With its surreal exploration of identity, memory, and emotional disconnection, Severance on Apple TV+ has turned out to be one of the most ambitious and unforgettable TV series of the last few years. It’s so good, in fact, that Season 2 has presented me with something of a conundrum: Because the new batch of episodes is proving to be such an addicting watch from one week to the next — giving fans an expanded world, with lots more secrets and twists to unpack — it’s actually left me feeling a little bereft as we wait for each new episode to drop.
Diving into Reddit threads filled with fan theories has helped a little. But only a little. That’s why I recently decided to do a rewatch of an early 2000s film that not only blends sci-fi, romance, and heartbreak into a mind-bending story — it’s one that also feels like a spiritual predecessor to the themes explored in Severance. I’m referring to 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, from director Michel Gondry, which held up nicely after two decades and which I was also able to appreciate a bit more now that I’m a hardcore Severance fan.
Written by Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine tells the story of Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) and Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet), a couple who decide to literally erase their memories of each other after a painful breakup — sort of comparable to the severance procedure that certain Lumon Industries employees go through.
Much like Severance, Gondry’s movie explores the human cost of tinkering with the mind. But while Apple’s show delves into the boundaries between our work and personal lives, Eternal Sunshine probes the bittersweet nature of love and how memories define who we are. The movie’s most emotionally devastating moments come when Joel has second thoughts about the procedure and tries to “hide” Clementine in the deepest recesses of his memory so that she can’t be erased.
Watching all that unfold made for absolutely breathtaking movie magic. Gondry’s use of inventive practical effects elevated the dreamy, nonlinear narrative to produce a visually stunning and emotionally resonant experience that stays with you long after the credits roll.
Revisiting Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind now that I’m addicted to Severance reminded me why the movie remains a timeless classic. It also hasn’t lost any of its sci-fi brilliance or emotional power — and, just like Apple’s hit series, it leaves you contemplating the fragile and delicate threads that shape our identity and the connections between us. Whether you’re captivated by Severance’s eerie Lumon Industries or Eternal Sunshine’s dreamlike journeys through the mind, both stories leave you contemplating the nature of who we are and what happens when we disturb that understanding.
The post The perfect early 2000s movie to watch if you love Severance on Apple TV+ appeared first on BGR.
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The perfect early 2000s movie to watch if you love Severance on Apple TV+ originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 28 Jan 2025 at 16:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.