I think we can all agree that the state of the world pretty much sucks right now. COVID-19 is wreaking havoc everywhere. Physically it sucks. Mentally it sucks. I miss normalcy. I’m sure you all do too. But to help with the quarantine-blues, I’ve compiled a list of ten movies to watch while you’re self-isolating. I hope these movies bring you some joy or some cathartic tears. Maybe (hopefully) both! Click on the movies below for my thoughts!
01. You’ve Got Mail (2004)
I use this movie a lot, but whatever. It’s perfect. With social distancing an absolute necessity, we interact with our loved ones through text, email, and video chats. Katherine and Joe are business rivals, but unbeknownst to them, they’re also falling in love over email. This movie is delightful and warm and takes you through the seasons until the climactic confession of love on a beautiful spring day.
02. 50 First Dates (2004)
Not exactly a Groundhog Day-theme, but it’s still similar. After a car accident, Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss. She lives the same day over and over, aided by her father and brother. Henry is instantly smitten with her, and even after finding out her diagnosis, he remains determined to win her heart. Not Sandler and Barrymore’s best, but it’s still cute and heartwarming.
03. About Time (2013)
If you could go back in time to fix every mistake until your life is exactly as you want it to be, would you? Of course, you would. It just so happens the men in Tim’s family can travel back in time, with some rules. When he meets Mary, he does everything he can to win her heart. It’s the right kind of tear-jerker to enjoy during these uncertain times.
04. Yesterday (2019)
On theme with the world sucking right now, imagine waking up after getting hit by a bus and finding out The Beatles never existed. This is what happens to Jack, a struggling musician about to call it quits, then he realizes nobody remembers The Beatles music but himself. Passing off their catalog as his own, Jack’s career takes off, but he realizes he’s missing out on love.
05. The Big Sick (2017)
Kumail and Emily’s promising romance comes to an abrupt end when Emily realizes Kumail’s family expects him to marry another Pakistani. After Emily falls ill and is placed into a medically induced coma, Kumail bonds with her parents and soon realizes his future with Emily is more important than gaining approval from his own.
06. Two Night Stand (2014)
After a night out leads to Megan seeing her ex-fiancé, she decides to have a one-night stand with Alec, a man she met on a dating website. The following day is less than ideal, but a snowstorm traps the two in Alec’s apartment, and Megan and Alec are forced to talk and recognize what went wrong the night before and what they would change if given a do-over. Cue some isolation bonding!
07. Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
When Harry, a record exec and known womanizer, has a heart attack while getting it on with Erica’s daughter at her beach house, he’s forced to stay and recuperate. Erica becomes an unwilling caretaker, and the two begin to bond… but Erica also finds herself pursued by a handsome, much younger doctor.
08. Notting Hill (1999)
When the most famous woman in the world needs to crash at your place to escape a scandal, you let her. Especially if you’ve already shared a few intimate moments. We can’t all self-isolate with Julia Roberts, but this classic rom-com will undoubtedly make you believe that the every-man can win the heart of the world’s most beautiful woman (I see you Danny Moder).
09. Sliding Doors (1998)
When ad exec Helen is fired, her life takes an unexpected turn as it splits into two timelines. One has her catching the train home to find her longtime boyfriend in bed with another woman. The other has her missing her train and getting home long after the other woman has left. Her life takes two drastically different paths, but which will lead to true love?
10. Groundhog Day (1993)
Does it feel like you’re reliving the same day over and over? Spend some time with Phil Connors, who was more or less quarantined in Punxsutawney for… many, many years (according to director Harold Ramis). Phil is forced to re-live the same day over and over until he finally gets it right.
