When I was younger, I loved Sword Art Online. I thought the story and characters were amazing. I felt deeply emotionally attached to Kirito trying to save Asuna. When he finally saved her I went outside for the first time in probably a month and a half.
Perhaps it's a bit obvious, but I think it warrants saying that reality is so different. It looks feels and acts so different. Outside I felt cold, and I felt sad. I felt the ground and the air moving. I realized it was the middle of winter. Even then it wasn't all that real to me. I was in my head, relating it to the experience I just had.
Going outside for me felt as big as Kirito saving his love. That's so stupid. It's not even close. I genuinely just walked outside.
It's this sort of removal of reality that is explored very well in the 2011 movie Sucker Punch.
The film uses every chance it can to convey its themes. From one of the dancers being distracted in their introduction, to the main characters superpower being to distract people with her body to its choices of soundtrack all using key words like "dreams" or "slip away". Going so far as to never even show is the dance she does. Giving us instead a symbolic representation of her symbolic representation of her symbolic representation of her fight for freedom.
It makes no attempt to hide it either, it takes it as far as possible, almost begging you to not become as immersed as the characters. At the height of its attempts to break immersion it shows us a bunch of hot girls in a plane with an old man, flying around a horde of orcs while a dragon breaths fire on a bridge and the Wilhelm scream sounds off. Not exactly subtle, but its the perfect way to convey how ridiculous fiction really is and how little it takes to entrance you in the story.
But of course it reels you back in eventually. Making the height of your own immersion the struggle that each of the characters are going through. Releasing you slowly in the final act by killing them off one by one. Letting only one go as a representation of the viewer moving on to a place the film cannot go.
And of course an attempt at furthering the film, or making a sequel would only destroy this point. The film isn't over until you stop thinking about it. Its themes continue as you remain immersed. Only stopping as you actually look around. Taking in the world. Walking outside and feeling the first cold air on your face since the movie started and hour and fifty minutes prior.
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