Over the course of my summer, I had a decent amount of down time. Whether it be on rainy days at the pool I worked at, or at night with friends or family, I watched a number of movies. Some were amazing, some were confusing yet wonderful, and some were just terrible. Keeping that in mind, these are my top five picks that I’d recommend to any movie-lover.
- Whiplash
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Although it’s not a new movie, Whiplash was new to me this summer. Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, Whiplash captures the story of a college student named Andrew who attends a prestigious music school for his skills on the drums and arduously tries to meet the impossibly high standards of his professor. There is a tasteful mix of college romance and unparalleled determination to achieve music excellence. The music and acting is great, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. A must-see!
- Wind River
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This movie, although a few years old, is a nail-biting drama. Taking place in uber-rural Wyoming, a hunter, on one of his expeditions, stumbles upon a dead teenage girl whom he knew her whole life. In this small community where everyone knows one another, the hunter teams up with an FBI agent to solve the murder case and bring justice to the perpetrators of the crime. Sometimes I get bored of murder mysteries, but this one was fabulous. The acting was superb and the plot was unique from other murder mystery movies I’ve seen.
- Once Upon a Time.. in Hollywood
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Quentin Tarantino strikes again, directing this long and windy-plotted movie. Spinning off of the murder of Sharon Tate by the Manson Family, this movie combines both real characters and some fictional ones, and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt were fantastic leads in the movie, as well as the many supporting characters that appeared. There were so many subplots in this movie, many intertwining with one another, and others turning off into the unknown, leaving viewers wondering the relevance of each storyline. I would recommend viewers to brush up on their history before watching this, and curl up with some popcorn and a drink because it’s a long but great one!
- Burnt
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Although it’s four years old and not the most well-known, this movie did not disappoint. Bradley Cooper plays a world-renowned chef who goes down a bad path with drugs, losing his Michelin-star restaurant and prestige. Cooper tries to start over in this hopeful drama that’s filled with love, heartbreak, achievement, and devastation. I recommend eating before watching the movie because seeing all of the beautiful food being prepared in the movie will definitely make your stomach rumble.
- Bohemian Rhapsody
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As someone who is a big fan of Queen but was born a little too late to go to Queen concerts, I loved this movie. It was not only captivating through and through, but it weaved in so much history about the band that I never knew. The acting was wonderful and the story is just incredible, almost unbelievable. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates music in general, as it highlights the successes and pitfalls of the world famous band, Queen.
Happy movie-watching everyone, make sure you have plenty of snacks!!