Friday is here again, and it’s not late if you’re figuring out exactly which movies you could watch. Here is a list of some films absolutely everyone should see and if you’ve seen them, you could watch again and again.
Judas and the Black Messiah 2021
A true story of Black struggle and FBI sabotage, this time about Black Panther Party founder Fred Hampton, who was spied on, drugged, and murdered by the Bureau. Daniel Kaluuya gives the performance of a lifetime as Hampton.
Malcolm & Marie 2021
A burgeoning filmmaker, Malcolm, and his girlfriend, Marie return home from a screening of his newest movie, the tension between the couple boils over as a thank-you speech snub reveals the darker underbelly of their relationship.
Marriage Story (2019)
Divorce might not be the best viewing experience, but Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story is a journey you’ll want to take. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver give two of the best performances of their careers as Nicole and Charlie, a couple who embark on the emotionally and logistically complicated legal processes involved in prying a partnership apart. Painted with an emotional complexity that includes poignantly funny moments along with the painful ones, this is happy-sad at its best.
I Care a Lot 2020
Rosamund Pike following her turn as manipulative grifter Amy Dunne in Gone Girl. Pike plays Marla Grayson, a corrupt caregiver who forces her elderly clients into assisted-living facilities and drains their bank accounts. Her racket takes a turn, however, when she victimizes a woman with secret mob connections. For Pike’s take on these “reprehensible” women that she’s so good at embodying.
The Woman in the Window 2021
The Woman in the Window led by Amy Adams alongside Anthony Mackie and Julianne Moore. It did shoot straight to the number one film on Netflix when it debuted and has kept viewers enthralled in its mystery for weeks since.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines 2021
This sweet coming-of-age story about family, technology, and staying true to yourself has a remarkable 97% score on review-aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. People just love this feel-good animated comedy about a dysfunctional family that sets off on a road trip…and ends up saving the world from a robot uprising.
Fast and Furious 9 2021
F9 centers on the relationship between Dom (Vin Diesel) and his long-lost brother Jakob (John Cena). But while the Fast & Furious franchise has always been about family, it’s even more about very fast cars and death-defying stunts, and F9 is no exception. By the third act, the film has turned into something sublime. It’s hard to imagine having more fun at the movies.
Sunday’s Illness (2018)
The Spanish film will steep you in its rich imagery and phenomenally good performances from its two leads. Susi Sánchez and Bárbara Lennie star as Anabel and Chiara respectively, an estranged mother and daughter who reunite for reasons that aren’t as clear as they first seem. The precision of the filmmaking here is worthy of soaking up for those who’re partial to deliberately paced meditations on pain, love and loss.
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar 2021
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo wrote and star in this bizarre, brightly colored, and utterly joyful comedy that defies expectations throughout. The two are middle-aged best friends who take their very first vacation to Florida together to visit the blissful Vista del Mar.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
A psychological thriller that dives deep into the surreal. I’m Thinking of Ending Things definitely won’t be for everyone, but it connects you to the frustrations of the young woman (Jessie Buckley) at its heart, who grapples with breaking off her seven-week-relationship with her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons). While it overstays its welcome a little, I’m Thinking of Ending Things always keeps you on your toes, with atmospheric cinematography and strong performances from Toni Collette and David Thewlis as Jake’s fairly odd parents. Fans of director-writer Charlie Kaufman will be pleased.
Get the popcorn pooped!
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