Films can be considered ‘philosophical’ if they can be fruitfully related to philosophical theories in the process of interpreting them. That doesn’t mean that they are intentionally based on such philosophies (although some are), nor that they make unique contributions to the philosophical conversation about nihilism and the meaning of life (though some do). What it does mean is that such films provide striking illustrations of some of the major tenets of the philosophies with which they are paired. For example: ‘How does this particular film praise its subject matter, and inspire conviction by privileging a perspective and showing it in a positive light?’ My answer in each case will be offered by relating existentialist theories to cinematic practice.