MATT TURNER
Special to The Leader
With colleges and universities around the country being closed due to the coronavirus, I wanted to share my top five list of movies to watch during quarantine in no particular order. Some of these include themes of virus and disease, and are long in length for the long days to spend inside.
“Contagion” Steven Soderbergh, Director
This 2011 film about a virus that takes over the United States after being harbored from China is actually already gaining a huge resurgence due to COVID-19 — and it really isn’t hard to see why. If you want to really open your eyes to what is going on in America, definitely check out this ingenious thriller
“The Godfather Epic” Francis Ford Coppola, Director
What more needs to be said about these masterpieces of cinema? This edit of the first two “Godfather” films runs seven and a half hours long, incorporating new scenes and the narrative being cut into chronological order. It is available to watch through HBO, and if you need a time-waster, this is the ultimate choice for a singular watch.
“28 Days Later” Danny Boyle, Director
This is the film that single-handedly reinvented the zombie genre. It still sends chills up spines 18 years after its initial release. The zombie outbreak, originating from a chimpanzee virus, causes zombies that are actually physically fit and serve as genuine threats for the main characters.
“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy Peter Jackson, Director
Like “The Godfather” saga, Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy is still unbelievably re-watchable to this day. One is sure to be teary-eyed, at the very least, as they finish up this flawless tale of courage and humanity.
“I Am Legend” Francis Lawrence, Director
Another viral film that could be used to terrify modern audiences, “I Am Legend” has actually been an area of great attention since it came out. If my suspicions are correct, however, it will receive a resurgence close to that of “Contagion” soon enough. Much like “Contagion” and “28 Days Later,” the film follows the world in shambles during and after an apocalyptic happening. The film already holds its own in American culture since it was such a huge box office smash in 2007; its incorporation of the sensationalized action/thriller genres will definitely serve as a more palatable experience than the grittier and grounded aforementioned viral films.