Elite Flicks For Getting You Out of a Mood

Times are tough, so here are some of my favorite escapes

Admit it, you were jealous. (20th Century Fox)

The strange days we find ourselves in presently are pretty wild/bleak, and I’ll freely admit to frequently withdrawing from the discourse as a mental health strategy. One of the tools that I use for this is movies, which allow a temporary escape from the myriad stressors of the moment.

While I don’t claim to have particularly refined or special taste in films—I’m not a critic or influencer—I still feel comfortable offering y’all a reliable stable of flicks that I’ve used to effectively transport myself to a different (perhaps even better) time and place. (No, this list isn’t full of mindless, romantic escapism, but there are still a couple of fanciful choices.)

So, grab some popcorn, a glass of wine, and get comfortable. Here we go.

Bowie’s home stadium. (Photo: Gramercy Pictures)

Dazed and Confused: This Rick Linklater classic drops viewers right into May of 1976, enveloping the audience in the sights, sounds, and even smells that defined a unique moment in time. Loosely but deftly jumping from one plot line to another and never in a hurry, this masterstroke makes you feel as if you’re a part of Pink, Benny, Slater, and Don’s crew for a few hours, and it’s nothing short of magical. While some of it hasn’t aged quite as well as the rest, it’s a lovingly crafted and sneakily sentimental tribute to a wildly different era. The fact that you can spot so many Austin locations is just gravy. Rediscover this feel good classic all over again.