First of all, let me admit that I am officially tired of what we are going through right now: locked down in one place, interacting with talking heads on screens most of the day. Of late, I have been taking ‘sanity breaks’ to clear my head and maintain positivity. Boy, how I miss travel right now! Sifting through the net to discover the best travel movies on Netflix seems to be the only option we have to see our beautiful world that is currently flip-flopping between covid-induced ‘triple lockdowns’ and ‘relaxed lockdowns’.
I am looking for some road travel movies or wanderlust movies. What are some of the best travel-themed movies you would recommend on platforms like Amazon Prime, Youtube, Netflix, or other popular OTT platforms? Please let me know so that I can binge-watch on the weekends. Here are some of the best travel shows I have watched (or re-watched) lately:
1. Somebody Feed Phil:
Available on Netflix, this show combines four aspects I love – travel, food, humour and great camera work – to create an amazing show that keeps you engaged and happy. Anchored by Philip Rosenthal – best known as being the creator of the long-running sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond”, this series is a must-watch for all travel enthusiasts.
Warning: Don’t watch this if you are on a diet.
2. Expedition Happiness:
Two free-spirited humans and one dog attempt an epic road trip, travelling across North America in a refurbished school bus.
It is made for the ‘van life’ aspirants. So relax and enjoy the ride.
3. The Bucket List:
This is one I revisited. It is a lovely movie about two terminally ill men left with very little time to live who decide to explore life and make a bucket list comprising all the things they have never tried before.
Starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, this lovely little film is worth another watch in these trying times.
4. Chef:
Chef is a 2014 comedy-drama film that revolves around a chef who lost his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant and began operating a food truck with his young son.
If you are having a bad day, this is one film that can get your spirits up.
5. Into the Wild:
A 2007 biographical adventure drama film written and directed by Sean Penn, it is an adaptation of the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name written by Jon Krakauer. It is about a boy who becomes disenchanted with modern society and rejects his conventional life to experience life in the wilderness.
Warning: The ending may put you in a sad state of mind.
6. Eat Pray Love:
A 2010 biographical romantic drama film starring Julia Roberts, based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir.
This portrays the story of Elizabeth – a modern woman living a good life, yet lost and confused about what she wants – stepping out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery.
7. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (Hindi):
Directed by Zoya Akhtar, this is a lovely Hindi movie filmed in Spain, India, Egypt, and the United Kingdom.
The story follows three childhood friends who reunite for a three-week road trip. This one is sure to put you in a good mood.
8. Dil Chahta Hai (Hindi):
This is one of my all-time favourite movies.
The story revolves around three friends who have just graduated from college and take a trip to Goa to celebrate.
This one will surely make you fall in love with Goa.
9. Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi (Malayalam):
Kind of Kerala’s ‘Motorcycle Diaries’.
A travel movie inspired by the book Long Way Down has since developed a cult following among the youth of Kerala. The film revolves around two friends who go on a road trip from Kerala to Nagaland. This will feature in the Best travel movies Malayalam list as well.
10. North 24 Kaatham (Malayalam):
This is a 2013 Malayalam road movie written and directed by Anil Radhakrishnan Menon.
The film tracks the journey of Harikrishnan (played by one of the most popular actors in Kerala today – Fahadh Faasil) and how it helps him overcomes various trying situations in life, including Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCD).
So there. Those were some of the beautiful travel-themed movies and shows I watched and re-watched during this lockdown. What are yours?
Note: Movie poster images courtesy wikipedia.org and themoviedb.org. Title image courtesy https://unsplash.com/@joshuaearle