10 Films to Watch After Dr. Strange
Written by Gabrielle Estrada
Over a week ago, the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise was released in the Philippines (hooray for the early release!).
After watching it, I can say that it is one of the most captivating, mind-twisting, and stunning superhero films ever made. Somehow, Marvel Studios never fails to produce compelling movies with stellar casting, cinematography, and storytelling. It’s safe to say that Doctor Strange is another blockbuster hit, and this is something critics and viewers of all ages can agree on.
If you’ve watched the latest installment in the epic Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’re probably wondering, “What now?”
Watching epic movies always makes it difficult for us to go back to our regular and not-so-fantastical lives. To cope with the post-Doctor Strange emptiness (PDSE) you may be feeling, here is a list of 10 movies you can watch that will *hopefully* fill up the void.
Warning: Mild spoilers ahead!
10. Sherlock (2010–)
Watch if: You want to see more of Benedict Cumberbatch (who doesn’t?), and also want to experience another sort of mind-twisting adventure.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91%
IMDB Rating: 9.2/10
The BBC television series is a modern-day adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s masterpiece. The brilliance of the show can be greatly attributed to its cast, especially Doctor Strange himself, Benedict Cumberbatch who also plays the lead role of Sherlock Holmes. Start watching the show now (it’s on Netflix!), and you’ll make it in time for the fourth season’s release this January.
Side note: You can also watch Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes movies—Rachel McAdams, who plays his love interest, Irene Adler, also took on the role of Cumberbatch’s love interest in Doctor Strange. What a small world!
9. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2010)
Watch if: You enjoyed seeing Doctor Strange manipulate time, and appreciate the supernatural elements of the film (also if you want to see Jake Gyllenhaal kick ass).
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 36%
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
One of the most exciting elements of Doctor Strange is the manipulation of time (thanks to the Time stone). This element happens to be the central theme of Prince of Persia, an action-packed movie, filled with awesome fight scenes, plot twists, and some unexpected humor.
8. Interstellar (2014)
Watch if: You want to venture into a world outside of the Earth, the concept of the time, and beyond the understanding of the universe.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 71%
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
The existence of alternate dimensions, which we have yet to fully understand, was essential to the storyline of Doctor Strange. Similarly, Interstellar has a storyline that presents a different view from our idea of the world’s mechanisms.
Watch if: You enjoyed seeing Doctor Strange manipulate time and would like to see more time traveling occur in a realistic, modern setting (and Jake Gyllenhaal’s in here too).
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92%
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
Remember that scene where Doctor Strange stubbornly attempts to make a bargain with Dormammu? Source Code follows a concept similar that scene.
Source Code revolves around a single scene that is replayed and manipulated repeatedly. It may seem a little confusing at the start, but once you understand it, you definitely won’t regret watching (and perhaps re-watching) it. It’s the kind of film that compels you to pay attention and, similar to Doctor Strange, forget what you think you know.
6. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Watch if: You enjoyed seeing Doctor Strange manipulate time and want to see more supers travel through time.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91%
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
Although the X-men are Marvel characters just like Doctor Strange and the rest of the Avengers, the two entities don’t belong to the same movie franchise. However, this doesn’t mean that the X-men films are less awesome—especially this one where we see one of our favorite characters travel back in time to fix the past! (Should you decide to watch Days of Future Past to cope with PDSE, I suggest you watch the rest of the X-men movies too!)
Watch if: You want to further understand Stephen Strange, and see him in a different perspective.
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
Aside from the obvious PDSE cure of going back to the cinema and watching Doctor Strange a second (or third, or fourth) time, watching other adaptations of Stephen Strange’s story is also satisfying. This 2007 animated film will help you see Doctor Strange from a new perspective, and will make you appreciate watching the live-action rendition even more. If this doesn’t satisfy your Doctor Strange cravings, you can always read comic books, play video games, and watch the other shows and movies that feature his character (not to exaggerate, but there are more than enough to keep you company until his next MCU appearance).
4. The Matrix Trilogy (1999-2003)
Watch if: You want more kick-ass fight scenes, awesome visual effects, and mind-boggling storylines.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 87% | 73% | 36%
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10 | 7.2/10 | 6.7/10
The Matrix movie franchise is iconic for its great cinematography, plot twists, and characters. Its storyline is filled with crazy metaphors and radical ideas, action-packed scenes and the unique Matrix brand of awesome that ties it all together. The same elements which make the series so great can also be found Doctor Strange. Putting that aside, the Matrix films are just epic.
3. Doctor Who (1963-1989; 1996; 2005–)
Watch if: You want to see other time-traveling doctors go on many different adventures.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 89% IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
This television series has been around for over half a century, and that in itself is a feat. After a 16-year absence, the show was re-made in 2005 and is now on its 10th series and Twelfth Doctor. The show follows different reincarnations of the doctor, who travel through time and space in the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space).
The best part about the show is that there are so many episodes to watch before you reach the current series, which translates to more than enough plots, subplots, quests and missions to keep you occupied until the next MCU installment.
2. Inception (2010)
Watch if: You want to experience more twisted and perplexing dilemmas (and also can’t seem to get over the trippy/visually stunning/epic fight scenes in Doctor Strange).
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 86%
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
One of the coolest fight scenes from Doctor Strange was reminiscent of the iconic shots from Inception. That was probably why immediately after I watched Doctor Strange, I thought of watching Inception again.
Inception is one of the most puzzling, mind-boggling films of the 21st century. Its play on the concept of time is definitely interesting, and it’s quite interesting to compare these two different perceptions of time—the one presented in Inception and the one presented in Doctor strange.
1. The Entire MCU Franchise… in order! (2006—)
Watch if: You want to fully understand the universe of the Doctor Strange film (and perhaps come up with theories of what role Strange would play for the rest of the MCU franchise).
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94% (Highest – Iron Man) | 66% (Lowest – Thor: The Dark World)
Without a doubt, the epic Marvel Cinematic Universe series tops this list. The best way to cope with PDSE is to watch or re-watch the entire movie franchise from which it comes. Many thought that the series was a little too ambitious at first—aiming to connect the lives of the Avengers and other superheroes. However, it has grown to become an epic saga that somehow finds a way to make each new installment even better than the last (Kudos to Marvel Studios).
It may be a little tricky at first to fully comprehend the timeline of the MCU films, but once you understand it, you will appreciate its ingenuity and sheer awesomeness. It’s best to watch the MCU films in chronological order. If you happen to enjoy yourself and want more, watch the shows in the other franchises as well. Believe it or not, all the storylines are inter-connected (and yes, one day, they will meet. GOOSEBUMPS!!).
What are you waiting for? Start treating your PDSE now! https://e3fda10e-c654-4057-ab39-f1e9358108f5.usrfiles.com/html/db9376e69cfa487ea0fa0b912ae51a4f_v1.html
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