by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
We all have that feeling. You know the one: You finish watching a movie and something about it hits you in just the right spot.
Whether it was the theme, the story, or even the characters, there was a quality about it that almost makes you want to turn around and go back a second, third, or even fourth time!
Bar the reality of living in the movie theater for the rest of your days, you turn to the rest of pop culture and start to look for other avenues where you can find that same feeling.
Well I’m here to make this plight easier for all. Each month, I take a piece of pop culture that was prevalent in the social consciousness — whether it is a movie, TV show, or something else — and then recommend other forms of media for those who want to stay in that world a little bit longer.
Welcome to your One Stop Pop, internet!
Sometimes something comes across streaming that actually manages to grab hold of the general pop culture crowd and create a frenzy of fandom, interest, and intrigue, even when the reviews are middling at best.
That’s what The Gorge managed to do in February. Released on the day of love — February 14 — this movie is about two special-force operatives who fall for each other across a giant pit of certain death. The movie manages to hit every romantic right in the heart, while alighting curiosity in every thrill-seeker. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller, the edits across social media have gone wild, both in the badassery of the characters, and toward their doomed romance. Therefore, it only makes sense for us to explore this a little further, and see where people can get their fix a little bit more for this sort of thing…
Book: You & Me at the End of the World by Brianna Bourne
It always makes sense to begin with the literary version of whatever film or television show we’re looking at, so to happen upon a book literally about people finding each other at the end of the world makes sense, no?
Brianna Bourne’s young adult science fiction/romance novel follows Hannah Ashton as she wakes up to an empty world — well, empty except for Leo Sterling, it seems. As they navigate a city without parents, friends, or rules, they start to shed the roles they were once trapped in, discovering unexpected sides of themselves, and each other. But their strange new reality isn’t as harmless as it seems, and if they don’t uncover the truth, they may lose more than just their old lives.
This one is a classic slow-burn romance with a little something extra. Yes, the couple is definitely at the center of the story, just as it is at the centre of The Gorge, but that doesn’t mean the excitement isn’t extremely prominent across the board. Like with any good apocalypse/dystopian novel, there’s a conspiracy to uncover, and secrets to be revealed, both within the relationship focus, and the wider world consequence.
TV Show: Falling Skies
Now, beginning to veer away from the romance, and more toward otherworldly creatures, we take a look at one of the more underrated sci-fi gems of the television world.
Falling Skies had a successful run back in the early 2010s, telling the story of a few survivors who banded together six months after a devastating alien invasion. The world lies in ruins, citizen soldiers defend their communities, and wage a desperate insurgency, resulting in every day being a battle for survival against the occupying force.
The big point of difference here is the focus on humanity that often gets lost in the excitement of alien apocalypse stories. At the end of the day, a good dystopia is one that focuses on the people, and less on the crazy, world-altering scenarios happening around them. It’s how one is able to relate to what’s happening on screen, and grow to care for these unimaginable stakes.
With 52 episodes across five seasons, there’s plenty to hook any lover of depressing yet exciting sci-fi, as well as there also being enough to compel those interested in the rise, and fall of human society.
Album/Podcast: Big Sand band
Have you ever considered listening to a science fiction virtual band? Well you should! Imagine seeing a band that’s not real, but is the brainchild of a creative director taking the most cutting-edge technology, sci-fi elements, and engaging musical beats, and creating an immersive listening experience that is sure to blow any listener’s mind.
Big Sand was created by Australian musician and former radio host Sally Coleman. All set in the same harsh environment, it combines storytelling in a desert world with an unbelievable soundscape that would make anyone think that they’re listening to the music of the future.
Collaborating with various artists, animators, designers, and developers, this is truly a unique experience, and would capture the hearts, and attentions, of any dystopian or world-escaping fan.
Plus, if she’s performing near you, Big Sand’s shows see Sally as an animated character captured on the Unreal Engine. This also brings the sense of newness to music, instead of seeing a performer do the same thing again and again. Mind-bending, techno-engaging, and just a lot of fun.
Video Game: Split Fiction
You know what else The Gorge promotes? Collaboration between people with nothing yet everything to lose. This sensation can also be captured in Hazelight’snewest game, Split Fiction.
A boundary-pushing co-op adventure, sci-fi writer Mio, and fantasy writer Zoe become trapped inside their own stories, and attempt to escape with their memories intact. In order to do so, they must work together, while jumping between wildly different worlds, and discover why they’ve been trapped, and how to stop the worst from coming true, doing everything from taming dragons to embodying battling cyber ninjas.
Now, this game is as thrilling as it gets. You never really have a moment to stop and collect your thoughts, before being thrust into another world and facing another challenge. Plus, the variation of worlds is… weird, to say the least. What’s more, as you have to play this with someone else, it also promotes a genuinely fun hang with whoever you have sitting next to you — virtually or otherwise.
Stunning visuals and compelling storytelling is already resulting in this game being considered one of the best of the year, with accolades sure to soon follow. But mostly, it’s just fun to be there screaming with your fondest person as you try to sync up your actions, and not die for the thousandth time.
This month has brought about a lot of hope in a dark and dangerous place, much like many may feel like the world right now. Hopefully one or all of these recommendations can give some respite, allowing some further escapism into a far away land. I shall return in April to see what lit our screens on first in March, but until then, thank you for visiting SiftPop’s One Stop Pop — we hope to see you again soon!
You can read more from Alice-Ginevra Micheli, and follow her on Instagram and Letterboxd