What are your plans for the weekend?

Ah, there it is. The most dreaded question. What do you say when you don’t have weekend plans? Your mind scrambles for the most interesting thing you could think of:

You’re meeting up with an old acquaintance.

You’re going hiking.

You’re going to an art show.

You take the plunge and tell your coworkers you’re going to watch the latest Avengers movie. The half-second pause while they articulate an answer feels like a minute. You just want them to think you’re interesting. If they catch on and find out you’re actually boring. That’s bad. That’s really bad. They’re going to tell the whole world about it. They’ll form a pact and never talk to you again. It’s Fight Club except no one ever talks about you. You’ll be an insignificant dust speck, and years from now you’ll be known as ‘that guy with the boring weekend plans’.

FOMO stands for the ‘fear of missing out’ and we’ve all been through it. If you’re reading this right now you’re probably feeling a bit of FOMO as we speak. Luckily for you, I have five movies for you to watch this summer to help ease the pain a little bit. Below are five movie remedies for five common FOMO scenarios.

 

When you declined a party invitation but now everyone’s posting their fun Instagram stories:

Ingrid Goes West

Platforms like Instagram have both blessed and cursed our generation with the ability to constantly be in-the-know of what everyone else is doing. And no movie has been able to depict the perils of social media as much as Ingrid Goes West, the story of a social media stalker who moves to LA to integrate herself into the life of an Instagram influencer. Take a step into the realities of this full-time job, and next time you feel FOMO over an Instagram story, watch this movie and remind yourself that the highlight reels you see on your social media may not be all they make out to be.

 

When your world traveller friend returns from vacation with new anecdotes:

Eat Pray Love

As far as travelling movies go, Eat Pray Love may just be the holy grail. You follow writer Elizabeth Gilbert as she travels through Italy, India, and Bali to find herself after a divorce. Whenever I feel particularly down in the dumps about my current living situation, this movie has always had the perfect concoction of cheesy romance and laughs to brighten my day. It’s basically a vacation in movie-form, and the best part about it is that you get to do all the soul searching from the comfort of your bed.

 

When all your coworkers are eating out but you can’t go because it’s killing your budget:

Chef

The only thing better than eating out is watching someone else eat. You get to experience the vicarious thrill of eating without the burden of all that comes with it. It’s twice the joy, none of the calories, and it costs nothing.

Jon Favreau’s debut film Chef, about an acclaimed chef who starts a food truck business to reclaim his creative dignity, is one of the most feel-good movies you will ever see. Think of it as a two-hour Mukbang video, you’re just watching people make and eat food for the entire duration. And when you’re missing out on lunch plans with your coworkers, simply put on this movie while you eat, and you’ll feel exactly like you’re first in line to a Michelin 3-star restaurant.

 

When your friends want to go tanning but you’re feeling self-conscious:

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

I know we’ve all been through this – you’ve just finished a whole bag of two-bite brownies, you feel a little guilty but it’s not your fault, your hand just took a life of its own. You’re reaching for the next bag when your phone rings.

“Hey Lebron, we’re going tanning, wanna come?”

What do you do?

You decline and finish those brownies. Dad bod is in and you have an excuse to eat for two.

Whenever I feel particularly embarrassed by my own antics, no movie is a better pick-me-upper than Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. This wholesome little movie documents the ups and downs of a teenage girl (Georgia Nicolson) preparing herself for her “perfect first kiss”. Need I say more? The title says it all. We all know the only remedy for embarrassment is watching someone else embarrass themselves, and no one does it quite like Georgia.

 

When you overhear someone young talking about their Tuesday party plans and now you feel ancient because all you wanted to do was go home and nap:

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Sometimes life has a way of reminding you that you’re an ageing mortal, like the other day when someone offered me a seat on the bus. I’m 23. I’ve got a couple years before me. But I’ve never felt as old as I did when I accepted the offer.

Whenever I get such a rude awakening, I like to think of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. In the movie, a charming group of retirees travel to India to stay at the Marigold Hotel, each with their own motives. Some to mourn past relationships, some to mend, and some to simply enjoy their remaining days. But you’ll never see a more lively bunch on the big screen, as these actors (both in and out of their characters) prove that it’s never too late to start living again. And maybe that new start is tomorrow. After your nap.