You Thought YOUR Isolation Was Bad...

For my first post we'll be looking at three films featuring isolated characters who have it way worse than you...

#1. Misery, 1990

Starring James Caan, Kathy Bates

Directed by Rob Reiner

"I am your number one fan."

Based on a Stephen King novel of the same name, "Misery" will surely put your own isolation into perspective. Paul Sheldon (Caan) is a successful writer, about to embark on a new journey in his career, by ending his highly successful but frivolous paperback series and finally starting a project that he can be proud of. His plans get disrupted when he suffers a tragic accident, bringing him within inches of death's door. Sheldon is rescued from this fate, but quickly delivered into an even darker one as his "number one fan", Annie Wilkes, (Bates) a registered nurse with a terrible past, takes him into her home.

As Paul struggles with attempts to escape his one room confinement, you might realize that having to wear a mask outdoors isn't the worst misery you could experience...

Available to stream on Hulu.

#Misery #StephenKing #Horror #Isolation #KathyBates #JamesCaan #Hulu

#2 Room, 2015

Starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson

"When I was small, I only knew small things... But now I'm five; I know everything!"

"Once upon a time, before I came, you cried and cried and watched TV all day, until you were a zombie. But then I zoomed down from heaven, through skylight, into Room."

Spoken in the very first moments of the film, 5 year old Jack's words (Tremblay) to his devoted mother, Joy Newsome (Larson) seem haunting and eerily familiar. Joy has been held captive in an 10'x10' room for seven years. Despite her excruciating circumstances, "Ma" is able to create a loving environment for her son. As she reaches a breaking point, Joy turns her thoughts towards a desperate escape plan.

Based on the novel by Emma Doneghue, "Room," can be arguably difficult to watch, but is a fantastic film. The movie received four academy awards nominations, and Larson took home the award for Best Actress. Director Lenny Abrahamson paid exquisite care to production; scenes that take place within the shed were shot exclusively in an 11'x11' set, complete with removable walls to allow for multiple camera angles and claustrophobic cinematography. Room decorations were constructed by the actors themselves, adding an additional layer of believability and intimacy.

"Room" is a story about how bad things can happen to good people, and an emotionally charged exploration of captivity.

Available to stream on Netflix

#Room #Independent #Drama #Thriller #Oscar #Isolation #TriggerWarning #Netflix

#3 Cast Away, 2000

Starring Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

"I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise... Who knows what the tide could bring?"

Picture this: Your entire life is put on hold, essential supplies are incredibly difficult to come by, and you're suffering from some extreme loneliness. Oh wait, that's just life now. But Chuck Noland, a dedicated FedEx employee, (Hanks) can totally relate. Following a disastrous plane crash, Noland experiences social isolation to the extreme on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific.

Despite the film's limited dialogue, "Cast Away" is extraordinarily engaging, with moments of tension, comedy, hope and despair thanks to Hanks' incredible performance. The majority of the plot focuses on Noland's efforts to rise above the emotional, physical and mental challenges of solitude in nature, the struggle for survival, and the desperation for escape. As the "celebrity poster child" for Covid-19, Hanks makes these struggles even more relatable.

Available to stream on Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBOgo

#CastAway #Drama #Survival #Wilson #TomHanks #Hulu, #AmazonPrime, #HBOgo