One thing I love besides writing is watching movies. I’m the kind of girl to look up the cast 10 minutes into a film, and dig through trivia on IMDB after it’s finished. If you can relate to that, then here’s five of my favorite movies that could like too!
- The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
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A remake from the 1960s, TV series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is probably at the top of my list of favorite movies. It’s one of those films where no matter how many times I’ve watched it, I’ll always take a seat on the couch if it’s on the screen. Set during the Cold War, the Americans and the Soviets must team up in order to prevent an illegal organization from building a nuclear bomb. A CIA agent and a KGB soldier are tasked with helping an escapee from behind the Iron Curtain of East Germany stop her scientist father from helping the organization complete their plans. Although they are an unlikely trio, they learn to set aside their differences to reach a common goal with a little (okay, a lot) of complaining.
- Ready Player One
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Based on a sci-fi novel by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One takes place in the future where a popular escape from reality is a VR game called the OASIS. When the creator of the game dies, he leaves behind a contest within the game, and the winner receives full control of OASIS and its assets. The main character Wade Watts and his online group of friends find themselves making tough decisions that impact their lives in the real world. They know it all depends on them to save the OASIS from hands that seek to monopolize it rather than let users enjoy it.
One of my favorite tropes is a “found family,” and this film certainly proves that online friends are just as important as real-life ones. There are plenty of moments to geek-out over pop culture film inclusions such as the DeLorean, the Chucky doll, the Batmobile, and more. Each time I rewatch the film, I catch something new!
- Les Misérables
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For all you Broadway musical lovers out there, I recommend Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. Follow the daring adventure and secretive life of Jean Valjean, a prisoner who broke his parole. Constantly on the run from Inspector Javert, Valjean attempts to remain hidden to raise an orphaned child as his own. As his daughter gets older, he realizes she’ll have to live a life without the pressure of being on the run with him. With a running time of 2 hours and 38 minutes, you better buckle down with some tissues and be prepared to have these songs stuck in your head for days. I have memories of watching this film late in the theater on a school night and I loved it so much; I didn’t care about being exhausted the next day.
- Peter Pan
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Although I suggest watching both of the Peter Pan films, I’ll focus on the live-action version with Jeremy Sumpter, in which I will proudly admit to having a celebrity crush on him as a kid. Wendy Darling is an exceptional storyteller to her two younger brothers, Michael and John. So exceptional, that even the great Peter Pan can’t keep away from her tales. With happy thoughts and pixie dust, the group flies to Neverland where they make friends with the lost boys and fight off Captain Hook. Truly a film for all ages, these scenes will make you wish you didn’t have to grow up either. It still makes me want to leave my own window wide open in hopes that I’ll find myself in Neverland one day.
- Howl’s Moving Castle
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My final recommendation is Howl’s, Moving Castle. Give me anything produced by Studio Ghibli and I will watch it without hesitation. At the beginning of the film, Sophie is cursed by a witch to be transformed into an old woman. Ever the practical girl, she accepts her curse and travels to the countryside where she encounters a disheveled castle. She makes a deal with a demon who keeps the castle running: free him from his master’s curse in exchange for lifting her own curse. Sophie said master, and the castle’s other inhabitants become closer as they travel along completing magical tasks. Like all Studio Ghibli films, the imaginative art in this and the scenes of daily life will never cease to comfort and awe me.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Ready Player One, Les Miserables, Peter Pan, and Howl’s Moving Castle are five of my favorite films. If any of these descriptions or the trailers linked in the titles catch your eye, grab some popcorn and be sure to check them out!