Author: Staff

UnCharted

In 2022’s UnCharted, there are three scenes which would have been cut if Tom Holland had Social Anxiety Disorder.

Attention all history buffs: Who is the first person to sail around the world? “Ferdinand Magellan”, you say. That’s what I thought too. Turns out Magellan actually died before he completed the voyage. At least, that is what they said in the Uncharted movie. Starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, Uncharted focuses on the history of Magellan’s voyage to find the lost treasure, which is a whole lot of gold. Holland and Wahlberg worked well together for on-screen action and comedy, eventually leading us on a trip from New York to the Philippines.

Nathan Drake (played by Tom Holland) learned from his older brother during childhood about history and the significant value that historical artifacts have. After his brother disappeared on a voyage with Victor Sullivan (played by Mark Wahlberg), Nathan (or Nate as he was referred to) became a professional thief while working as a bartender in New York. Stealing bracelets off his customers or picking pockets from doormen, Nate was quite the under-the-radar criminal. Eventually, he was recruited by Sully to find Magellan’s lost gold.

Social Anxiety Disorder

If you’re an adventurer and enjoying learning new things like Tom Holland is from Uncharted, then click here to learn more about the effects of SAD. If you want a super quick-notes version of it, check out the following:

Social Anxiety Disorder causes extreme fear in social settings, specifically fear of being judged by others, being embarrassed or humiliated, fear of others noticing your embarrassment, which then leads to humiliation

SAD symptoms include the dreaded:

• Bright, red facial blushing
• Profuse, heavy sweating
• Trembling hands
• Thumping heart rate

Make a long story short… SAD causes the most uncomfortable social situations to be in. It’s awful.

Three Scenes in Uncharted which would not have happened if Tom Holland had Social Anxiety Disorder

Scene 1: Tom Holland working as a bar tender in New York City

Anxiety Provoking Event: Interacting with customers inside the bar and being watched/observed by others as you’re making the drink

If Tom Holland was a bartender who had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would be sweating and blushing all day while trying to make drinks and conversate with his customers. He wouldn’t be able to focus on making the complex drinks requested by patrons, not to mention mightily struggling to interact with customers, especially attractive women.

Being a skilled bartender means being able to create a variety of different drinks for your customers. You would be consistently watched and judged by patrons, which means that there is little room for error. Throw into the mix the type of people you would find in an area like Manhattan, and you the pressure to perform well becomes even higher.

Then there is the social aspect of bartending. As Tom Holland’s character Nate showed us, starting a conversation is part of the job. Nate started a conversation with the beautiful woman who ordered a complex drink from him. He gave her a bit of a history lesson about that particular drink while he skillfully made it for her. A few minutes later, he stole her bracelet, but that’s beside the point.

So there are two major factors in being a bartender that are a big no-no for SAD sufferers:

• Being watched and judged while making the drink
• Conversing with the guests

If Tom Holland had SAD, he would not be able to focus on creating the drink because of the intense fear of being watched and judged. Additionally, he would not be able to conversate with the guests at the bar because of fear of embarrassment, humiliation, and being judged. And if by miracle chance he were able to conversate regularly, he would start to blush and sweat just from the anticipation of developing those dreaded SAD symptoms. It’s a lose-lose situation for him.

Scene 2: Tom Holland attends high class auction in Manhattan

Anxiety Provoking Event: Interacting with others at a social gathering is a huge SAD trigger, especially if you’re interacting with people high-class, hugely judgmental people.

If Tom Holland had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would not have been able to attend a high-class auction because large social gatherings are very uncomfortable situations for SAD sufferers, especially if the people in attendance are rich, judgmental snobs.

Attending a social gathering is like a no-win situation with SAD sufferers. You can attend the gathering and try to conversate with people, but your conversations would end up being really superficial as you prefer to just play it safe. If you get any deeper, there is a risk that people will learn more about you, and therefore judge you. This will lead to the dreaded red face symptoms.

Or if you’re at a social event, you could try to mind your own business and stand around in the corner all alone. The problem with that is you will fear being approached by someone. The fear leads to anticipation and anxiety, which unfortunately causes red face symptoms. This is really unpleasant and makes you want to go the bathroom and wash your face with cold water.

If Tom Holland had SAD, he would rather just spare himself the embarrassment, the feeling of being judged by these uppity NYC rich folks, and the feeling of anticipation symptoms. In other words, he just wouldn’t attend the auction.

Scene 3: The dance at a Barcelona night club with Chloe while they were trying to “blend in.”

Anxiety Provoking Event: Dancing in public at a large social gathering with a girl that you have a crush on, especially after you just admitted that you’re not a good dancer. There is a high risk for tremendous embarrassment here.

If Tom Holland had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would never have agreed to dance with his crush, Chloe. He would not have agreed to even enter the night club with her.

• Night club- large social gathering which triggers SAD symptoms
• Dancing with your crush- extreme fear of negative judgement by your crush which would cause SAD symptoms
• Dancing poorly with your crush- extreme fear of humiliation in front of your crush, which would cause SAD symptoms. She would then notice the red, sweaty face and call attention to it. She might make the “ill”, grossed-out face or she might just ask,
  • “what’s wrong with you?”
  • Or she may be a bit more sympathetic and ask, “are you okay?”

Either way, her recognition of your red face will exacerbate symptoms causing heavier blushing and heavier sweating.

Those three scenes in UnCharted simply won’t happen if Tom Holland had Social Anxiety Disorder.

Army of Thieves

Netflix’s Army of Thieves “safe-cracker extraordinaire”, Sebastian, would have had these four scenes removed from the movie if he had Social Anxiety Disorder. Keep reading to find out what they are.

Imagine that you are a simple man who’s living a simple life working a very simple job: a bank teller. You have your normal coffee routine each morning, you make a sandwich each day for lunch, and you eat outside on the same bench in front of your job each noon hour. You go through the day on autopilot, go home to your small studio apartment, watch tv and hit the knap sac just in time for you to get enough rest to repeat everything the next day.

This daily routine is far from thrilling, but for Sebastian (aka Ludwig Dieter as he’s better known as in the sequel Army of the Dead), it was enough to get by each day. You see, Sebastian possesses a very specific set of skills (no not those skills Liam Neeson) which he crafted and perfected into a specialty. These skills made him into one of the world’s best safe crackers, which led to his recruitment into the Army of Thieves.  

Although completely naïve to the world of international bank heists, Sebastian was recruited and taught by the one woman who he really loved, Gwendolyn (played by Nathalie Emmanuel). After he met her for the first time, his feelings for her only grew more and more, until he finally worked up the courage to tell her how he felt. Ultimately however, the universe had different plans for them both as one escaped imprisonment and the other didn’t.  

Social Anxiety Disorder

Plaguing people with the fear of embarrassment and being judged, Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is one of those awful mental health disorders that is just a fly in the ointment; a monkey in the wrench; a pain in the a** (not literally). Those who have SAD will tell you that it can completely alter your behavior in life just so you can avoid situations where you might get embarrassed, even if there is little-to-no risk of embarrassment. Below are four scenes in Army of Thieves that would not have ever happened if Sebastian had Social Anxiety Disorder. 

But before you start “safe cracking”, click here for a quick look at what SAD really is.  

Super quick overview of SAD: 

• Fear of being negatively judged by others in any social situation 
• Fear of being embarrassed and/or humiliated  
• Anxiety from developing the hallmark symptoms of SAD 
  • Bright red facial blushing
  • Profuse sweating (most prominently on the head and face)
  • Trembling hands
  • Heart beating out of your chest

Fortunately, having SAD won’t interfere with you cracking safe’s during a bank heist. 

The Four Scenes in Army of Thieves that wouldn’t have happened if Sebastian had SAD 

Scene 1: Sebastian makes Youtube videos which show his face 

This is a big no-no for someone with Social Anxiety Disorder. Remember that SAD makes you really worried about being judged and embarrassed in social situations. Now although Sebastian was making the videos alone in his home, the fear of being recognized online by people he may know is crippling enough for him to avoid showing his face. Some thoughts that would cross his mind are:

• What if my colleagues, neighbors, or friends find out about my videos. They might think my videos are lame and will put me on blast in front of everyone next time I see them. That would be so embarrassing. 
• What if people leave comments about me, and my friends read those comments. They could think less of me, and I may not have many friends after that. 
• Could making these videos backfire and cause me embarrassment? 
• What if people think I am ugly and they leave comments about that. This could influence others to evaluate my looks (being judged negatively) and more people will think I’m ugly. That’s so embarrassing. 
• What if the topics of my videos are corny? People will think I’m corny. That is really embarrassing and can make me blush and sweat like never before. 

*The key point to remember is that if Sebastian had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would in no way, shape, or form post videos which reveal his face on youtube. This Army of Thieves scene would not have happened if Sebastian had Social Anxiety Disorder.

Scene 2: Speaking to Gwendoline in the coffee shop after he built her in his mind on such a high pedestal.  

In the scene prior, Sebastian just won an underground safe cracker challenge in front of a live spectators. It was there that he saw Gwendoline for the first time. He believed her to be a very beautiful woman who made him feel warm and comfortable, especially after she smiled at him. Fast forward to the next morning and she completely surprises Sebastian at the coffee shop. They sit down, chat, and Gwendoline eventually recruits him for the job. 

If Sebastian had SAD, this would have been a very difficult situation to overcome. He held her to such a high pedestal as he was so clearly attracted to her from the night before. She shows up and he agrees to have coffee with her at the table.  

During this coffee table conversation, Sebastian would be sweating profusely, and would have needed to go to the restroom a few times to wipe the sweat off his head and face. Alternatively, he would carry tissue paper with him and wipe the sweat off while at the table with her. Either way, this would be extremely embarrassing for him as he would notice Gwendoline’s eyes look to his forehead as the sweat begins to form and continues forming. Her taking notice of his sweat would lead to humiliation and would cause him to turn bright red like a tomato, which would cause him to sweat even more profusely. So ultimately, if Sebastian had SAD he would have just avoided that traumatic situation and would have walked away. He wouldn’t have agreed to conversate with her there. 

Scene 3: Speaking to Gwendoline throughout the night while in her room, and at times, sitting next to her on her bed. 

So we just mentioned that Sebastian has already built Gwendoline up in his mind as the single greatest thing on the planet, and one who he really wants to impress and be with. In the evening/nighttime, Sebastian knocks on her door, enters her room, and they share stories about each other throughout the night. Gwendolyn even invited him to sit on her bed while talking (in a non-romantic way).  

Although at this point, he is a little more comfortable with her than when he first met her at the coffee shop, this is would still be a monumentally stressful and anxiety-provoking occasion for Sebastian. If he had SAD, Sebastian would be thinking the whole time about her thoughts and how she perceives him. He would be thinking things like: 

• “Whatever you do, don’t sweat or blush. She’ll think you’re weird and she might tell the rest of the team” 
• “Make a plan right now. Okay if I think I’m going to blush or sweat, or even if I feel the rush of heat going to my face, I’m going to act like I forgot to make a phone call and walk out.” 
• “I don’t want to get too close to her because that could backfire, and she will think poorly of me” 
• “Keep your comments and stories neutral. Play it conservatively, otherwise she will judge me really badly” 

Sebastian’s mind would be on overdrive as his inner talks within himself would be focused on anxiety symptom and embarrassment prevention.  This Army of Thieves scene would not have happened if he had Social Anxiety Disorder.

Scene 4: Sebastian confesses his feelings to Gwendoline 

At the end of the movie, after cracking the last safe Sebastian and Gwendoline are in the car and just arrived at the lake where they have a boat waiting for them. He decides that this is a good time to tell her how he feels about her.

Lets be clear about this: no way in hell this would happen. Someone with SAD would not confess their feelings to their dream match. This just wouldn’t happen for one simple reason: the fear of extreme facial flushing (heavy blushing and sweating). If he starts sweating, turning red, and trembling in front of his dream girl, he would be absolutely humiliated. This would be intolerable for someone with SAD. Just the thought of confessing feelings of romance and love to someone who is your dream girl will cause severe anxiety. And add to that the fear of developing SAD symptoms, the chance of such a confession is very low. Sebastian would be better off being patient and hoping she tells him how she feels first.  

Army of the Dead

Netflix’s Army of the Dead has a hilarious scene which would never happen if Deiter had Social Anxiety Disorder.

Zombie movies are quite the popular genre. Although they can be tricky to film and requires some really good costume/makeup, they are generally successful films to watch. Army of the Dead is a unique zombie movie because it groups zombies into the regular “bite whatever you see” type, but also the “we have a brain and a tiger zombie and are way more dangerous than you think” type. This made for a really cool storyline and a ton of action and suspense. We actually got to see the city of Las Vegas turned into a “kingdom” with established rule and structure developed by the “smart zombies.” There was a king zombie (probably the original who started everything), a queen zombie, and their followers. Beneath the followers were the regular “dumb” zombies. Batista and his group were in for a rude awakening when entering the zombie kingdom.  

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) could have had a significant impact on one of the scenes for our “Las Vengeance” team in Army of the Dead. Before we get into which scene specifically, click here to learn a quick thing or two about what SAD is and how annoying it can be. 

Exam crunch version… People with SAD are: 

• Scared to be judged negatively by others
• Terrified of being embarrassed or humiliated
• Filled with anxiety over the fear of being judged and embarrassed
• Are shy and do not like speaking in public; they don’t like being in the spotlight
• May have some of the following symptoms:
  • Bright red facial blushing
  • Heavy, profuse sweating
  • Trembling hands
• Zombies don’t have SAD. That’s the one advantage they have over us!

The Social Anxiety scene from Army of the Dead

Movie: Army of the Dead, 2021 

Scene: Batista and his team meet with Mr. Tanaka to review the plan 

Anxiety Provoking Event: Dieter asks obvious/silly questions in front of entire group, including people he wants to make a good impression on and people of authority.  

**If Dieter had Social Anxiety Disorder, this comical scene would not have happened, therefore robbing us from the already little comedy that this movie has. Additionally, the emphasis on killing zombies by head trauma only would not have been revealed. 

Background

Dieter is clueless when it comes to violence. He has never killed a zombie (or anyone for that matter). In fact, he was selected for this mission only because of his abilities to crack open the world’s most sophisticated safe. Otherwise, he would have been useless to Batista and the team. The prequel to this movie, Army of Thieves, has shown us that Dieter is a boring job, stay at home on Friday night, comfortable from the couch, less than exciting type of personality. He gets nervous before missions, he screams like a little girl, and chooses the worst times to tell a woman how he feels. Simply put, Dieter is oblivious to anything that is unrelated to safe cracking. 

The Embarrassing Social Anxiety Provoking Questions  

While standing in a room full of experienced zombie killers and bad-ass assasins, Dieter asks two questions: 

1. How do we kill zombies?
2. Can we smash their heads with a rock?

The response to Dieter’s first question came from Batista, who is the leader of the group. Although it was an obvious question which provoked some laughs and smirks from others, he informed Dieter that the best way to kill a zombie is by shooting them in the head. He made it very clear that a shot to the head will do the trick.

Dieter, being uninformed about all this, follows up Batista’s response by asking the second question; if smashing a rock to the zombie’s head would also kill it. This question also provoked a few smirks and chuckles from his peers as the obvious answer was a resounding “yes.” 

The Presence of others 

Asking “silly” questions is bad enough, but asking in front of others who you want to get along with and earn their respect makes it even worse. As I mentioned above, Dieter was in a room filled with experienced zombie killers, expert marksmen, and tactical masters. Really some of the bravest people he has ever met were in that room with him. One person he thought was really cool was Vanderohe (the guy with the chainsaw). He kept trying to befriend him the whole time they were in Vegas, eventually saving his life at the end (or so he thought). The range of characters associated under Batista’s leadership really seemed to make an impression on Dieter, and surely, he wanted to make a good impression on them. Asking those “silly” questions probably didn’t help very much.  

Additionally, Mr. Tanaka and Batista are both people of authority, which makes it even worse when asking silly questions. People of authority have a way of making SAD sufferers (and everyone really) feel less comfortable, therefore there is a small chance that Dieter would have even asked those questions. 

If Deiter from Army of Thieves had Social Anxiety Disorder… 

If Dieter had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would have been too embarrassed to publicly ask Mr. Tanaka, Batista, and the rest of the team how to kill zombies. Too many eyes would be on him, too many people there would have judged him negatively, and he would have been really embarrassed (especially when he hears people smirking and chuckling at his questions). This embarrassment would lead to the blush face, profuse sweating, and trembling hands.

And since everyone would see his sweaty red face, someone would definitely call attention to it/comment on it, which would make him blush and sweat even more. It is a really uncomfortable situation to be in because so many people would be watching him. For that reason, Dieter would not have asked those silly/obvious questions in public and would have saved it for a private conversation for later. Thus, this funny scene would not have ever happened in Army of the Dead. 

Matrix Resurrections

Neo, star of Matrix Resurrections, would put his head down in shame and embarrassment during this Social Anxiety provoking scene. Check it out below.

Although it doesn’t really live up to expectations set forth by the original trilogy, Matrix Resurrections displays an interesting story line which dates its previous three films. With an interesting way to bring Neo and Trinity back into the mix of the things, which is to say back into the matrix, we find that this movie relies on its past events to keep its future relevant.  

As a video game designer, Thomas Anderson (Neo) built a highly successful game all about what happened to him in his “previous life”, which is basically the first three Matrix movies. Not realizing that this work of art is just more than mere imagination, Neo eventually realizes that he actually lived this life. Once freed and unplugged by Bugs and Morpheus (still not sure why they couldn’t bring back Lawrence Fishburne), Thomas Anderson becomes Neo again. The rest of the film is then dedicated to unplugging Trinity, who now seems to be “the one” possessing he power of flight. Didn’t see that one coming! 

Social Anxiety Disorder

There is one scene in Matrix Resurrections which stands out as a huge no-no for Neo if he had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Before we jump back into the computer-generated world of the matrix, click here if you need a refresher on what SAD is and just how bad it can be. 

Cliffnotes version: 

• Really anxious of fearful of being judged while in a social setting
• Super worried that you will embarrass or humiliate yourself in front of others
• Severe anxiety that people will notice your most prominent symptoms
  • Bright red facial blushing
  • Profuse sweating
  • Trembling hands
• Becoming very reserved or shy in front of people to decrease risk of embarrassment 

The Social Anxiety Scene from The Matrix Resurrections involving Neo 

Movie: The Matrix Resurrections, 2021

Scene: Thomas Anderson (Neo) at the coffee shop with his colleague/friend, Jude.  

Anxiety Provoking Event: Jude forcefully insists on approaching Neo’s crush Tiffany (Trinity) while she’s at the counter ordering her coffee. Neo soon follows to apologize to her and bring Jude back to the table 

**If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would have stayed seated at his table with his head down in shame and embarrassment, hoping that the whole situation would end without anyone seeing him. 

Background

Before we get into why that situation is so bad for someone with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), it’s important to understand Neo’s situation. Confused with who Tiffany is and why she is so familiar, Neo believes that there is something really special about her. It’s not just love, but nostalgia. And although he has never met her before (at least, not in his resurrected self in the Matrix), he is completely aware of her. He even coded a virtually identical character in his game based off their previous lives together. A life where they were freedom fighters together, loved each other, and lived and died alongside each other. The ironic twist is she feels something similar to him too. So not only is she just another pretty face, but Tiffany possesses “that special thing” that makes Neo so interested in her. Interested in her, not as Tiffiany, but as Trinity.  

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder

So, let’s assume that the Matrix Resurrections star, Neo, has Social Anxiety Disorder. Why would it be so terrible for his friend Jude to try and introduce him to Trinity? Well think about it… this situation would be awkward for anyone, whether with SAD or not. It’s just an uncomfortable, embarrassing situation in general. Wouldn’t you agree?  

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would not be able to hide the discomfort or embarrassment like others would. His face would be bright red as the blood engorges his facial arteries as part of the fight-or-flight response of his nervous system. And with all that blood, he would become very hot and would start to drip sweat all over his face. Those two signs (Red Face) are such obvious and apparent indicators of humiliation, that any chance he had to get with Trinity would immediately go down the drain. A woman does not want to see a man who is embarrassed and shaken easily, so therefore, the man would not have a chance with her. 

Neo would rather…

So instead of Neo running up to Trinity and apologizing for Jude’s embarrassing behavior, he would instead stay at the table and put his head down, go to the bathroom for a long time, or walk out of the coffee shop. Neo would do anything possible to prevent Trinity (or anyone else there) from seeing him, because of how embarrassed he would be in front of her. The last thing a man with SAD would want is for the woman he likes to see him red and sweaty. 

Anticipation embarrassment is real

The real problem is not just how embarrassed Neo would be in front of Trinity, but instead, the moments leading up to seeing her would be catastrophic in this case. Remember: SAD is Social Anxiety Disorder, with the keyword being Anxiety. Neo would be so anxious and fearful of being embarrassed, that his mind would create the symptoms of embarrassment even if he were alone at the coffee table. So while his friend Jude is talking to Tiffany, Neo would be stuck at the table turning bright red and sweaty in anticipation of being humilated. This is a very difficult situation for someone with SAD to be in and that is why he would do anything possible to avoid seeing her that day.

Enter The Matrix

If Neo from The Matrix had Social Anxiety Disorder, a very interesting scene would not have ever happened.

The Matrix stands to be one of the most intriguing, philosophical, action-packed movies of all time. It has stood the test of time and continues to make waves with the new Matrix: Resurrection’s film. Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is a combination of a superhero and prophet all in one (the prophet part becomes more obvious with in Matrix Revolutions). Joined by Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus, and Carrie-Ann Moss’s Trinity, the trio enter and exit the “real world” and matrix world to stop the machines from taking over. Along the way, we see incredible, cinema defining action sequences and stories that we’ve never seen prior to its release in 1999.  

Unplug from SAD

If you’re unplugged from the matrix (or society) and want to know about Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), click here for more details. 

The Social Anxiety Scene from The Matrix

The Matrix (1999)

Scene: Trinity finds and introduces herself to Neo at the nightclub 

Anxiety Provoking Event: Large social gathering while being approached by an attractive woman 

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would never have “followed the white rabbit” and gone to the nightclub. He never would have met Trinity there, therefore we never would have witnessed this scene. 

background

Although it’s not the most critical scene in the movie, the nightclub scene sets the stage for what’s about to happen. Trinity approaches and introduces herself to a lonely and lost looking Neo. He learns that she is the one who sent him messages to his computer earlier in the movie, indicating that he belongs to the matrix and instructing him to “follow the white rabbit” (which he figured out is her way of saying go to the nightclub). If I’m going to be honest, I’m still not sure why Trinity didn’t just directly tell him to go to the nightclub. It would have been easier for him to understand, as opposed to throwing him off with the whole white rabbit nonsense. Anyway, the point is that she got her wish and Neo made his way to the nightclub. 

Important conversation

Trinity, being very careful with her words, tells Neo that she brought him there to warn him of the fact that he is being watched. Although she wouldn’t clarify who exactly is watching him, she emphasized on a key point that set the stage for the entirety of the movie. The question, “what is the matrix?” sets the becomes the theme of Neo’s story.  

She concludes this initial meeting with Neo by telling him that the answer to his question is out there, and it will find him if he lets it. A little later in the movie we see that he does indeed let the answer find him when he took the red pill.  

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would not have gone to the nightclub at all. The feeling of being around so many people, especially unfamiliar people, would have caused too many feelings of anxiety. The anticipation of possibly developing red face symptoms (blushing and sweating) would lead to the actual development of symptoms. He would be sweating profusely and turning bright red, blushing throughout the night. 

Then if an attractive woman were to approach him, like Trinity did, Neo would have sweat heavier and blushed redder. And to make matters worse, he would have started to develop trembling hands, a rapid heart rate, and muscle stiffness. Neo would have been very uncomfortable in front of her. Therefore, he would have spared himself the humiliation in front of Trinity and would not have even gone to the nightclub.   

That means, Trinity would have had to introduce herself to him at another time and place, being careful not to meet at an anxiety-provoking location like a nightclub.