You’re probably over people telling you to explore the world through your screen (ahem, best virtual tours to explore the world) but what about the silver screen? It’s often in movies where people see the world outside their neighbourhood for the first time.

Hollywood may not always tell the truth, but fantasy is where the roots of exploration lie. It doesn't matter if a film is based on facts or fiction, as long as it tells a good story. So grab a snack, get cozy and drift away into one of these lands far, far away that will hopefully inspire your next adventure. 

One Week

 

There's no place like home, right? Ben Tyler (Joshua Jackson) is a good guy with a good job and a good, comfortable life until he gets a dire medical diagnosis and everything changes. Instead of starting treatment immediately, he buys a vintage motorcycle and takes it for a trip across Canada. This film takes us on a journey from Toronto to Tofino and on a personal quest to re-discover the meaning of life. 

Eat Pray Love

Based on the popular memoir of the same name, Eat Pray Love stars Julia Roberts as author Elizabeth Gilbert during one epic mid-life crisis. On the surface, it looks like Gilbert has everything: a marriage, a home, a successful career.

But looks aren't always what they seem, on the inside she is lost and confused about what she really wants. Post-divorce she decides to leave her life behind for a year to live in Italy, India and Bali. 

Lion

Pass the kleenex alert. This pull-on-your-heart-strings film is based on the incredible true story of a boy named Saroo (Dev Patel) who gets lost on a train that takes him thousands of miles from his home to Kolkata, India. Fast forward 26 years later, Saroo starts to remember the life he has forgotten. He sets out on a challenging mission to find his family and the place he once belonged to. 

Queen of Katwe

This biographical film depicts the life of Ugandan chess player Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga). Phiona's story begins in Katwe, the biggest slum in Uganda, where she lives with her family and works at a street market.

When Phiona is ten years old, she sees children playing chess at a local centre and becomes fascinated with the game. With the help of a coach, Phiona eventually becomes a top player who competes all over the world, accomplishing big things from her small start.  

Lost in Translation

Bill Murray is the hero we all need right now. This dramedy, written and directed by Sofia Coppola, follows American actor Bob (Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) along their stay in Tokyo after meeting in a hotel bar. Both aren't just lost in an unfamiliar place, they are disoriented and confused by their own lives and form an unlikely friendship... or maybe something more. 

Wild

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is a memoir by American writer Cheryl Strayed which details her 1,100-mile solo hike and the life that led her there. The movie stars Reese Witherspoon as Strayed and takes us through her internal journey and physically demanding trek (seriously, the biggest backpack ever) that both breaks and heals her.  

Call me by Your Name

Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) is having a perfectly fine summer vacationing at his family's villa in Northern Italy, until Oliver (Armie Hammer) shows up and changes everything. At first, it seems like Elio is annoyed by Oliver's sheer existence and Oliver indifferent to Elio's.

The two eventually fall for each other and must keep their relationship secret, even denying it from themselves at times. It's a touching, coming-of-age story about the magic and turmoil of first love. 

Crazy Rich Asians

Cry of laughter during this rom-com based on the best-selling book series. Rachel (Constance Wu) travels to Singapore to meet her long-term boyfriend Nick's (Henry Golding) family for the first time, only to discover that they're... well, crazy rich.

Money can't buy you happiness, but it can certainly buy you nice things and complicate your personal relationships. Rachel tries to fit in but ends up standing out and questions her future with Nick.