Dreams on screens
October 16, 2019 8:16 PM Subscribe
Looking for films that incorporate dreams, dreaming, hallucinations, alternate realities, as a major part of the plot.
I'm especially looking for non-Hollywood films.
Less Jacob's Ladder and more Inception. But less Inception and more something obscure preferably from another country.
Thank you!
I'm especially looking for non-Hollywood films.
Less Jacob's Ladder and more Inception. But less Inception and more something obscure preferably from another country.
Thank you!
Until the End of the World, by Wim Wenders, from the early 90s. Starts out seemingly unrelated, shifts into characters being able to record their dreams, and becoming addicted to watching the recordings. It's by no means a great movie (there's an awkwardness to a good number of the scenes, and the acting is oddly mannered), but the ideas it presents are haunting.
posted by Ghidorah at 8:27 PM on October 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Ghidorah at 8:27 PM on October 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
Check out "The Science Of Sleep" by Michel Gondry, I believe it meets all your criteria. It's about a man who can't tell the difference between waking & sleeping & hijinks ensue.
posted by bleep at 8:38 PM on October 16, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by bleep at 8:38 PM on October 16, 2019 [5 favorites]
El futuro perfecto (The Future Perfect) from 2016, directed by Nele Wohlatz, is about a young Chinese woman who immigrates to Buenos Aires and sets about trying to adjust to her new country while taking Spanish classes. It's a neat experience if you manage to go in unspoiled, so I'll just say that it fits the request.
posted by northernish at 8:52 PM on October 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by northernish at 8:52 PM on October 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
Paprika (2006, sci-fi anime) has some similarities with Inception, but I like Paprika better ;)
posted by spaet at 8:52 PM on October 16, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by spaet at 8:52 PM on October 16, 2019 [8 favorites]
Tarkofsky's The Mirror is basically a film-length dream sequence. Truly a marvelous film.
posted by bertran at 9:15 PM on October 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by bertran at 9:15 PM on October 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
Don't Die Without Telling Me Where You're Going (1995, Argentina)
https://letterboxd.com/film/dont-die-without-telling-me-where-youre-going/
posted by methroach at 9:25 PM on October 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
https://letterboxd.com/film/dont-die-without-telling-me-where-youre-going/
posted by methroach at 9:25 PM on October 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgoisie by Luis Buñuel, from 1972 (trailer)
posted by Rash at 9:32 PM on October 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Rash at 9:32 PM on October 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
Brazil
Mirror Mask. Visually stunning, but not critically well-received.
The Fall doesn't really have dreams or alternate realities but then again, maybe that's not true - depends on whether you view the stories we tell ourselves as alternate realities. This one is also visually stunning and in my opinion, great.
If you're willing to spend some time with a German netflix series, Dark might be alright. Time travel, mystery, murder, personal relationships. Very complicated!
Mentioned on the Blue a number of times, A Field in England might well be mostly a dream sequence. Creepy and very wtf but also compelling. And creepy. Creeeeepy.
posted by ashbury at 10:03 PM on October 16, 2019 [6 favorites]
Mirror Mask. Visually stunning, but not critically well-received.
The Fall doesn't really have dreams or alternate realities but then again, maybe that's not true - depends on whether you view the stories we tell ourselves as alternate realities. This one is also visually stunning and in my opinion, great.
If you're willing to spend some time with a German netflix series, Dark might be alright. Time travel, mystery, murder, personal relationships. Very complicated!
Mentioned on the Blue a number of times, A Field in England might well be mostly a dream sequence. Creepy and very wtf but also compelling. And creepy. Creeeeepy.
posted by ashbury at 10:03 PM on October 16, 2019 [6 favorites]
Altered States might be a good one for you but it's been so long since I've seen it and it's so hallucinatory that I really can't remember what actually happens.
posted by acidnova at 10:14 PM on October 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by acidnova at 10:14 PM on October 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven has two television productions; I've personally only seen the 1980 version and can't vouch for the 2002 one.
In Portland, Oregon, in the near future, George Orr is charged with abuse of multiple prescription medications, which he was taking to keep himself from dreaming. Orr volunteers for psychiatric care to avoid prosecution, and is assigned to the care of licensed oneirologist William Haber. Orr's explanation of his drug abuse is incredible: He has known since age 17 that his dreams change reality, and tries to prevent himself from this "effective dreaming" because he fears their effects. (1980)
posted by lesser weasel at 10:45 PM on October 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
In Portland, Oregon, in the near future, George Orr is charged with abuse of multiple prescription medications, which he was taking to keep himself from dreaming. Orr volunteers for psychiatric care to avoid prosecution, and is assigned to the care of licensed oneirologist William Haber. Orr's explanation of his drug abuse is incredible: He has known since age 17 that his dreams change reality, and tries to prevent himself from this "effective dreaming" because he fears their effects. (1980)
posted by lesser weasel at 10:45 PM on October 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990) - IMDb
Dreamscape (1984) - IMDb
Life on Mars - IMDb A TV series has been remade a couple of times.
The last few seasons of Archer (TV Series 2009– ) - IMDb considering he's probably been laying somewhere in a coma. Ok, that's probably a stretch.
posted by zengargoyle at 10:48 PM on October 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
Dreamscape (1984) - IMDb
Life on Mars - IMDb A TV series has been remade a couple of times.
The last few seasons of Archer (TV Series 2009– ) - IMDb considering he's probably been laying somewhere in a coma. Ok, that's probably a stretch.
posted by zengargoyle at 10:48 PM on October 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams is a series of short magical scenes inspired explicitly by dreams he had, though I can't remember if they're positioned as dreams in the film
There's also the (totally Hollywood) dream scene created by Salvador Dali for Hitchcock's Spellbound.
posted by cocoagirl at 10:49 PM on October 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
There's also the (totally Hollywood) dream scene created by Salvador Dali for Hitchcock's Spellbound.
posted by cocoagirl at 10:49 PM on October 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
Oh also, by the same director as Paprika (Satoshi Kon), there's Perfect Blue (1997) for the hallucination side of things.
I would also argue Paranoia Agent (2004) by him as well could fit into this (in fact, the "paranoia" part of the title is more "delusion" in the original Japanese), but it's a series and not a film.
posted by lesser weasel at 10:51 PM on October 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
I would also argue Paranoia Agent (2004) by him as well could fit into this (in fact, the "paranoia" part of the title is more "delusion" in the original Japanese), but it's a series and not a film.
posted by lesser weasel at 10:51 PM on October 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
Dali also designed dream scenes for Father of the Bride and Moontide.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 10:52 PM on October 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 10:52 PM on October 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
Paper House is a British indie film from 1988. A young girl invents a friend who then starts turning up in her dreams.
posted by freya_lamb at 12:53 AM on October 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by freya_lamb at 12:53 AM on October 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
Un, deux, trois, soleil. And Amelie, of course!
posted by madonna of the unloved at 2:32 AM on October 17, 2019
posted by madonna of the unloved at 2:32 AM on October 17, 2019
The plot of the recent On Body and Soul hinges around things that happen in dreams, it's very beautiful and strange.
posted by LeeLanded at 5:42 AM on October 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by LeeLanded at 5:42 AM on October 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
The Czech 1948 film Krakatit may fit your criteria as it is framed as possibly a hallucination or dream - or memory - based on the first and last scenes. It's based on a Kapek novel.
posted by cobaltnine at 6:02 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by cobaltnine at 6:02 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Solaris. Are we living a dream/hallucination provided by an alien force?
posted by Kosmob0t at 6:21 AM on October 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Kosmob0t at 6:21 AM on October 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
Lots of David Lynch, especially Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me, Mulholland Drive, and Inland Empire. Not foreign, but loved by foreigners.
posted by maddieD at 6:43 AM on October 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by maddieD at 6:43 AM on October 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
TV Tropes has you covered and then some.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:18 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:18 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Blueberry, sometimes called The Renegade, features extended, very well done ayahuasca hallucinations that are a pivotal plot point.
posted by ananci at 8:34 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ananci at 8:34 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Vanilla Sky is the only Tom Cruise movie I actually like, and it's based on Alejandro Amenábar's Abre Los Ojos.
I love this thread so much. I'm obsessed with dreams and altered states on screen. I'm glad Kurosawa's "Dreams" and Solaris have come up--Solyaris, on which the latter is based, is a stunningly gorgeous Tarkovsky masterpiece.
There's got to be some Cronenberg in here, Hollywood or not. eXistenZ is brilliant. I mean, a man builds a gun out of the bones of a chicken he's eating.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:12 AM on October 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
I love this thread so much. I'm obsessed with dreams and altered states on screen. I'm glad Kurosawa's "Dreams" and Solaris have come up--Solyaris, on which the latter is based, is a stunningly gorgeous Tarkovsky masterpiece.
There's got to be some Cronenberg in here, Hollywood or not. eXistenZ is brilliant. I mean, a man builds a gun out of the bones of a chicken he's eating.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:12 AM on October 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
Sorry, not that obscure, although I guess to many who have not seen it, one of my all-time favorite movies: Take Shelter.
Much more indie, and another big favorite of mine, though not sure if it completely fits an alternative reality, though maybe is the The Endless.
posted by nanook at 11:33 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Much more indie, and another big favorite of mine, though not sure if it completely fits an alternative reality, though maybe is the The Endless.
posted by nanook at 11:33 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
I suppose he's out of fashion in this decade, but Charlie Kaufman movies are famous for alternate realities and dramatizing internal mental states. As I recall Adaptation doesn't do this so much but Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Synecdoche, New York do.
posted by zeusianfog at 1:34 PM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by zeusianfog at 1:34 PM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
I agree with everyone, I see many of my faves mentioned here. Film Auteurs who are drawn to dream imagery go back constantly, I'd complete Terry Gilliam with his underrated Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen (& all of his films), and Tarkovsky with The Sacrifice (& all of his films).
Also maybe worth a mention:
Wild Strawberries by Bergman (dreams & hallucinations pop up in many of his plots)
The Fourth Man by Verhoeven (also has characters talking about dreams)(creepy warning)
The Element of Crime, Europa by Von Trier (hypnosis)(generic Von Trier warning)
Siesta by Mary Lambert (okay, everything just has a wierd/creepy warning)
Nightmare on Elm Street horror series wore out its welcome with sequels, but the first one was effective.
There's also some Film Noir that doesn't exactly use dream sequences, but uses concepts such as amnesia for disorienting psychological effects (Mirage by Edward Dymtyrk) much like some of Hitchcocks films. There's also Fellini, who doesn't really need dream sequences 'cause life is but a dream.
posted by ovvl at 3:21 PM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also maybe worth a mention:
Wild Strawberries by Bergman (dreams & hallucinations pop up in many of his plots)
The Fourth Man by Verhoeven (also has characters talking about dreams)(creepy warning)
The Element of Crime, Europa by Von Trier (hypnosis)(generic Von Trier warning)
Siesta by Mary Lambert (okay, everything just has a wierd/creepy warning)
Nightmare on Elm Street horror series wore out its welcome with sequels, but the first one was effective.
There's also some Film Noir that doesn't exactly use dream sequences, but uses concepts such as amnesia for disorienting psychological effects (Mirage by Edward Dymtyrk) much like some of Hitchcocks films. There's also Fellini, who doesn't really need dream sequences 'cause life is but a dream.
posted by ovvl at 3:21 PM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’.
Man suffering from locked-in syndrome lives through dreaming. Based on a true story. Has the added bonuses of being moody, French and visually stunning.
posted by Salamander at 7:06 AM on October 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Man suffering from locked-in syndrome lives through dreaming. Based on a true story. Has the added bonuses of being moody, French and visually stunning.
posted by Salamander at 7:06 AM on October 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
There's a hidden bonus to the 2002 Lathe of Heaven version (other than it's not bad): The main sponsor was Ambien. :)
posted by Gneisskate at 7:26 PM on October 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Gneisskate at 7:26 PM on October 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
« Older Floor protectors for skinny chair legs: Metal caps... | Handheld barcode scanner target practice Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by waving at 8:23 PM on October 16, 2019 [6 favorites]