Shubhabrata Dutta
There is no specific time to feel lonely. From waking up in the morning to late at night, loneliness can pop up at the most unexpected hours due to various reasons. Thankfully, Amazon Prime offers a wide range of movies that can take this feeling away by offering an escape. Here are the best movies to watch on Amazon Prime when lonely. Each of these films addresses loneliness in a different way, giving the audience a variety of perspectives when it comes to experiencing loneliness.
10. Apocalypto (2006)
Some people tend to get a sense of relief from watching violence that brings down their stress levels. If you are among them, this is the movie you should watch. ‘Apocalypto’ follows the journey of Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), a tribesman who is taken captive by Mayan raiders. The torture he endures at the hands of the Mayans, including being used for target practice and how the Mayans mistreat the tribe, has been shown in a no-holds-barred manner. We also get to see the rage of Jaguar Paw as he kills his enemies while trying to find his way back to his pregnant wife and son, whom he hid before he was taken captive. A visceral and organic portrayal of Mesoamerican culture, ‘Apocalypto’ has been directed by Mel Gibson. You can stream it here.
9. Troop Zero (2019)
Often, we need something uplifting to get us out of our loneliness. ‘Troop Zero’ does that pretty nicely. The film is inspired by Lucy Alibar’s 2010 play ‘Christmas and Jubilee Behold The Meteor Shower.’ Set in 1977, the film follows a young girl named Christmas Flint (Mckenna Grace) who dreams of space all the time. So when she gets the chance to send her voice to space via NASA’s Golden Record, she grabs the opportunity, which involves forming an elementary school scout team and obtaining one troop badge each. What the kids, who are misfits, undergo during the endeavors and how they have each other’s back make ‘Troop Zero’ an emotionally packed ride. And if you are interested in finding out whether Christmas gets to send her voice to space, you can stream ‘Troop Zero’ directed by Bert & Bertie (Amber Templemore-Finlayson and Katie Ellwood) here.
8. Air (2023)
Sometimes, all we need to take our mind off our loneliness is an interesting bite from the pages of history. ‘Air,’ directed by Ben Affleck, offers just that. It is a biographical drama that shows how Nike came up with the idea of its iconic Air Jordan shoes and changed the whole ballgame for the company and sports shoes in general. However, a lot of effort had to be undertaken before the company got permission to make the shoes, including obtaining permission from Michael Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan. All of the efforts were propelled to success by Sonny Vaccaro, who was Nike’s basketball talent scout during the 1980s. It was Vaccaro who realized the potential in MJ and decided to put all his strength into greenlighting the new shoes. Credit also goes to Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Who would have known back then that this decision would revolutionize the sports industry? ‘Air’ stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker and Viola Davis. You can stream it here.
7. Beautiful Boy (2018)
This biographical drama is based on not one but two memoirs, ‘Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction’ by David Sheff and ‘Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines’ by Nic Sheff. A father-son exploration, the film is a saddening take on drug addiction that results from loneliness. We follow Steve Carell’s David Sheff, whose divorce from his wife takes a huge toll on his teenage son Nic, played by Timothée Chalamet, who starts doing drugs. How Sheff navigates his relationship with Nic can help you patch things up with someone you know is struggling. This movie is not about your loneliness but how you can help someone who feels lonely. ‘Beautiful Boy’ can be streamed here.
6. The Big Sick (2017)
This Michael Showalter-directed rom-com showcases the real-life love story of comedian Kumail Nanjiani (’Eternals’) and his wife, Emily V. Gordon. The movie shows how Nanjiani chose to be beside Emily (played by Zoe Kazan) when she went into a medically-induced coma against his family’s wishes and tried to bond with Emily’s parents, all while trying to make it big in stand-up comedy. If you are feeling dejected and lonely, this film can give you a lot of strength, especially when the loneliness stems from trying times. What’s important is not to lose hope. ‘The Big Sick’ can be streamed here.
5. Manchester by the Sea (2016)
One of the most tragic movies in recent times, ‘Manchester by the Sea’ follows Casey Affleck’s Lee Chandler, a janitor in Boston, who has to take care of his 16-year-old nephew, Patrick, after the latter’s father, Joe (Lee’s older brother), passes away. This means he has to return to Manchester-by-the-Sea, a fishing village that has been home to his family for generations. However, for Lee, the place is nothing but a cauldron of traumatic memories, including the separation from his wife Randi (Michelle Williams). Revealing more would be to ruin it for you, but we assure you that Lee’s pain, underscored by depression, and the intimate way in which the film explores it make it a must-watch tragedy that is bound to help you cry your pain out. Because sometimes, crying serves best. Directed by Kenneth Lonergan, ‘Manchester by the Sea’ can be streamed here.
4. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
This documentary film is not a letter from a father to his son. It is a letter from a friend of the father, who is dead, to the latter’s infant son growing up with the woman, the father’s ex-lover, who is the one to kill him. Read that again. ‘Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father’ is directed by Kurt Kuenne, who lost his dear friend Andrew Bagby, who was shot to death by his twice-divorced ex-lover Shirley Turner on November 5, 2001. But when it was found out that Shirley was pregnant with Andrew’s child, Kurt decided to reach out to all those who loved Kurt, record what they had to say, as well as collect old footage, to make sure he could give the child a way to know his father. Zachary was born on July 18, 2002, and in November of the same year, Turner was arrested. Zachary’s custody was finally awarded to Kurt’s parents.
Unfortunately, Zachary was returned to Turner after her bail in January 2003. On August 18 of the same year, she jumped into the Atlantic Ocean with Zachary, killing both herself and the baby. The father and son are now gone, and all that remains is the film for us to watch, feel, and unite in the pain that the death of a loved one brings. There is no way around it. Sometimes, we just have to bear it until it hurts no more. One way to lower the pain is to talk to those left behind and cherish the memories. This is what we should take from ‘Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.’ It can be streamed here.
3. Honey Boy (2019)
A film that addresses generational trauma upfront, ‘Honey Boy’ is directed by Alma Har’el and written by Shia LaBeouf. It follows Otis Lort, played by Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, and Noah Jupe, during different stages of his life. A former child actor, Otis, is sent to rehab following a drunken fight with the police, and that is where we are exposed to his childhood trauma that resulted from an alcoholic father, the pressure of acting at a young age, and the eventual drug abuse. By showcasing how Otis deals with all the pain, the film acts like a therapy session for the viewers as they get to hear his pains and might as well share their pain with him, too. When we see someone sharing their pain, we have to share ours too. Perhaps pain connects us all more strongly than any other feeling. You can stream ‘Honey Boy’ here.
2. Where the Red Fern Grows (1974)
Based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Wilson Rawls, ‘Where the Red Fern Grows’ is for those who love dogs or pets in general and are missing them because either they are no more or are far away. A classic film, it follows twelve-year-old Billy Coleman (Stewart Petersen), who brings home two raccoon-hound puppies by doing multiple jobs and earning money. He names them Little Ann and Old Dan, and what follows is a story of love and loss that states clearly how nothing lasts forever. Loss is a part of life, and when all else fails, all we can do is cope with it. The wheel of time keeps spinning, the sun sets, and darkness prevails, but it is how we keep the candle burning and spread its light that matters. You are not alone because you have your memories, and through your memories, your loved ones remain with you forever. ‘Where the Red Fern Grows’ can be streamed here.
1. The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ showcases the unlikely friendship between Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a fisherman, and Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a guy with Down syndrome, who manages to escape from a state-run care facility to train as a wrestler under Salt Water Redneck who Zak considers his hero. As they set off on a journey to meet Salt Water Redneck at his wrestling school, we see how the two develop a bond. Sometimes, it is overwhelming happiness that hits the chord of pain within us, and tears roll down our eyes. No doubt, it helps ease the pain that’s inside us. Tyler and Zak’s friendship, underscored by how different yet how similar they are, makes ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ a true-to-form exploration of the strength of the human spirit, one that is perhaps the strongest artifact to exist of a higher dimension. ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ can be streamed here.
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