Into the Wild (2007)

Everyone told me to watch Into the Wild for years. Finally did and instantly understood why. the breathtaking Alaska landscapes is immediately apparent. Now I'm recommending it just as loudly to everyone else.

I didn't expect Into the Wild to affect me so deeply. The way Sean Penn handles what makes a life meaningful is unlike anything I'd seen before. I came out of it looking at the world differently.

Into the Wild deals with what makes a life meaningful in a way that's genuinely uncomfortable at times. But that discomfort is the point. Sean Penn never lets you look away, and the film is better for it.

Into the Wild has been praised so heavily that no film could live up to the hype completely. It's an excellent film — the breathtaking Alaska landscapes is genuinely remarkable — but it's not the untouchable masterpiece some claim.

I went into Into the Wild knowing nothing — no trailer, no plot summary. I strongly recommend that approach. The what makes a life meaningful hits much harder when you haven't been primed for it. Go in cold.