Movie Club Volume 14
Hey everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
It’s one of those unique years where even after Thanksgiving has passed, there are still multiple days left in November. After a long week of football, turkey, and COVID boosters, I figured I’d ease back into the newsletters today. I watched several movies this month, so the time has come for another edition of the Movie Club series. The next edition of this will probably be filled with Christmas movies, but we can cross that bridge when we get there.
The Mauritanian - This was an amazing movie and I encourage everyone to watch it. The acting by everyone involved kept me glued to my seat the entire time. I watched this film before the October 7th attacks in Israel, but I feel like the plot of this movie is very relevant to today’s current events. In a quest to achieve justice, revenge, and/or retribution, it’s important to punish those who are responsible and guilty as opposed to killing for the sake of killing. I know that there are no rules in war, but there should at least be empathy and compassion for all being impacted by senseless acts of violence.
Christine - This movie is a biographical movie about Christine Chubbuck, a Florida news reporter who committed suicide during a live broadcast in 1974. This movie portrays Christine’s unhappiness in a way that is gripping and engaging, even though you know you won’t be seeing a happy ending. My thoughts go out to everyone suffering from any type of depression or mental illness, especially during the holiday season.
The Grudge - I told myself I needed to watch some scary movies this past October, and after watching this I regretted that decision with every fiber in my being. This is one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. If you like scary movies, this needs to be on your movie list to watch as soon as possible.
Fair Play - I went into this movie not knowing what to expect, and even with zero expectations I still felt disappointed by the end of this movie. I understand what the movie was trying to portray and what the plot was trying to accomplish, but it felt like everything was executed in a hamfisted way that left me wanting more. It also fell into the trap of most mediocre movies by ending on a cliffhanger. Either the filmmakers left intrigue at the end of the movie because they didn’t know how to end it, or they left it open-ended in a bid to possibly secure a deal for a sequel. I feel very confident in saying that there will be no sequel.
Talk To Me - This movie was awesome. I love movies with a unique plot, and I’ve never seen anything like this before. I can’t delve any further into the details without spoiling the movie, but I highly recommend this one.
Chloe - This was a neat twist on the erotic thriller genre. A woman suspects her husband of cheating on her, and to find out the truth she pays a woman to seduce her husband and recap what happens over coffee shop dates. This is a simple enough premise, but the movie kicks into gear when things go off the rails. Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried are great in their roles, and it was very surprising to see Liam Neeson in a movie where he doesn’t have a very particular set of skills.
The Hunger Games - Over the long break, I decided to watch all of the Hunger Games movies on Peacock. This was one of the best decisions I’ve made in recent memory. I enjoyed all four movies equally, and the parts about propaganda are perhaps more relevant than ever. I felt the series had an amazing ending that tied up all loose ends without making me feel like I had been cheated for the sake of brevity or wrapping things up. Cough *Game of Thrones* cough. Definitely recommend checking these out if you haven’t had the chance.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes - I even went and saw the prequel in theaters over the weekend. I never thought I’d be rooting for President Snow to succeed, but this movie made that super easy. Barely an inconvenience. Maybe the movie was a bit long, but I enjoyed it, and if you’ve seen the others you should watch this also.