It's officially the year of the multiverse and we couldn't be more excited. With Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness smashing the box office last weekend, and Everything Everywhere All At Once finally releasing in the UK, it's clear that audiences love exploring worlds parallel to our own.
For this week's #whattowatch, we're exploring films that take place in worlds unlike our own, films taking place in other universes. As this is such a fantastic and sprawling niche genre, we've included some extra picks this week. So get scrolling and watching!
Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse
Teenager Miles Morales juggles his life between being a high school student and being a spider-man. When Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk uses a super collider, alternate
versions of Miles from across the Spider-Verse are brought to this dimension
and they are thrown into a battle to save the multiverse.
Available on Disney+.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Joel, heartbroken that his ex-girlfriend decided to have her memories of him clinically erased, decides to follow suit. As he watches his memories of her fade away, he realises that he still loves her, and fears he may be too late to stop the erasure. Charlie Kaufman is at his most bittersweet here, delivering a film that explores the many 'what if's of breakups.
Available on Netflix.
Donnie Darko
Following a bizarre accident, troubled teenager Donnie Darko befriends Frank, an elusive figure in a bunny costume that only he can see. Frank informs Donnie that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds, and manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
Available on Prime Video.
Twelve Monkeys (Terry Gilliam)
In the year 2035, convict James is sent back in time to find the origin of a deadly virus that killed most of humanity. When he is sent to 1990 instead of 1996, James is institutionalised. He meets patient Jeffrey, the son of a famous virus expert, who
may hold the key to the elusive group, the 12 Monkeys, thought to be responsible for unleashing the disease.
Available on BBC iPlayer.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven)
When the teenagers of Elm Street begin to be mysteriously and gruesomely murdered in their sleep, cop daughter Nancy Thompson takes it upon herself to figure out what is happening during the nighttime. She traces the cause to child murderer Fred Krueger, who was burned alive by the vengeful parents of Elm Street years earlier. Krueger has returned to stalk the dreams of those very parents' own children and seek his revenge. Nancy must lure the monster into the real world to face off.
Available to rent on AppleTV and Youtube.
Coraline (Henry Selick)
The young and adventurous Coraline Jones moves into a large old house and is left feeling bored and neglected by her parents who are struggling to meet a book deadline. She soon finds a hidden passage behind a bricked-up hidden door. During the nighttime, she is able to cross the passage into the perfect parallel world where everybody, including her perfect Other parents, has buttons for eyes. Her Other Mother invites Coraline to stay forever, but at the cost of her eyes.
Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Youtube.
Stranger Things
In a small Indian town during the 1980s, a group of young boys and their siblings become involved in a secret government experiment. When one of the boys, Will, disappears around the same time as the appearance of a young mysterious girl known as 'Eleven', things begin to turn upside down in their town.
Available on Netflix.