Category Archives: Nihilism

Johnny: the Cheeky Nihilist

In Mike Leigh’s Naked (1993), Johnny (David Thewlis) is a character so despicably likeable that it becomes too easy to dismiss the character, and the rest of the film, with simple sweeping negations. Calling the film, or the character, misogynistic might create an easy mask for one’s own enjoyment of the film rather than aptly [...]

Max: The Accidental Nihilist

Survivors of catastrophes often have a dramatically different view of life afterward. This is the case for Max Klein (Jeff Bridges), who walks away from a horrendous plane crash in a corn field in rural California in the film Fearless (1993), directed by Peter Weir. As a survivor, Max straddles a line between life and [...]