5 Great Films To Watch While Hungover
List by Aaron Haughton
There are few things in life worse than a hangover, and even fewer things that really assuage its crippling effects. Thankfully — at least if you're like me — movies are one of those things that help dull that dreaded hangover pain (and, well...just about any pain really). If it's background noise you need, you can put on just about anything, but I'm convinced that a few select films can sincerely help ease you out of your hangover woes, in conjunction with a boatload of H2O too, of course. Grab your favorite blanket and any electrolytes you can find, and curl up into the fetal position with one of these great films.
- Tideland
Take a vacation with this bizarre and hallucinatory tale from the inventive mind of Terry Gilliam. It's the perfect match for a deathly hangover fever dream with its melancholic vibe and cartoony and Kafka-esque moments. It's an under-appreciated gem from Gilliam's esteemed catalog, and while it's not his best, it certainly deserves to be seen. Oddly enough, a hangover is suitable time to give this film a day in court.
- Tree of Life
Terrance Malick's astounding visual meditation on human existence is a gorgeous and heavenly dose of medicine for your hangover. The cinematography is stunning and should stifle that throbbing head. The score is composed of soothing classical melodies to help lull you to sleep. It will also help guide you in your own contemplation of existence.
- Waking Life
Waking Life is another underrated gem. It's a great hangover film because you can fall in out of consciousness and still keep in line with the film. Essentially, it's just a collection of small and mostly unconnected vignettes that revolve around philosophy, the nature of reality, and the meaning of life, amongst other things. The rotoscoped animation also give you the visual eye candy you need to properly veg out.
- Heat
Michael Mann's 1995 epic Heat is the perfect accompaniment to your hangover. For one, it's three hours long, so you don't have to worry about fiddling with the TV. Depending on where in your hangover stage you put it on, you could literally be feeling human again by the time it reaches its end. The cinematography is washed in blue to make how you feel, and the score is extremely soothing, bordering on the ethereal rather than orchestral.
- Heart of Glass
Werner Herzog's spellbinding fable could also cast a numbing spell on that headache. To achieve this hauntingly hypnotic film, Herzog quite literally placed his actors into a trance. The natural exteriors are sweeping and breathtaking. As the townspeople begin their decent into madness over the loss of the formula for their famed red-ruby glass, so too are you in your own maddening hell.
Honorable Mention:
- Blade Runner: It's got a slow story without a whole heap of dialogue, which is perfect from your slow moving mind, a great synth score that washes over your aching body, and stunning visuals for you to bask in.
- Dawn of the Dead: You're already feeling like a zombie. Instead of brains, you're fiending for greasy food or gatorade. You won't spill any blood, but you might spew last night's hor d'oeuvres into the porcelain bowl.
That's our list! What film raises you out of your hangover? Were there any filmic doses of medication that we missed? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!