US presidential election 2016: Here are some movies to get you in the mood for the big day

As the nightmare of an election campaign in the United States spearheads towards the finish line like an out of control bus cruising down the civilization that can’t be slowed down or stopped, and more importantly, with no dead-eyed Jack Traven to save it from its imminent fantastic implosion threatening to engulf everything unlucky enough to be lurking in close proximity, it is time to contemplate what the future holds and how we got to this point buckle up for the final blinding conclusion before everyone you love is engulfed in flames. A script so untamed and menacing, the one you gape at in horror as it unfolds like a Nicolas Cage drama but at the same time accept its deranged beauty as you find no escape from and finally embrace the sheer madness as it calls upon your most primal instincts, the ones to do with fear, anger, hate and the purest form of confusion of watching a person get screwed over by someone called Weiner. So surreal and dramatic have been this election season that it’s hard to believe that it’s not been scripted by a coked-up fan of Michael Bay, raised by the writers of House of Cards or perhaps, Blue Velvet. And what better way to celebrate this impending doom wrapped around in a blanket of democracy than to watch to watch a bunch of movies and sedate one’s consciousness into enough to face the result day without completely losing your mind. Here are some movies to watch in the run-up to the election day. The Ides of March

A political coming-of-age which follows Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling), a junior campaign manager for a Democratic presidential candidate (played by George Clooney, who also directed the movie). Over the course of the campaign, Myers, an idealist, confronts the dark side of the politics as he slowly sinks in a quicksand of lies, deception and unchecked power. The film explores the murky ‘behind-the-scenes’ of seemingly camera-perfect election campaigns while the storyline also manages to make space to explore morality in modern politics. And did we mention the movie features an incredible monologue on loyalty by Philip Seymour Hoffman? Thank You for Smoking

The dark comedy explores the convoluted world of lobbying in Washington. The film follows Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), an ace manipulator lobbying for a tobacco company. The film explores how smooth talking, charm and street smarts are used by companies to manipulate the Congress’ decision-making pertaining to policies which have a tremendous impact on the population. All the President’s Men

The essential movie when it comes to US politics, All the President’s Men explores the historic Watergate scandal which led Richard Nixon to resign from the office, the only US president to do so, and the role journalism plays in keeping the powerful in check. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Washington Post reporters who investigated and reported on the scandal, became the poster boys of the fourth estate and inspired generations to take up the profession. The beautiful direction (won the Academy Award for the best art direction), and brilliant performances by Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford and Jason Robards lives up to the incredible story and then some. Best of Enemies

The documentary, five years in the making, recounts the historic pre-election debates between William F Buckley and Gore Vidal in 1968. The documentary argues how an on-screen between the two public intellectuals during one of the debates forever changed the landscape of news broadcast and gave us the modern day Fox News or Times Now style of “debates” and how elections, or for that matter politics in general, are discussed. Read our review of the documentary here . Milk

Based on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, who became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, Milk recounts the struggle of millions for representation in the government and Harvey’s incredible journey towards that. Gus Van Sant’s Milk recounts an important time in the US politics which affected the lives of millions and Harvey’s portrayal even won Sean Penn an Academy Award for best actor in a leading role. Honorary mentions: Good Night, and Good Luck. Election Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie  (starring Jonny Depp as Doland Trump. Yes.)