Like many people my age, I might be just a little addicted to technology. Wherever you may find me, you will likely find me there with my phone, laptop, or something with a screen attached to it. Even the study of technology has informed much of my writing, often through the lens of pop culture, including how movies and shows have inadvertently predicted the future.
But sometimes I just feel that desire to completely disconnect from being connected to everyone and everything all the time. Technology is a truly great thing, but it can also be exhausting. Like Bo Burnham said, the internet is basically having access to “a little bit of everything, all of the time,” and that can be overwhelming. When I’m feeling this way, there are certain movies and shows that I gravitate toward, which really encapsulate my feelings of unplugging and escaping the modern world.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Watch The Secret Life of Walter Mitty on Hulu
Not only does The Secret Life of Walter Mitty fill me with that urge to escape from the perils of life and embrace adventure in the real world, but it’s also one of the ultimate feel-good films out there. Directed by and starring Ben Stiller in the title role, you can’t help but root for Walter Mitty as he daydreams about being the hero before actually escaping his life and doing it. As someone who daydreams quite often, Walter is a relatable character for me.
But even beyond the feelings of wanting to escape to the woods or to seek my own adventures without the comforts of technology, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is also one of those films that helps me break free from my ADHD-fueled procrastination. It’s a movie about embracing life, and as saccharine as that might sound, it’s too earnest to deny.
Lost
Watch Lost on Hulu and Netflix
Who has time for technology when you’re stranded on an island with only supernatural and sci-fi mysteries waiting for you to solve them? Sure, crash-landing on an island and being forced to deal with deadly situations on a daily basis might not be the best way to escape the woes of everyday life, but Lost presents it in such a way that I can’t help but feel a little bit of longing for my own extended vacation on a deserted island. It also has a truly great pilot episode.
I likely wouldn’t ever find the sort of adventure that the major characters on Lost do, but that would be okay, too. As long as I can go a few weeks or months without reading yet another news headline that makes my anxiety spike. I think that would be a net positive for me, black smoke monster or not.
Leave No Trace
Rent or buy Leave No Trace on Amazon Prime Video
I mean, this is basically the title of this article in movie form. Leave No Trace tells the story of veteran Will (Ben Foster) and Tom (Thomasin McKenzie), a father and daughter who live in the woods. After being forced to relocate back to society, Will’s PTSD leads him and Tom to try and escape again. It’s not exactly a happy tale, but Leave No Trace is the perfect film for showcasing how the modern world isn’t built for everyone.
It’s not just a film that fits the “escape from society” theme here; it’s a genuinely great watch, with a big emotional core and mesmerizing performances from both Foster and McKenzie. Whether or not you have designs on living far from the modern world someday, Leave No Trace is worth a watch.
From
Watch From on MGM+
Okay, so not exactly the woods, but at this rate, I would take living in a small town with no connection to the outside world. Sure, there are otherworldly monsters to deal with at night and the constant struggle to survive the horrific things they do, but that’s not exactly far off from the real world. From is an excellent series, almost like a more horror-centered version of Lost.
The show centers on a small town where monsters emerge at night to attack the living. Once you enter the town, it’s impossible to leave. Like Lost, From deals with mystery on top of mystery, with the characters trying to discover the origin of the monsters while figuring out a way to escape the town for good. It’s harrowing stuff, but at this rate, it might just be a nice vacation for those of us in the real world.
Modern society is nice, but sometimes I just long for the simplicity of nature
Maybe this is a naive statement, filled with unearned levels of self-confidence, but I believe I could survive in the wild. More than that, sometimes I think we’d all be better off if we just took a month or two out of the year and did just that. Maybe we wouldn’t all be filled with such ennui all the time. For me, these pieces of media exemplify that belief, even if some of them depict very hard lives.
But hey, while you’re here in this technological marvel that we call modern society, why not check out some new shows and movies? Netflix’s slate for November has some truly can’t-miss new arrivals.
