10 Movies That Master The Art And Beauty Of Isolation

10. All Is Lost (2013)

'All Is Lost' is a one-man show, starring Robert Redford in the lead role of a yacht sailor who crashes alone in the midst of the Indian Ocean. With the character barely speaking, the entire movie relies on visual storytelling as a man struggles with the elements with calmness and methodical precision. An enormous, deep blue vastness of the ocean appears frighteningly gigantic. But at the same time, it is peaceful and indeed makes the process of survival very poetic.

9. The Red Turtle (2016)

'The Red Turtle' is an animated movie telling the entire story of a man surviving a shipwreck on a deserted island inhabited only by turtles, crabs, and birds. Featuring minimalistic, watercolor-like landscapes that beautifully capture the magnificence of nature, the total lack of spoken words encourages focusing intently on ambient sounds. These include the sounds of the blowing wind, breaking waves, and rustling bamboo forest. It is a truly spiritual, reflective take on the age-old theme of solitude and our connection to the earth.

8. Cast Away (2000)

While the tragic love affair with an inanimate volleyball, Wilson, touched many viewers, it is the silence of the long middle part of this movie that is worth mentioning. It was Tom Hanks' incredible acting ability that made it possible to cope with the crushing silence of a four-year long isolation on a desolate Pacific island. The loud ticking of mechanical clocks he used to enjoy gets substituted by crashing waves as the island scenery proves to be the perfect place for a spiritual cleansing of mind and soul.

7. Nomadland (2020)

'Nomadland' is a sweeping, sun-drenched tale told by Chloé Zhao. It follows a woman who left behind everything she had in life after losing her family in the Great Recession. It is about her decision to hit the road, traveling across the American badlands, endless deserts, and rocky canyons in search of new perspectives on life. This film portrays a solitary life not as a tragedy, but as an expression of dignified, radical self-reliance.

6. First Reformed (2017)

A great deal of tension and spirituality combined with a strict, minimalist environment create a terrific movie by Paul Schrader. It tells the story of a lonely pastor suffering an intense crisis of faith in a cold church in New York. Featuring a narrow, square screen size and muted colors, the film depicts the isolated living space of a person, with the help of which their inner anxieties get amplified. This movie is a terrific example of how a silent and lonely surrounding can have a tremendous impact on the mind of a person.

5. Moon (2009)

An excellent indie sci-fi by Duncan Jones that tells the story of an astronaut who is approaching the end of his three years of solitude in a remote area of the moon. Being totally isolated inside a technologically advanced lunar base and having only artificial intelligence for companionship, he suddenly discovers something disturbing that ruins his peaceful life. A wonderful combination of clinical interiors and vast silent spaces of the moon created an atmosphere of melancholic despair that was handled brilliantly.

4. Into the Wild (2007)

'Into the Wild' is another impressive biographical drama by Sean Penn that tells the story of a top student. He leaves his rich life behind and decides to explore the nature of America's wildlands, hitching a ride to Alaska. In his quest to live freely, he breaks his credit cards, gives away the rest of his money to charity, and goes to survive in nature, which is shown magnificently in this movie. The isolated "Magic Bus" became a symbol of a beautiful cathedral of self-discovery.

3. The Lighthouse (2019)

The two lighthouse keepers totally isolating themselves in a dark environment in Robert Eggers' marvelous film. Completely secluded from the rest of civilization because of a persistent storm, they start to lose their minds in the course of time. Thanks to the peculiar cinematographic technique of shooting the movie in a narrow vintage aspect ratio, the surroundings of these people seemed like a true prison where the men were imprisoned among alcohol, sea salt, and insanity.

2. Solaris (1972)

'Solaris' is one of the greatest cinematic works by Andrei Tarkovsky. It depicts a tale of a psychologist sent to an abandoned oceanic space station to solve the case of the emotional crises among the crew. As it appeared later, this planet served as an intelligent being, turning the worst fears of these men into physical human forms. It was done in order to make them confront their painful memories. An extremely deep and philosophical take on outer space and the human psyche.

1. The Turin Horse (2011)

'The Turin Horse' is undoubtedly the greatest cinematic achievement by Béla Tarr, depicting apocalyptic isolation. For six consecutive days, a farmer and his daughter lived a miserable life in their tiny stone cottage surrounded by a terrible windstorm. The entire plot of the film was comprised only of thirty scenes shot in a hypnotic manner as if the repetitive activities of these people such as boiling a potato, cleaning, among others, turned into a work of art.