Over the summer, I saw many movies with my friends and family. Here are the 10 most thought provoking films I saw. I have put them in order of “favorite” to, “Why did I spend 12 dollars to see this crap?” Disclaimer: Slight spoilers for a few films.
My favorite movie of the summer was Twisters. Though fans were disappointed with the lack of a kiss between the two overly flirtatious co-stars, their tension (and Glen Powell’s irresistible smile) made the film aesthetically and romantically satisfying. With just enough action sprinkled in, this movie had me jumping in my seat and crossing my fingers for the charming, motley group of tornado chasers.
Having dabbled in varying genres in the past, I can also attest the new film Alien: Romulus incorporates a healthy balance of romance, action, and horror. This film lived up to the Alien name, adapting to the times with AI characters and terrifying monsters. The ending of this picture was the scariest thing I had seen since being 12 and watching Coraline for the first time with my grandmother.
The Fall Guy was hilarious, and it didn’t fall into the classic trap of rom coms of trying to take themselves too seriously near the climax. Two Summers in a row, Ryan Gosling has not disappointed fans with his handsome, himbo act. Despite the co-stars’ individual shine, their chemistry did not come across on the big screen, and many fans left the theater cringing at the characters more than enjoying their happy ending.
Inside out 2 introduced many new adorable, relatable characters. Audiences were able to sympathize with Riley as she struggled with anxiety. The creators were able to illustrate a panic attack in an accurate, yet kid-friendly manner. This movie was short and sweet, and it lived up to the expectations set by its predecessor.
The Planet of the Apes movie had exemplary VFX, which kept its popularity alive when the story began to run dry. With CGI in cinema fully mainstream, the producers had to come up with a new way of grabbing the audience’s attention. In The kingdom of the Planet of the Apes they did this with stunning scenery and loveable characters. I did not find the plot overly intriguing or satisfying, but the movie was entertaining nonethless.
I love the Deadpool series more than any other Marvel or DC movie or story. The Deadpool and Wolverine trailer danced in my thoughts for months as I anticipated the premier. However, I was slightly underwhelmed, eventually realizing the opening scene was the highlight of the movie. The story was filled with references which, as a young viewer, I did not understand. This turned me off of the movie as a whole — not to mention Marvel cannot escape the pitfall of the “multiverse”, which renders all plots meaningless and hollow.
In my opinion, Mia Goth can do no wrong, and has shown up and shown out in all her Ti West movies as Maxine. Despite her stunning performance, the plotline of Maxxine resembled a hodgepodge kindergarten project. It seems as though director Ti West wished to have a trilogy under his belt more than he wanted to continue the story he had started with his film Pearl. This movie had an amazing cast, but their performances were not enough to save it.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has the same review from me as Maxxine. The plot was drawn out, scattered, and Chris Hemsworth played a dirty Thor instead of the villain the movie needed. Anya Taylor Joy is one of my favorite actresses, but this movie had no direction and was highly underwhelming, paling in comparison to Mad Max Fury Road.
I love the trend of women creating content centered around the female experience. A fun new subgenre of this is female rage and vengeance. Zoe Kravitz took a stab at this theme with her psychological horror Blink Twice. While the movie was well written and there was a trigger warning before the movie began, I found the sexually graphic scene to be haunting and verging into the territory of dark web pornography. This movie made me squirm in my seat, though I do not believe it had the same effect for male audiences, which is where I found my problem with the representation of violence towards women. The male aggressors were not villainized enough, nor the crimes represented in a negative light to the extent that I personally feel would make this content appropriate for general consumption.
The last Horror movie I saw this summer was Longlegs. Part one and two were spectacular and eerie. Bill Gates played an unexpectedly unique antagonist as an old doll maker. The writers set this movie up for a stunning new approach to horror. Yet, after the big, bold “Part three” flashed across the screen, I no longer felt scared. The film used the devil and witchcraft as a cop-out for the plot they had spent the majority of the movie building. They over-explained the reasoning behind the antagonists’ motivations in an unrealistic manner, which took away from the suspense and “scariness” of the movie.
Overall, these flicks entertained me and mostly brought smiles to my face (in one way or another). These stories have messages and whether I personally enjoyed them or not does not take away the beauty of these pictures. Hundreds of minds went into making these projects and they are all stunning illustrations of the magic of human creativity and ingenuity.
