5 Social Distancing Movies To Watch During Luzon-Wide Quarantine

The rapid global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to cancellation, postponement, and closures of a lot of social gatherings. Now, people are turning to social distancing. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended this practice to reduce close contact with other people. This way, people could do their part in helping to flatten the curve of the pandemic.

What Is Social Distancing?

Basically, social distancing means limiting the amount of time you spend around others. This slows the infection rate of a highly contagious disease, like COVID-19. Although disappointing, the cancellation of sports events, cruises, festivals, and even movie premieres are examples of social distancing. Other examples of social distancing allows you to avoid larger crowds or crowded spaces. This includes working from home, switching to online classes, video calls with your loved ones, and postponing conferences.

5 Social Distancing Movies To Watch During Luzon-Wide Quarantine

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to stay entertained while practicing social distancing. These follow one character throughout the whole film, centering on their achievements, struggles, and qualities. Here are five of our selection of the best films to watch while protecting yourself from COVID-19 during Luzon-wide quarantine.

# 1 | Wild

A 2014 American biographical adventure drama, Reese Witherspoon stars as Cheryl Strayed. Despite the lack of hiking experience, the recent divorcée leaves her home to hike 1,100 miles of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail on a journey of self-discovery and healing. During the hike, she reflects in flashbacks on her childhood and memories of her mother, Bobbi Grey (Laura Dern).

Although most of the movie’s setting sees fresh air and the actual wild, this movie remains perfect for a time like this. The heartbreaking imagery of her stages of grief perfectly captures one’s heart and will definitely make you sympathize or empathize with the character. Her unfortunate breakdown will let you spiral and will definitely make you bawl your eyes out. Snot and all that other stuff.

# 2 | 127 Hours

The 2010 British biographical survival drama follows James Franco‘s character as Aaron Ralston. The mountaineer went on a hike at Utah’s Canyonlands National Park. He befriends other hikers and showed them an underground pool. After parting ways with them, he continues on his own to go to the Bluejohn Canyon. Unfortunately, he slips and falls, knocking over a boulder that crushes his right hand and wrist against the wall. Although he called for help, he realized that he is alone. He records a video diary to maintain morale as he tries to free himself.

Similar to the earlier entry, the movie’s setting sees the outside world. However, the horrors of what the character goes through will make you want to stay inside and become an actual hermit. The gory imagery and the exhausting anxiety of what happens next will destroy one’s willpower. His ultimate decision to (spoiler alert) cut his own arm will make you weak and absolutely terrified to ever go outside.

# 3 | Home Alone

The 1990 American Christmas-comedy classic sees Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, a rambunctious eight-year-old with a penchant for creating harmful inventions. The whole McCallister family was supposed to spend Christmas in Paris, gathering at their home in the Chicago suburb. Kevin, being the subject of ridicule, slept at the attic after a scuffle with his older brother Buzz. During the night, heavy winds caused a power outage and resets the alarm clocks.

This caused the family to oversleep and immediately rush to the airport with accidentally leaving Kevin behind. He faces a pair of burglars called Wet Bandits consisting of Harry and Marv. They have been casing their house, waiting for the opportunity to rise. With the whole family gone and only a little kid stopping them, they push through with the burglary. Kevin rigs the house with booby traps, taking on the burglars by himself.

Ever since we were kids, we wanted to be like Kevin. We wanted to be able to booby trap the whole house, stopping potential robbers casing the area. Of course, even when we’re all grown up, this movie remains a must-watch classic. Although the movie is often though of a Christmas movie, it shows off the exhilarating freedom of being alone in a empty house. The giddy feeling of having the liberty to do anything you want and everything you can remains present and palpable.

# 4 | Her

The 2013 American science-fiction romantic drama film follows Joaquin Phoenix‘s character, Theodore Twombly. A lonely, introverted, depressed man works for a business that has professional writers compose letters for people who are unable to write letters of a personal nature themselves. Unhappy with his own marriage and impending divorce, Theodore purchases an operating system upgrade that includes a virtual assistant with artificial intelligence, designed to adapt and evolve.

Theodore decided that he wanted his Artificial Intelligence (AI) to have a female voice, naming herself Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Her ability to learn and grow psychologically fascinates him and they bond over their discussions about love and life. Defying all odds, Theodore and Samantha’s intimacy grows through a verbal sexual encounter. Then, they develop a relationship that reflects positively in his writing and well-being, and in her enthusiasm to grow and learn.

With the growing readership of people in social media, the existence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) increases even more. Although it may be difficult for viewers to comprehend, the movie remains a beautiful and unusual romantic tale. The movie doesn’t advocate asking out our smartphone but it insists that you need more than zeroes and ones to create consciousness- to communicate, a feat that a lot of couples don’t do anymore.

# 5 | Lars and the Real Girl

The 2007 American romantic comedy-drama film follows Ryan Gosling‘s titular character Lars Lindstrom. He is a kind-hearted, socially awkward, and emotionally unstable young man who develops a romantic yet platonic relationship with an anatomically correct sex doll named Bianca. However, Lars thinks of Bianca as a visitor. He thinks he met a wheelchair-mobile missionary of Brazilian and Danish descent through a dating app.

Although a commercial failure, the movie remains critically acclaimed. This shows the power of illusion to cure one’s ills. Loving Bianca and building her a personality, his delusion allows him to function in a way that he never could before. The movie also shows stepping towards dealing with others – all at Bianca’s ‘request.’ Their community doesn’t show any distaste or indifference towards Lars and Bianca, showing how people can allow acceptance toward one’s development.

Will you be watching these before the Luzon-wide quarantine comes to an end? Let us know in the comments section below.