sean, who decide to have a homebirth despite the risks. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned on the day of delivery, and the couple loses their kid. While Martha’s mother pursues a lawsuit against the midwife, the protagonist, Eva, is overcome with sadness and agony. The film dives deeper into delicate issues such as child loss and its ramifications, while also providing a compassionate understanding of the anguish that parents experience when their children die.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things,’ directed and written by Charlie Kaufman, is a psychological thriller film based on Iain Reid’s novel of the same name. The film, starring Jesse Plemons and Jessie Buckley, follows a young woman who joins her lover on a road trip to the latter’s parents. Unfortunately, the couple becomes stranded at their location owing to a snowfall, and the protagonist is forced to spend the rest of her stay with her boyfriend’s family. The encounter has an odd effect on her, causing her to doubt her own identity as well as her relationship.
Private Life (2018)
This Netflix original film, starring Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn, is highly significant and relevant in today’s world. The two main actors play Richard and Rachel, a couple who are desperate to have a child after their natural methods fail. They try everything, from IVF to adoption to artificial insemination, but nothing seems to be working in their favor. They even went so far as to request Richard’s niece donate her eggs for artificial insemination. At that time, our heroes decide to give up everything because the process has become too emotionally taxing for them.
While it is natural for any married couple to want a kid, this video shows us that it is far more vital to be happy in whatever we want to achieve in life. Many people have a variety of desires that they pursue throughout the day. What they don’t comprehend is that life is passing them by without them even noticing it. This is something we should never, ever allow to happen to us.
The Platform (2019)
‘The Platform,’ directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, is a social science fiction-horror film written by David Desola and Pedro Rivero. The film stars Iván Massagué and Antonia San Juan as inmates in a vertical prison where those on the top level are fed lavishly while others on the lower levels are barely fed enough to survive. The situation, by definition, breeds envy and puts the convicts against one another. With each passing day, the famished criminals become more agitated, and the pent-up rage is just waiting to burst. ‘The Platform’ examines human nature by starving and isolating people to their ultimate limits.
Forgive Us Our Debts (2018)
‘Forgive Us Our Debts,’ a Netflix original film from Italy, is directed and co-written by Antonio Morabito. The plot of this film revolves around one man who is burdened by the amount of money he owes to various individuals and is anxious to get out of the problem. With no other options, he decides to work as a debt collector for a loan shark. He had no idea the lows he would have to go to in order to do his job when he signed up for it. In this scenario, he finds himself in situations that he had always wished he could avoid in the first place. ‘Forgive Us Our Debts’ demonstrates why making a deal with the devil is never a good way out of a problem. Because selling our honor is equivalent to selling our souls. Any escape from there is next to impossible.
6 Balloons (2018)
‘6 Balloons,’ a Netflix original film, starring Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco as a brother-sister duo. Katie (Jacobson) begins the film by preparing a surprise birthday party for his lover Jack. She decides to pick up her brother Seth (Franco) for the party when she goes to buy the cake. Seth is a frequent heroin user who has to be admitted to a rehab center as soon as possible, but the two clinics Abbi takes him to refuse him. Seth, who is growing increasingly agitated, declares that he needs to get his hands on some heroin as soon as possible and even forces his sister to buy some for him. After some time, Abbi realizes that it is pointless to beg his brother to make amends unless he himself does not want it from the bottom of his heart.
Looper (2012)
‘Looper,’ directed and written by Rian Johnson, is a science fiction action-thriller starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, and Paul Dano. The film is set in the near future, when time travel is not only conceivable, but also common. Unfortunately, only those wealthy enough to pay for it on the underground market have access to it. People are executed easily by transporting their current selves back in time to a location where an assassin is waiting for their victim to complete the assignment. Joe has loyally served his mob boss by assassinating persons dispatched in the past, but his life takes an unusual turn when he is betrayed by the people he has served his entire life. The film delves into the paradoxes and complexities of time travel.