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CU Boulder | Culture > Entertainment

As Scene On Screen: The Final Hurrah

Rodayna Eissa Student Contributor, University of Colorado - Boulder
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Hello and welcome to the episode of the As Scene On Screen saga in which we address my epic failure to hold true to any of the things I said I would do in the previous article in the series. Let’s jump back to the beginning of October when I went slightly insane and added the unnecessary complication of a Halloween movie challenge within the main challenge. Oh, and, of course, I was meant to put out another entry to the series at the end of October. Needless to say, neither thing happened. 

Setbacks aside, the 365 countdown remains firmly intact. In fact, I’m watching a movie as I write this. It’s December 2nd and over Thanksgiving break I was able to crank out enough movies to get the total count for the year to 272/365 (under 100 to go!) meaning there’s still a — totally doable…I hope — 93 movies to go in the final 29 days of the year. I have full confidence that with enough caffeine and, what many may call an inadvisable lack of sleep, those 93 movies will be a piece of cake. Yup. Definitely. 

Looming deadline aside, let’s recap some of my favorite watches from the newest roster of movies I’ve seen. 

  1. Casablanca directed by Michael Curtiz
  • I can’t believe it took me so long to watch this movie. I was convinced it had to be overhyped and I was in for a mildly interesting at best ride, but boy was I wrong. This movie tells a beautiful, moving story with a heartbreaking ending that had me bawling into the couch as the sound of Humphrey Bogart saying “We’ll always have Paris” replayed in my mind over and over again. I fear I have to be one of those annoying people who tells you: this is a masterpiece, a classic. Watch it, I promise you won’t regret it. 
  1. Stuck In Love directed by Josh Boone 
  • This movie is about love in all of its forms. It instantly became a new comfort watch for me. It’s not always easy to believe in love as a lasting concept. I feel like the world around us has conditioned us into believing that love is meant to be lost and fleeting, but this movie proves that it’s anything but. Doesn’t hurt that it has a banger soundtrack. 
  1. The Perks of Being A Wallflower directed by Stephen Chbosky 
  • I feel no shame in saying that I bawl my eyes out every time I watch this movie. Anytime I feel the need for a good cry, I can count on this one to get the job done. Weirdly enough, I would still call it a comfort movie. From Charlie’s (played by Logan Lerman) connection with his English teacher, Mr. Anderson, played by the wonderful Paul Rudd — if you know the theory connecting this movie to Dead Poet’s Society, I am so beyond on board with it — and his connection with Patrick, Emma Watson’s Sam, and the stellar cast of characters around them, this movie is the paragon of coming of age stories. 
  1. Emma directed by Autumn de Wilde
  • Jane Austen, I adore you. Truly, no one does romance like her, and Autumn de Wilde’s adaptation gives Emma’s story the adaptation it deserves. Wonderfully funny, visually stunning, and musically divine, this movie is such a delight to watch. Now imagine a double feature of this and Pride and Prejudice. Yeah, I’m sat. 
  1. Never Let Me Go directed by Mark Romanek 
  • Yeah, I should’ve seen the tears coming with this one. Heartbreaking, devastating, messed up: those are the three things I would say to succinctly summarize this movie. However, it is a good watch. Aesthetically stunning with incredible performances by the wonderfully talented Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightly, and Carey Mulligan, this movie will have you entirely locked in. 
  1. Donnie Darko directed by Richard Kelly 
  • This movie is a trip and a half. I loved it. Just don’t ask me what it was about. I truly don’t think I could explain it if I wanted to. For the sake of this article, this is my best attempt to convince you to watch this: it’s about a boy and his imaginary, kind of terrifying bunny who convinces him to do quite terrible things — oh, and there’s time travel? 
  1. 13 Going On 30 directed by Gary Winick 
  • Yes, this movie is written to be a romcom. But at its heart, it’s a movie about finding meaning in who you are and taking the time to live in the moment instead of hurtling towards the next big milestone. Jennifer Garner does an incredible job portraying main character Jenna and making her a character that every woman and girl can relate to at any age. Not to mention, Mark Ruffalo truly sets the bar high. I, for one, was swooning. 
  1. The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan 
  • I would love to sit Christopher Nolan down and ask him how it feels to be a literal genius. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: that man may just be the best person to ever do the job. Not one of his movies has ever let me down, and this one was no exception. I really couldn’t explain this to you if I tried, it’s a must watch without question. 
  1. One Battle After Another directed by Paul Thomas Anderson 
  • This last year has yielded a handful of incredibly poignant movies that do a phenomenal job of balancing social commentary and entertainment, and this one is no exception. Addressing primarily the issues of class divide and military violence, and racial division, it grips you from the first line to the last shot. It’s unforgettable. Whether you’re watching in slight horror at the familiarity of the atrocities occurring or laughing your a*s off at another perfectly delivered comedic line from Leonardo DiCaprio — or you know, both at the same time — this movie is easily one of the best releases of 2025. 
  1. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules directed by David Bowers 
  • I said what I said. This movie was a favorite of my brother and I’s when we were younger, and the absolute nostalgia kick it gave me after what must be close to a decade since my last time seeing it had me feeling like I was still sitting on the couch in our old apartment cackling. Safe to say, I think it absolutely holds to the test of time. Shoutout to Rodrick Heffley for being so iconic. 

Well, if you’ve made it this far — whether this is your first time reading something from the series or you’ve followed along from the beginning — thanks for joining! This is the last you’ll hear from me until the New Year when we can — hopefully — celebrate a successful end to the challenge. For now, farewell and, from this cinephile to you, happy holidays and a happy new year! 

Rodayna Eissa

CU Boulder '26

Rodayna Eissa joined the Her Campus CU Boulder chapter as a contributing writer in the Fall of 2024. Her areas of interest as a writer include entertainment and media–particularly in regards to the movie industry–mental health, creative writing, and politics. As a reader and writer, she is a staunch defender of the oxford comma. She has worked as a bookseller and barista for over three years now. Rodayna is in her final year at the university where she is pursuing a pre-law degree in International Relations with a focus on the region of the Middle East and Africa.

When she’s not writing, Rodayna can usually be found indulging in one too many cups of coffee while hiding with a book, building legos, spending time with her family and friends, or rewatching Star Wars for the millionth time.