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One of the classic story archetypes is man vs. nature. It’s a person taking on the elements, taking on the world. These stories play on our inability to control nature and bend it to our whim. For this week’s movie recommendations, I have turned to HBO Max for three stories of man doing battle with nature.
First up, let’s start with a classic. I’m talking about Jaws. I don’t love it, but I can admire it. I love like half of it. Basically once they get on the boat it becomes a fantastic three-hander. Jaws was directed by a young Steven Spielberg and basically invented the summer blockbuster. Summer may be ending, but you can get one last taste of it here.
Then, let’s remove the “monster” from the equation. Give Cast Away a watch. Well, only if you like Tom Hanks, because it’s a lot of Tom Hanks, and a little of a volleyball. This movie is sort of an inverse of Jaws, in that it sort of peters out down the stretch. Still, it’s maybe the best deserted island movie ever made.
Lastly, close the evening with Little Shop of Horrors. Hey, it’s about a plant! Sure, it’s a talking, carnivorous plant and not exactly “natural.” It still counts, and it’s a fun movie to watch late in the evening. I’m talking about the musical from the ‘80s starring Rick Moranis, mind you. Not the original Roger Corman production. You can watch that if you want, but the ‘80s horror comedy version with the singing plant is a better choice. Even if it doesn’t feature a small role for a young Jack Nicholson.
Usually I only do three recommendations, but if you are up late and want a fourth movie, I will also throw in Crawl, which isn’t on HBO Max (you can find it on Amazon Prime) but is a solid, slim horror movie involving gators.
