My Summer In Movies: The Best & The Worst

This summer I watched a solid handful of movies. Some of them were excellent, others were alright, and a few made me roll my eyes at the screen and sink into my seat. I regret none of them. 

I love movies because for two hours you get to separate from yourself. You follow another story, immersing yourself in another world. In this article, I’m going to highlight two movies I rated the highest on Letterboxd and two I rated pretty low. 

Let’s start with the two I rated the lowest.

28 Years Later (2025)

I’ve worked at a summer camp for the past three summers. All three years, I’ve had the same returning camper who is completely and utterly obsessed with the 28 Days Later franchise. This year, he begged me to finally watch his favorite movie from the franchise, 28 Years Later, and I finally did. 

Let me say, I am no stranger to zombie media. In fact, I’m a huge fan of it. I especially love The Walking Dead (both the show and the game) and The Last of Us (only the games; Season 2 of the show is the utmost disgrace). I’d watched the first movie in the 28 Days Later franchise earlier this year and despite my high expectations, found it to be a sexist monstrosity. 

But, what about 28 Years Later? Also a flop in my book. 

This movie is so misleading. You think it’s going to be a gritty, action-packed zombie movie and then what you get is a corny, family drama bolstered by intermittent fight scenes and an expensive cast. The editing is weird, like the team all worked independently with different visions and no idea what the rest of the crew was up to. The plot is similar. It’s completely disjointed, producing a film that splits into three acts that are alike only in their absurdity. 

This is one of those movies I watch where the whole time I’m switching between laughing and scratching my head. It’s crazy how, for such a long movie, I felt basically no connection to the characters. They’re poorly characterized and generally unlikeable, with the sole exception of Ralph Fiennes’ character, who seems to be the only rational person alive. 

The story is somehow both dull and ridiculous. Let me spoil the best worst part of the movie for you: A major part of the plot line is these enormous “alpha male” zombies that run around wreaking havoc. Beware, that’s “alpha” in the biological animalistic sense, not the Andrew Tate sense. 

These zombies are huge and, in all capacities, totally overpowered. Now listen to this: all the infected zombies — Alphas included — are completely nude. Use your imagination. 

The Idea of You (2024) 

I watched this movie with my mom. Humiliating, by the way. 

This movie is based on a Harry Styles fanfiction, which I think might just sum up all you need to know about it. It involves an age-gap relationship between 40-year-old Solène (Anne Hathaway) and 24-year-old August Moon (Nicholas Galitzine). 

She meets him at a concert she’s only at because her daughter is a huge fan, but they hit it off and start a relationship. There are predictable consequences, some drama ensues, and the movie ends on a hopeful note. Aaaaand the crowd goes mild. 

To put it aptly, this movie is exasperating. All I had to say on Letterboxd was “this movie is ridiculous and all the characters in it are so annoying.” Mic drop. 

I almost walked out of the living room on multiple occasions while watching. It’s cliché, poorly written, and, as I said, the characters made me want to rip my hair out. On that note, I think this is a movie for a very particular audience, to which I do not belong. It’s not beyond me why someone would like it, and I wouldn’t think any less of someone who does. 

Now, for two I rated highly.

Obsession (2025)

I know Obsession is not niche, but I don’t care. The movie was exhilarating and did exactly what a horror film should. 

I went to see Obsession in the theater with my high school friends, which meant the movie was followed by a mandatory debrief over frozen yogurt. My poor friend Jackie had never seen a horror movie in her life and THIS was what her introduction to the genre was. 

She spent the last twenty minutes covering her face with her hands, watching from between two fingers. Needless to say, I don’t think she’ll be watching any other horror movies for a while. 

I felt lied to when I watched this because I had asked a friend who saw it before me if it had a lot of gore. I’ve got a decently strong stomach in the context of zombie movies or medical shows, and it’s not uncommon for me to be caught eating a meal over The Walking Dead or Grey’s Anatomy. 

Still, something about horror gore or gore when I’m not necessarily expecting it (a jump scare, for example) makes me queasy. Anyway, my friend promised me there was little to no blood or gore and that this was a tame movie in that regard. She lied. 

That being said, Obsession does a spectacular job of synthesizing symbolism with well-written dialogue, a strong plot, and an even stronger fear factor. The themes explored are executed incredibly well and with the perfect amount of subtlety. The acting is astounding, and I’m not at all surprised to see Inde Navarrette blowing up in the aftermath of Obsession’s release. 

At no point do you know where the story is going next or what’s going to happen — in the best way ever. You’re left on the edge of your seat watching the movie and then paranoid and checking over your shoulder for hours after you finish it. It’s awesome.

If you can tolerate blood and gore, and you’re looking for both a good scare and a hyperbolic exploration of real-world relationship dynamics, I can’t recommend this enough.

The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995)

Last but certainly not least, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. 

This is such a feel-good movie. The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love follows the story of Randy and Evie as they navigate the world together. This movie hits all the important marks when it comes to a coming-of-age romance, and it does it with so much style. 

On Letterboxd, I said, “beautiful things happen when you let women make movies about women. Tender, awkward, charming, incredibly funny, electric, nostalgic, embarrassing, and just overwhelmingly likable.” 

There are quiet, intimate moments. There are fights and disagreements. There is incredible natural dialogue and writing. There is fabulous characterization and character development. The ending goes a little off the rails with a change in style and pacing, but I thought it was done really well and wrapped up the plot with a humorous action sequence.

Just trust me and watch it. 

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