Some films better than others seem to capture the very nature of the lives we lead, not by way of direct confrontation, but as with all good art, by way of symbols and stories that stir our imaginations because we sense in them a connection to ourselves.

These qualities abound in the films below, each an engrossing, cinematically vibrant and entertaining existential odyssey. (Roll over colored text to link to related material.)

“Blow-Up” 1966. This character study cum murder mystery is an unparalleled examination of the nature of reality as a hip British fashion photographer tries to determine whether or not he’s witnessed a crime. Brilliantly shot, stylishly structured and set in Mod London of the 1960s, this seminal masterpiece still resonates. (Remade by Brian De Palma as "Blow Out.")

“Odd Man Out” 1947. The emotional and increasingly surreal journey of a wounded IRA operative through the back-allies of Belfast is the metaphor in this devastating portrait of doomed romance and ambition from director Carol Reed, who also gave us the existential classic, “The Third Man.”

“The Conversation” 1974. The dark side of surveillance and modern technology has never been more persuasively advanced than in director Francis Ford Coppola’s tangled and murky murder mystery; a sublime and exciting rumination on loyalty, duty and crimes of the heart, it features a spectacular performance from Gene Hackman.

“The Passenger” 1975. Michelangelo Antonioni’s investigation of the fluid nature of personal identity lies at the heart of this elliptical story about a reporter who assumes the character of a man he finds dead in a hotel room. Jack Nicholson has never been better than in this cerebral thriller; one that benefits from multiple viewings.

“Seven Beauties” 1976. An aspiring gangster’s life becomes a harrowing wartime odyssey of soul searching survival in Italian director Lina Wertmuller’s mind-bending meditation on cruelty and the cost of compromise. Potent imagery, strong sexuality and intense narrative and cinematic treatment abound in this dangerous adult drama filled with tormenting action.

“Quai des brumes” (Port of Shadows) 1938. This early French masterpiece examines the futility of intervention in the face of evil. Banned by the Vichy Government, it helped to inspire the American film noir and French New Wave movements. It’s powerful and suspenseful story reaches a stunning climax viewers will not soon forget.

“The Long Day Closes” 1992. Terrence Davies childhood reminiscence is a unique, quasi-musical advanced primarily in pictures and images that paint a haunting portrait of loneliness and longing. Striking camera moves and visual compositions frame a basic story of growing up in demonstrable and devastatingly detailed creative fashion. A film well worth the trouble of chasing down.

“L’Avventura” 1960. Driven by calculating compositions and minimal dialogue, this story about a boating party that loses one of its members and the search that ensues is a fascinating, one-of-a-kind depiction of egocentricity and self-absorption.

“Cabaret” 1972. Director Bob Fosse’s erotically charged “drama with songs” is about the dangers of turning a blind eye to evil, paralleling the rise of Fascism with the lives of a few expatriates in Berlin battling against overwhelming odds and their own true natures. Even if you’ve already seen it, this groundbreaker deserves revisiting.

“Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud” (Elevator to the Gallows) 1957. French master Louis Malle’s serpentine story about a woman and her lover plotting a murder is an unparalleled exercise in detachment (the lovers are never seen together on screen). Duplicity and delusion have never been mounted with distinction and the kind of legendary jazz score (courtesy of Miles Davis) found here. Get over your problem with subtitles and check out this superb adult thriller.

“My Twentieth Century” 1989. Hungarian allegory about the bi-polar impact of modernization is movingly translated into a story about a pair of twin girls separated at birth whose paths later cross. It’s a film that manages to make room for everything from Thomas Edison’s light bulb to the origins of movies, with space for sexy vixens, magical animals, assassination plots and much more in between.