I mean, the title basically says it all, but I essentially lived at three different movie theaters this summer, supplemented by the many movies I saw at home as well. If I wasn’t at work, chances are you could find me at the movie theater or in my room watching movies. My Letterboxd this summer? Stacked. My bank account? Crying. But that’s fine! I find myself at my happiest when at the movies, and this summer was definitely a great summer to be a fan of the movies.
- ‘Ready or Not’
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I quite literally kicked my summer off with this movie, as it was the first thing I watched when I got home from the spring semester. Starring Samara Weaving as Grace, it follows her on her wedding night as a game of hide-and-seek with her new in-laws turns deadly fast. I absolutely loved this movie, with the original concept (go support original ideas!), the humor, and the fact that the gore/violence added to the plot rather than detract from it. I gave this movie five stars, watched it at least twice more during the summer, AND bought my own copy.
- ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
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I was shown scenes from this film in my Shakespearean Studies class and decided to borrow it from my library to actually watch it and was not disappointed. Much Ado is a classic enemies-to-lovers story, where the main characters Beatrice and Benedick pretend to be in love with one another to fool their families. I loved this retelling of Much Ado, and thought everything was perfect, from costumes to casting to set design. Featuring Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, and Keanu Reeves, this movie was amazing, and very easy to follow despite the Shakespearean language!
- ‘Booksmart’
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When this movie got recommended to me with the notion of “It reminds me of you,” I was wary. However, I loved this movie, and definitely related to the idea of a girl who worked way too hard in high school, and loved Kaitlyn Denver and Beanie Feldstein as the protagonists. While I didn’t go off the rails like the they did, I thought this movie was hilarious, and a must-watch for the girls who studied way too much in high school.
- ‘Lilo & Stitch’
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I thought Lilo & Stitch was cute, and it definitely ranked higher on the “Disney live action” list for me than other movies (looking at you Snow White). If you’re unfamiliar with the original, it follows a young girl named Lilo, who wishes for a best friend and suddenly encounters a blue alien named Stitch. I thought the design was nice, it stayed pretty faithful to the story (with the exception of the ending), and I loved the addition to Nani’s character. Overall, I thought it was cute, but would probably stick to watching the OG animated one.
- ‘Materialists’
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When I say I loved this movie, I mean it — I absolutely adored this movie. While I am guilty of watching pretty much any Pedro Pascal project, this movie had me so excited because of its concept. Directed by Celine Song, it follows Lucy (Dakota Johnson), Harry (Pedro Pascal), and John (Chris Evans), in a love triangle set in the struggles of modern New York dating. I loved how real and honest this movie was about how difficult modern dating can be, while retaining the charm and character of a 2000s romantic dramedy. I gave this movie five stars and a place on my Letterboxd Four, and this movie has slowly absorbed itself into my personality.
- ‘Snow White’
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It was a movie. It happened. It was honestly just as bad as the reviews said it was, don’t even waste your time on it. While elements of the original story are there, Snow White being banished to the forest, the seven dwarfs, and her biting into the poisoned apple, it’s all done sloppily, and not worth the watch. Even though Rachel Zegler is a phenomenal singer, you’re better off watching the original.
- ‘Midsommar’
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This was a rewatch for me, but in a new way. I was lucky enough to go to an Alamo Drafthouse movie party for this movie, meaning I got to see it in a big theater for the first time. The movie follows Dani (Florence Pugh) in the wake of her family’s death, as she and a group of friends are invited to a midsummer festival with deadly results. I love this movie, and I think seeing it on the big screen completely changes the way I viewed the movie. Because it was blown up and *not* on my apartment TV, I could see tiny details and choices in cinematography that I had missed on the first watch and left me disturbed in a new way. I gave it five stars, and highly recommend seeing it on a big screen if you get the opportunity to do so.
- ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’
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Some movies don’t need to be made, and this is a good example of it. The movie follows a team of researchers making the incredibly dangerous trip back to the original Jurassic Park to extract life-saving DNA from the dinosaurs there. I was excited for Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson in this movie, but even they couldn’t save it. A perfect example of how vital good writing is for a movie: this was two hours and thirteen minutes where nothing happened and I couldn’t pick out a single moment that stuck out to me.
- ‘Eddington’
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If there’s one thing that you can count on in life, it’s that you will go see an Ari Aster film and leave that theater a different person. Set in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic (how are we already making period pieces about COVID?), it focuses on a feud between conservative sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and progressive mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). While this movie does turn violent, the real horror comes from remembering, almost jarringly, that the way people act in this movie was not dramatized, and people did act like this in the pandemic. I gave this movie 4 stars and really liked it, but will definitely need some time before I watch it again.
- ‘The Craft’
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My dad recommended me this film because he thought I would love it, and he was so right. This movie walked so Mean Girls could run, and I truly mean that. Centered around the Witches of Eastwick, this movie shows just how dangerous witchcraft can be, especially in the hands of vengeful teenage girls. With now-household names such as Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell and Skeet Ulrich, it’s a great time. I loved this movie so much, and would highly recommend for a witchy movie night: just don’t watch if you’re afraid of bugs or snakes!
- ‘Superman’
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I absolutely adored this movie. DC very clearly won best summer superhero movie this year, hands down. James Gunn’s iteration of Superman tells a new story for the Man of Steel, three years after he takes up the name of Superman. While very tonally different from Zach Synder’s Man of Steel movies, I preferred this movie hands down. It was brighter in tone, in color, and I had more fun watching this movie than anything else. In my opinion, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were perfectly cast as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, respectively. I still smile when I think of this movie, and it genuinely inspired a sense of hope I haven’t had from the movies in a long time.
- ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’
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Like I said, DC clearly won this matchup, but The Fantastic Four was still really good! This installment of The Fantastic Four focuses on the early years of the team, following their first battle with Galactus and the Silver Surfer. I loved the absolutely gorgeous sixties-style setting and thought that the characters were perfectly cast for this movie, with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. While it did drag on at some points, and I wish Galactus had had more of a presence, I think this movie was my favorite iteration of Marvel’s first family and tees up perfectly for Avengers: Doomsday.
- ‘The Substance’
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This movie deserved all the hype it got and more. Featuring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, it follows a forgotten actress who decides to take a ‘substance’ in order to create a more perfect version of herself to live through. An absolutely skin-crawling body horror flick, the commentary about being a woman in society was top tier, making me uncomfortable and upset all at the same time. I had to take breaks between each act just to recenter myself from the events. Highly recommend, just not if you’re easily disturbed by body horror.
- ‘Freakier Friday’
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I got to see this movie at an early screening with my mother, and it was one of my favorite nights this summer. A similar premise as the 2003 movie, Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis swap bodies with the new generation of daughters in order to teach them a lesson about each other. We both loved the 2003 Freaky Friday, so this was a no-brainer for us. I thought this movie was adorable, it was light and fun without stripping itself down to try and appeal to a younger generation: I laughed at jokes and the Gen-Z humor was perfectly placed. I highly recommend this movie, and you don’t even need to see the first movie to enjoy this one!
- ‘Weapons’
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Am I allowed to say that I saw Weapons before it was popular or is that pretentious? Well, regardless, I did — I saw it opening weekend and was obsessed. After an entire class of children walks out of their houses at 2:17 AM, no one knows who to blame, but searches for answers as to where the kids in Miss Gandy’s (Julia Garner) class. Told through the lenses of several different characters, this movie kept me on edge, but balanced the horror with humor, and left me deeply unsettled at the end. I loved this movie (and argued with friends over it), and am eagerly waiting for its release on streaming.