March Films: Films I Watched In Isolation

Hello friends! I hope you are all doing well and are safe in this crazy time that we’re living in. As a film student, who is now restricted to online film classes (right, who knew), I’ve been consuming so much media lately. Some films I’ve been binging for comfort and a medium to escape in these strange and dark times, but for others I’ve had to watch for assignments for our class. So far I’ve watched 24 films this month and here are some of the top 10 best and worst films I watched this month that I cannot stop thinking about.

#10 Deadcon (2019) 1 ½ stars (Netflix)

I love horror movies, like way more than someone should, but Netflix just has some of the worst I’ve ever seen. If you’re not into horror movies but want a quick scare (and a laugh) watch this movie. It is so bad. I mean I was scared just because I had no idea what was coming, but the scares and plot of the movie were just overall disappointing. 

This film follows a group of Youtubers and Influencers, specifically Ashley (Lauren Elizabeth), attending a very Vidcon like convention, but the twist is … they’re staying at a haunted hotel. Not just any haunted hotel, but one haunted by a little boy named Bobby who’s father stayed at the hotel in the 80s and was a computer programmer who helped invent one of the first social media chatting platforms. 

Yeah, I know, that’s a lot to take in. The only surprising thing about this film was how great Claudia Sulewski (an actual influencer, YouTuber, and girlfriend of Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas) was at acting, props to her. A quick and sort of humorous take on a horror film if you want to have a Netflix watch party with your friends.

#9 To all the Boys: Ps I Still Love You (2020) 1 ½ star (Netflix)

I had to break it to you, but this movie was not my jam. Maybe it was because I’m older, wiser, and aware that high school was definitely not the dreamy and idyllic world portrayed in this film. Maybe it’s because I’m a film student now and this film doesn’t convey the artsy or deep plot I constantly crave. Or maybe it’s because Noah Centineo has played many many bad roles since the first installment of this film and all of his characters have somewhat of the same storyline along with “the nice guy” trope. Regardless, this film is very cute if you want something to relax and gush over. 

Based on the novel with the same name, Lara Jean (Lana Condor), is faced with confronting one of her childhood crushes when he comes back into her life even though she is already in a relationship with Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo).

Lana Condor’s performance is amazing and I love how she can always transform completely into character, especially when contrasted against her character in Syfy’s Deadly Class (a show that I’m quite sad about that was canceled after one season). I remember reading these books in middle school and being completely immersed and lost in them, but the movies didn’t quite achieve that same emotional connection for me. I honestly would have been satisfied with the production of the first film and no sequels, but we will see how everything plays out in the third installment, To All The Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean, which is already in post-production.

#8 Eli (2019) 2 ½ stars (Netflix)

I feel as if most of my bottom 5, or at least all of my lowest rated films this month, were horror and I think that is mainly because it is so hard to produce a good horror film without doing something that has been done before.

 Eli is about a young boy named Eli (Charlie Shotwell) who suffers from a rare autoimmune disease that requires him to wear a hazmat suit in the chance that he comes in contact with the outside air. His parents risk all they own to take him to a mansion turned into a medical facility for a special medical experiment to see if he could be cured. While there, he discovers that the facility is haunted as ghosts there are trying to tell him a message.

What bothered me the most about this film was the number of plot twists in it, which I assumed was supposed to keep the audience on their feet and feel dumbfounded when they couldn’t see it coming, but it felt overall overwhelming and exhausting. It felt like the writers couldn’t make up what kind of film they wanted to make. Besides this, the father Paul (Max Martini) conveyed no true emotions through his acting and it felt bland. The surprisingly gory ending was also something that I didn’t expect out of this movie and frankly threw me off guard. If you scare easily, want something spooky to watch, and don’t necessarily care about the dynamics of film, this is the movie for you.

#7 Imagine That (2009) 3/5 stars (Netflix)

This film was super comforting and really took my mind off of all of the horrible things going on in this world right now. Eddie Murphy was a big part of my childhood specifically in films like Daddy Day Care and Haunted Mansion. Cinematically, it wasn’t anything groundbreaking or amazing but just a lovely cozy film overall. 

It focuses on Evan (Eddie Murphy) a workaholic financial advisor and aloof father who reconnects his relationship with his young daughter Olivia (Yara Shahidi) by making her imaginary world and friends his answer to his success and career in finance.

It wasn’t a bad movie, as it is more of a dumb feel good film. It was very cute and comforting and felt like the warm hug we really need during this time. Also, it was so strange to see Yara Shahidi so little nonetheless she became an amazing actress. If you miss Nickelodeon-style family films from the late 2000s or just want something quick and fun to watch, I would recommend this film.

#6 All the Bright Places (2020) 3/5 stars (Netflix)

This film, starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith, did what To All The Boys: Ps I Still Love You couldn’t do, which is retell a seemingly YA novel without being as trope-y. 

This film, based on the YA novel with the same name, follows Violet Markey (Elle Fanning) , a girl who just lost her sister as she is confronted by Theodore Finch (Justice Smith) while trying to take her own life. It revolves around how both young teens cope with mental illness especially while going to high school in a small town. 

I’m not going to lie, I did enjoy the beginning of this film. The shots were amazing and the coloring of the film felt almost nostalgic and conveyed a sense of longing. The characters were somewhat believable and the plot was much darker and more serious than YA films like this usually go after, so it immediately struck my interest. I loved Elle’s costume design with her wired rimmed glasses and knit sweaters. It helped establish her character and fit her character’s personality, but Justice Smith’s performance was stronger and more emotional than anything else I’ve ever seen him in. After halfway through the movie it just seemed to drag on and became too predictable. I also wasn’t up for the idea of romanticizing fixing and healing someone else for the sake of giving up on yourself and neglecting your issues and self-worth. If you need a good cry, this is the movie to watch. It definitely feels like high school.

#5 Tiger King (2020) 3 ½ /5 Stars (Netflix)

If you haven’t been living under a rock and been seeing all of these Carole Baskin memes, you would know how popular the Netflix true crime docuseries Tiger King is. 

Tiger King, given praise by Kim Kardashian herself, is a short series documenting the lives of big cat collectors Joe Exotic and Doc Antle and their fight against animal rights activist and tiger sanctuary owner Carole Baskin. It discusses the underground trade and abuse of the exotic animal industry in America, but the main plot of the story revolves around the feud between Exotic, who claims that Baskin “fed her husband to the tigers”, and Baskin claiming Exotic is abusing and exploiting his animals for fame and fortune. 

While the series is overall amusing, it does become incredibly dark and takes a fast turn. One thing that always seems to be good on Netflix is their true crime/thriller documentaries and even though Tiger King received so much praise I still believe Don’t F**k With Cats reigns supreme.

#4 Dead Wonder (2020) 4/5 stars (Youtube)

I did not expect this to rank top 5 on my list of what I’ve watched this month, but yet this 13-minute short film made it. I came across this while looking for new YouTubers to watch and stumbled upon Mikey Murphy’s page. I was afraid that two out of the three characters in the film, Olivia Rouyre and Amanda Pavillard (Emma Chamberlain’s best friends), were going to be a problem and a bother throughout the film, but I was shockingly surprised by both of their acting performances. I have this weird thing where if I see a Youtuber, Vine star, or TikTok star in a film (like King Bach) it’s going to be poorly produced or just overall bad, but this short film stood out to me because it proved me wrong. 

The short film flips perspectives between a young girl visiting her grandma’s vacant home and a memory of an altercation her grandma had in the same house decades before. Things really take a turn when the young girl discovers the cassette tape that recorded this exact altercation. 

The whole thing was done so well in the short time it was made. The cinematography is absolutely stunning and pays homage to the film noir era. This was one of the better short films I’ve seen, especially on Youtube, and I think Mikey Murphy will definitely be a filmmaker to watch.

#3 The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) 4 ½ /5 stars (Amazon Prime or iTunes Store)

The Royal Tenenbaums was another well-done masterpiece done by Wes Anderson. Having watched three other Wes Anderson movies, I didn’t know what to expect other than the magnificent color schemes, centered shots, and someone blunt but humorous dialogue.

This classic revolves around the tale of a wealthy family, the Tenenbaums, who have three child geniuses. After their father leaves them in their adolescence, it is only 22 years later when they reconvene and realize how dysfunctional all of their lives have become and how they are better together, as a family. Besides this, the film has a wonderful soundtrack with music from The Velvet Underground, The Clash, and Nico.

I’m not the biggest fan of some of Wes’s earlier works like Rushmore because I felt as if his particular style wasn’t established yet, also it reminds me greatly of The Catcher in the Rye (a book I despise quite a lot). But the warm color scheme of The Royal Tenenbaums continuous throughout the film, whether present in the interior of the architecturally stunning Tenenbaum Mansion or the costume design (Margot’s coat and Chas’s Adidas jumpsuit), was a big contributing factor for why I fell in love with this film. I thought this choice was interesting to juxtapose against the plot which conveys deep undertones of melancholy and deals with harsh subjects like divorce, suicide, and death. Anderson’s use of multimedia shots of book covers and posters was also a cool incorporation that he has included in many of his other films such as Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Wes Anderson’s humor in his films can come off as dry and super awkward, but I think this film did a really great job of incorporating it into the dialogue and actions of the characters. This has definitely made me consider if this was my favorite Wes Anderson film and I’m glad I got around to watching it.

#2 Candyman (1992) 5/5 stars (Netflix)

I think it’s no surprise by this list that I love horror, and this has easily become one of my favorites. With the anticipation of Jordan Peele’s remake coming out this year, I had to watch this and see what he was up against. It’s so strange to think such a great horror film, especially one that can scare someone like me, was made 28 years ago and I’ve never seen it until this month. 

It revolves around Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) a graduate student in Chicago who is conducting her thesis on urban legends, when she gets caught up in studying the legend of the Candyman, the spirit of a slave, an accomplished artist and business owner, who was hunted and killed for loving a white woman in the 19th century. Legend has it that if you say the Candyman’s name in the mirror five times, he’ll appear and attack his summoner. 

I loved this film so much, especially how innovative it was in horror for the 90s. I love the representation of black culture especially in horror and having this story originate in Cabrini-Green, or the housing projects near the north side of Chicago. We really don’t get the chance to see the reality of disadvantaged neighborhoods (the only other relevant and recent representation I can think of off of the top of my head is Moonlight which is based in Liberty City, Miami) and people in films. It wasn’t trope-y whatsoever and it really paved the way for Jordan Peele’s work and other modern horror filmmakers. I’m truly so excited to see Peele’s remake and please don’t make the mistake I did in watching this film before bed. 

#1 Jojo Rabbit (2019) 5/5 stars (In theaters, Amazon Prime, iTunes)

I’m quite biased when it comes to film names and posters, and frankly, I do “judge a book by its cover.” When I saw that Jojo Rabbit was nominated for 6 Oscar awards, I was quite annoyed that I hadn’t heard of it before then. I went into it expecting not a lot, just another film that cast Scarlett Johannson as some role I’m sure someone less well known would have done fantastic playing, but I was proven wrong. 

Taika Watitit’s comical tale of a young boy whose imaginary friend is literally Hitler shows WWII in a completely different light. It follows this propaganda-fed 10-year old, Johannes Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), and his discovery of a young Jewish girl, Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie), that his mother is hiding in their house. 

The bright colored portrayal of Nazi Germany, witty dialogue, and camp-core style are all reminiscent of Wes Anderson films. This movie really exceeded my expectations and made me cry alone in my room because of how well done and how truly heart wrenching it was. If you haven’t watched this film yet, you definitely should.