What Dreams May Come, the visually stunning 1998 fantasy drama starring Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr., is a beloved film that explores profound themes of love, loss, the afterlife, and the lengths we’ll go for those we cherish. Directed by Vincent Ward, it tells the story of Chris Nielsen (Williams), who traverses heaven and hell to rescue his wife Annie (Annabella Sciorra) after she takes her own life, unable to cope with the earlier loss of their children.
If you connected with the film’s poignant portrayal of enduring love and its imaginative vision of the worlds beyond our own, you may be seeking other movies that evoke similar feelings and grapple with related ideas. Here are 15 of the best films to watch next if you loved What Dreams May Come.
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
This Oscar-winning masterpiece from visionary director Michel Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as Joel and Clementine, a couple who erase each other from their memories after a painful breakup. But as the procedure unfolds in Joel’s mind, he realizes he doesn’t want to let go of their precious moments together.
Eternal Sunshine shares What Dreams May Come’s surreal exploration of the inner worlds of the psyche. With its groundbreaking visual effects and profound meditations on the nature of love and memory, this is a film that will linger in your thoughts long after the credits roll. Carrey and Winslet both deliver career-best performances in this funny, philosophical, and achingly poignant love story for the ages.
2. The Fountain (2006)
Darren Aronofsky’s ambitious sci-fi epic spans a thousand years and multiple planes of reality as it tells the story of a man (Hugh Jackman) on a quest to save his dying wife (Rachel Weisz). As a 16th-century conquistador, a modern-day scientist, and a 26th-century astronaut, he seeks the secrets of life, death, and rebirth.
Like What Dreams May Come, The Fountain grapples with weighty themes of mortality, the afterlife, and the transcendent power of love. Aronofsky’s stunning visual imagination is on full display, conjuring indelible images of Mayan temples, shimmering nebulae, and the ethereal Tree of Life. This is a film that demands repeat viewings to fully absorb its layered meanings and emotional impact.
3. The Tree of Life (2011)
Terrence Malick’s impressionistic masterpiece is a poetic meditation on love, loss, and the meaning of existence. The film follows the journey of Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn), a disillusioned architect reflecting on his 1950s Texas childhood and his strained relationship with his father (Brad Pitt).
As in What Dreams May Come, Malick uses stunning imagery to evoke the numinous realms beyond our physical world—in this case, the cosmic origins of life itself. With its dreamlike cinematography and fragmented, non-linear structure, The Tree of Life is a film that invites contemplation and awe. It’s a transcendent work of art that seeks nothing less than to uncover the eternal in the everyday.
4. Inception (2010)
Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending sci-fi thriller follows a team of “extractors” who enter people’s dreams to steal secrets. When they’re hired to plant an idea instead, they must navigate a labyrinth of nested dreams and shifting realities.
Like What Dreams May Come, Inception explores the porous boundaries between different states of consciousness. Nolan crafts a dazzling, labyrinthine puzzle box of a movie, full of dizzying visuals and startling plot twists. At its heart is a poignant emotional story about guilt, grief, and the lengths we’ll go to hold onto the people we love.
5. The Lovely Bones (2009)
Based on Alice Sebold’s bestselling novel, this wrenching drama centers on Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), a murdered girl who watches over her grieving family from a dreamlike purgatory while coming to terms with her own death.
Directed by Peter Jackson, The Lovely Bones shares What Dreams May Come’s lush, fantastical visions of the afterlife. But it’s also a powerful exploration of loss, healing, and the unbreakable bonds between the living and the dead. Ronan’s luminous performance anchors the film, while Stanley Tucci is chilling as her killer.
6. Vanilla Sky (2001)
Cameron Crowe’s mind-bending thriller stars Tom Cruise as David Aames, a wealthy playboy whose charmed life takes a dark turn after a car accident leaves him disfigured. As the lines between dreams and reality blur, David must confront the consequences of his past actions.
Like What Dreams May Come, Vanilla Sky questions the nature of reality and the boundaries between life and death. Crowe keeps us guessing until the final frame, crafting a twisty, unsettling puzzle of a movie. Cruise is in top form as the unraveling David, with Penélope Cruz and Cameron Diaz delivering strong supporting turns.
7. Waking Life (2001)
Richard Linklater’s animated existential odyssey follows an unnamed young man (Wiley Wiggins) as he wanders through a series of philosophical conversations in his lucid dreams. Along the way, he encounters a colorful cast of characters who muse on everything from the meaning of life to the nature of free will.
With its trippy rotoscoped visuals and probing intellectual discourse, Waking Life is the perfect companion piece to What Dreams May Come’s metaphysical explorations. It’s a heady, stimulating film that invites viewers to ponder some of life’s biggest questions. You may not find any easy answers, but the journey is endlessly fascinating.
8. Donnie Darko (2001)
This cult classic stars Jake Gyllenhaal as the titular teenager, a troubled high school student who begins having visions of a man in a monstrous rabbit suit after narrowly escaping death. As Donnie investigates the strange occurrences around him, he uncovers a mind-bending mystery involving time travel, alternate realities, and the end of the world.
Like What Dreams May Come, Donnie Darko grapples with weighty existential questions and features stunning, otherworldly imagery. Writer-director Richard Kelly crafts a dense, allusive film that rewards repeat viewings, while Gyllenhaal gives a star-making performance as the haunted Donnie. It’s a strange, singular movie that lingers in the imagination.
9. Solaris (2002)
Steven Soderbergh’s meditative sci-fi drama, a remake of Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 classic, stars George Clooney as Chris Kelvin, a psychologist sent to investigate strange occurrences on a space station orbiting a mysterious planet. There, he encounters a vision of his dead wife (Natascha McElhone) and must confront his own grief and guilt.
Solaris shares What Dreams May Come’s fascination with the afterlife and the power of memory. Soderbergh crafts a haunting, contemplative film that uses its sci-fi trappings to explore deeply human themes of love, loss, and regret. Clooney gives one of his finest performances as the emotionally wounded Kelvin.
10. Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan’s epic space odyssey follows a group of astronauts who journey through a wormhole in search of a new home for humanity. At the heart of the story is the bond between a father (Matthew McConaughey) and his daughter (Mackenzie Foy/Jessica Chastain), which transcends the boundaries of space and time.
Like What Dreams May Come, Interstellar grapples with the mysteries of the cosmos and the enduring power of love. Nolan crafts a visually stunning, emotionally resonant film that blends cutting-edge science with timeless human drama. McConaughey anchors the movie with a performance of raw, aching vulnerability, while the supporting cast—including Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, and a scene-stealing Matt Damon—all shine.
11. The Sixth Sense (1999)
M. Night Shyamalan’s breakout hit stars Bruce Willis as Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who tries to help a troubled boy (Haley Joel Osment) who claims to see dead people. As Malcolm digs deeper into the boy’s visions, he uncovers a shocking truth about his own life.
The Sixth Sense shares What Dreams May Come’s fascination with the afterlife and the thin veil between the living and the dead. Shyamalan crafts a chilling, emotionally resonant ghost story with a twist ending that’s become a cultural touchstone. Willis and Osment both give powerhouse performances, investing the supernatural tale with deep humanity.
12. Arrival (2016)
Denis Villeneuve’s cerebral sci-fi drama stars Amy Adams as Louise Banks, a linguist recruited by the U.S. military to communicate with extraterrestrial visitors. As Louise learns their language, she begins to experience vivid flashbacks that blur the boundaries between past, present, and future.
Like What Dreams May Come, Arrival grapples with the nature of time, memory, and the human experience. Villeneuve crafts a haunting, meditative film that uses its alien encounter premise to explore profound ideas about language, determinism, and the choices we make. Adams is mesmerizing as the brilliant, emotionally wounded Louise, anchoring the film with a performance of quiet intensity.
13. The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)
Based on Mitch Albom’s bestselling novel, this TV movie follows Eddie (Jon Voight), an elderly maintenance man who dies in an accident and awakens in the afterlife. There, he encounters five people who had a profound impact on his life, each of whom helps him understand the meaning and interconnectedness of his experiences.
Like What Dreams May Come, The Five People You Meet in Heaven offers a poignant exploration of life, death, and the ways we touch each other’s lives. With its uplifting message and strong performances from Voight and the supporting cast, it’s a heartwarming, thought-provoking film that invites viewers to reflect on their own lives and legacies.
14. Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
This psychological horror classic stars Tim Robbins as Jacob Singer, a Vietnam veteran struggling to make sense of his fragmenting reality. As Jacob is plagued by terrifying hallucinations and flashbacks, he begins to question the nature of his own existence.
Like What Dreams May Come, Jacob’s Ladder blurs the lines between life, death, and different states of consciousness. Director Adrian Lyne crafts a nightmarish, deeply unsettling film that keeps viewers guessing until the devastating final revelation. Robbins is riveting as the unraveling Jacob, and the supporting cast—including Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, and Jason Alexander—all deliver haunting performances.
15. The Others (2001)
Alejandro Amenábar’s gothic chiller stars Nicole Kidman as Grace Stewart, a mother caring for her two photosensitive children in a remote mansion in the aftermath of World War II. When strange occurrences begin to plague the house, Grace becomes convinced that they are not alone.
The Others shares What Dreams May Come’s fascination with the afterlife and the ways grief can haunt the living. Amenábar crafts a slow-burning, atmospheric horror film that builds to a shocking twist ending. Kidman is mesmerizing as the tightly wound Grace, conveying both strength and vulnerability as she unravels the mystery of her own existence.
These 15 films each offer their own unique take on the themes of love, death, the afterlife, and the search for meaning that lie at the heart of What Dreams May Come. Whether through mind-bending visuals, poetic storytelling, or philosophical inquiry, they invite us to ponder some of the biggest questions of human existence – and the transformative power of connection in the face of life’s mysteries.
So the next time you find yourself yearning for the emotional catharsis and imaginative vision of What Dreams May Come, give one of these thought-provoking films a try. You may just discover a new favorite that lingers in your memory long after the final credits roll.
