Best movies like Paprika
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patient's dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist can stop it: Paprika.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 93000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: surreal, psychological, psychedelic, anime, philosophical, enigmatic, atmospheric, mind bending, mindfuck, adult animation
Best tv shows and movies like Paprika (2006):
Similar in 79%
The Wolf House (2018)
Plot Summary:
María, a girl from Colonia Dignidad, in Chile —a kind of sectarian community, tyrannically mastered by the ruthless Paul Schäfer, a German madman, religious fanatic and child predator, who would end up turning the place into a torture center at the service of the military dictatorship ruled by Augusto Pinochet—, is punished for having lost three pigs, so she decides to run away and take refuge in an abandoned house hidden in the forest.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Horror
Country: Chile, Germany
Duration: 75 min
Plot tags: disturbing, surreal, adult animation, psychological, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, psychological thriller, atmospheric, mind bending
Similar in 78%
$9.99 (2008)
Plot Summary:
Have you ever wondered "What is the meaning of life? Why do we exist?" The answer to this vexing question is now within your reach! You'll find it in a small yet amazing booklet, which will explain, in easy to follow, simple terms your reason for being! The booklet, printed on the finest paper, contains illuminating, exquisite colour pictures, and could be yours for a mere $9.99.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Israel, Australia
Duration: 78 min
Plot tags: surreal, humorous, ironic, adult animation, touching, contemplative, claymation, black comedy, cult classic, adult cartoon
Similar in 75%
Mind Game (2004)
Plot Summary:
The film follows Nishi, a loser who has a crush on his childhood girlfriend. After an encounter with the Japanese mafia, the film follows Nishi as he journeys to heaven and back, and ends up trapped in an even more unlikely place.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: anime, surreal, atmospheric, stylized, psychedelic, touching, humorous, cerebral, mindfuck, adult animation
Similar in 81%
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Plot Summary:
One Christmas Eve three people, a middle-aged alcoholic named Gin, a former drag queen Hana and a dependent runaway girl Miyuki, discover an abandoned newborn while looking through the garbage.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 45000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: anime, touching, adult animation, atmospheric, witty, emotional, feel good, light, talky, intense
Similar in 80%
Paranoia Agent (2004)
Plot Summary:
The infamous Shounen Bat (Lil' Slugger) is terrorizing the residents of Musashino City. Flying around on his rollerblades and beating people down with a golden baseball bat, the assailant seems impossible to catch—much less understand. His first victim, the well-known yet timid character designer Tsukiko Sagi, is suspected of orchestrating the attacks. Believed only by her anthropomorphic pink stuffed animal, Maromi, Tsukiko is just one of Shounen Bat's many victims. As Shounen Bat continues his relentless assault on the town, detectives Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa begin to investigate the identity of the attacker. However, more and more people fall victim to the notorious golden bat, and news of the assailant begins circulating around the town. Paranoia starts to set in as chilling rumors spread amongst adults and children alike. Will the two detectives be able to unravel the truth behind Shounen Bat, or will the paranoia get to them first?.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, psychological, mind bending, suspenseful, disturbing, scary, bleak, serious, surreal, adult animation
Similar in 77%
Waking Life (2001)
Plot Summary:
Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like reality, free will, our relationships with others, and the meaning of life.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 66000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: philosophical, spiritual, psychedelic, surreal, psychological, stylized, clever, adult animation, mindfuck, intellectual
Similar in 87%
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997)
Plot Summary:
Originally a collection of clips from the Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series, Death was created as a precursor to the re-worked ending of the series. Rebirth was intended as that re-worked ending, but after production overruns Rebirth became only the first half of the first part of The End of Evangelion, with some minor differences.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: anime, psychological, stylized, cult classic, mecha, manga, adult anime, serious, futuristic, psychotronic
Similar in 88%
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007)
Plot Summary:
After the Second Impact, Tokyo-3 is being attacked by giant creatures called Angels that seek to eradicate humankind. The child Shinji's objective is to fight the Angels by piloting one of the mysterious Evangelion mecha units. A remake of the first six episodes of GAINAX's famous 1996 anime series. The film was retitled "Evangelion: 1.01" for its DVD release and "Evangelion: 1.11" for release on Blu-Ray (with additional scenes).
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: mecha, anime, atmospheric, stylized, exciting, serious, manga, emotional, bloody, mysterious
Similar in 90%
Belladonna of Sadness (1973)
Plot Summary:
A peasant woman is banished from her village and makes a deal with the devil to gain magical powers.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: anime, psychedelic, hentai, adult animation, experimental, adult anime, mind bending, surreal, psychological, retro
Similar in 79%
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999)
Plot Summary:
A member of an elite paramilitary counter-terrorism unit becomes traumatized after witnessing the suicide bombing of a young girl and is forced to undergo retraining. However, unbeknownst to him, he becomes a key player in a dispute between rival police divisions, as he finds himself increasingly involved with the sister of the girl he saw die.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: anime, bleak, heartbreaking, rough, serious, psychological, philosophical, disturbing, manga, adult anime
Similar in 79%
Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
Plot Summary:
Strange events begin to occur as a withdrawn girl named Lain becomes obsessed with interconnected virtual realm of "The Wired".
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 316 min
Plot tags: psychological, anime, surreal, mind bending, atmospheric, bleak, serious, cyber, psychological horror, manga
Similar in 84%
Psycho-Pass (2012)
Plot Summary:
Psycho-Pass is a Japanese anime television series that takes place in the future where it is possible to instantaneously measure a person's mental state, personality, and the probability that a person will commit crimes with a device installed on each citizen's body called the Psycho-Pass. It follows members of Unit One of the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division and the crimes they investigate.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Animation, Action, Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, atmospheric, bleak, serious, futuristic, suspenseful, stylized, manga, cyber, adult anime
Similar in 83%
Alice (1988)
Plot Summary:
A quiet young English girl named Alice finds herself in an alternate version of her own reality after chasing a white rabbit. She becomes surrounded by living inanimate objects and stuffed dead animals, and must find a way out of this nightmare- no matter how twisted or odd that way must be. A memorably bizarre screen version of Lewis Carroll’s novel ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, UK, West Germany
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: surreal, disturbing, art house, atmospheric, experimental, absurd, mindfuck, psychological, adult animation, psychedelic
Similar in 86%
It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
Plot Summary:
Bill struggles to put together his shattered psyche, in this new feature film version of Don Hertzfeldt's animated short film trilogy.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 62 min
Plot tags: philosophical, surreal, adult animation, thought provoking, atmospheric, experimental, enigmatic, depressing, bleak, melancholic
Similar in 77%
Wicked City (1987)
Plot Summary:
This animated Japanese film is a dark, adult-oriented thriller. A peace treaty between the Earth and the Black World, a parallel universe of spider-like aliens is coming to an end. Two cops, Taki, a human male, and Maki, a female alien, are assigned to protect a diplomat who will help secure another treaty. A radical group of aliens from the Black World are out to assassinate the diplomat and prevent the treaty; only the bond that forms between the two cops can save the Earth from destruction. Sex is strongly associated with violence in many graphic scenes; although this is intended to play a symbolic role, this theme is used excessively. The story is effective, but the film is definitely not for children or anyone easily offended.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Animation, Action, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: anime, adult anime, adult animation, manga, scary, suspenseful, stylized, neo noir, disturbing, rough
Similar in 78%
Anomalisa (2015)
Plot Summary:
A man crippled by the mundanity of his life experiences something out of the ordinary.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 75000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: surreal, adult animation, depressing, atmospheric, art house, psychological, emotional, melancholic, meditative, philosophical
Similar in 82%
Time Masters (1982)
Plot Summary:
On planet Perdide, an attack of giant hornets leaves Piel – a young boy – alone in a wrecked car with his dying father. A mayday message reaches their friend Jaffar, an adventurer travelling through space. On board Jaffar’s shuttle are the renegade Prince Matton, his fiancée, and Silbad who knows the planet Perdide well. Thus begins an incredible race across space to save Piel… René Laloux, the director of Fantastic Planet [La Planète sauvage], created Les Maîtres du temps, his penultimate animated feature film, in 1982. A huge hit in France at the time of its release, it combines Laloux’s famous imagination with that of animation designer Jean Giraud (aka Moebius). Les Maîtres du temps is a finely animated metaphysical rescue mission, previously seen in English-speaking countries as a dubbed version entitled Time Masters.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: France, Switzerland, West Germany, UK, Hungary
Duration: 78 min
Plot tags: stylized, adult animation, surreal, psychedelic, anime, atmospheric, captivating, retro, mind bending, dark
Similar in 77%
Fantastic Planet (1973)
Plot Summary:
Fantastic Planet tells the story of “Oms”, human-like creatures, kept as domesticated pets by an alien race of blue giants called “Draags”. The story takes place on the Draags’ planet Ygam, where we follow our narrator, an Om called Terr, from infancy to adulthood. He manages to escape enslavement from a Draag learning device used to educate the savage Oms — and begins to organise an Om revolt.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 36000
Genere: Animation, Sci-Fi
Country: France, Czechoslovakia
Duration: 72 min
Plot tags: surreal, psychedelic, adult animation, atmospheric, art house, cult classic, stylized, anime, visual, mind bending
Similar in 79%
Perfect Blue (1997)
Plot Summary:
A retired pop singer turned actress' sense of reality is shaken when she is stalked by an obsessed fan and seemingly a ghost of her past.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 91000
Genere: Animation, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: surreal, suspense, adult animation, anime, suspenseful, scary, atmospheric, tense, realistic, disturbing
Similar in 82%
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012)
Plot Summary:
14 years after third impact, Ikari Shinji awakens to a world he does not remember. He hasn't aged. Much of Earth is laid in ruins, Nerv has been dismantled, and people who he once protected have turned against him. Befriending the enigmatic Nagisa Kaworu, Shinji continues the fight against the angels and realizes the fighting is far from over, even when it could be against his former allies. The characters' struggles continue amidst the battles against the angels and each other, spiraling down to what could inevitably be the end of the world. The film was retitled "Evangelion: 3.33" for its DVD/Blu-Ray release.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: anime, mecha, futuristic, psychological, atmospheric, bleak, surreal, stylized, exciting, serious
Similar in 80%
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)
Plot Summary:
Under constant attack by monstrous creatures called Angels that seek to eradicate humankind, U.N. Special Agency NERV introduces two new EVA pilots to help defend the city of Tokyo-3: the mysterious Makinami Mari Illustrous and the intense Asuka Langley Shikinami. Meanwhile, Gendo Ikari and SEELE proceed with a secret project that involves both Rei and Shinji. The film was retitled "Evangelion: 2.22" for its DVD/Blu-Ray release.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: mecha, anime, atmospheric, enigmatic, intense, exciting, suspenseful, serious, bloody, stylized
Similar in 78%
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)
Plot Summary:
Groundbreaking director Mamoru Oshii continues to push the boundaries of art and anime with this universally acclaimed cyber thriller following cyborg detective Batou as he tries to unravel the reasons for a murderous robot revolt in the year 2032. A quest for a killer that becomes a mind bending search for the meaning of life.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: futuristic, anime, philosophical, cyber, atmospheric, enigmatic, surreal, psychological, bleak, serious
Similar in 86%
A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Plot Summary:
An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 116000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: psychedelic, psychological, philosophical, mind bending, bleak, atmospheric, neo noir, depressing, mindfuck, adult animation
Similar in 85%
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
Plot Summary:
The second of two theatrically released follow-ups to the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. Comprising of two alternate episodes which were first intended to take the place of episodes 25 and 26, this finale answers many of the questions surrounding the series, while also opening up some new possibilities.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 62000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: anime, psychological, mecha, ambiguous ending, surreal, cult classic, adult animation, existential, mindfuck, atmospheric
Similar in 80%
Metropolis (2001)
Plot Summary:
Duke Red has overseen the construction of a massive Ziggurat to extend his power across the whole planet. Tima, a robot-girl built in the image of his deceased daughter, is at the core of these plans. However, after escaping the Duke's clutches in a laboratory fire, she meets and befriends Kenichi, a boy who's traveled to Metropolis with his detective uncle in search of a scientist wanted for organ trafficking. Will her relationship with Kenichi, and the realization of the truth of her existence, change her destiny?.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: anime, futuristic, atmospheric, bleak, cyber, exciting, suspenseful, manga, adult animation, stylized
Similar in 75%
Akira (1988)
Plot Summary:
Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda are pulled into the post-apocalyptic underworld of Neo-Tokyo and forced to fight for their very survival. Kaneda is a bike gang leader, and Tetsuo is a member of a tough motorcycle crew who becomes involved in a covert government project called Akira. But a bloody battle ensues when Kaneda sets out to save his friend.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 200000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: anime, surreal, futuristic, atmospheric, serious, adult animation, manga, cyber, talky, visual
Similar in 81%
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Plot Summary:
In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker known as 'The Puppetmaster' begins involving them in politics, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the Puppetmaster.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 153000
Genere: Animation, Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan, UK
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: anime, futuristic, mind bending, philosophical, surreal, atmospheric, exciting, adult animation, manga, cerebral
Similar in 78%
Coraline (2009)
Plot Summary:
When Coraline moves to an old house, she feels bored and neglected by her parents. She finds a hidden door with a bricked up passage. During the night, she crosses the passage and finds a parallel world where everybody has buttons instead of eyes, with caring parents and all her dreams coming true. When the Other Mother invites Coraline to stay in her world forever, the girl refuses and finds that the alternate reality where she is trapped is only a trick to lure her.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 257000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: gothic, surreal, dark fantasy, dark, scary, stylized, bleak, offbeat, disturbing, visually appealing
Similar in 77%
9 (2009)
Plot Summary:
When 9 first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world. All humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 146000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada, Luxembourg
Duration: 79 min
Plot tags: adult animation, surreal, suspenseful, serious, apocalyptic, futuristic, atmospheric, computer animated, stylized, 3d animation