An object of the present invention is to provide: an optical element in which incident light can be transmitted or reflected at an angle in the predetermined direction and the wavelength dependence of the amount of transmitted light or reflected light is small; and an optical element including the optical element. The optical element according to the present invention comprises: an optically-anisotropic layer that is formed using a composition including a liquid crystal compound and an infrared absorbing colorant, in which the optically-anisotropic layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, and an absorption of the infrared absorbing colorant in a wavelength range of 700 to 2000 nm in a minor axis direction is higher than an absorption of the infrared absorbing colorant in a wavelength range of 700 to 2000 nm in a major axis direction.