Fantasy is perhaps the most popular genre in storytelling because audiences love being taken to other worlds that are different from theirs. However, what if the fantasy world wasn't Narnia or a Galaxy Far, Far Away but one that resembled their very own world?
Alternate reality movies can be some of the most creative, thought-provoking types of filmmaking. It puts audiences in a world that looks like there's but just quite isn't, for the purpose to get a message across or just purely for entertainment value. Ultimately, some of these alternate worlds help audiences open their eyes more to the one they actually inhabit.
Pleasantville
Reese Witherspoon Pleasantville. David and his sister get transported into the black and white world of the TV show and end up turning it upside down.
While in Pleasantville, they realize nothing burns, there's no crime, and there are only two streets. More importantly, their presence brings change and color enters the world. What follows is a fight between those who want to preserve the norms and those who have a new desire to awaken who they are and discover what's beyond Pleasantville. Pleasantville depicts a utopia promoted by 1950's social repression which ultimately gives way to freedom and enlightenment. Released to poor box-office but great reviews, the film has become something of an audience favorite.
The Family Man
The Family Man stars Nicholas Cage as Jack, a wealthy, single businessman who is given a glimpse of what his life would have been like if he had married his college girlfriend. Taking its cues from It's A Wonderful Life, he wakes up one morning and finds himself married with two children and living the family life while working as a tire salesman in New Jersey.
Jack tries to merge his old life and his family life together and ultimately realizes he can't have both and that his new family life means more to him. The movie received mixed reviews from critics who found it too sentimental and derivative of other movies, but audiences have come to add it to their Christmas movie viewing.
The Invention Of Lying
Comedian Rickey Gervais writes, directs, and stars in The Invention Of Lying as Mark, a screenwriter in a world where everyone tells the truth and he becomes the first person to lie. As a screenwriter, he can only write historical movies because there is no fiction, however, he begins writing alternative history that people believe to be the truth which makes him successful and he uses his ability to lie to help others.
Eventually, his lying introduces the concept of the afterlife and God, which ultimately causes trouble. The film featured a star-studded cast that included Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, and more. However, reviews were mixed and it failed to make a dent at the box office.
Bright
In police officer Daryl (Will Smith) gets partnered up with the nation's first orc cop in a world where magic exists but is illegal. The clever premise was directed by David Ayer, whose past work includes realistic cop dramas like Training Day and End Of Watch. With Bright, he brings the same urban intensity, even touching on racism and police corruption.
The Los Angeles of Bright's world looks like it does in Ayer's other cop dramas but the touch of fantasy makes it truly unique. While Bright received largely negative reviews, this Netflix-produced movie would become one of their most-streamed movies and now a sequel is in development.
Mr. Destiny
In Mr. Destiny, essentially the opposite of The Family Man happens. Jim Belushi's character, Larry, believes that his life went gone downhill ever since he struck out on the last pitch of a key high school baseball game when he was 15 years old. After wishing things were different, his guardian angel (Michael Caine) grants him his wish and Larry wakes up to discover that he never struck out and became a success in life.
He finds he's rich and married to the boss' daughter, however, he begins to miss his real wife and friends. The movie was neither a commercial nor a critical hit and has seemed to have faded into obscurity.
Last Action Hero
Last Action Hero concerns a boy named Danny who's obsessed with movies and spends his days escaping his reality by going to the movies. When checking out the new Arnold Schwarzenegger flick, a magic ticket transports him into the world of the movie itself.
Now teamed up with the movie's hero, Jack Slater, Danny discovers a world where guns never run out of bullets, wounds are never that deep and all the phone numbers begin with 555. When he returns to his own world with Slater, the action hero quickly realizes the real world is a lot tougher than his own. The movie was an infamous flop when released up against Jurassic Park but it has gained a following over the years.
Yesterday
Yesterday imagines a horrible reality: what if The Beatles never existed? Danny Boyle directs and Himesh Patel stars as a struggling musician named Jack who, after an accident, realizes he's the only one who re The Beatles. However, since he re their songs, he decides to use them to his advantage by ing them off as his own and, in doing so, becomes famous.
Yesterday has a very clever premise and is quite touching, most notably in a scene where Jack visits the still-living John Lennon and learns what's really important in life. The movie received mixed reviews as critics felt that, while the premise was ingenious, The Beatles' songs are a product of their time and doubted their song's success in today's world.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Based on the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, the movie takes place in an alternate 1947 Hollywood where cartoons and humans co-exist. Notably, cartoons from Warner Bros. and Disney live side-by-side and in one historic moment, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse share the same frame.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the story concerns Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a detective who must help clear the name of framed cartoon, Roger Rabbit. The movie became an instant classic and was lauded for its innovative special effects that put humans and cartoons together in the same world.
Red Dawn
At the height of the Cold War, Red Dawn imagines an alternate 1980s where World War III is on the horizon and Soviet soldiers invade the U.S, but in one small town, a few brave teenagers, including Charlie Sheen and Patrick Swayze, decide to fight back.
Directed with patriotic gusto by Conan The Barbarian's John Milius, Red Dawn has become an '80s classic and an example of Cold War hysteria. In 2012, a remake starring Chris Hemsworth was released featuring North Korean invaders but it didn't have the cultural impact the original did.
It's A Wonderful Life
It's A Wonderful Life posits the question: what would life be like if you were never born? It's an extremely profound question and it's left viewers coming back each holiday season to experience what George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) realizes. The first hour and a half of the film is devoted to learning who George is and the sacrifices he makes for his town and his family. However, life comes crashing down for him.
But, in a Twilight Zone type-twist, he's shown what life would be like if he were never born. He discovers the great effect he had on, not just people, but his town as well. The lack of him in the lives of those he cares about causes horrible things and unhappiness. It's a life-affirming lesson every viewer can take to heart whenever they're feeling down about themselves. Despite everything, you really do have a wonderful life.
