Summary
- Loneliness is a recurring theme in many great movies, allowing audiences to reflect on this universal human experience.
- These 10 movies explore loneliness across various ages, genders, identities, and countries, shedding light on its diverse manifestations.
- Whether feeling lonely or not, these movies offer valuable insights and are worth watching at least once.
Loneliness has become an increasing problem around the world. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of loneliness have been on the rise, per NPR, especially for vulnerable populations and young adults, who were impacted socially by the pandemic and the isolation that came with it. However, for those in the film world, the concept of being alone and being impacted by it is nothing new.
Some of the best movies throughout the past century have been exploring loneliness, making it one of the most poetic topics to reflect upon through cinema. With a variety of ways and stories to tell about loneliness, these 10 movies shed light on the diversity across ages, genders, identities, and countries. Whether you're feeling lonely or not, these are all worth watching at least once.
10 Lost in Translation (2003)
When Sofia Coppola came out with Lost in Translation in 2003, it cemented her trajectory as a director to keep an eye out in the near future. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray, the setting of the film is a dreamy, yet dreary at times, Tokyo. Both of their characters find themselves drifting through the city in loneliness, and when they discover each other and their loneliness, they become a place of refuge for each other.
Loneliness in a Beautiful Place
Tokyo might be full of neon signs and people in literally lost in translation, but stuck in a foreign country in less than ideal situations, we can never relate more sometimes to the protagonists of the movie. Sometimes even the most stunning places can lead to depression, which makes it highly realistic. Rent on Prime Video
9 Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s role in the film Synecdoche, New York might be one of his best, although the movie is highly polarizing depending on who’s watching it. In the film, he portrays Caden Cotard, a theater director struggling with his marriage. When his wife leaves him, and he receives a MacArthur Fellowship, he decides to build a theatrical world he can live inside of instead.
Finding Outlets to Escape
The main character in the film, Cotard, literally decides to escape his feelings of inadequacy and loneliness by building a false world he can live inside, disguising it as his magnum opus. Some may daydream about the same scenario when feeling lonely, except this character makes it into a reality. Rent on Prime Video
8 Wild Strawberries (1957)
The Swedish movie Wild Strawberries, which was released in 1957, has gained major acclaim since its release in the '60s, becoming a staple and classic in international cinema. Its main character, Isak, is in his late-70s and is about to embark on a long car journey to another part of the country. Over the course of the drive, he must confront different parts of his life and their impacts.
Mourning at the End of a Life
In Wild Strawberries, its protagonist is a lonely elderly man who is reflecting on his life, making his feelings about himself and his life worse. Unfortunately, this has become an increasingly common problem among the elderly, making this depiction even more striking. Stream on Max
7 Drive My Car (2021)
Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi won the Academy Award for his 2021 movie Drive My Car, which is a three-hour story full of incredible characterization and storytelling. In the film, a theater director grapples with his loneliness after the sudden death of his wife, and as he moves to Hiroshima years later to direct a production of Uncle Vanya, he comes to terms with his emotions.
An Epic Journey
Drive My Car isn’t for everyone, but it certainly deals with the subject of loneliness with such a tender hand. Its main characters are dealing with loss and devastation, and, despite the many silences throughout the movie, the film finds such beauty in their grief. Stream on Max
6 Aloners (2021)
A Korean movie that came out in theaters in 2021, Aloners stars Gong Seung-yeon as a young woman who has just lost her mother. She doesn’t live with her parents anymore, and instead has a small room where she watches television and heats up frozen dinners each night instead of interacting with people. As she heads to her job at a call center each day, and her neighbor dies, she realizes she needs to confront her situation.
A Movie That Will Hit Home for Some
One of the more striking parts of Aloners is how real it is. The main character eats out alone for lunch, constantly has headphones in, and watches television on her phone to fill the time. For many, this has become more of a reality, forcing more people into isolation and feelings of loneliness. Rent on AppleTV
5 The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)
Gentrification is one of the core themes of the film The Last Black Man in San Francisco, which is set in modern San Francisco. Jimmie Falls was born and raised in the city, and he swears a house, in a gentrified neighborhood, was built by his grandfather in the 1940s. He continues to visit the house, despite the older white couple living there, and roams the city with his best friend during the day.
A Truly Haunting Movie
Not only is the film a portrait of a city changing, but it also offers some insight into loneliness. As the main characters find themselves splintered by their beliefs in the house and life, it also becomes the slow death of a friendship as the city they know dies along with it. Stream on Netflix
4 Taxi Driver (1976)
Taxi Driver
- Release Date
- February 9, 1976
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver has become a staple in American cinema since its release, and it was the movie that ultimately kick-started his career as a director. Robert De Niro stars as Travis Bickle, a veteran who decides to become a taxi driver during the night shift. Somewhere along the way, his mental health begins to decline, making the film an interesting case study throughout.
A Story of Mental Health and New York
Taxi Driver is a movie about suffering, and no part of the film tries to hide this fact. As much as one wants to look away from the train wreck happening on screen, it becomes impossible. Stream on Max
3 Her (2013)
Released in 2013, Her is directed by Spike Jonze, making this his fourth feature film. Set in a world that’s distant, yet similar to the current one, Joaquin Phoenix is Theodore, a lonely man who writes letters to people as a living. About to get a divorce, Theodore is beginning to spiral from negative thoughts and emotions, but when he purchases a virtual assistant powered by AI, he grows too fond of her once they begin to have deep conversations.
The Consequences of Dire Loneliness
Driven by the fact he’s lonely and the world around him is falling apart, the protagonist of Her falls for his virtual assistant because of the beautiful conversations they have — something he has with no one else. Both heartbreaking and hilarious, it captures the spirit of being lonely quite well. Stream on Max
2 Chungking Express (1994)
Wong Kar-wai became famous for his Hong Kong-based movies in the '90s, making him one of the most celebrated directors because of it. Chungking Express is one of his most beloved movies, and it weaves together two different stories. In one, a police officer is chasing after a woman he has fallen for, while the second story is about another police officer falling for a woman working at a food stall after a breakup.
There’s Light at the End of the Tunnel
The first story in Chungking Express might seem more bleak, as the main character wallows in his sadness and loneliness, but as the second story shows, there’s hope. Told in an incredibly unique visual style, this really is an unforgettable story and a gem in Wong’s filmography. Stream on Max
1 Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Released in 2000, Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream can be disturbing due to its content, but it certainly is a work of art with its filmmaking. Throughout the course of the movie, four different stories about drug addiction and its impacts become grittier and increasingly dire. As the characters begin to mentally and physically fall apart due to addiction, the film refuses to look away, making it even more devastating.
Not for the Faint of Heart
Some may find the editing and style of Requiem for a Dream nauseating, showing how film can spur certain emotions in different ways. Loneliness is a core emotion driving the force of the movie, showing how it can exacerbate the conditions for addiction. Stream on Tubi
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