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Ten Favorite Atheist Films

What ten films have you seen that had a freethinking, agnostic, or atheist sensibility, even if it is not the main theme, even if the movie only suggests the writer or director might be a non-believer because the film is irreverent or sacriligeous if in a mildly comedic sort of way? Things like Peter Medak's The Ruling Class, John Huston's Wise Blood, and almost any film by Bunuel or Pasolini.

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Permalink Reply by equinox on November 24, 2009 at 10:08pm

While John Huston was an Atheist, it is admitted in the extra interviews that he got taken. Wise Blood is not atheist or even sacrilegious. If you know Flannery O'Connor...this was her style. She used hyperbole and the grotesque to get her points across. Somewhere she said something like you had to hit the reader over the head to get them to notice things...

Permalink Reply by Nancy Glista on November 30, 2009 at 8:53pm

No one has mentioned Inherit the Wind about the Scopes trial...And the documentary Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, even though director Ken Burns sidesteps ECS's views on Xianity...Or how about Jesus Camp? That was scary stuff!

Most films I've loved have a humanist theme rather than being necessarily overtly irreverent or atheist (which is ok too, of course!). Maybe that's just part of why I like a film to begin with. Antonia's Line; Rabbit-Proof Fence; My House in Umbria; The Station Agent; La Lengua de las Mariposas; Chocolat; Mostly Martha; Midnight Cowboy; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest--to name just a few. (Forgive me for not sticking strictly with the parameters of your post!)

Permalink Reply by LesYpersound on January 8, 2010 at 5:41pm

I'm genuinely surprised that no one mentioned

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

like Nancy (props for mentioning Antonia's Line) i also feel that i am more familiar with existential humanist films rather than out-right unabashedly atheist ones. but diving bell and the butterfly had an out-right, unabashedly atheist protagonist who chooses to be life-affirming despite losing everything but his imagination and his ability to blink one eyelid--this is the film ppl who say "there are no atheists in a foxhole" should see to prove them just how wrong they are.

The Seventh Seal is certainly existential and the absence of god/absolute truth is deafening for the protagonist...not to mention the omnipresence of death personified who brings no answers and only the unknown makes it a powerful atheistic film imo.

Permalink Reply by Noah Petersen on January 8, 2010 at 6:54pm

10. A Clockwork Orange
9. Brave New World(1980)
8. 1984
7. Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy(I miss you Douglas Adams)
6. Saved
5. Dogma
4. Planet of the Apes (1968)
3. Gattaca
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
1. Fight Club

Permalink Reply by TNT666 on January 9, 2010 at 2:03pm

I find this a near impossible question, but yours is a pretty good list...

Permalink Reply by TNT666 on January 9, 2010 at 1:49pm

Looking into my imdb profile at all the movies I've listed as 10/10, I'm not sure I can sort out anything that is religious... There's 44 of them in a total 1071 personal votes. I tend to vote more often for the good movies, so my numbers are biased...

Movies may just be the refuge of atheism in pop culture for a long time. Of course there are a good deal of cheesy religious flicks out there, think of last years' religious flick that came out a month or so before Religulous... Something about a firefighter trying to save his marriage through bible studies, ick!

So yes I think there are so many atheist movies out there. I think that's the one think Hollywood can be commended on, their lack of religion, they have long led the way to atheism in the US.

Permalink Reply by Noah Petersen on January 9, 2010 at 2:05pm

Can't believe I forgot Religulous! Sorry Bill Maher.

Permalink Reply by Randy Rose on March 8, 2010 at 1:07pm

do you mean Fireprooof, starring Kirk Cameron?? I'm sure that one took the speed train to the 99 cent bin.

Permalink Reply by TNT666 on January 9, 2010 at 2:02pm

But if I was forced to choose... hmmm, in no particular order... and documentaries standing out... and not focusing on atheist overtness or storylines...

Existenz
L'homme qui plantait des arbres
The Corporation
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
To Kill a Mockingbird
Lawrence of Arabia
There's Something About Mary
Tampopo
Religulous
Black Cat White Cat

Permalink Reply by Randy Rose on March 8, 2010 at 1:15pm

I think I would have to say:

10 300
9 Pleasantville
8 Brokeback Mountain
7 History of the World: Pt. 1
6 The Life of Brian
5 I <3 Huckabees
4 Pan's Labrynth (I don't know if we could call this one Atheistic)
3 American Beauty
2 Fight Club
1 The Big Lebowski (not necessarily Atheistic, but a great movie nonetheless)

Remember that flick Dark City? I saw it so long ago, I can't remember if it was good or not, but from what I remember, it seemed to have pretty heavy, futuristic, anti-religious views. Also, though not a decidedly Atheistic film, Far From Heaven is a great social drama.

Permalink Reply by Brandin Ian MacDougall on July 19, 2011 at 1:09am

Cool Hand Luke most defiantly was an atheist film, if not, it certainly makes a good case for atheism in its not so obvious to the religious persons eye kind of way. The picture at the end of "fantasy" was wrinkled in a way that made a cross. To the narrow minded Christian they would see that as a sign he made it to heaven, to an open minded atheist, you would see that a false hopes, or a fiction fantasy sort of ending. He smiled at the end because that was a sign on using hope to cope with the hardship, but not as any sign of faith. When they finally broke him after much abuse, the only reason he begged for "God", was because he always relied on nothing, and nothing is exactly what saved him in that case as well. Since the film clearly portrays nothing as his secret weapon.

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on September 16, 2011 at 6:01pm