Over the past few years, I’ve constantly turned to TV shows instead of movies when I’ve wanted a source of entertainment. The idea of a 2+ hour movie felt like a daunting commitment, while one or two episodes felt like the perfect way to unwind. However, because I am taking two classes involving film and constantly have movie nights with my roommate, this semester has reignited my love for film. Here are the top five films that I’ve watched this school year.
Pitch Perfect
During one of our first weekends in college, my roommate and I had a “Pitch Perfect” marathon. “Pitch Perfect” follows Beca Mitchell, a college student and aspiring music producer, who joins the Barden Bellas, an all-female acapella group.
This is a big comfort movie for me, so I may be biased, but I do believe “Pitch Perfect” is the greatest film ever made. It’s genuinely so funny, with cast members like Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Elizabeth Banks delivering brilliant lines with perfect comedic timing. Not to mention, the musical performances are so incredible that I have all of them memorized (and unfortunately for my roommate, I did sing along).
The Proposal
This was a rewatch for both my roommate and me, but “The Proposal” is the type of movie that gets better every time. It’s a rom-com that stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as Margaret Tate and Andrew Paxton. Margaret is a powerful New York editor who convinces her assistant, Andrew, to marry her after facing deportation.
It’s a classic romcom with lovable characters and hilarious jokes, and it basically invented the enemies-to-lovers trope. As someone who has seen almost every ‘90s and 2000s romcom, this is definitely at the top of my list.
Twilight
My roommate and a friend recently bonded over their love for “Twilight,” and when I revealed that I had never seen it, they insisted we have a watch party. The next week, we baked vampire cupcakes and coffin brownies, and I finally watched the first “Twilight” movie.
The movie is centered around a high school student named Bella Swan as she falls in love with the mysterious Edward Cullen, who is later revealed to be a vampire.
The quality of the film itself is questionable, but the experience was fun. We talked through the whole thing, joking about Bella’s constant headshakes and Edward’s perpetually constipated expression. While I don’t think I’ll be rewatching the movie alone anytime soon, we do plan on watching the rest of the movies so I can finally decide whether I’m team Edward or team Jacob.
Moonlight
When I found out that we would be watching “Moonlight” in class, I was excited. I had been hearing about it for years and remembered it won big at the Oscars, but had never gotten around to watching it. The film is about a young black man named Chiron and is divided into three parts, representing three stages of his life: childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
I loved this movie because it focuses solely on Chiron and reflects the complexity behind every individual. As a viewer, I felt like I was able to look inside someone else’s life in a way other films have failed to accomplish. It was both heartbreaking and beautiful.
Slumdog Millionaire
“Slumdog Millionaire” was one of those movies I had always heard of but never watched, until it was assigned for my Quest course. The film stars Dev Patel as Jamal Malik, a young man from the slums of Bombay who is competing on,“Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” After he is interrogated for suspicion of cheating, Jamal tells anecdotes of his life that explain how he knows various answers. The movie alternates between scenes from the present and chronological flashback scenes, showing the audience where Jamal is and how he ended up there.
As someone who tends to go for comedies, I am truly grateful that I was forced to watch this movie. The film itself is very entertaining while serving as a reminder of our privilege. It manages to tell a tragic story and reveal the cruel reality of many people’s lives without being emotionally exhausting for the viewer.