My Top-19 COVID-19 quarantine films

By Kaylee Johnson
Campus News

The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed a lot of time for movie watching and critiquing. The following nineteen films are the ones I deem most watchable and versatile for all age groups and tastes, as we are all stuck home these days. My film charcuterie board includes masterpieces made by many of the great directors of our generation and past generations, and some feathery comedies to keep things light. Hopefully this list will introduce you to the star of your next popcorn and candy movie night, and in turn bring you some peace and escapism, even if it is from your living room.

And here they are:

1. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (pictured above)
This 2004 drama starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet is both understated and overstated with beautiful cinematography and character development. The film follows the rocky, intimate love story of Joel and Clementine. When things get turbulent, they decide to use new medical technology to erase the relationship from their memories, but end up going through revelations in a whimsical, anxiety provoking dream sequence that speaks true to anybody who has ever been passionately and genuinely in love.

2. “Wild Strawberries”
Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman, created many stunning art films during the course of his moviemaking career, but “Wild Strawberries” is in my opinion, the most profound and re-watchable. It puts the life of a prominent, aging Swedish professor under a lens as he tackles his own fear of death and time while travelling to accept an award. The flashbacks in this film are done with such grandeur and timeless poeticism. Because this is a Swedish film, it is fully in subtitles and needs to be watched closely, not in the background during a Zoom meeting. But it is worth it, and will leave you pondering about its symbolism for days.

3. “The Sound of Music”
Nobody can debate that Julie Andrews Role in “The Sound of Music” is iconic and mesmerizing. If you have a few hours to kill (and you probably do), revisit the Von Trapp family mansion with a more mature lens. It has probably been years since you have seen the film, and now you can enjoy it with more sophistication and respect. There is also something deeply comforting about Julie Andrews’ voice, and it does not take a theatergoer or musical aficionado to see the classic value in Maria and her innocent zest.

4. “Lady Bird”
Saoirse Ronan, who recently starred as Joe in “Little Women,” also played another iconic feminist role in “Lady Bird” a few years ago. The award winning film studies the intricacies of the strength and destruction of a mother-daughter relationship between an high school senior and her deeply caring, but cold mother (Laurie Metcalf) in Sacramento, California. It’s a coming of age story for females who refuse to fit inside boxes or conform, and the mothers who raised them to be that way.

5. “The Florida Project”
If you ever stayed at those dingy motels on the outskirts of Disney World, you must give “The Florida Project” a watch. The film follows the poverty stricken, drug addict residents of a motel on Seven Dwarves Lane, next to Magic Kingdom, and their children. A lot of heavy topics like addiction, abandonment, begging for money, prostitution, pedophilia, and the contrast between the rich and poor are covered elegantly. The acting in it is stellar, and while it is an independent, low budget project, it is much more impactful than many high budget modern mainstream films. Sean Baker, the director, will go on to make many more films that leave people thinking throughout his career.

6. “Parasite”
Directed by South Korean filmmaker, Bong Joon-ho, the critically acclaimed movie “Parasite” has strong symbolic themes of gluttony, the divide between the wealthy and the poor and sadistic motivations. Small details like facial expressions and objects matter in this masterpiece so watch it closely and be ready for a roller coaster of plot lines and character intentions.

7. “Little Women”
Growing up, “Little Women” was one of my favorite novels. The raw boldness of Joe inspired me as a budding writer and eccentric, and until this year I was convinced it could not successfully be turned into a film that pays homage to its roots. The 2019 Greta Gerwig adaptation, starring Saoirse Ronan, captures the ambience and classical wonder of the novel, while also adding a new flair and feminist edge. It also lacks that stale dullness that period pieces sometimes have. The March sisters still have the same sweet nature and wild factor that captivated me as a child, reading the Alcott novel for the first time.

8. “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” transports viewers to an upscale, aging European hotel in typical, detail-oriented Anderson style. It is original and ventures into a unique format where the setting is more important to the plot than the characters.

9. “One Sings, the Other Does Not”
This 1977 radical feminist French film follows the stories of two women throughout a ten year time span. During this time, the women remain deeply interconnected through the intimacy that an abortion and rescue once brought them. Overall, the film is an ode to reproductive rights and womanhood.

10. “The Farewell”
Fun fact: Awkwafina (left) is a University at Albany graduate, which means she developed as an actress in my college city. Her authenticity and aura shine through beautifully in “The Farewell,” a film about a Chinese family that refrains from telling their grandmother and matriarch about her serious cancer diagnosis to avoid heartbreak on her deathbed. With artistic realism, the film unfolds a complex, relatable family dynamic.

11. “Stranger than Paradise”
Jim Jarmusch’s 1984 comedy/drama “Stranger than Paradise” has all of the tongue in cheek New York humor that the 1980s Brooklyn slums bred, tied in with some arthouse characterization elements that separate it from other films and make it a classic. Debatably, this is Jarmusch’s best, most airy film.

12. “Little Miss Sunshine”
Steve Carell, Toni Colette, Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin star is this award-winning melancholy film about a dysfunctional middle class family trying to mold a young girl into a pageant queen, without wrecking her confidence. The family takes a road trip to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant and comes to some shocking and depressing revelations along the way, all of which that eventually bring them closer together.

13. “Captain Fantastic”
I think about the magnificence and art of this film on a regular basis. It follows a father and his children, living and homeschooling in the woods, experiencing nature and living off of the philosophies of Noam Chomsky. The cinematography and characterization is this film has a feral rawness that gives the same pound to the gut that a manic poem does.

14. “National Lampoon’s Vacation”
Even though traveling is near impossible right now, watching films about travel and all of the idiosyncrasies of road trips with loved ones is the next best thing. Snuggle up with the entire family and bask in the classic comic relief that the Griswold family can bring during the panic of a pandemic.

15. “Precious”
While this is probably the most depressing film on the list, it is also the boldest. Precious, a pregnant Harlem teenager and victim of rape, deals with her turbulent home life and enrolls at an alternative school, through perseverance and people who believe in her.

16. “Man on the Moon”
Jim Carrey, a wild poet by nature, does a wonderful job of playing Andy Kauffman in this eccentric biopic about being offbeat. Courtney Love plays his lover and their on screen chemistry is surprisingly electric. After watching “Man on the Moon,” watch “Jim and Andy,” the documentary about how delusional Carrey became while filming – believing Andy Kauffman took over his soul. There’s even a scene of him dancing, as Andy with a topless, likely high, Courtney Love on set.

17. “Animal House”
As a college senior affected by quarantine, the thing I loved most about my campus was the trouble I used to get into. More than anything, I miss walking around the city of Albany in cheap high heels and ripped pantyhose in the middle of the night. “Animal House” and John Belushi bring some of the carefree nature of college parties to your parents’ living room; Go Deltas!

18. “Kill Bill”
Uma Thurman shows her full potential and multi-faceted layers as an actress in Tarantino’s classic, “Kill Bill.” This action packed film is very evocative of Tarantino’s style of incorporating art and symbolism into fast paced, plot heavy films. After watching “Kill Bill,” gives its sequel a try!

19. “The Shining”
To end this list, I want to pay homage to the nutty Jack Nicholson feeling we have been having in this quarantine. A few months ago, I bet you thought the notion of being locked away without any socialization was romantic and relaxing – not anymore. “The Shining” resonates a little too closely right now, and serves as a reminder that we should never undervalue our trips to Target or Price Chopper.

All of these films are available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime and other services.