Like Buddhism and Hinduism, gnosticism claims that this reality is an illusion.
However gnosticism goes further, actually depicting the god of creation (Demiurge, rex mundi / Saklas / Yaldabaoth) as a mad scientist and mankind as a bungled experiment.
He is a a pseudo-God who entraps the souls of men in sleep. The forces of sleep are so overwhelming, they can only be overcome by means of special insight Gnosis.
Gnostic Cinema is a genre of movies that revolves around this subject. Themes often include cosmic conspiracies, parallel universes, amnesia, self creation/escape and paranoia.

Here's a list of movies with a Gnostic flavor:

Being John Malkovich,1999 ,dir. Spike Jonze, writer Charlie Kaugman.
Barton Fink, 1991, dir. Joel Coen, writers Ethan and Joel Coen
Blade Runner, 1982, dir. Ridley Scott, writers Philip K. Dick
Brazil, 1985, dir. Terry Gilliam, writers Terry Gilliam, Charles McKeown and Tom Stoppard
Dark City, 1998, dir. Alex Proyas, writer Alex Proyas.
eXistenZ, 1999, dir. David Cronenberg, writer David Cronenberg
Fearless, 1993, dir. Peter Weir, writer Rafael Yglesias.
Fight Club, 1999, dir. David Fincher, writer Chuck Palahniuk
Jacob's Ladder, 1990, dir. Adrian Lyne, writer Bruce Joel Rubin.
Pleasantville, 1998, dir. Gary Ross, writer Gary Ross.
Lola Rennt, 1998, dir. Tom Tykwer, writer Tom Tykwer.
The Game, 1997, dir. David Fincher, writers John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris.
The Matrix, 1990, dir. Andy & Larry Wachowski.
The Thirteenth Floor, 1999, dir. Josef Rusnak, writer Daniel F. Galouye
The Truman Show, 1998, dir. Peter Weir, writer Andrew Icol.
Total Recall, 1990, dir. Paul Verhoeven, writer Philip K. Dick
They Live, 1988, dir. John Carpenter, writer Ray Nelson
Tron, 1982, dir. Steven Lisberger, writers Steven Lisberger & Bonnie Macbird
Vanilla Sky, 2001, dir. Cameron Crove, writer WGA
What Dreams May Come, 1998, dir. Vincent Ward, writer Richard Matheson

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.