top of page

Movies to Watch in Quarantine

With coronavirus dominating our news feeds and sheer boredom dominating our lives, a little bit of escapism through film is welcome. I thought I'd compile a list of four movies which are especially appropriate for the isolation of quarantine.


Rear Window

by Alfred Hitchcock (1954)


Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window is arguably the peak of "isolation cinema." The main character, Jeff, is stuck inside for months on end with a broken leg. As a photojournalist, he feels incredibly confined by the four walls of his New York City apartment.


However, he notices something from his window. Watching his neighbors across the street, he stumbles upon a nefarious murder plot. As the audience, we're forced to wonder: how much of what is happening is real and how much is in Jeff's imagination?


With the boredom of quarantine, this movie is especially relevant. Stuck inside like Jeff, we've been forced to entertain ourselves through the observance of media just like Rear Window.


10 Cloverfield Lane

by Dan Trachtenberg (2016)



This recent installment in the Cloverfield series challenges the idea of isolation in a unique way. Michelle, the protagonist, wakes up inside an underground bunker with two strange men. They explain to her that she has survived a global chemical attack, and the only way to survive is to stay with them.


However, as time passes, and the boredom of isolation builds, she becomes suspicious. Are these men lying? Is there really a chemical attack outside?


With a chemical attack of sorts sweeping across the globe, the themes of this film are poignant. While watching this movie, it's hard to not feel that you are in a similar situation to Michelle.


The Lighthouse

by Robert Eggers (2019)



One of the best films of last year, The Lighthouse is a gripping horror film from the rising director Robert Eggers. Thomas, played by Robert Pattison, arrives at a desolate lighthouse off the coast of New England. The sole lighthouse keeper tries to teach him his craft as violent weather pounds the island.


As a storm brews, the tempers of the two men begin to rise. Combined with a spiritual attraction to the light of the lighthouse, they begin to fight and fall into drunken rages.


The psychological burden of isolation is shown at its most extreme in this film. Albeit to a lesser extent, the isolation of quarantine has given us all a firsthand experience of The Lighthouse.


Cast Away

by Robert Zemeckis (2000)



This classic survival film gave birth to one of the most iconic pop culture figures in American canon: Wilson the volleyball. Tom Hanks plays Chuck Noland, a FedEx employee. En route to Malaysia, the delivery plane crashes into the ocean, leaving Chuck stranded on an island.


Alone to face nature, Chuck is forced to survive. Befriending a volleyball and hunting for food, his experiences create a compelling narrative filled with laugh out loud moments.


Although he's stuck on an island, not an apartment or a bunker, Chuck still has to cope with the challenges of isolation. The lighthearted tone of Cast Away is a perfect way to crack a smile during quarantine.


 

Rear Window is available on Amazon Prime Video for $3.99, 10 Cloverfield Lane is available for free on Crackle, The Lighthouse is available on Amazon Prime Video for $2.99, and Cast Away is available with a Hulu subscription.


Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed, subscribe to the blog for more weekly content.



Comments


bottom of page