Catch-22

Year: 1970

Runtime: 122 min

Language: English

Director: Mike Nichols

DramaComedyWar

During World War II, Captain John Yossarian flies bombing missions over the Mediterranean, struggling to cope with the absurdity and danger of war. Driven to desperation, he seeks ways to avoid further combat, encountering eccentric military officers and the increasingly amoral Lt. Milo Minderbinder along the way. Yossarian’s attempts to escape the escalating chaos lead him on a darkly comedic and increasingly surreal journey through the realities of armed conflict.

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Timeline & Setting – Catch-22 (1970)

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Last Updated: January 14, 2025 at 22:09

Main Characters – Catch-22 (1970)

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Last Updated: January 14, 2025 at 22:09

Major Themes – Catch-22 (1970)

Explore the central themes of Catch-22 (1970), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: January 14, 2025 at 22:09

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about bureaucratic absurdity like Catch-22

Stories where rational individuals are crushed by utterly illogical systems.If you enjoyed the maddening military bureaucracy in Catch-22, explore more movies like it. These films focus on stories where characters battle against illogical, oppressive systems, blending dark comedy with serious themes about power, sanity, and survival.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow a protagonist's gradual disillusionment as they attempt to navigate or rebel against a system that defies all reason. The conflict is less about a traditional villain and more about the suffocating, impersonal nature of the institution itself, leading to a journey that is both comically surreal and psychologically harrowing.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the collision between individual logic and systemic absurdity. They share a darkly comedic tone, a thematic exploration of power and dehumanization, and a vibe that oscillates between satire and genuine horror at the madness of the world.

Movies about desperate survival like Catch-22

A protagonist's frantic struggle to escape an increasingly chaotic and surreal world.For viewers who liked Yossarian's desperate struggle to survive in Catch-22, this list finds similar movies. These stories focus on protagonists pushed to their limits in chaotic, high-stakes worlds, combining intense action with a heavy emotional weight and themes of moral decay.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist trapped in a high-stakes situation, whose sanity and morality are tested as they resort to increasingly extreme measures to survive. The world around them often becomes more dreamlike or nightmarish as their desperation grows, leading to an ambiguous or morally complex conclusion.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their intense focus on a character's raw desperation for survival against overwhelming odds. They share a high intensity, a heavy emotional weight, a variable pacing that mixes frantic action with tense deliberation, and a dark, often ambiguous tone.

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Catch-22 Summary

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Catch-22 Timeline

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Catch-22 Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About Catch-22

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Similar Movies to Catch-22

Discover movies like Catch-22 that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.