Art of Escapism: what we’re watching during lockdown

Solutions to your quarantine monotony.

There used to be a guilty pleasure in staying at home and zoning out on the sofa. But with increasingly large numbers of us stuck at home, we’re finding ourselves desperate for escapism and entertainment. So, once again we asked our Travel Experts to share their isolation distractions. Aside from baking, that is.

This, of course, is our third such list. You can find the second here.

The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)

Drenched in radiant, golden light, this pean to the Italian coast from Anthony Minghella is — properly speaking — a psychological thriller. But with incredibly fun performances from the likes of Jude Law, Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Philip Seymour Hoffman, you can easily just get lost in the drama and the destination.

Aguirre (1972)

Here, Klaus Kinski is at its extravagant, bug-eyed best. Telling the story of an ill-fated expedition of a group of conquistadores in the Amazon, the production history of the film is perhaps more notorious than the flick itself. Either way, it is a marvel – at once bold, beautiful and bizarre.

Withnail & I (1987)

‘We’ve gone on holiday by mistake!’ An iconic, infinitely quotable and — we think — deeply emotive and lyrical story about two struggling actors in 1960s England. Richard E. Grant is at a career-defining best

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Two drag performers and a trans woman travel across the Australian outback to Alice Springs, riding a lavender-hued bus named Priscilla. This is a true cult classic, and perhaps the ultimate – albeit unexpected – road movie

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013 – 2018, Amazon Prime)

Before his untimely death in 2018, this award-winning, eye-opening show saw chef and deep thinker Anthony Bourdain around the world in a series of culinary adventures that broke the mould of what a cooking show could be. Moody, acerbic, thoughtful and delicious, it is a stone-cold classic – and absolutely unmissable.

Ugly Delicious (2018 -, Netflix)

Hungry? Fill yourself on this infinitely watchable Netflix series following award-winning chef David Chang as he journeys to culinary hotspots around the world. Joined by writers, activists, artists and other sheds, this is a food show that goes beyond the meal to break down cultural barriers and even the odd misunderstanding.

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