Short Term 12 (2013) directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

I think my personal quest to watch the entirety of Brie Larson's filmography has already hit its highest point. Destin Daniel Cretton's Short Term 12 is an absolutely astounding and tender film that deeply touches on just about every emotion any normal human could feel. The story, subtle music, and performances make this movie an incredible watch, especially to see how far some of the cast involved have come since this. The thing that impresses me the most about this film, however, is the fact that even with the limited locations and short runtime, this it provided a much more interesting narrative than any blockbuster of today ever could. Now I just need to watch the short film that this feature-length masterpiece was based on, as this director has undoubtedly blown me away.

Short Term 12 is the story of a young supervisor named Grace (Brie Larson) who takes care of a large handful of kids in a residential treatment center. Along with her boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher Jr.) and a new hire named Nate (Rami Malek), the staff of this facility learns and adapts based on every new challenge that is brought their way, especially when receiving new patients. The best part of Cretton's writing in this film is the balance that he brought to every character and their individual stories. Even though Grace is the central protagonist of this film, I learned about and felt for every single character and their struggles. The most interesting had to revolve around Grace, as she dealt with her own personal demons and dark history while attempting to still take care of the kids that were under her care. It was so interesting to see the reversal of fortune and revitalization of Grace's life as her shell began to erode while working with one of the facility's new members, Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever). The relationship that was built between these two was beautiful and (while simultaneously passing the Bechdel test) actually showed a realistic representation of life in one of these centers. I also really appreciated that Cretton's writing did not overly dramatize or romanticize any of the things that happened in this care facility, as his version of the story was grounded in reality and authenticity.

The performances in this movie really bring out the authenticity of the writing as well. Larson and Malek stand out the most, as well as an early performance by Lakeith Stanfield as Marcus, another troubled kid in the home about to turn 18. I believe this is one of Larson's best and most moving roles ever, as she completely embodies the love and tender care that go into being a supervisor such as this one. When she began to struggle with balancing her personal life and dark past, Larson was able to portray every kind of inner emotion that one would feel in her situation. Malek was also great in his role as Nate and was honestly much better in this than anything else he has done recently (he really wasn't able to rock me last year). His adorable naivety and enduring willingness were cast perfectly. Joel P. West's score and Brett Pawlak's cinematography were other technical elements that astounded me. The way that the subtle score was able to just gently lay the foundation of the mood of each scene was so engaging. Accompanied by the sound design, this movie tackled a topic that is relatively not discussed in such a benign way. Pawlak's use of the camera was great too, utilizing the same establishing shot throughout this film to express the tone of each different scene. I loved his use of the slightly shaky camera as well as his attention to detail when it came to the more delicate and heart-pounding scenes.

Short Term 12 is a wonderful piece of filmmaking that shows just how powerful independent cinema can be. With a fantastic cast of then-rising stars and a personal score that will inevitably make you weep, this film has proven itself to be a masterclass in small-scale, reality-based filmmaking.

My Rating: ★★★★½

The Social Network (2010) directed by David Fincher

I will be completely honest when I say that I was not as blown away by this as I expected to be. The Social Network is a widely praised biopic surrounding the legal and personal drama of Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook and the youngest living billionaire. Many people in the film criticism community are die-hard David Fincher fans that will defend his work until the end of time. While I did not think this film was bad by any standards (I actually really enjoyed it), it just simply lacked the exciting content that I expected it to provide. With some fantastic performances from the whole cast and a story that will anger you as much as it will impress you, this film is certainly worthy of telling the tale of the controversial CEO.

This film follows Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), a young Harvard student in the early 2000's who is as skilled at entrepreneurial coding as he is unskilled at making personal connections with people. After he is dumped by his girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara), he sets out on a pathetic revenge path that ends up leading him to the best idea of his life: a networking website that connects people from all across the world. This story and the supporting characters that *actually* make the film much more interesting are its best elements. Zuckerberg is flushed out as a character in this film as being highly unlikable and extremely volatile to practically everyone he comes in contact with. Which makes the fact that this is a true story that much more interesting. The entire irony of this central character is that he created a powerful monopoly of a website that connects people in the most social of ways across the globe while he himself was such a bleak asshole. Aaron Sorkin's screenplay, based on Ben Mezrich's novel, is what really heightens this character development; although it's difficult to say that Zuckerberg ever really developed. Throughout this entire story, he remained the same ruthless, cold, and impersonal prick that he was from the beginning. What made his story so interesting was how it affected the people around him. Zuckerberg's business partner Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) used to be his closest friend and ally but was betrayed by Zuckerberg as soon as money and personal progress became involved. It's hard to believe that the CEO of Facebook got where he is today by being such an unbelievably horrible and petty person, but that's just how Fincher thinks the world works and he does a solid job of making the audience think that as well.

One of the best parts of the overall storytelling, however, was the fact that Zuckerberg's early days at Harvard and the creation of Facebook were just a part of the framed narrative. The way that Fincher takes the audience back and forth between past and present was amazing and was a very clever choice for the telling of this story. The performances in this film really make the story that much better as well. Eisenberg, Garfield, and Justin Timberlake as hotshot entrepreneur and founder of Napster Sean Parker were all amazing in their roles. The chemistry between these two makes their on-screen relationships so enthralling, through all of the love and hatred that went on between them. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's score was another piece that made the creative aspect of this film so thrilling. Despite the dull and purposely bland color grading of this film, the music is what brought out the most amount of fury and frustration in the story. The main aspect of this film that really brought down my personal opinion, however, is that the directing is just honestly mediocre. Fincher does a great job of telling the story, but there seems to be no attempt at building to a climax or resolving the main character's issues. I understand that the main point of the story was that it lets people build their own opinions of the billionaire, but since the story was predictable, I thought there would be more build-up to the ending of the meeting scene. I did appreciate how quick and witty the dialogue was, in part due to Fincher's style, but the movie could have ended at any other time and I would not have been affected any more or less.

The Social Network is a very interesting look at the world's youngest billionaire, otherwise known as the world's most socially inept recluse. Eisenberg is incredible in the stale, cold role of the relentless CEO and the entire supporting cast is fantastic as well. Even though I still apparently fail to see what makes Fincher's directing so extraordinary, I overall loved this story and how it was told.

My Rating: ★★★½

Us (2019) directed by Jordan Peele

Jordan Peele knows no such thing as a sophomore slump and I really don't think anyone is surprised. The new master of horror's second film Us is an extraordinary look into how we as Americans view ourselves and the mistakes that we seem to be doomed to keep repeating. Peele has truly proven himself an expert when it comes to blending his social commentary with an engaging and nerve-wracking horror story. Despite this film pandering to general audiences a bit more than his directorial debut Get Out, Peele has managed to craft yet another racially-fueled horror narrative that will undoubtedly be discussed and dissected for years. Impressive performances and another eerie score definitely help to make this a frontrunner for one of my favorite films of the year so far.

Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) and Gabe (Winston Duke) are a seemingly normal couple heading to their beach house in California with their kids Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). After a traumatic childhood experience at the beach, Adelaide is hesitant to enjoy the summertime with her family but does so in the hopes that her PTSD will subside. Unfortunately, things only get worse when a strangely familiar family invades their home one night and truly threatens and tests all of their livelihoods. Peele's writing and directing in this film is absolutely incredible, as he has given audiences yet another fantastic horror film that just so happens to contain a frighteningly relevant social message. The writing in this movie is undoubtedly its greatest aspect, as Peele brings both his newfound mastery of horror and more grounded experience with comedy to the script. The way that this film balances horror and comedy is amazing. Not one moment of eerie suspense was ever taken away by a joke and the way that the humor is incorporated into the story serves such an elegant purpose, especially in Duke's character Gabe. This is due to the directing too, of course, as the story is paced so well without relying too much on cheap jump scares. Despite this movie still packing more punches rather than silently building on the audience such as in Get Out, there is no doubt that Jordan Peele can traverse these styles with ease.

Peele is, without a doubt, one of the best storytellers of our current generation and he does so with such expert craftsmanship and style. The message and deeper meaning behind this movie may not be as clear or concise as Get Out, but this relative ambiguity paves the way for boundless theories and conspiracies. I personally was able to predict the biggest twist of this film right off the bat, but I had high hopes that Peele would surprise me with something else. Even though this did not exactly happen, it did not detract from the heavy, lingering feeling that I was left with after leaving the theater. This film contains such a strong message of ignorance in the face of history and it was communicated beautifully. Adelaide and her tethered counterpart Red are the most wildly engaging pair of characters in this film and the way their relationship defines this message is fantastic. There are countless different theories or explanations as to what this film could signify, but I believe that Peele was communicating the fact that us as Americans often forget where our roots come from and our diverse, intertwining backgrounds. Despite lots of time having passed, we can not forget our rich history, similar to how Adelaide had almost forgotten her past with Red. Everything in this film comes full-circle, every detail has meaning, and every plot point was so well-written. My only issue with the story is the lack of explanation for where the tethered people came from. Not everyone is born a twin and this ambiguity in the story does not exactly work as well as it did in his previous directorial outing.

The glue that really binds these heavy themes together, however, are the performances from the whole cast and the incredible score. Lupita Nyong'o is unarguably one of the greatest working actresses today and this film just furthers that point. Her and practically this whole cast worked double duty for their roles and the fact that they were all able to embody such different personas was amazing. Nyong'o was especially haunting throughout this entire movie. Her minute mannerisms and delicate care of her characters is not only visible, but gleaming. It is often hard to even picture Nyong'o as Adelaide's "evil" doppelganger Red, as the two facially similar characters could not be further apart, cementing her performances as even more astounding. The score in this film, done by Michael Abels, definitely sets up the atmosphere very well. From the Psycho-esque violin of the "I Got 5 On It" remix to the anxiety-inducing music during some of the most intense scenes, there is not a single moment of rest once this amazing story gets going.

We truly are our own worst enemies. Us is as horrifying as it is surprisingly humorous, especially in terms of crawling under the audience's skin while putting up a mirror to their petrified faces. Jordan Peele is not only defining himself as the modern-day Hitchcock, but defining his style as one of the most original forms of storytelling in years. Even though I was still more personally affected by Get Out, this movie packs the terrifying punch that every horror classic needs.

My Rating: ★★★★½

Cooley High (1975) directed by Michael Schultz

A practically direct response to George Lucas' American Graffiti would have to contain the following: a group of close friends in high school navigating their senior year, aesthetic and cultural elements of the time, and an interesting take on the story, whether it be the introduction of tragedy or the lack of. Luckily, Cooley High provides just those things while clearly defining itself as its own piece of film history for the time. This "blaxploitation"-era film, while produced by a low-budget, independent studio, has a great story and especially fantastic music. Even though the plot tends to borrow a bit too heavily from Lucas' high school classic, the fact that this cast and crew were able to achieve an arguably more emotional film is incredible.

This movie follows the events of two best friends, Cochise (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs) and Preach (Glynn Turman), as they go through the end of their last few days of senior year in high school. When they accidentally get involved in a joyride one night, they get caught up in a chase between a pair of career criminals and the police in a conclusion that will change their lives forever. I honestly think that I enjoy this film more than Lucas' piece of high school filmmaking. Not that the latter is bad by any means, but in terms of plot, this movie has so much more to offer; especially in the realm of racial and cultural representation. Cooley High revolves around two black high school students living in Chicago in 1964 and the economic disparity that they just happen to live in. While American Graffiti centers itself around multiple main characters, money never seems to be a problem with them. Throughout all of their adventures, their financial status is never questioned. However, in this film, money is one of the central, establishing elements but is practically never addressed. Cochise and Preach knew that they were not the most liquid high schoolers, but that was simply the life that they were living in and it did not affect how they behaved as characters. I loved this aspect of the film because even though the characters were in a much different situation than the entirely white cast of the Californian high schoolers, it did not change how interesting or non-stereotypical they were. And compared to other "blaxploitation" films of this time, these characters were extremely well-written as well.

The performances from Jacobs and Turman were the most impressive aspect of this entire production, however. For being relatively unknown actors in a low-budget film, they truly embodied the amazing characteristics of their characters. Cochise's hard exterior contrasted greatly with that of his best friend Preach, who puts up a hard front when surrounded by friends of his. Preach may have been the most interesting character due to the fact that he was, at his core, a soft-hearted young man that loved poetry and screenwriting rather than drugs and alcohol. The way that these two interacted felt so genuine and I could tell that this whole cast had authentic chemistry together, which is fantastic when it comes to a film about high school cliques. The ending of this film was its most heartbreaking aspect but was handled incredibly well. When Cochise was beaten and killed by the two criminals who had recently gotten out of prison, it did not feel out of place or unexpected. As unfortunate as his death was, the way that Michael Schultz, the director, built up to this climax was great. This seems to be a direct response, or even call-out, to American Graffiti, which killed off half its main cast in a wildly unnecessary ending title card. The ending of this film was incredibly emotional, which also had to do with the great music throughout. The soundtrack for this film was amazing and was paired with the story surprisingly well. I also really enjoyed the cinematography by Paul Vombrack and his constant movement around the sets. It made for a much more fluid and engaging way to explore this environment and the time period it was placed into.

Cooley High is an excellent film with fantastic performances and a decently original story from the "blaxploitation" era of film history. Even though the similarities can be obviously made between this and its "white version," this movie still manages to stand out on its own as an unforgettable piece of filmmaking.

My Rating: ★★★★

Five Feet Apart (2019) directed by Justin Baldoni

In terms of dealing with mortality and teenage dramas, this film really puts The Fault in Our Stars to shame. Whereas John Green's adaptation is full of teenage cliches and unrealistic romances, Justin Baldoni's Five Feet Apart is a great example of how to make an entertaining and emotional drama for honestly any type of audience. This film still relies heavily on the genre elements that it is placed into, but it stands out among many others due to its actual authenticity blended with what audiences want to see. However, I feel like at this point, audiences crave stories like these to simply get a good cry out and feel better about themselves ("thank god I don't have that disease"), which this movie definitely accomplishes. With a fantastic performance from Haley Lu Richardson and a not-up-to-par performance from Cole Sprouse, this movie actually surprised me at how well-made and compelling it was.

Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) is a patient at a hospital undergoing an experimental treatment for cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening disease that affects the lungs and prevents a good majority of human interaction, especially with others carrying the same ailment. When Will (Cole Sprouse) arrives at the hospital for the same treatment, the two meet, bond and fight over different things, and expectedly fall in love. If this plot already seems overdone, that's because it is; but what makes this film stand out amongst the rest of these types of stories is the fact that the characters are actually handled with grace. In other films of this dramatic genre, there is a typical plot triangle that the story follows, and the two leads usually end up being saved by some form of miracle and realizing their true feelings for each other. While Five Feet Apart still contains this generic triangle, the many details that go into the plot are what make it special. Stella and Will, while mildly stereotypical in their personalities, interact with each other as actual people would. The dialogue is actually genuine and the whole cast of the hospital staff are doing their jobs as well, both in terms of medical duties and furthering the story. I loved how their relationship developed throughout this film and the many heart-dropping twists and turns only added to that.

The ending of this film may be my favorite aspect, however. Like previously mentioned, this movie does not pander to the audience at all by being too mushy or wondrous. There are no secret miracle cures for Stella or Will, there are no ways to escape their condition, and while the ending may be sweet, it certainly isn't happy. Despite all of these negative plot points, the ending was real. The conclusion of this film is something that would actually happen in reality, given the two main characters' conditions. Miracle endings may lift audiences' spirits, but in this genre of film, I find it better to stick to the hard truth; it just depends on how well the story is told. Given these characters' stories and relationship together, the ending was a great balance of sweet and sorrowful. Thanks to Baldoni's smooth direction and Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis' sweet writing, this was executed perfectly. As for our two leads, Richardson gives an incredibly touching performance as Stella. She is such a versatile actress and her soft, tender, side was displayed excellently. Sprouse, on the other hand, was not nearly as emotional. His role packed the same, sad, punch, but I do not feel he was the best choice for this role. If he gave at least half of the performance that Richardson did, I might be a little more sold on their time together. The only thing I could feel from him was his stale, gazing, Riverdale-vibe that has refused to move on from his childhood, Disney days.

Five Feet Apart may have the typical, crucial, plot point that revolves around the title (usually in a line of dialogue), but fortunately, that does not detract from this movie's impact whatsoever. Even though this film does not escape the grasp of teenage dramas, I really appreciated how the writer and director handled this story: by adding in just the right touch of genuine human interaction. And a quick note: don't wear mascara.

My Rating: ★★★

Hell or High Water (2016) directed by David Mackenzie

I had seen trailers and advertisements for this film everywhere around the time it came out but initially had no interest in it due to its western appeal. That was a mistake. Hell or High Water is an excellent film that has some of the bleakest yet most emotional performances I have seen as of recent. I am surprisingly glad that I was able to finally see this, as the drama and humor in this film work excellently together. Even though the main plot throughout this film is fairly dull and predictable, the characters that were brought to life by this cast were amazing. This movie, at its core, is really just a modern heist film disguised as a rough-and-tumble western, but with entertainment value that is sure to please any fan of this genre.

Two homegrown brothers, Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby (Chris Pine) are just reconnecting after Tanner's release from prison. When they start robbing banks again to pay back their family's ranch, they catch the eye of many local townspeople, the whole police force, and especially two hardened detectives, Marcus (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto (Gil Birmingham); all who want them dead. This story is very generic, as this plot has been seen countless times before. Two brothers go to any means necessary to get money for their family, with one brother being a bit more reckless than the other. I felt that the A-plot of this film was written very lazily by Taylor Sheridan and that these characters had the potential to be part of a story much more apt to their developments. With an incredibly talented cast such as this, it is a shame that these characters were pushed aside during so many moments solely for the cliche emotional aspect. However, the cast and their respective characters are what make this film so engaging, making up for any lack of interest that the story may have had. The relationships between the brothers and the detectives kept mirroring each other throughout this narrative, which made for one of this film's most interesting parts. Seeing the cinematic parallels and how they fit well together was great and very furthering for not just the story, but the audience as well. Pine and Foster's performances made me care so much about their struggles with keeping their family together, but at the same time, Bridges and Birmingham's performances made me care so much about their friendship and struggle to maintain the law. This part of the writing was excellent, it's just a shame that there couldn't have been a more creative plot to put them through.

While the characters are what kept this film afloat, the tone and humor were great as well. I originally believed that this movie was a solid western, which turned me off from it, but once I got past my often-incorrect biases, I found this film to be solidly entertaining. This movie was not as much of a western as it was a heist film set in Middle America. I feel like I only had as much fun as I did with this film because of this nice surprise. The opening sequence and every bank-robbing scene was heart-pounding and especially once the audience learns more about the brothers, can't help but root for them. This is also because of the humor throughout the movie and its perfect blend with the drama. Since Foster's character was more of the wild card of the brothers, he provided so many good laughs and insane antics. As frustratingly ill-conceived as his notions were, it was hilarious to see their interactions. The detectives were cast very well together too, making for excellent chemistry. Bridges will always be one of my favorite actors and he brings the same, gruff lovability to every role he plays. The scenes in and surrounding the steak restaurant with Marcus and Alberto really solidified their friendship for me. Which is why when *spoilers* Alberto is gruesomely shot through the eye in the final shootout, I was devastated. Even though it was fairly predictable, it didn't change the impact that it had.

Hell or High Water is a solid film with unsurprisingly fantastic performances and a story for the audience to really hook their teeth into. Despite the movie's often ambiguous plot and predictable beats, the characters are what bring this film to life the most. I would definitely recommend this movie and not *just* for a dirty Chris Pine.

My Rating: ★★★½

American Graffiti (1973) directed by George Lucas

AFI Top 100: #62

This film really sets the bar for situational, slice-of-life, high school stories, huh? American Graffiti is a fantastic movie with heavy influences of its time that can be obviously seen throughout its narrative. This film was the one that truly put George Lucas on his path to incredible success and is a very interesting watch upon learning about this era of film history. Decent performances and an easy story to follow along with make this movie quite memorable, as well as the soundtrack and tone that was established very early on. Despite having a bit too much influence from the auteur style of the time, this movie still remains a classic to this day.

Four teenagers, Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), Steve (Ron Howard), John (Paul Le Mat), and Terry (Charles Martin Smith), seem to lead different lives with their various personalities but they all share one goal: to have an unforgettable night on the strip of their hometown before they have to leave for college in the morning. While the four of them split off on their own individual adventures, they are also looking for something, whether it be a girlfriend, redemption, or a fresh start. This narrative is perfect for this genre of film and the slice-of-life feel could not be defined any clearer. It is amazing to see the amount of influence that this movie has had on the genre and how stories could be told. This film follows practically four different protagonists and the surprising amount of stuff that they go through in less than 12 hours, but I never felt unattached to any of them. Even though some of their goals were a bit more childish or amateur than others, the vibe of all of their stories worked well together. I also loved all of the characters and how their almost archetypal personality traits meshed together for the different stories to work. My personal favorite was the unexpected friendship between John and the girl that crawled into his car and traveled with him throughout the night. What I thought would be an uncomfortable pairing turned into some of the best writing in the film. Along with much of the dialogue shared between our main characters, the writing in this movie is so deeply relatable to today's teenagers, even for being almost 50 years old.

The only piece of this film that I could not really tolerate was its use of the Hollywood auteur style of the time. For being one of Lucas' first films, I was hoping that he would utilize some of his own, original style rather than relying on what audiences were looking for. This film, thankfully, still manages to provide a story that's easy to follow along with without getting *too* weird like films around the same time. There was still a whole lot of influence, though. Many of the voiceovers and strange shots that were used are almost trademark of this experimental time in film and there was no lack of these elements. Even though the cinematography by Jan D'Alquen and Ron Eveslage was mediocre at best, they still served the style pretty well. The nihilistic ending of this film was also an aspect that was as annoying as it was out-of-the-blue. The title cards reading off what happened to all the characters was not necessary at all, given that this entire story is fictional. I felt like this was only added to make this movie part of the larger culture that was happening at the time, but it did not work for me at all. However, despite all of this mediocrity in terms of its technical elements and general flow, we still got a nice cameo from a babyfaced Harrison Ford, which in the end, is all that really matters.

American Graffiti is an undoubtedly classic, American film that attempts to encompass what life was really like for teenagers back in 1962. Even though this movie relies a bit too much on the experimental styles of the time, I still loved its story for what was presented. It never tried to be anything too spectacular but proved itself meaningful and emotional regardless. I would definitely recommend this film, especially to see the large influence that it had for the similar high school genre of the 1980s and 1990s.

My Rating: ★★★★

Captain Marvel (2019) directed by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

It only took 21 installments, but the Marvel Universe finally has their well-developed and female-led superhero film that they desperately needed. Captain Marvel is a decently fresh take on the franchise's Phase 1 origin story with fantastic performances from Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson. Even though this film may seem like more of a Nick Fury origin story at times, the directors do a fantastic job of balancing their stories in preparation for the newest Avengers installment and her large role in it. The incredible female-empowerment feature of the narrative was apparent but there is unfortunately not much else that makes this film stand out amongst the massive slate of Marvel films in terms of their story. However, this franchise has become almost synonymous with pumping out sci-fi masterpieces and this movie is no exception.

Captain Marvel is one of the earliest-set Marvel films, planting its roots smack in the middle of the 1990s. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) becomes an intergalactic hero after being forced to mediate the war between the Skrulls and the Kree, two different alien races, the latter of which she believes she was born into. Throughout a few different twists and typical plot developments, Danvers learns about her own background and true self while she becomes the hero that the universe needs. The writing is fairly generic: exactly what you would expect from an origin film set in the Marvel universe. It hits all the same beats, features all the same comedic relief characters, and really just reveals itself to be a two-hour long trailer for the next installment in this franchise that our culture obsesses over. There is nothing particularly wrong with the writing of this story, other than it has been seen countless times before. However, at this point in our current history of cinema, I know that I will at least be watching something fun. Seeing a Marvel film is just pure entertainment at this point and rarely does one of their films surprise me with a new take on an old story. This film's only exception is that it features a female lead. This was an apparent risk that the studio took with this character but I do not see a single problem with it. I can not speak on behalf of women, but even I felt the well-deserved empowerment that went into this character. I very much appreciated this film excluding an unnecessary romantic subplot and focusing on Carol as an actual human being (or Kree alien) and her development as a hero. Larson was a huge part of this, as her performance was incredible - or at least with what she was given.

Samuel L. Jackson also stars in this film as a very young Nick Fury, relative newbie to S.H.I.E.L.D. The de-aging CGI that was used for Fury was surprisingly very smooth and did not seem out-of-place at all (I wish they would have gone with a model of Jackson from Pulp Fiction though, smh). The relationship that developed between Fury and Danvers was my favorite part of the whole movie. The way that Larson and Jackson interact and their dialogue made for some of the most wholesome and engaging scenes. This balance was amazing, even though at times it felt like more of a Nick Fury origin story rather than focusing on our titular hero. The other aspects that I loved most about this film were the action scenes and special effects that were utilized. The fight scenes were entrancing to watch and I loved seeing the various environments and locations that the audience explores throughout this movie. The production design was a bit too heavy on the 90s nostalgia, but I loved how well our characters interacted in this new time period. And even though Carol's powers were never fully explored, I had a lot of fun with Larson kicking all kinds of ass. The final fight with No Doubt's "Just a Girl" playing over it will prove in time to be a legendary scene without a doubt. While the more technical elements such as cinematography or editing were effective but generic, this movie still packs that trademark, sci-fi punch that audiences expect to see on the big screen.

Captain Marvel is an excellent example of an (almost) standalone Marvel film that succeeds on its own without relying too much on the already established cinematic universe. Despite this movie not providing anything too original, at this point in our culture, it is hard not to at least enjoy them. I would still strongly recommend this film though; not only for the special effects spectacle that it provides but for the incredible and empowering representation of women that we, as audiences, definitely deserve.

My Rating: ★★★

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) directed by Ben Stiller

Hey Ben Stiller, make some more movies like this, please. I have only heard incredible things about this film since its release and I surprisingly found it on Blu-ray for $1.99 at my local dollar store. However, I would have paid much more for this film because WOW. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is an absolutely astounding film that touches on just about every emotion possible. Stiller has proven himself as an incredible storyteller in every regard, as his directing based on Steve Conrad's adaptation of this short story was sublime. This movie is a perfect, escapist fantasy film with aspects of comedy, drama, and adventure mixed in at just the right amount. With a mostly comedic cast that proved themselves very worthy of other types of roles and an absolutely elegant script, this movie is undoubtedly worth watching.

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) is a quiet and reserved employee for Life Magazine and is in charge of their negative photo assets. While he often daydreams to escape the loneliness and anxiety of his daily activities, he learns that his job may be threatened if he doesn't submit one final still photograph for the magazine's final issue. When he finds out that the still has gone missing, he forces himself to overcome his internal struggles and unleash the more confident and adventurous part of himself in order to track down the picture and break out of his shell. The writing of this film, adapted by Steve Conrad from the short story written by James Thurber, is absolutely incredible. This is one of the most feel-good movies I have ever seen and while there are obvious characters that the audience is meant to not like, every single one is structured in a way that is so compelling, especially to aid the A-plot of our protagonist. Walter is such a well-written character that is the absolute epitome of an underdog and I could not help but to root him on throughout the entire movie. The fantasy scenes exploring Walter's vivid imagination definitely helped this fact, as it showed just how wild and creative he actually was, despite his personal seclusion. In a lot of these scenes, I could see a lot of influence from epic narrative directors like Peter Jackson and more stylistic directors like Edgar Wright and this honestly paved the way for Stiller's creative mind to go wild.

Stuart Dryburgh's cinematography throughout this movie is one of the most impressive aspects as well. He nailed the style of the vast countryside shots while maintaining such a personal story and this was incredible to see. Even in many of the smaller scenes, such as when Walter was in his mom's New York apartment or in the negative assets office, the detail that Dryburgh put into each shot and the actors' framing was stunning. Every single cast member of this film provided excellent performances and brought so much life to their characters. Besides the ever-talented Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Kathryn Hahn, Adam Scott, and a small role from Sean Penn were all done so well. While Wiig, Hahn, and Scott are often known for their comedic roles and typecasting, they all fit so well inside this narrative. They have all proven themselves so well as being much more well-rounded actresses and actors than I had honestly initially thought. The score in this film, orchestrated by Theodore Shapiro, was also a big part of making this movie as vastly engaging as possible. The sweeping orchestra for the score in the film's biggest moments helped so much for the story's emotion and the pop songs chosen were such a good representation of this era's uplifting attitude. This movie is truly one of the most effervescent and heartwarming films ever made and the powerful story that went along with it, thanks to Stiller's directing, makes it a flawless piece of filmmaking.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is an amazing escapist film with beautiful cinematography and a wonderful story that could please any audience member. Ben Stiller is surprisingly incredible in his titular role of the lowly negative assets manager who goes on a globe-trotting adventure to save his job. Every single aspect of this film was masterfully done and there is honestly nothing else about it that I would personally change.

My Rating: ★★★★★

The Edge of Seventeen (2016) directed by Kelly Fremon Craig

The Edge of Seventeen, Kelly Fremon Craig's directorial debut, is truly a millennial spectacle to behold. With all of the writing and fantastic story of an indie film contained inside a studio structure, this movie proves to be the Fast Times at Ridgemont High of our new generation. Hailee Steinfeld provides an utterly perfect performance and leads this incredible cast in a very moving story which touches on just about every uncomfortable and taboo aspect of teenage girls' young lives. Even though the directing follows just about every predictable and typical beat of this type of coming-of-age plot, the writing was powerful enough to overcome any generalizations that it had.

Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) is a seventeen-year-old who has always considered herself distant from everybody else her age. Her "old soul" has always contrasted with her more popular and conventionally attractive brother Darian (Blake Jenner), and when Nadine's lifelong best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) starts to date her brother, she looks to anyone for guidance in her newly manic situation. The writing in this film from newcomer Kelly Fremon Craig is the absolute greatest and most engaging aspect of it all. This movie perfectly encapsulates the teenage experience through the lens of Nadine and her stressful new positions that she has been put in. Through all of the different trials and tribulations that she goes through throughout this story, the writing thankfully still treats her as a strong, willing teenager. This is honestly where this film stood out the most in terms of its story. All of the teenage characters, especially Nadine, are written to be so realistic. There are no hyper-exaggerated personality traits or cliche motivations for any of the characters and that is where this film stands out the most in the crowd of cheesy, "relatable" teen films. The fact that this movie is rated R and is not afraid to hold back on its use of crass material or touchy subjects makes it that much more real. It may not have honed in on a specific subject (like anxiety in Eighth Grade) or done anything in terms of representation (LGBTQ+ in Love, Simon), but the authenticity of the female experience in this movie is beyond compare, especially in the way the female characters were treated like actual human beings.

Despite the incredible, female-centric writing in this film, I can not say as much for the directing and overall tone. Craig has proven herself as an amazing writer and unabashedly proud storyteller, but her directing is fairly generic. The main issue that was holding back this movie from loudly standing out was the fact that it was packaged just like a typical teen film. The mildly-alternative pop songs, the pacing of the film, and the way that a lot of the supporting characters behaved was a bit dull. I understand that they were there to mostly just act as foils, but it was still quite bland to see. The cinematography and editing were fairly generic as well, which only added to the teenage vibe. The characters that I loved the most, however, were Nadine and her teacher Mr. Bruner, played by Woody Harrelson. Steinfeld's portrayal of the struggling teen was honestly unlike any other I have seen. She brought such a complex and interesting energy to the character that I feel was a perfect choice. This character of Nadine, along with her quirks and slightly awkward tendencies, could not have been brought to life as well as Steinfeld did. Her chemistry with her teacher was also one of the best parts of the story. Harrelson plays a history teacher who could frankly not give a shit about his job or any of his students, save Nadine. Their relationship is the best developed one throughout this film, as it shows how much teachers actually care about the students who seem to show care and potential. Whenever Nadine was in trouble or felt overwhelmed, she would go and bug Mr. Bruner, who matched her sarcastic vigor to a tee and made for such a positive father figure that Nadine was searching for.

The Edge of Seventeen may be marketed as a generic teenage drama, but this film is a surprisingly amazing piece of coming-of-age filmmaking. Steinfeld and Harrelson absolutely shine as their shockingly relatable characters in this shockingly relatable story of the struggles that teenagers, particularly girls, share in today's culture.

My Rating: ★★★★

Apocalypse Now (1979) directed by Francis Ford Coppola

AFI Top 100: #30

Unlike Bill Murray's Stripes, this is a war movie that actually gets better in the second half. Apocalypse Now is a classic war film that was long overdue for me to see, but I'm glad that I finally did. This movie has a decently interesting plot, but thankfully the incredible directing and fantastic performances make up for any lack of engaging content in the storytelling. I've mentioned before how war films will never be my cup of tea and this movie, unfortunately, did not do much to change my opinion on that front. However, I had watched a documentary earlier last year about the making of this film and the absolute mess that it was and taking all of this information into consideration honestly made the movie that much more interesting to watch.

This film follows Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) after he is brought back into the service to carry out yet another mission for the U.S. Special Forces in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Willard is sent with a ragtag group of men to assassinate renegade Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who has instilled himself as a godlike figure amongst an unknowing local tribe. Willard does not know, however, how much of a personal impact he will have to face and how powerfully manipulative Kurtz is as a war-hardened veteran. Even though this plot seems simple enough to follow, it is incredible to see how much the movie refused to focus on this A-plot until the last hour or so. In the documentary that I had watched, I saw the months of prepping and troubles that this film crew had to go through in order to get all of the explosions and on-location filming done that they wanted to. Unfortunately, this spectacle aspect seemed to take precedence over anything else as the film began. These expository scenes are always important in establishing the environment of a film, but they lasted far too long in this movie. I suppose there is a reason why anyone only ever references the "Flight of the Valkyries" opening sequence as the U.S. army bombed Vietnam and the relentless destruction that ensued, as opposed to the actually exciting and well-written plot towards the end.

The one good element that I got out of these opening scenes were some memorable lines and a fairly generic message that worked well. The writing in this film is fairly decent in the first half, as it seems just like a recollection of what occurred overseas in Vietnam rather than actual rising actions or plot development, but gets much better as the movie goes on. The third act or so was incredible, especially in the dialogue, in how it treated the characters and the almost dehumanizing and out-of-body things that Willard was sent through. Sheen and Brando's performances throughout this film were absolutely stellar. They completely nailed the uneasy feel of the whole plot and truly embodied the inexplicable personalities of their characters. I also really enjoyed how this film touched on PTSD and focused on delivering a message about the horrible effects of unnecessary war. This honestly made the opening scenes and their insurmountable uses of violence bearable to watch.

Francis Ford Coppola's directing is what really brings this whole film together, as his form of storytelling is definitively effective. This film could have been an atrocious look at a captain attempting to assassinate a rogue general in the middle of a war-torn area, but instead, Coppola makes this story a visually beautiful look at what war does to the human spirit and the accompanying cultures around it as well. This story is told so elegantly, accompanied by gorgeous cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and patient yet breathable editing from Lisa Fruchtman, Gerald B. Greenberg, and Walter Murch. All of the technical aspects of this film, as terrible as they were to accomplish, turned out great and definitely only added to Coppola's already fantastic style. Throw in some supporting performances from Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper and some cameos from relative newcomers Harrison Ford and Laurence Fishburne and Coppola truly had a classic recipe for filmmaking success.

Apocalypse Now is a classic film that is as engrossing as its production was horrible. Sheen and Brando's chemistry together throughout this film make for some of the best scenes and definitely help to bring the first two acts out of their insufferable lull. Unfortunately, if it wasn't for them and Coppola's captivating directing, I can honestly say that I do not know why else people would rave about this film.

My Rating: ★★★½

The Witch (2015) directed by Robert Eggers

A24 really knows how to nail those family dinner scenes, huh? I remember seeing the trailer for this film a few years back and thinking of how generic it seemed with its setting and seemingly dull plot. Boy, was I wrong. The Witch is an absolutely incredible horror film that touches on all the wrong nerves in the most bone-chilling ways possible. This film comes across as a terrifying combination of the elegance of Shakespeare, the religious horror of Ari Aster, and the eerie staleness of Kubrick. These elements, along with an amazing performance from Anya Taylor-Joy, make way for one of the most engaging and nervewracking horror films that I have ever seen.

This film follows a peasant family in 17th century New England after they are ostracized from their local church community and forced to start their own farm out in the forest. William (Ralph Ineson) and Katherine (Kate Dickie) and their five children struggle to survive the cold winter and when a mysteriously evil force arrives in the forest, they must try to figure out who or what it is that is beginning to tear apart their entire family. Since the setting and environment of this film is already haunting enough as is, it is hard to imagine that a complicated plot would be needed to make this story terrifying. However, Eggers' writing did not disappoint in any of those aspects. Adapted from an old English folktale and using actual dialogue from transcripts of the supposed events, the script is just as entrancing as it is anxiety-inducing. The narrative followed the oldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) as she ends up being accused of haunting the family and bringing them all death and misfortune. Selecting her as the main character, as opposed to her parents or siblings, was a great choice as the audience is able to see what unfolds through her lens. Taylor-Joy's performance was the greatest piece of this film and was absolutely the glue that held the story together so well; she nailed the voices, inflections, and troubles that a young girl of this time might be feeling. The plot is fairly typical as the film goes along, hitting every usual beat that a horror film of this magnitude would be expected to, but it is the language that I believe adds to the horror. Since this film is set in the 1630s, the entirety of the dialogue is old English and while it is hard to comprehend at times, it does not detract from its effect; quite the opposite, actually. This made the audience take a lot from context clues and the atmosphere that was built to get their good scares in which did not disappoint.

Eggers' directing paired with his writing makes for some next-level horror that crawls inside you and is not afraid to take control. I constantly found my leg bouncing or some other part of me physically reacting to the tension that he was able to build and this for me, while horrifying, is what makes a film of this genre so enjoyable. The religious context of this movie also plays a huge part in making this movie so scary. Playing with heaven and hell, angels and demons, and old, religious cults are very unsettling and the use of these themes are always able to get one's heart pumping. Sprinkle in the fact that there are a group of evil witches kidnapping children and drinking the blood of the innocent and you've got a petrifying premise down. I can see now where Ari Aster got a lot of his inspiration for the narrative throughout Hereditary, including the religious subplot and mind-bending ending. None of these horror aspects would have been nearly effective, however, if it wasn't for Mark Korven's score. His use of women's choruses and rising clusters of voices was extremely scary in the scenes that they laid upon. While the music was mostly used for the most intense scenes and transitions, he did excellent in terms of physically making me shake. The last time a film did this to me was when I first watched 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick's use of music in that movie not only furthers the plot but adds to the horrifying environment around it. The Witch used its music in the exact same way. It made me almost nauseous thinking about the foreshadowing and eerie elements that were affected by the music; Korven's score could make a stock photo of a sunny day make you want to sleep with the lights on for the rest of your life.

The Witch is a horrifying and personal horror film that, unfortunately, does not do much to break the stereotype of goats harnessing the spirit of the devil. This movie is an incredible telling of the New England folktale that I can see now has terrified people for generations. I would absolutely recommend this fantastic film, just make sure that you aren't planning on going outdoors anytime soon.

My Rating: ★★★★½