Top 7 - Best Films to Watch While Quarantined
The world is looking a bit strange now, isn't it? Coronavirus is sweeping the world and because of how completely unprecedented this is, a lot of people have just been put under blanket quarantines. I am personally in a position where all of my university courses have been moved online and while there isn't exactly a strict quarantine, the recommendation for everyone right now is just stay inside and away from others as much as possible. One of the few good things about this situation is that we are all now finding ourselves with a lot more free time to watch movies. Looking for a recommendation with all that downtime? Well, that's what I'm here for. Some are movies that relate to recent hits, some are movies that will either warm your heart or make you happy to stay inside, some are just movies you might not have made time for. All are great movies and importantly, can be seen fairly easily without leaving the house, so lets get into this!
There are two major reasons you should be checking out this film. First of all, it features a bunch of people, all stuck in one location and it is a blast. If you need proof that you can stay in one location and still have a great time, Bad Times is proof of that. For the audience of course, for the characters it doesn't all end well but again, that might remind you that it's not so bad, this situation you're in. The second reason is much simpler though, in that you probably haven't seen this film. I loved it when it first came out but it was super under seen because of a lack of promotion and rave reviews and stuff. That's a damn shame, as this is a really accessible film compared to some of the shit I usually try and push people towards. It had great dialogue, a twisty turny plot and performances full of charisma. Put short, it is a really fun movie and we could do with some fun right now.
Not only is this a film you may have missed from last year, watching Midsommar now is a great way to remind yourself that travelling and group gatherings are very bad ideas. Maybe you've been looking at ticket prices for flights to Sweden. "Wow" you're maybe saying, "I can't believe this, it's never been cheaper to go to the home of ABBA!". Sweden is also home to murderous death cults, holding festivals that your toxic boyfriend has unknowingly dragged you to. If you watch this film, not only will you not want to leave the confines of your house but also, it'll remind you that this is a really good time to cut bad people out of your life. In a horrible relationship with someone? Tell them it isn't going to work out due to the quarantine and save yourself the trouble of [SPOILERS OMITTED]. Finally, with this film, there's the added bonus that it has a weirdly uplifting ending? Call me crazy but for all the misery that is here, I left the film feeling kind of happy. It's a reminder that from the worst things the world can throw at us, something good can grow.
After my rapturous review of Uncut Gems a few weeks ago, some of you may have seen the newest Safdie Brothers film on Netflix. If you didn't, check that out too because it's amazing, but you may want to check out the film they made before it, Good Time. There is a similar "crackhead energy" vibe to this film, in which a sweaty, bleach blonde Robert Pattinson attempts to recover after a bank robbery with his brother goes wrong. It's shorter than Uncut Gems but packs in a similarly relentless vibe that will leave you shaken for days. Also, it's a great way to experience the vibe of New York City in a time when you really should not be visiting New York City, that's a fun little bonus! Fans of the Safdie Brothers have been debating whether this or Uncut Gems is the better film and while I'd personally go for the latter, you should jump into that debate too. It's been a while since I've seen Good Time and honestly, of all the films on this list, it's the one I'll probably be watching first.
Were you not swayed by my Midsommar argument about not going outside? Fine, let's ratchet that up with the tension filled 10 Cloverfield Lane. Man oh man, if you really like having sweaty palms, this is the movie for you, I spent all of it squirming in the very best way possible. For the unaware, the plot is that a woman wakes up from a car accident to find herself trapped in a bunker by a strange man. He insists that something horrible has happened outside and he saved her but because he won't let her out, she is trapped in there with him and one other stranger. Whether something horrible has happened above is not a reveal I will spoil but needless to say, it is a miserable time in that bunker. However bad your self-isolation is going, it cannot be going this bad, so if you want to feel better about your current living situation with a super underappreciated thriller from the last decade, 10 Cloverfield Lane is your answer.
Remember back in early February when Parasite won Best Picture at the Oscars? Those seem like sweeter, simpler times, don't they? Anyway, you probably saw Parasite, it was the rare crossover success in the foreign film market, so you should get started on more brilliant films from Bong Joon-Ho. I'd personally say Memories of Murder and Mother are his two best films after Parasite, but those are pretty difficult to get your hands on in the UK. Instead, I've opted for the Netflix film he made called Okja. It starts off as a fun romp about a young girl and a giant, genetically modified pig going on a crazy adventure against capitalism but soon makes its way into much darker territory. It is messy at times and may not come together for everyone but I dunno, there's a slickness to some of the sequences here that you just cannot deny. If you're interested at all, it's a film made by Netflix so it will be on that platform for as long as it may exist. Now may be the perfect time to take your next hit from the Bong.
It really does feel like the world is miserable all the time at the moment, doesn't it? Everyone is angry, people are dying and no one actually knows what to do. So collectively, let's all take a step back. Let's get out of our heads, put away those worries and fall in love with a cuddly bear from Peru named Paddington. If you haven't seen the first Paddington, that's worth checking out too but it's hard to deny that Paddington 2 has become pretty much the gold standard for cinema and it'll work if you haven't seen the first film. It is a story about someone from another place, who is wrongly accused of theft but perseveres through that difficulty and finds joy in the world around him. Stuck in your house right now, you're probably having trouble finding joy in the world but I guarantee that if you watch Paddington 2, your life will be lifted. You'll appreciate everything around you more. Your family, your pets, that weird creaky step. Everything will become buoyant and you'll believe we can make it through this mess. After all, there's not much we can't solve with a little bit of kindness and a marmalade sandwich.
Back in November (or as we now call it, five decades ago), The Irishman came out to rave reviews. It was lauded by many, it was Oscar nominated and it found its way onto many best of the year lists (mine included). I loved it, actual critics loved it, that guy you work with loved it. You have heard from so many people that it's great but you just never got around to it, did you? Oh, you love Martin Scorsese, Wolf of Wall Street is so much fun, but three and a half hours was simply too much. Well, one of the few redeeeming things about this gonzo period we're living through is that we all have nothing but time now. So where are all your excuses? It's sitting there on Netflix, probably already in your watchlist, ready to be seen. Because you won't have many other chores or work responsibilities, you can really let yourself get swept away, a sweeping away I think you'll really appreciate. One of the things The Irishman does so well is effectively conjure a world that is not our own and while I know how daunting that runtime looks, you will appreciate taking three and a half hours out of the world. Pause it if you need to, get up for toilet breaks or to make another cup of tea, but allow yourself to get swept away by what might just be the last great mob epic.
7. Bad Times at the El Royale
There are two major reasons you should be checking out this film. First of all, it features a bunch of people, all stuck in one location and it is a blast. If you need proof that you can stay in one location and still have a great time, Bad Times is proof of that. For the audience of course, for the characters it doesn't all end well but again, that might remind you that it's not so bad, this situation you're in. The second reason is much simpler though, in that you probably haven't seen this film. I loved it when it first came out but it was super under seen because of a lack of promotion and rave reviews and stuff. That's a damn shame, as this is a really accessible film compared to some of the shit I usually try and push people towards. It had great dialogue, a twisty turny plot and performances full of charisma. Put short, it is a really fun movie and we could do with some fun right now.
6. Midsommar
Not only is this a film you may have missed from last year, watching Midsommar now is a great way to remind yourself that travelling and group gatherings are very bad ideas. Maybe you've been looking at ticket prices for flights to Sweden. "Wow" you're maybe saying, "I can't believe this, it's never been cheaper to go to the home of ABBA!". Sweden is also home to murderous death cults, holding festivals that your toxic boyfriend has unknowingly dragged you to. If you watch this film, not only will you not want to leave the confines of your house but also, it'll remind you that this is a really good time to cut bad people out of your life. In a horrible relationship with someone? Tell them it isn't going to work out due to the quarantine and save yourself the trouble of [SPOILERS OMITTED]. Finally, with this film, there's the added bonus that it has a weirdly uplifting ending? Call me crazy but for all the misery that is here, I left the film feeling kind of happy. It's a reminder that from the worst things the world can throw at us, something good can grow.
5. Good Time
After my rapturous review of Uncut Gems a few weeks ago, some of you may have seen the newest Safdie Brothers film on Netflix. If you didn't, check that out too because it's amazing, but you may want to check out the film they made before it, Good Time. There is a similar "crackhead energy" vibe to this film, in which a sweaty, bleach blonde Robert Pattinson attempts to recover after a bank robbery with his brother goes wrong. It's shorter than Uncut Gems but packs in a similarly relentless vibe that will leave you shaken for days. Also, it's a great way to experience the vibe of New York City in a time when you really should not be visiting New York City, that's a fun little bonus! Fans of the Safdie Brothers have been debating whether this or Uncut Gems is the better film and while I'd personally go for the latter, you should jump into that debate too. It's been a while since I've seen Good Time and honestly, of all the films on this list, it's the one I'll probably be watching first.
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane
Were you not swayed by my Midsommar argument about not going outside? Fine, let's ratchet that up with the tension filled 10 Cloverfield Lane. Man oh man, if you really like having sweaty palms, this is the movie for you, I spent all of it squirming in the very best way possible. For the unaware, the plot is that a woman wakes up from a car accident to find herself trapped in a bunker by a strange man. He insists that something horrible has happened outside and he saved her but because he won't let her out, she is trapped in there with him and one other stranger. Whether something horrible has happened above is not a reveal I will spoil but needless to say, it is a miserable time in that bunker. However bad your self-isolation is going, it cannot be going this bad, so if you want to feel better about your current living situation with a super underappreciated thriller from the last decade, 10 Cloverfield Lane is your answer.
3. Okja
Remember back in early February when Parasite won Best Picture at the Oscars? Those seem like sweeter, simpler times, don't they? Anyway, you probably saw Parasite, it was the rare crossover success in the foreign film market, so you should get started on more brilliant films from Bong Joon-Ho. I'd personally say Memories of Murder and Mother are his two best films after Parasite, but those are pretty difficult to get your hands on in the UK. Instead, I've opted for the Netflix film he made called Okja. It starts off as a fun romp about a young girl and a giant, genetically modified pig going on a crazy adventure against capitalism but soon makes its way into much darker territory. It is messy at times and may not come together for everyone but I dunno, there's a slickness to some of the sequences here that you just cannot deny. If you're interested at all, it's a film made by Netflix so it will be on that platform for as long as it may exist. Now may be the perfect time to take your next hit from the Bong.
2. Paddington 2
It really does feel like the world is miserable all the time at the moment, doesn't it? Everyone is angry, people are dying and no one actually knows what to do. So collectively, let's all take a step back. Let's get out of our heads, put away those worries and fall in love with a cuddly bear from Peru named Paddington. If you haven't seen the first Paddington, that's worth checking out too but it's hard to deny that Paddington 2 has become pretty much the gold standard for cinema and it'll work if you haven't seen the first film. It is a story about someone from another place, who is wrongly accused of theft but perseveres through that difficulty and finds joy in the world around him. Stuck in your house right now, you're probably having trouble finding joy in the world but I guarantee that if you watch Paddington 2, your life will be lifted. You'll appreciate everything around you more. Your family, your pets, that weird creaky step. Everything will become buoyant and you'll believe we can make it through this mess. After all, there's not much we can't solve with a little bit of kindness and a marmalade sandwich.
1. The Irishman
Back in November (or as we now call it, five decades ago), The Irishman came out to rave reviews. It was lauded by many, it was Oscar nominated and it found its way onto many best of the year lists (mine included). I loved it, actual critics loved it, that guy you work with loved it. You have heard from so many people that it's great but you just never got around to it, did you? Oh, you love Martin Scorsese, Wolf of Wall Street is so much fun, but three and a half hours was simply too much. Well, one of the few redeeeming things about this gonzo period we're living through is that we all have nothing but time now. So where are all your excuses? It's sitting there on Netflix, probably already in your watchlist, ready to be seen. Because you won't have many other chores or work responsibilities, you can really let yourself get swept away, a sweeping away I think you'll really appreciate. One of the things The Irishman does so well is effectively conjure a world that is not our own and while I know how daunting that runtime looks, you will appreciate taking three and a half hours out of the world. Pause it if you need to, get up for toilet breaks or to make another cup of tea, but allow yourself to get swept away by what might just be the last great mob epic.
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