Maudern Movies: The Singles
Maudern Movies, a series that curates films for your viewing pleasure.
For National Singles Day, we’re stepping outside the usual tropes of U.S. films — no dating apps, no breakup montages — and into a more thoughtful wider world of solitude and connection. These films explore what it means to be single: by choice, by change, or simply by chance.
From Tokyo’s quiet mornings to Santiago’s late-night dance floors, each story reflects the fullness of life lived between independence and intimacy. Sometimes love arrives; sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, there’s comfort in knowing that being single doesn’t mean being alone — it just means the story is still yours to write.
Perfect Days (2023, Japan)
Directed by: Wim Wenders
Starring: Kōji Yakusho
A Tokyo toilet cleaner tends to plants, listens to Lou Reed, and lives in quiet harmony with routine. Proof that peace can be found in the ordinary.
Fallen Leaves (2023, Finland)
Directed by: Aki Kaurismäki
Starring: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen
Two solitary workers meet by chance and fumble toward connection. Dry wit, cheap beer, and gentle hope under fluorescent light.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994, Taiwan)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Sihung Lung, Kuei-Mei Yang, Yu-Wen Wang
A widowed chef and his three daughters gather every Sunday for food, frustration, and hard truths. Family, freedom, and the flavors of change.
The Lunchbox (2013, India)
Directed by: Ritesh Batra
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur
A mistaken lunch delivery sparks an unexpected correspondence. A tender meditation on connection, appetite, and second chances.
Gloria (2013, Chile)
Directed by: Sebastián Lelio
Starring: Paulina García, Sergio Hernández
At 58, she dances, dates, and delights in her own company. A celebration of freedom, resilience, and the joy of being unpaired.
L’Avenir (Things to Come) (2016, France)
Directed by: Mia Hansen-Løve
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, André Marcon
When her marriage and career crumble, a philosophy teacher finds quiet purpose in self-reliance. Grace with a side of intellect.
Bread and Tulips (2000, Italy)
Directed by: Silvio Soldini
Starring: Licia Maglietta, Bruno Ganz
Left behind on a family vacation, a housewife wanders into Venice and never looks back. Reinvention, Italian-style.
Amélie (2001, France)
Directed by: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz
A shy Parisian waitress finds meaning in small acts of kindness. Solitude with charm, color, and the best soundtrack for living alone.
The Worst Person in the World (2021, Norway)
Directed by: Joachim Trier
Starring: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie
A woman drifts through lovers, jobs, and ambitions, trying on different versions of herself. Not lost — just alive and learning.
Toni Erdmann (2016, Germany)
Directed by: Maren Ade
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Peter Simonischek
A corporate daughter and her eccentric father navigate love, work, and loneliness. Singlehood meets slapstick existentialism.
A Man Called Ove (2015, Sweden)
Directed by: Hannes Holm
Starring: Rolf Lassgård, Bahar Pars
A widowed man’s gruff solitude softens when unexpected neighbors arrive. Proof that even the stubborn find company in the end.
