17 Movies to watch if you want to zone out from reality.

Today’s life is fast-paced and hectic. Most people are reeling under stress from work, life, and relationships. Amidst all this, movies offer an escape from the dreadful reality. Sometimes, even movies can get quite heavy due to their subject matter. Therefore, here are 17 movies that one can watch to escape reality as they have humor, immersive worlds, and quirky plots.

1. Paprika

Directed by Satoshi Kon, this Japanese surrealistic and sci-fi thriller is an acclaimed animated classic. The movie is based on a novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui and revolves around a dream terrorist who causes nightmares, a research psychologist, and a dream detective, who must catch him. The film is a visual feast and has trippy imagery and a plotline. It is the anime that inspired Inception and is a dream-hopping adventure.

2. A Christmas Prince

Starring Ben Lamb and Rose McIver, this Christmas romantic comedy is directed by Alex Zamm and revolves around a blogger who ends up meeting a prince, falling in love, and marrying into a royal family. The movie is sweet, light-hearted, and whimsical. Far-fetched and full of romantic and Christmas vibes, this is the perfect movie to switch off your brain and disconnect from reality.

3. Enter the Void

Directed by Gaspar Noe and starring Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, and others, this art movie centers around an American drug dealer who is shot by the police in Tokyo but continues to watch events through an out-of-body experience. Set amidst neon-lit nightclubs and streets of Tokyo, this movie is akin to a psychedelic trip and has themes of life, death, and beyond.

4. Bridesmaids

Starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and others, this comedy movie directed by Paul Feig, is about a woman who has an unfulfilling career and love life. But when she is asked to be the maid of honor to her best friend, she decides to make it a grand event, while facing all sorts of troubles. The laugh-out-loud movie will leave in splits and is the perfect movie to escape reality.

5. Everything Everywhere All at Once

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, this absurdist comedy-drama stars Michelle Yeoh and revolves around a Chinese-American immigrant who must save the universe from being destroyed by a powerful being by connecting with different versions of herself. The film has various genres like sci-fi, surrealism, martial arts, and animation. As the title suggests, it is all about chaos, action, and multiverse madness.

6. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Based on a short story by James Thurber, this adventure comedy-drama is directed by and features Ben Stiller. The movie revolves around a chronic daydreamer who comes up with fantastical scenarios to escape his dull life. When his job is in danger, he must set out on a real-world adventure. The film blends action, animation, and fantasy, and is all about daydreaming your way into an adventure.

7. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, and others. The sci-fi film is about a young boy, Elliott (Thomas), who comes across a friendly alien, named ET, who has lost his way home. Elliott and his friends decide that ET must be sent back home. Heartwarming and one of the few movies that shows aliens in a positive light, this one will evoke all the nostalgia and whisk you away from reality.

8. Interstellar

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and others, this sci-fi drama directed by Christopher Nolan, is about a group of astronauts who must travel across multi-dimensional space, to find a habitable world after the Earth is rapidly decaying. The film is known for its expansive, stellar visuals of space, otherworldly planets, and a pulse-pounding background score. This one blends space, time, and emotions on an epic scale.

9. Alice in Wonderland

Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, and others, this dark fantasy adventure movie is a live-action adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s stories. The film follows a young girl, Alice (Mia), who falls down a rabbit hole and enters the magical world of Wonderland. Full of detailed scenery and fantastical creatures, the movie is about Alice’s adventures in the kingdom and is a trippy classic.

10. Inception

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, and others, this sci-fi action heist movie directed by Christopher Nolan is about a group of thieves who are assigned to steal information from a wealthy individual by infiltrating his subconscious. The acclaimed film has multiple layers of dream worlds and is the perfect mix of sci-fi, action, and complexity. It is a great option for zoning out of reality.

11. Step Up

Directed by Anne Fletcher and starring Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum, this teen romantic dance drama revolves around a financially weak Tyler (Tatum) and a wealthy Nora (Dewan), who are expert dancers. When they are paired together for a competition, they must set aside all their differences and give it their all. The movie has scintillating dance moves, and a beautiful romance, and is perfect for escaping from reality.

12. Spirited Away

One of the most famous animes from Japan, this fantasy movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is about a girl who must save her parents after they are turned into pigs by a witch. She must enter the world of kami, which is the Japanese spiritual and folklore world. The movie is full of otherworldly visuals from start to finish and will take the viewers on a fantastic ride. It is therefore the perfect movie to get whisked into a magical realm.

13. The Princess Bride

Directed by Rob Reiner and based on a novel by William Goldman, this fantasy adventure comedy stars Cary Elwes, and Robin Wright, and is presented in a style where a grandfather reads a fairytale story to his sick grandson about a handsome farmer saving a princess. The movie is a comfort film and is full of good-natured humor, and simple action, and has a timeless appeal.

14. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, and others, this comedy-drama directed by Wes Anderson is about a famed concierge at a mountainside resort, who is framed for murder. As he tries to clear his name, he must also embark on a quest for a priceless painting with the help of a lobby boy. The movie has the signature Wes Anderson style, which blends symmetrical cinematography with a quirky premise to transport its viewers.

15. Julie and Julia

Directed by Nora Ephron and starring Meryl Streep, this biographical comedy-drama revolves around the early life of chef Julia Child (Streep), with the life of a young woman in New York, Julie (Amy Adams), who is determined to cook all of Child’s recipes. Even though the movie is based on a real-life story, it is best for an escape as it has warmth, coziness, delicious food, and laughter.

16. The Fountain

Starring Rachel Weisz, Hugh Jackman, and others, this epic sci-fi romantic drama directed by Darren Aronofsky, presents three stories that are connected through love and the quest of a man to escape a bitter fate. Blending fantasy, history, and sci-fi, this mind-bending movie has themes of immortality and takes the viewers across an immersive universal journey. It is hypnotic and nonlinear.

17. Madagascar

Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, and others, this animated comedy is about a group of animals at the Central Park Zoo in New York City, who get transported to Madagascar and must find a way to return home, while trying to adjust to the wild. The movie is a great escape from reality as it has a nonsensical plot and plenty of humor.