This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kenyon chapter.

Cookie Cutter Movies No More: End of the Year Films that You Should Get Excited For

With the end of the year approaching, the inevitable release of major movie theater blockbusters are just around the corner. While the majority of the more highly anticipated movies tend to follow the same cookie-cutter plot line, I am personally more excited for the movies that attempt to break the mold. Whether that be through the prevalence of a more diverse cast, the presentation of a dominant female lead or an untraditional story line, these six movies seem display a sort of refreshing and novel approach to the Hollywood method. Check out these trailers, and see what you think!

Loving

(Release Date: November 4)

Based on a true story, Loving follows the relationship and marriage of Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter in 1958. As Richard is a white man and Mildred is a black woman, their relationship is met with resistance and harassment from others in their small town in Virginia. As such, they go on to sue the state, leading to the historically famous case Loving v. Virginia in which the Supreme Court has to decide if prohibiting interracial marriages is unconstitutional. So far, reviews for this movie have been mostly positive, receiving a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 74/100 on Metacritic.

Fences

(Release Date: December 25)

Fences is based on the Pulitzer prize-winning play written by August Wilson. Based in 1958, it follows the life and times of a former baseball player trying to make due for himself and his family. It tells the story of being an African American man struggling to make a living and break through racial barriers. As this story has already been wildly successful on Broadway, hopefully its debut on screen will share the same type of achievements.

Barry

(Netflix Release Date: December 16)

Barry follows the life of Barack Obama throughout his years as a political science major at Columbia University. Although much isn’t known about the plot line of this highly anticipated film, it was chosen to be screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and currently holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hidden Figures

(Release Date: December 25)

This film portrays the untold true stories of African American women whose contributions as mathematicians and engineers allowed for John Glenn to become the first American to make a complete orbit around Earth. This movie boasts an excellent cast, including renowned actresses Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer, not to mention it will feature new songs from Pharrell!

The Edge of Seventeen

(Release Date: November 18)

This coming of age story follows the life of an awkward high school junior, Nadine. As she navigates through life, Nadine finds friendships with the most unlikely characters, including her history professor. What seems to be the most interesting about this movie is the witty dialogue, especially between Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) and her history teacher (Woody Harrelson), and the attempt to disband the notion that a quick makeover will make life all the better for young teenage girls.

Collateral Beauty

(Release Date: December 16)

When a previously successful businessman named Howard Inlet, played by Will Smith, experiences the horror of losing his daughter, he goes into a deep depression. As a coping mechanism, he begins to write letters to ideals, such as love, death and time. To his surprise, these same quantities to which he is writing letters, come to him as real people with the purpose of helping him live life once again. This seemingly modern twist on a Christmas Carol exudes a star-studded cast, like Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Kate Winslet.

How do you feel about these upcoming films? Are you excited too?