I like to think of myself as a mini movie buff and I think that a lot of my friends would agree. I love watching new movies and rating them on Letterboxd. With that being said, I am very stingy with my ratings and only give 5 stars to those that truly fit. If you look at my ratings, you’ll see that I have a lot more 4 and 4.5-star ratings than I do 5, because a full five stars are only for movies that I think are perfect.
- Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
To start off my list, I have the new movie Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde. I’m going to be honest, I went into this movie with low expectations. The only thing that I was confident I was going to enjoy was Florence Pugh’s performance because I adore her. However, this movie blew me away. This film had absolutely beautiful cinematography, scene transitions, a chilling score, amazing acting performances, and an unpredictable plot twist. Not to mention, there are so many small details that you don’t even notice until your second or third time watching. If you haven’t seen this film, I highly, highly recommend it.
- Joker (2019)
This movie was so beautiful, in so many different ways. Joaquin Phoenix did a phenomenal job and had me watching in awe the entire time. Although there is a lot of controversy surrounding this film and the way it depicts mental health, I personally found it captivating, nonetheless. Something about this film that I fell in love with was the cinematography (it is absolutely stunning) and the use of the film’s color palette. I feel like these things add so much to the story without the audience even realizing it. I also loved that you can watch this film with no knowledge of the Batman universe and still be capable of following every detail.
- Mid90s (2018)
I won’t say much about this film, as I’ve already written an entire article on a review of this movie. However, I will restate that this movie is absolutely heartbreaking. It is a very heavy film that touches on real-life situations. I loved this movie and it was a very easy one for me to rate 5 stars.
- Hereditary (2018)
This is one of my favorite films of all time for so many reasons. Much like Mid90s, this film is heartbreaking but is so beautiful at the same time. The family dynamics in this movie were so enticing, even more so in the second half. Every scene in this movie left me sucked in and my jaw was on the floor, pretty much the entire time. Yes, this film is a scary movie that is quite gory, but there is so much more to it that needs to be seen by everyone. Not to mention, the acting in this movie is some of the most phenomenal work I’ve ever seen. I will never not hype this movie up.
- IT (2017)
I’m a bit biased toward the rating of this movie because it is one of my all-time favorites, but it is still amazing. If you are a fan of horror movies, this is a must-watch. This film encapsulates everything you’d want it to. It has strong friendship and family dynamics (both positive and negative), a good soundtrack, real-life issues, jumpscares, romance, creative scenes, and so much more. I love this movie and I honestly consider it a comfort film.
- Coraline (2009)
And last, but certainly not least, Coraline. This is another one of my all-time favorites and I highly consider this one a comfort film. I know that a lot of people hate this movie because it’s “too scary”, especially for a kids movie, but I personally think it’s fantastic in every aspect. It contains such a unique storyline and there are things in the movie for kids and adults to enjoy. I feel like the older you are, the more you can appreciate the film, but it is a great watch either way.