Out This Week: 02 April 2020 – WFH Edition
Abdullah Y
– April 2, 2020Posted in: News
In the third installment of our WFH Edition, I will suggest to you some movies to watch, and the theme this week is movies about isolation. Keep reading.
Directed by: Ridley Scott
With: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, and Jeff Daniels
What is it about: An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
Heads Up: The Oscar nominated film based on a bestselling book is a hoot. Not only it was critically adored, it was also a commercial hit. It is a big love message to science, hope, and cooperation between nations to help one another in time of need. It is a perfect movie to watch in these difficult times, knowing that whether we wanna admit it or not, each one of us is his and her brother's keeper, and the only hope we have is if we look after one another.
How to Watch it: Google Play / iTunes / OSN Store
127 Hours (2010)
Directed by: Danny Boyle
With: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, and Kate Mara
What is it about: A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.
Heads Up: Another excellent Oscar-nominated movie, based on a true story, about knowing the value of community when you desperately need it. In his ★★★★☆ review Faizan Rashid wrote "Franco remains engaging for viewers while being pinned to a large rock. His work is made slightly easier by Boyle's visual energy. His kinetic camera work, always a joy to watch in the jigsaw puzzle like way it splits screens, time and memory within the film, is quite brilliant. It seems there is no place Boyle cannot take his camera".
How to Watch it: Google Play / iTunes
Wall-E (2008)
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
With: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, and Jeff Garlin
What is it about: In the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.
Heads Up: This Pixar's masterpiece is a must-see for everyone young or old, especially the wordless first half where Wall-E is by himself in a deserted earth working hard to clean it by day, and watching a movie by night by himself. Our own Faizan Rashid gave this film a perfect score and in his ★★★★★ review he wrote: "Wall-E gave me so much joy because it made me believe in the spirit of films and the impact of good movie-making. It has a message, is eco-friendly, funny, sentimental, sweet but ultimately, so rewarding because it is made with attention, care and the love of people who seem to have conviction in knowing what they are doing". Just be careful not to look like those BuyNLarge consumers when this social-distancing ends.
How to Watch it: iTunes / OSN Store
Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson
With: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, and William H. Macy
What is it about: Held captive for 7 years in an enclosed space, a woman and her young son finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time.
Heads Up: Be warned that this excellent film will break your heart, but if you give it a shot, it will mend it again. In his 4½ stars review our own Shariq Madani wrote: "For a film with a subject so grim and horrific, Room is remarkably uplifting. It asks some very basic but important questions about life, hope, and parenthood, answering some and letting the audience ponder on others". Also it has pair of fantastic lead performances by Brie Larson (who won an Oscar for it) and a very young Jacob Tremblay who gives one of the best child performances of the last 20 years.
How to Watch it: Netflix / Google Play / iTunes
Directed by: Roman Polanski
With: Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, John Fraser, and Yvonne Furneaux
What is it about: A sex-repulsed woman who disapproves of her sister's boyfriend sinks into depression and has horrific visions of rape and violence.
Heads Up: One of Roman Polanski's earliest film and a master-class of film-making. The story of a woman descending into madness triggered by her isolation and fueled by her inexplicable repulsion of men. The cinematography is fantastic, and the lead performance by Catherine Deneuve is eerie and exceptional. This is a fantastic film that you absolutely should see, that is unless you are quarantining only by yourself, as it will be quite difficult to watch.
How to Watch it: iTunes / The Criterion Channel
Buried (2010)
Directed by: Rodrigo Cortés
With: Ryan Reynolds, José Luis García Pérez, Robert Paterson, and Stephen Tobolowsky
What is it about: Paul is a U.S. truck driver working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
Heads Up: This little seen thriller is the ultimate isolation film. I don't think it gets more alone or claustrophobic than being buried alive in a small box 6 feet under in a foreign far-away land. This film might be upsetting to some, and it is also hopeless and scary, but it is a rewarding thrill ride if you have the stomach for it.
How to Watch it: iTunes
Tags: Amber Tamblyn, Andrew Stanton, Ben Burtt, Brie Larson, Catherine Deneuve, Danny Boyle, Elissa Knight, Jacob Tremblay, james franco, jeff daniels, Jeff Garlin, jessica chastain, Joan Allen, kate mara, Kristen Wiig, Lenny Abrahamson, Matt Damon, ridley scott, Rodrigo Cortés, roman polanski, Ryan Reynolds, William H. Macy
About Abdullah Y
Abdullah Y is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He is an avid consumer of everything Pop Culture; movies, TV, music, photography, podcasts, and social media. He loves to travel and to share his experiences.