With summer just around the corner, it is time to get in the proper mood. Just think about it, long walks on beaches, beautiful sunsets, swimming, and no more school. With all of that in mind, I have compiled a list of the perfect films to watch to get you ready for the best summer yet.
Starring Matt Damon and Viola Davis, Air is a triumph in the biographical film genre. The film tells the story of Sonny Vaccaro (Damon), a Nike executive trying to build up the struggling basketball division. He quickly sets his sights on Michael Jordan but knows that he has an uphill battle to even get a meeting with the rookie. Between going against his boss's wishes and the many arguments with Jordan’s agent, it feels like the deal is nearly impossible. While everyone knows how the story ends, the movie is able to build great tension and gives its audiences insight into what went down.
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & the Six has taken the world by storm. The novel's rise to popularity has led to a television show adaptation on Amazon Prime that stars Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne and Riley Keough as the titular character Daisy Jones. The show has won the adoration of many fans. Because of this, many fans of the new show haven’t read the original book. The television format, especially with only 10 episodes, doesn’t allow the same amount of depth as a full-length novel. This means that not every storyline or detail is able to be translated into the show, nor do the showrunners want to use the exact same plotlines. With that being said, here is a guide to some of the biggest changes from book to show.
The long-awaited third season of Outer Banks has finally been released. Everyone’s favorite Pogues have returned to Netflix, attempting to find the next big treasure: El Dorado. With not much more than a dream, bandana, and the occasional weapon, the group faces more adversity than they ever have before. This season features the largest treasure yet and higher stakes than ever, causing more fighting between the Pogues than seen in previous seasons. What makes this season great is that despite all of the fighting and all of the adversity, in the end, P4L dominates all other forces, keeping the group tighter-knit than ever before.
Right now, it seems that no matter where you turn, Pedro Pascal lurks around the corner. Whether it's a TikTok edit, news article, late-night television appearance, or his latest role in a television show, he truly has taken over the internet. While he has been in the acting scene for quite some time, his latest role in The Last of Us, combined with the popularity of a recent TikTok edit of him, has skyrocketed his fame to a whole new level. However, I feel that this rise to fame is long overdue.
Every year when Valentine’s Day rolls around, my favorite tradition is to rewatch all of the rom-coms near and dear to my heart. It fills my heart with joy just watching all these different people find love. Even with these unrealistic storylines and even more unrealistic expectations, I can’t help but root for these couples and their happiness. I just sit back, relax, and let my beloved movies wash over me. So here is my definitive list of the best rom-coms for this lovely season.
Everyone remembers playing the classic childhood game hide and seek. I would scour the house looking for the perfect hiding spot and plop myself in whatever cabinet or underneath whatever bed. Then, I would sit silently (as silently as any child can) and hope that no one would ever find me. Inevitably, my amazing hiding spot was always discovered, and with that came a sense of relief that I didn’t have to cram myself into the tiny space in which I’d found myself. This couldn’t be further from the truth for Grace, the lead character of Ready or Not.
As the credits roll and Pearl attempts to keep up the guise of happiness as she smiles into the camera for minutes on end, all I could think was Mia Goth is a star. The prequel to X Pearl was one of the most highly anticipated horror films of 2022, and boy, did it deliver. The film does what great all prequels should do, make the original better. By focusing on the character of Pearl, the old lady from X, the movie allows itself to delve into all of the life choices that lead her to where she ends up and helps the audience understand truly how crazy she is. From the opening frame to the end credits, the film is a master class on how to create a character study.
Puss in Boots has significantly grown from his small beginnings as a side character introduced during Shrek 2. Now with his own trilogy, we have seen many different iterations of him, but the best by far is in his newest film, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. With an Oscar nomination under its belt, it is hard to disagree with the charisma and star power the film possesses. However, what makes the movie truly impactful is not the vocal performances by the star-studded cast, although that doesn’t hurt, but is instead what is at the core of the film, found family.
With the Thanksgiving season over and the holiday season arriving, nothing beats cozying up to a cheesy Christmas movie with a cup of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket. Now there are plenty of movies to choose from, with more and more being released every year. This year, instead of watching the same Christmas movies for the millionth time, I branched out and decided to watch something new. The queen of cheesy 2000s teen movies, Lindsay Lohan, has dipped her toes back into the spotlight with a leading role in Falling for Christmas. Alongside Chord Overstreet, known for his role as Sam Evans in Glee, the duo embarks on a journey with a laundry list of Christmas movie tropes. From the rich girl meeting a small-town boy to the way too-generous townspeople offering their services. From the Christmas miracle granted by a Santa Claus figure to the weird memory loss that somehow didn’t send her into a coma, these tropes have been beaten to death over and over again. Yet somehow, I still fall for it every single time. Despite the hatred many have for these tired tropes, I think that they make the Christmas movie-watching experience.
