Last weekend, I unfortunately tested positive for COVID. The five days I spent in isolation housing were not exactly enjoyable or exciting, but the one upside was I found myself with a lot of free time. Knowing I would not have this stasis in my schedule again, I took advantage of this short week by pretty much constantly watching movies/TV when I wasn’t attending Zoom classes. So, without further ado, here are some short reviews of everything I watched:
5. The Super Bowl
Truth be told, I am not a football fan. I think other than (the first half of) UVA home games, this is the only football I have voluntarily watched all year. And good news—it wasn’t terrible! The game was actually exciting and came down to the wire and the halftime show was entertaining. All I can say is, better luck next time Bengals.
Rating: 4/10
4. Miss Congeniality
After watching the Super Bowl, I felt like I was missing something. So, some friends recommended that I watch Miss Congeniality for the first time. And although this movie was a good time (I mean who doesn’t love Sandra Bullock and beauty pageant answers), this movie’s feminist message felt very twenty years ago. Not to mention Bullock’s love interest never takes her seriously until she is all dolled up (ugh! typical) and definitely could be the reason for a workplace discrimination lawsuit…
Rating: 5/10
3. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
This movie brought me back to 2010 in the best way. The Percy Jackson books were truly the defining part of my childhood, and watching this movie when I was in third grade is what inspired me to read them in the first place. The movie, although drastically different from the first book, is a really great time and has a great plot for a kid’s action adventure film. If I could separate this movie from its source material, then I think it might be number one. But unfortunately, my nostalgia for the PJO book series will always overpower by nostalgia for the movie.
Rating: 8/10
2. Notting Hill
I decided to watch this movie on Valentines’ Day, mostly because I am a sucker for Hugh Grant. And although Julia Roberts’ character was not exactly the best love interest to our darling Hugh, the movie had the perfect amount of romance, comedy, and British accents to fill the hole in my heart on my quarantined V-day.
Rating: 8.5/10
1. Another Cinderella Story
This movie was once again a trip down memory lane, but unlike Percy Jackson, it was better than I remembered. The music! The outfits! THE ONE-WAY MIRROR DANCING SCENE! This movie is, of course, a little over the cheesy and requires you to extend your disbelief just a little, but it is SO worth it. Rewatching this movie after many years was definitely the highlight of my quarantine, and I recommend renting it if you ever find yourself in isolation.
Rating: 15/10