By skyforbes Call it a trope, or concept or whatever, but I love it when in a story we see the characters reach the edge of what they thought was the whole world until that point and then go beyond it. Maybe it just activates this innate desire to explore in me, but everytime a movie, show, etc does it, it really captivates me.
I just finished watching The Truman Show again, and that film has a brilliant example of this. When Truman finally reaches the wall with the fake painted horizon on it and breaks through. When he steps through that exit door, even though I know it's just a mundane normal world out there, part of me is desperate to see him explore it.
I think the first example of this phenomenon I remember noticing was in The Land Before Time II. The first film is a masterpiece, the rest are not, I'll get that out the way, but the second film did present one of these moments for me, and it might have been the first. The first film has the characters end up in the Great Valley, seemingly the last lush and verdant land left in the otherwise ruined world, encircled and hidden by a ring of mountains. Well the second film has the protagonists venture beyond into the inhospitable outside world, and I remember this being so interesting to me. The idea of this vast, unknown outside world, and seeing just glimpses of it.
The other big example I think of isn't a film, but Attack on Titan has it at the core of it's story. For most of the show, we and the characters are led to believe thst what's left of the world is just one collection of walled cities. There's nothing left outside, just danger. Then, we eventually get to the point where we realize the world is so much larger. There's that famous scene of Eren looking out to the sea, which is a perfect scene in my opinion. That moment encapsulates concept I'm talking about so well.
I'm sure there are plenty of other examples, but these are three that stuck out to me.
Bare with me when I say this, but the whole "Flat Earth" concept kind of fits this too. Now it's nonsense of course, but I can sort of see why some people would latch onto the idea. If it weren't rooted in nonsensical conspiracy theories, the concept would actually make for a really cool fantasy world. The whole idea of there being more world beyond a giant ice wall is great world building, but alas sort of tainted now.
Anyway, I hope this post fits in in this sub, it was a film that inspired it. I'd be interested to see if anyone feels the same, or has any examples of their own. If you got this far thanks for reading.