Worst2First: My Top Ten Films About Isolation

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Films About Isolation

As we enter another month of self-isolation, we may think that we're going to go stir crazy stuck in our homes, but it can always be worse.  On the flip side, it can also provide a waiting period for you to explore the world on your own afterward and see everything life has to offer.  These ten films focus on a character who deals with isolation in their own way.

Here are my top ten films about isolation, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

 All is Lost

If you're going to feature an entire film with just one actor, you can't top Academy Award-winning legend Robert Redford.  "All is Lost" focuses entirely on his character as he sets out on a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, who finds himself in trouble when his boat collides with a shipping container.  Forced to abandon his boat, he seemingly floats helplessly as he tries valiantly to find hope in a hopeless situation.  Redford commands the screen in a film that features very little dialogue, but the point still manages to get across.

#9

 Wild

Reese Witherspoon gives an Oscar-nominated performance as Cheryl Strayed, a real-life woman who embarked on a solo 1,100-mile trek through the Pacific Crest Trail after enduring several hardships in her life.  While encountering her own troubles with nature, Cheryl eventually found love, forgiveness, and the power inside her to overcome anything, and serves as an inspiration for us stuck at home to gather the courage to go out and explore the world on our own terms.

#8

 Buried

We all know Ryan Reynolds as the lovable goof and for giving a new breath of life to the classic Marvel anti-hero Deadpool, but in 2010 he starred in "Buried," a film where his character wakes up to find himself trapped in a coffin six feet underground, with ninety minutes of air and a cell phone to help find a way out.  Reynolds is the only actor to physically appear in the film, and it's a jolting, adrenaline-fueled thriller that'll bring out the claustrophobic fears in us all, and make is feel that maybe our home isn't a bad place to be stuck in.

#7

 Into the Wild

Emile Hirsch stars as the real-life Christopher McCandless, who decides to abandon his wealthy family and embark on a solo journey to Alaska with no money and only his wits about him.  His adventure opened his eyes to the world beyond what he thought he saw, and the film itself serves as an inspiration to go out and find everything that is right with the world, and learn something new about yourself, while learning that true happiness exists only when it can be shared.

#6

 127 Hours

Proving that there's no force on earth greater than the will to live, "127 Hours" focuses on the real-life adventurer Aron Rolston, who goes on a solo expedition to the desert and finds himself trapped in a gulch, his hand crushed by a rock.  For 127 hours, he struggles to survive and find a way to get back home, and James Franco gives an Oscar-nominated performance in this harrowing, epic tale of survival against all odds, showcasing the perseverance of the human spirit.

#5

 WALL-E

Pixar took a huge gamble on "WALL-E," in that the first third of the film is almost completely without dialogue, and to especially tell a story that'll entertain children that's no easy feat.  Not only did they succeed, they thrived in one of their best works.  The film focuses on a lonely robot named WALL-E who is left on an abandoned Earth until a ship arrives carrying a possible mate for him, sending him into space to find the love of his life.  Filled with emotion, humor, and some oddly accurate events that seem to be getting closer to reality, "WALL-E" is a fantastic film that the whole family can enjoy together safe at home.

#4

 The Martian

 If you think being stuck at home is bad, try being stuck on a desolate planet four years away from the nearest human.  Matt Damon stars in "The Martian," a film that finds his character stranded alone on Mars, thought long dead, until he manages against all odds to get a message back home, and the subsequent journey they take to bring him home.  Damon commands the screen with sheer grit, determination, and even some comedy (earning him a Golden Globe win for Best Comedic Actor...for this film...that also won Best Comedy...), showing that there's nothing you can't accomplish if you put your mind to it.

#3

 Home Alone

 In this classic Christmas family comedy, Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, a young prankster who finds himself home alone after his family hurriedly rushes to the airport for a Paris vacation.  Alone with only his smarts and ingenuity, he must defend his home from two bumbling burglars, resulting in a now-Christmas classic.

#2

 Cast Away

 Tom Hanks earned an Academy Award nomination (his last until 2019's "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood") in this classic film about one man's quest to find home against all odds.  Stranded on an abandoned island, Hanks' Chuck Noland must rely on his intelligence and ingenuity to survive the harsh environment, find a way home, and maintain his sanity - with the help of his trusty volleyball Wilson. 

#1

 Gravity

 If you think being at home is bad, try being stranded alone over three hundred miles above the Earth.  Sandra Bullock stars as Dr. Ryan Stone, who finds herself stranded in outer space after her ship is hit be debris, with seemingly no way to get back home.  She endures the hardships of being alone and struggling against every odd to make it back home, and Bullock gives a commanding performance - but it's everything surrounding her that makes the film spectacular: from the special effects to the lack of noise and sheer hopelessness, "Gravity" sticks with you and makes you really appreciate everything you have.