Free time has become something I think all of us have had enough of recently. Being quarantined to our houses, we can get work done and clean and do whatever else it is we have to do, but then we are left with the rest of the day. While this is nice, it can get boring, lonely, and overall just old very quickly. I’ve been watching way too much television lately, as I’m sure everyone has been. However, I’ve found that putting on a movie can be a nice way to spend some time with roommates or even alone. It can be a distraction to the mayhem around us. I’m going to recommend some of my personal favorites, and keep in mind that I am a person who likes all movies, except horror. I just can’t deal with the anxiety it gives me, so unfortunately for the horror movie lovers, I will not be recommending any films of that sort. The movies I list will be available on different streaming platforms, in case readers don’t have one in particular and want to watch one of the movies suggested.
The first film I recommend seeing is “The Shawshank Redemption.” This was recently added to Netflix after being taken off a few years ago. This has been my favorite movie for years now, and I had no idea it was coming back to Netflix, so it was a really nice surprise, especially in quarantine. The setting of this movie is in a prison in Maine, but it focuses on a few characters’ experiences and their lives in and out of prison. It focuses on the friendships and bonds that can be created in prison and also the effect on prisoners after years of being incarcerated, then to be released into the world without much of anything. It’s a great movie with a great ending and can be really eye opening to our prison system in America. It’s not a documentary or a true crime film, but one based on a novel written in 1982 by Stephen King. So, while there may not be horror in this list, there is some Stephen King at the least!
The next film I recommend watching is “Good Will Hunting,” which is on Hulu. This movie is from 1997 so it’s a bit older, but it is a classic. It focuses on young, troubled Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, working as a janitor at MIT. He begins working with a professor on campus, after he found that Will was extremely intelligent but misguided. Once he gets into an altercation, the professor only helps Will if he seeks help from a therapist, Robin Williams, with whom he made great strides with. It’s a great film that focuses on the struggles that young people go through, and what they can be capable of with the right influences. I know it sounds super cheesy, but it is a classic movie for a reason and it is worth watching.
The last film I recommend watching on this break is available on Amazon Prime; “A Simple Favor,” starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, released only in 2018. This film is funny and mysterious in the best ways possible. Two moms who are nothing alike become friends, and one of them, Blake Lively, goes missing unexplainably. Anna Kendrick’s character has a Youtube channel, so she asks her viewers to help her figure out what happened to her friend. While you laugh, you still are on the edge of your seat as you don’t know the full story and still are waiting to see what happens next. It’s a great movie that’s suspenseful while also being funny when it’s appropriate.
I hope you all have time to watch one of these movies as we are all forced inside, and I hope at least one of these movies will make you smile in these hard times.