Escape Reality with a Good Movie

They say watching movies is an attempt to escape reality, and I agree – though with a bit of reservation. Filmmaking is an art; and art – at least for me and what I choose to believe – transcends reality. That’s the beauty of it: art not only reflect the concrete realities of life, but also explores its complex hypothetical side. And most of the time, it is this hypothetical realm that keeps us captivated as curiosity often tickles our imaginations.

Although some may find it contemptible, I’ll admit: I watch movies to escape reality – but into a much deeper or even greater reality. The reality of our inner life. To further illustrate, one of my favorite movies is the Korean film ‘Parasite’ which powerfully depicts the truth we often shy away from. And how this film was able to illustrate the truth about social inequality, class struggle, and complexity of human relationships is no doubt, a masterpiece of art. This is the deeper or greater ‘inner’ reality I want to escape to when watching movies.

What about cartoons or animated films? Oh, yes – I love them too. Remember in Big Hero 6, when Tadashi, the protagonist’s brother, works tirelessly on his project? Tadashi, an intellectually-gifted and hard-working guy, fails around eighty times before finally experiencing his eureka moment. And what does that teach us? Patience and perseverance. That no matter how many times life punches you in the gut, you keep going until you finish what you started. Oh, the Blue Eye Samurai? Teaches us that revenge does no good – it breaks friendships and ultimately leads to losing oneself in the process.

And finally, how could I forget The Wild Robot? It touches on something many of us struggle with—the feeling of not fitting in. It teaches us that tunneling our vision with respect to our goal and not letting others’ opinions deter us, we can achieve what we set out to do.

However, there are those who watch movies to actually escape reality – an escapist – and this is where things can start to go awry. Unfortunately, this is exactly what big movie industries capitalize on. Although there’s nothing wrong about enjoying a good film purely for entertainment every once in a while – as long as we keep our sense of moderation in check, we’ll be fine.

To seek high quality films, to watch with the intention to spectate a different kind of reality that adds depth to our perceptions – that’s my kind of escapism. So, yes – I escape reality with a good movie.

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