Survive the lockdown with these 5 overlooked films that deserve your attention

Besides cleaning up the environment, the coronavirus pandemic has done little good. Stress, anxiety and paranoia are festering as billions across the world remain confined in their homes (if they’re lucky enough to have one). And during this time, many have turned to the arts for comfort. People who didn’t read have begun to pick up novels; those who’d been putting off watching old classics have finally gotten around to them.

A common excuse that was often used before the lockdown when it came to matters of health and personal wellbeing — ‘I don’t have the time’ — has been taken off the table. People are turning to films — ones they’d never seen and also comforting favourite — for entertainment and mental stimulation.

Also read: Lockdown life getting you down? These stand-up comedy specials will ward away those pandemic blues

To help you in your journey to overcoming this difficult time, here are five overlooked films that absolutely deserve your attention. They are all available on streaming platforms.

Trance

As Malayalam cinema continues to stake its claim as the most exciting of regional language moviemaking in the country, the new psychological thriller Trance explores pertinent themes of religious indoctrination and the power of populism.

Shikara

Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s personal little film neither falls into the trap of Islamophobia, nor does it come across as grossly nationalistic. And in these divided times, when everyone is looking for someone to blame for their problems, the decision to remain neutral in the telling of one of the most controversial stories of our country’s recent history is what sets the film apart.

Onward

Perhaps the film that took the biggest financial hit because of the coronavirus lockdown, Pixar’s new film could make only about half of its $200 million budget at the box office before being pulled from theatres and released on Disney+. On the positive side, fans around the globe can now watch the film from the comfort of their homes.

Ready or Not

One of the most exciting films of 2019, Ready or Not was also among the most overlooked. The feminist horror movie has been classified as a ‘comedy’ on Hotstar, and even though it has several humorous moments, it’s so much more than these simple labels.

Monsoon Shootout

Even as the cinephile community urges Eros to release director Vasan Bala’s 2012 festival darling Peddlers, another Cannes breakout from around the same time got a release only recently. Watch it for Vijay Varma’s fantastic debut performance, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s scene-stealing turn as a sort of precursor to what he would later do in Sacred Games.

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