Movies like Waking Life

Michel Gondry's creative narrative about a couple who choose to erase each other from their memories is as much an exploration of the human psyche as Waking Life. Its playful and innovative visual effects and compelling storyline provide a similarly thought-provoking experience.

Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut offers a complex, layered narrative of a theater director's struggle to create a life-sized replica of New York inside a warehouse. Its contemplative themes of life, art, and the human condition, paired with surreal elements, make it an intellectual cousin to Waking Life.

Although not an animated film, My Dinner with Andre showcases a lengthy conversation between two friends about life, theater, and the human experience. The film's dialogue-driven format and its capacity to delve deep into philosophical musings would satisfy viewers looking for more intellectually stimulating material like Waking Life.

Directed by Richard Linklater, just like Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly employs the same rotoscoping animation technique to create a surreal, dreamlike quality. This adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel delves into themes of identity and surveillance, and its visual style and existential musings will resonate with Waking Life fans.

Another Linklater film, Slacker captures the aimless wanderings and eccentric characters of Austin, Texas. Though not animated, its narrative structure—comprised of a series of vignettes that flow from one to another—echoes the wandering thoughts and encounters in Waking Life, offering a slice of 90s counterculture.