By Muskan
For the moments when the urge to travel strikes with a bleak option to do so, travel movies will be your saviour. The joy of seeing breathtaking adventures, thrilling stories of discoveries on screen are going to be these films which transport you to far-flung destinations, fueling your adventurous spirits.
1. Eat Pray Love (2010)
Followed by an unhappy marriage culminating into divorce, this movie explores the themes of self- discovery, healing and quest for happiness. Directed by Ryan Murphy, the movie portrays three aspects of Elizabeth Gilbert’s new life (played by Julia Roberts). The scenes and landscapes are captured as she navigates herself and her experiences, savouring new delicacies, spiritual healing and falling in love from Italy, India and Indonesia, respectively.
Where to Watch: Netflix
2. Before Sunrise (1995)
Directed by Richard Linklater, Before Sunrise is a romance-drama. It is the story of two strangers Jesse Walace (played by Ethan Hawke) and Celine (played by Julie Delpy) who meet on a train travelling through Europe. They go on to spend one and only night together in Vienna before parting ways woven into an intricately deep connection. This movie is followed by two sequels, Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013).
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
3. The Bucket List (2007)
This is a comedy-drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Two very different but terminally ill men, Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman), share a hospital room bonding with each other. The film portrays their escape from the hospital embarking on a road trip kicking items off their ‘bucket list’, experiencing life to the fullest before they die.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
4. Into the Wild (2007)
Into the Wild is based on the book of the same name written by Jon Krakauer. This movie portrays the themes of individualism, nature, wilderness and solitude. Directed by Sean Penn, this is the story of a student Christopher McCandless (played by Emile Hirsch) who abandons his conventional life and savings, donating them to charity to live in the wild. His encounters with different people throughout his expedition shape his philosophies, followed by his experience of the harsh realities of wilderness.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
5. Tracks
Tracks is based on the true story, as documented by Robyn Davidson, in a memoir with the same name. The film stars Mia Wasikowska as Robyn Davidson through the cinematic lens of her 1,700-mile solo trek, from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean, across the Australian desert with her dog and four camels. This is a story of determination, survival and resilience with various changing themes and landscapes.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
6. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Upon arriving in Tuscany, Italy as a gift from her friends after her heartbreaking and traumatic divorce, Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) buys a tattered villa called Bramasole. Directed by Audrey Wells, this movie offers a beautiful portrayal of the Tuscan landscape. The themes of self-discovery and accepting change with hope this movie is a must watch.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
7. Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Directed by Ben Stiller, this adventure comedy drama is a story of Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller himself) who escapes his mundane negative reality by envisioning heroic tales and fantasies centring himself. Upon being assigned a task of finding a cover photo called “quintessence of life”, Walter embarks on a journey to various exotic and dangerous locations, including Greenland, Iceland, and the Himalayas, testing and discovering his own potential.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
8. Lion (2016)
The movie is based on the book called ‘A Long Way Home’ written by Larry Buttrose and Saroo Brierley. Based on a true story, directed by Garth Davis, is a biographical account of Saroo Brierley’s life. In the movie, a child (played by Sunny Pawar) becomes lost on a train and is eventually adopted by an Australian couple, Sue and John Brierley (played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). As a grownup (played by Dev Patel) he sets on a journey to India seeking to find his family with whatever memories he has then.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
9. On the Road (2012)
The drama film directed by Walter Salles depicts the story of Sal Paradise (Sam Riley) and his friend Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund). The movie revolves around their cross-country trip, which takes them from New York to San Francisco as they explore different landscapes, cultural and social contexts packed in as adventure.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
10. The Way (2010)
Directed by Emilio Estevez, the drama film is a story about determination and overcoming grief. The story is of Tom Avery (Martin Sheen), whose son Daniel (Emilio Estevez) dies in a tragic incident while on a pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago, in Spain. In his honour, his father Tom decides to reflect on their father-son relationship and decides to complete the pilgrimage. As Tom discovers the stories of his fellow travellers, he finds closure.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
