Despite a never-ending pandemic, we’ve been graced with many movies to keep us busy. New and familiar worlds awaited us as we escaped our broken one. Here are six of my personal favorites. There’s a mixed bag with something for everyone.
Luca – Pixar’s latest adventure takes us on a laid-back, personal quest with sea monsters. Breathtaking visuals bathed in bright pastel colors reinforce Pixar’s animation prowess. Follow Luca and Alberto through an Italian seaside town as they tread into an alien world. Cute, simplistic, and more relatable than you think.
Old – Director M. Night Shyamalan returns with his knack for twists in this suspenseful mystery. A group of strangers in a resort are taken to an isolated beach. However, they become noticeably older as hours pass by. These people of different personalities and lives must work together to escape if they don’t die of old age first.
Cruella – Disney strays from its line of Renaissance remakes for a refreshing origin story for the titular villainess. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson fight to upstage each other in a gorgeous fashion show hoedown. We are given an intimate look into Cruella De Vil’s beginnings, rise to infamy, and fateful family secrets.
Free Guy – Take one last summer rollercoaster with Shawn Levy’s video game comedy. Levy bathes the film with in-game references, both nostalgic and new. Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer team up to save their digital world from deletion. Blast your way through bloodthirsty players, pink rabbits, and rogue artificial intelligence.
A Quiet Place Part II – John Krasinski returns to direct a near-perfect sequel to his first. He harnesses his skills for suspense, emotion, and horror. Don’t forget to breathe. We continue with the Abbott family when they relocate for better shelter. New characters, dangers, and conflicts of trust await them. Sound is used as a deafening weapon.
In The Heights – Director Jon M. Chu of Crazy Rich Asians joins forces with Lin Manuel-Miranda in this foot-tapping celebration of Latino pride. Miranda concocts an addicting soundtrack fused with Latino, rap and pop influences. You’ll unconsciously bob your head and won’t stay still. A slice-of-life musical about Usnavi, an average man from New York’s Washington Heights with big dreams.
Sources:
A Quiet Place II https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8332922/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3
In The Heights https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321510/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_6