On 22nd March 2012 the Northern Existential Group discussed the existential film ‘I ♥ Huckabees’.
Whilst we agreed that the film was perhaps a little too self-conscious or harsh in places, we liked the way that existential themes were explored. Through the film the characters move from the notion that everything is interconnected and that this makes life meaningful, to the idea that everything is meaningless and that life is inherently painful, to the possibility that it is through this very pain and meaninglessness that we are connected to one another.
There is a further discussion of the existential theme in the movie here. We would be very interested in hearing from people about other movies that explore existential themes that we might watch for future sessions. There is a list here and the book, Existentialism for Dummies, lists:
Ikiru (1952)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Apocolypse Now (1979)
Blade Runner (1982)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Pleasantville (1998)
Fight Club (1999)
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Superbad (2007)
