We’ve had the Hobbit fever for New Zealand, and the Walter Mitty effect for flocking to Iceland, but which other stories inspire you to get up and go?
We’ve compiled a list of films with cinematography to create a whole new level of wanderlust this year – from the brand new to the classics.
Five films to send you packing:
1. Point Break
Set in: lots of places
Set to release later this year, Point Break will be an exciting remake of the original thriller surf epic starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Australia, Italy, Switzerland, France, Mexico, Venezuela, French Polynesia and India in place of California all make up the stunning filming locations of this detective flick, complete with idyllic beaches and crashing waves.
2. The Darjeeling Limited
Set in: India
Three years after their father’s death, three brothers re-connect in a spiritual journey of self-actualisation across India. On a long-haul train ride, we join them on the carriage, offering a snapshot of what riding the rails in this incredible country is actually like whilst they re-build their relationships, get us giggling and have us wiping away some tears, too.
3. Wild
Set in: the USA
We’ve been well, wild about wild for a while now. In this movie adaptation of a written real life memoir, Reese Witherspoon plays Cheryl Strayed, a woman who hikes the Pacific Crest Trail in the USA hoping to find a way to come to terms with her mother’s death, her experimentation with heroin and her divorce. You can enjoy some of the film’s stunning locations without a year’s strenuous hiking preparation: stay at Portland for a comfortable, relaxed and creative city environment from which to pen your adventures and journey of self-discovery.
4. Slow West
Set in: Scotland & New Zealand
Released in May of this year, this is a must-see mixture of a road movie with fairytale inflections and a good dose of love through its narrative. Set in 19th century Colorado (actually 21st century New Zealand) main character James Cavendish, a 16 year old Scot searching for his lost love joins world weary guide Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender) to help him on a dangerous journey across stunning panoramic scenery – pursued by an outlaw.
5. Lost in Translation
Set in: Tokyo
An ageing movie star fading from the spotlight (Bill Murray) and the bored wife of a photographer (Scarlett Johansson) cross paths in Tokyo and form an unlikely friendship which takes them through this curious city filled with millions of people, feelings of alienation and cultural encounters together. Not only is it beautifully shot; it perfectly demonstrates how travelling in a new place can be isolating, funny and interesting simultaneously.
Continue to let fiction inform your next great adventure with our Greater than Fiction hostels, our top travel reads and our hostels in inspiring film locations.
