As of writing this, the city that I live in (Seattle) is almost entirely shut down. And, as I’m sure you’re aware, this trend of citywide closures is spreading even faster than the virus. From restaurants and bars to fitness clubs and movie theaters, amenities that we’ve long taken for granted have shuttered their doors. For now. So whether you’re working from home or in self-isolation or recovering from the coronavirus known as COVID-19, here’s a selection of movies about isolation, apocalypse, and quarantine that’s sure to apply to, well, just about everyone right now.

The Rover

The apocalyptic crime drama from David Michôd stars Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson as a drifter and his dullard tagalong trying to recover their one thing of value in end times: their vehicle. A Mad Max-ian spin on Dude Where’s My Car?, The Rover offers a grim and moral-deprived view of post-civilization that’s characterized by crime and grime.

[WATCH IT NOW]

Room

If you thought a month (or two) long stretch of “social distancing” is painful, imagine being trapped in a rape room for seven years. That’s the situation for Joy (played by Brie Larson who won an Academy Award here) who must also raise her curious son in the barren cage they call ‘Room’. A moving film stuffed with fantastic performances that reminds us that things could still be much, much worse, Room offers a lesson on finding the courage to endure in the most impossible of situations.

[WATCH IT NOW]

A Ghost Story

A man (Casey Affleck) dies and finds himself trapped in the house he once lived in. Forever. Sounds like the entire world right about now, minus (hopefully) the being dead part. Affleck is under a white sheet for pretty much the entire runtime for those who still aren’t ready to embrace the controversial actor. A Ghost Story, as directed by David Lowery, is an ethereal and thoughtful look at time, isolation, and endurance: all things that are top of mind for us right now.

[WATCH IT NOW]

Hush

A deaf woman living in imposed isolation in the woods in order to knock out her next novel is terrorized by a masked stranger in this back-to-basics slasher movie from horror maestro Mike Flanagan. Hush is a perfect example of how getting the individual ingredients right – performance, sound design, camerawork – can really elevate a simple concept to pulse-pounding results. Social distancing has never seemed such a poor idea.

[WATCH IT NOW]

Gerald’s Game

Yes, being stuck at home sucks. But at least you’re not handcuffed to the bedframe like Carla Gugino’s Jessie in this excellent Stephen King adaptation. After a kinky game with her husband goes horribly wrong, Jessie must overcome physical and mental restrictions to free herself before she dies of thirst or gets eaten by wolves. The film is a powerful treatise on overcoming trauma and besting situations that seem otherwise impossible.

[WATCH IT NOW]

Backcountry

Thinking of leaving the boring confines of your home for the escape of nature? Backcountry might make you think again. This chilling story of a couple on a backpacking trip who get lost and find themselves in bear territory is a chilling reminder of the natural order. My wife is still afraid of bears after watching this years ago.

[WATCH IT NOW]

Freaks

In the near-future, some humans are born with supernatural abilities – they’re able to control time, fly around like superman, or manipulate others telekinetically. These people were deemed “freaks” and exterminated en masse. Those that were not have gone into hiding. 7-year old Chloe displays extraordinary ability, far beyond other “freaks”, but her father insists that she never, ever step outside into the real world, lest she risk her life. At least in our quarantine, we can all still get Amazon Fresh to deliver ice cream right to our doorstep.

[WATCH IT NOW]

I Am Mother

Humanity is all but extinct. When one of the very last known survivors, a test tube-baby raised in a lab by a maternal robot, meets an outsider, she realizes that there is a lot she does not know. This engaging and ominous sci-fi thriller deals in misinformation and gaslighting and proves the terrifying power of brainwashing. Sure, humanity is currently battling a virus and not a droid army but I Am Mother begs us to look at our leaders with skepticism if we want any chance for survival.

[WATCH IT NOW]

It Comes at Night

This eerie slow-burn uses the backdrop of a global infection to speak to the uneasy tension between its survivors. Two families are forced to live in close quarters, fearful of what lies beyond their doorstep, as this dark psychological horror from A24 demonstrates that one of the first things to go in an apocalyptic situation is trust. Trey Edward Shults (Waves, Krisha) directs with a strong cast that includes Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbot, Riley Keough and Kelvin Harrison Jr.

[WATCH IT NOW]

Snowpiercer

The world has fallen to pieces and humanity shambles on aboard a highspeed train in Oscar winner and Parasite director Boon Jong-ho’s science-fiction fantasy which features an all-cast including Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Octavia Spenser and more. Commenting on oppression and class warfare in a more fictionalized way than in Parasite, Bong-ho flexes his undeniable craftsman muscles to deliver a brainy post-civilization spectacle about speaking truth to power.

[WATCH IT NOW]

Not on Netflix but Still Worth the Rental:

10 Cloverfield Lane

This sequel/spinoff of the popular Cloverfield not only is a pretty great movie, it’s head and shoulders improvement upon its predecessor. Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr. and a top-tier John Goodman, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a smart psychological thriller where an airborne contagion has forced its characters into hiding into an underground bunker. Michelle must also reckon with the fact that she’s not sure if the contagion is actually real or not and if it poses any harm to her. Sound familiar?

Contagion

It’s pretty incredible how applicable this movie is to our current situation, down to the fact that the fictitious disease at the center of Stephen Soderberg’s film originated from bats in China. Contagion is probably the scariest movie you could watch right now as it lays out the extreme impacts that a global infection in brutal detail. The movie written by Scott Z. Burns isn’t perfect but it’s probably the closest illustration of global pandemic. Thankfully COVID-19 is far less fatal than the disease depicted here, otherwise, we truly would all be fucked.

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By: Matt Oakes When not whetting his thirst with an exotic ale, Matt can be found holed up in his Seattle home or hidden amongst the mountains. Started blogging about film in college when the college paper wouldn’t have him. Watcher of far too many films annually. Horror slut. Regular attendee @ Sundance, SXSW, SIFF. Editor-in-chief of Silver Screen Riot.













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