Beyond Home Alone: 12 films about social distancing, from Robert Pattinson in The Lighthouse to a Roman Polanski chiller
- As more countries go into lockdown and self-isolation becomes a reality, movies provide a welcome escape
- From comedy to horror to tragedy, these 12 films explore self-isolation and its effects
From the frustrated voyeurism of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) to the sub-zero paranoia of John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), filmmakers have frequently shuttered us away from society to explore the tedium and dangers of self-isolation.
Too often, however, your sanctuary must become a fortress, whether to fend off opportunistic burglars with Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone (1990), or nocturnal beasties with Will Smith in I am Legend (2007). Without adequate provisions, it can even become a prison.
As families around the world are being forced into their homes, with precious little respite from one another, the temptation to channel Jack Nicholson in The Shining (1980) can become overwhelming. The need to hunker down and turn to our screens for emotional support and welcome distraction has never been greater.
But what to watch after surviving the zombie hordes of Dawn of the Dead (1978), and the infinite solitude of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)? Here are 12 alternative tales of social distancing to keep your mind off the viral horrors that lurk outside.
Repulsion (1965)
The first English-language film from controversial filmmaker Roman Polanski stars a young Catherine Deneuve as an unstable woman spiralling into madness.