My Lockdown Anxiety Has Been Through The Roof. Luckily, Steve Carell’s Filmography Has Helped.

Steve Carell is my knight in shining armour. We’re a team, him and I — the Brooke to my Peyton, the Woody to my Buzz, the Dionne to my Cher. Alright, we might not be best friends IRL, and yes, I’m pretty sure he has no clue I exist — but the man’s been my saviour time and time again. He’s seen me through my worst, been there for my best and has unfailingly always brought cathartic laughter and purgative tears whenever it beckons. It all started with ‘The Office,’ pulling me out from the depths of my teenage depression (that, along with my usual bout of anti-depressants). Michael Scott’s comic relief was an addictive remedy to life’s woes, but so were his more heartfelt, poignant moments throughout the show that would ALWAYS unleash teary cascades. I quickly dived into Steve Carell’s filmography for more healing and found myself head-over-heels in love with the melange of genres he so effortlessly sparkled in. I’ve revised his work during these turbulent, unprecedented times and spent the last week of lockdown soothing my ranging anxiety as a result. Here, I’ve ranked my all-time favourite movies of his thus far — gems that outdistance all.

5/5

Little Miss Sunshine

‘Little Miss Sunshine’ boasts a family road-trip full of delightful satire that has you rethinking what really matters. It’s the ultimate feel-good film to sink into.

4/5

Dan In Real Life

Steve Carell is right where he belongs; in the breath of comedy tainted with angst and distress as the single father who falls for his brother’s girlfriend. It’s the go-to duvet-day choice.

3/5

The Big Short

My financial knowledge about the ’08 crisis was mostly sourced from endless 3 a.m. Twitter threads, but boy oh boy did the frisky ‘The Big Short’ really clear it all up for me. It dissected the mind-boggling housing bubble burst in slapstick catastrophe.

2/5

Beautiful Boy

Steve Carell is David, the father constantly trying to save his son Nic (Timothée Chalamet) from methamphetamine addiction. It chronicles a devastating cycle of abuse, treatment and relapse, and is a heart-wrenching, yet incumbent watch. The film invokes an unbearable truth most of us need to hear: that love is often never enough.

1/5

Foxcatcher

A disquieting tale where love lays down its sword for jealousy to reign forth. Based on the true story of two Olympic-wrestling brothers and their relationship with the deeply unsettling, complex multimillionaire John du Pont. As disconcerting as it was, it did showcase Steve Carell in his finest role yet.