I am someone whose love language is watching movies. Sitting down with a big bowl of popcorn with someone while having the phone out of reach is a bonding experience, especially on a rainy day or a cold winter night. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good outdoor activity filled with laughter and excitement, but, movies fill a void for me when I want quality entertainment but need to recharge my social battery. It ultimately kills two birds with one stone and if the movie is exceptionally good, I will pause it to talk about my thoughts and reactions. I can be a tough movie critic, but I promise that my favorite picks will leave no room for disappointment. Plus, to make your life easier, I will even add where to stream them!
My go-to movie genres are psychological thrillers and mystery. I like a movie that makes me look for clues, pause to think and reflect, have me brainstorm what is going to happen, and leave me speechless when the credits start to roll. In my opinion, a jaw-dropping plot twist is the way to my heart and automatically deserves at least an A-. Shutter Island, with Leonardo DiCaprio, is one of the best movies of all time; I could rewatch this movie a million times. Falling slightly below on my list, but having similar vibes are Inception, Fight Club, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Knives Out, Parasite, Gone Girl, The Unforgivable, A Beautiful Mind, Fractured, and Side Effects. All of these psychological thrillers will leave you thinking about the plot for days or years later. Gone Girl, The Unforgivable, Side Effects, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and Knives Out are classic mystery stories that will only live rent-free in your brain for a day or two while Inception, Fight Club, Parasite, A Beautiful Mind, and Fractured are mind-boggling, brain chemistry altering, psychological nail-bitters that will make you never forget what your mind just went through.
Where to stream: Shutter Island (Paramount +), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Knives Out, Inception, Side Effects, The Unforgivable, and Fractured (Netflix), Gone Girl (HBO Max), and lastly, A Beautiful Mind, and Parasite (Amazon Prime).
It takes a particular mood for me to be in to watch a love story movie, but sometimes, I need an excuse to cry. If you are in that mood too, I recommend watching The Best Of Me, Remember Me, La La Land, and A Walk To Remember. I know that watching a Nicholas Sparks movie is so cliche, but The Best Of Me and A Walk To Remember are his most underrated films that do not get the hype that they deserve. His most overrated films are The Notebook, The Longest Ride, The Lucky One, and Dear John. Sitting right in the middle are Safe Haven and The Last Song. They certainly made me cry, but they are not one of his top-tier storylines. Remember Me and La La Land are not Nicholas Sparks movies, but if you want a crazy roller coaster of emotions and tear-jerker movies, I suggest you watch these two. Other options that are not as emotional, but still top-notch romance movies are 10 Things I Hate About You, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, and Stuck In Love.
Where to stream: The Best Of Me, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, and La La Land (Netflix), Remember Me (Amazon Prime), A Walk To Remember, and Stuck In Love (Peacock TV), 10 Things I Hate About You (Disney +),
Comedies are not my specialty and it is rare to have a comedy movie on my “all-time favorite movie” list. I enjoy the most random films in this genre that are probably unpopular opinions; I have a strange sense of humor. I am not the biggest fan of movies that everyone else finds hilarious, such as Stepbrothers, 21 Jump Street, and Deadpool. If you are someone who agrees with this perspective, then you will probably prefer my personal favorites for when you need a good cheering up or a light topic: Crazy Rich Asians, Enchanted, Christopher Robin, Over The Hedge, Mean Girls, Without A Paddle, and any movie starring Jason Bateman.
Where to stream: Crazy Rich Asians (HBO Max), Enchanted and Christopher Robin (Disney +), Over The Hedge (Netflix), and Mean Girls and Without A Paddle (Paramount +),
If you are not the type of person to appreciate these types of genres, drama may be your go-to option. These are the movies that are good to watch after a long day when you do not feel sappy, do not feel like crying, or do not need a good laugh. Some of my personal preferences are Bombshell, Whiplash, Catch Me If You Can, Zathura, and Cruella.
Where to stream: Bombshell (Hulu), Whiplash and Zathura (Amazon Prime), Catch Me If You Can (HBO Max), and Cruella (Disney +).
Even though I am a movie guru, there are still a fair share of options that are on my bucket list to watch next. From my friends’ opinions, I am certain that most films on my “watch next” list are top-notch and will move up to the “all-time favorite movie” list in no time. Here are some of the movies that I have been dying to watch: The Whale (Prime Video), The Florida Project (Hulu and Disney +), Beautiful Boy (Amazon Prime), Interstellar (Paramount +), Call Me By Your Name (Amazon Prime), Marriage Story (Netflix), Lady Bird (Hulu and Disney +), Me Before You (Amazon Prime, When Harry Met Sally (HBO Max), Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind (Amazon Prime), Everything Everywhere All At Once (Paramount +), Life Is Beautiful (Amazon Prime), Good Time (Hulu and Disney +), Little Women (Amazon Prime), American Honey (Paramount +), and Triangle Of Sadness (Hulu).
For the movies that I absolutely love, but did not make the cut, I listed them as well. Here are my honorary mentions: Nightcrawler (HBO Max), The Fallout (HBO Max), The Happening (Amazon Prime), The Knowing (Hulu and Disney +), To The Bone (Netflix), Brain On Fire (Netflix), Don’t Worry Darling (Hulu and Disney +), War Of The Worlds (Hulu and Disney +), Prisoners (Netflix), The Menu (HBO Max), Get Out (Amazon Prime), The Hunger Games Series (Amazon Prime), Silver Linings Playbook Amazon Prime), The Girl On The Train (Amazon Prime), The Call (Amazon Prime), Avatar (Disney +), Bring It On: In It To Win It (Prime Video), and Life Of Pi (Amazon Prime).
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