So It’s Plague 2020 Outside

  • Paul 

I think it’s safe to say that 2020 is off to a rocky start. We’re trapped in our homes while a pandemic rages on and we have to do our best to stay sane. Personally, I’m vacillating between hope that this will end and extreme existential dread with detours at nihilism in between. In times like these some people derive pleasure, or comfort from watching movies about infectious diseases like Contagion or 28 Days Later. Maybe it’s their way of saying, look, it’s not (yet) as bad as it is in this movie. But, if you’re anything like me, you want to take your mind entirely off anything plague-related. With that in mind, here is a roundup of six great films to watch on Filmocracy that have nothing to do with diseases, plagues, the end of the world as we know it…

Alex & Jaime

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 90 minutes

This romantic drama is sure to take your mind off the outside world for a little. The film follows the titular Alex and Jaime from their meeting at a party, through their relationship highs and lows, and their eventual breakup. What sets this movie apart from other character studies is that in each chapter in their relationship Alex and Jaime are played by a revolving cast of actors of different ages, ethnicities, and genders.

Death to Prom

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 94 minutes

Maybe your favorite cinematic form of escape is a rom-com, and who doesn’t love a good old prom movie? In this modern-day update on Pretty in Pink, René and his best friend Frankie organize the most outrageous prom together. When they both fall for new boy Sasha, their tight friendship hits a roadblock. It’s a teen rom-com, so expect happy endings all around, which is exactly what we need in these trying times.

Detours

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 81 minutes

So you’re trapped at home with your family, and as much as you love them, you’d also love some space. Well check out this comedy about a newly-single New York woman who must upend her life and move to Florida. Along with her widowed father and a jar of her mother’s ashes, she embarks on a cross-country road trip to start anew. Watch this movie and you can laugh at someone else being stuck with their eccentric family member for days on end.

En Altamar

Genre: Thriller

Runtime: 90 minutes

Watch this thriller and be glad you’re not stranded at sea with these people. In this movie, an unfaithful couple end up stranded on the high seas when their boat’s captain goes missing. With the only other person on the boat being the wife of the missing sailor, can this couple survive the ordeal? This movie is sure to take your mind off what’s going on outside.

Nosferatu Re-Animated

Genre: Horror

Runtime: 79 minutes

If you’re a fan of the classic silent horror film Nosferatu, then this movie is for you. This hand-drawn animation of the famous vampire movie is sure to get your blood pumping, and with new dialogue and a new score, it’s definitely a movie not to miss. Although you are trapped at home, at least you’re not trapped in the castle of this terrifying vampire.

Rift

Genre: Horror

Runtime: 111 minutes

A Hitchcockian relationship drama/horror movie? Yes, please. This Icelandic atmospheric horror about a man who drives out to his ex-boyfriend’s isolated cabin after receiving a distressing phone call. And, at almost 2 hours long, that’s a good amount of time to get your mind off your own worries and focused solely who, or what, is haunting the men in this movie.

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