I’ve never been one to keep up with newly released movies, nor do I have the time to. Every time the Oscars, Golden Globes or Academy Awards rolled around, each movie nominated was completely foreign to me.
Last August, I began working at Varsity Cinema, which granted me immediate exposure to new movies. However, I still didn’t have the time outside of classwork and extracurriculars to watch any of the releases.
Once winter break arrived, I had a mission: watch as many new movies as possible. Even once the semester begins, I’ll attempt to make time to see more.
Here are my spoiler-free reviews of each movie I watched over break. All ratings are relative to each other.
Wicked: For Good – 2/5 stars
I’ve been a fan of the “Wicked” musical for years, even reading most of the book this adaptation is based on. However, Act II was underwhelming compared to last year’s Act I.
The best part of the movie was the song “No Good Deed,” but even Cynthia Erivo’s portrayal of Elphaba’s descent into madness was too pitch-perfect and put together. Ariana Grande’s performance was very consistent with who Glinda is, and I enjoyed watching her scenes.
To me, the most redeeming aspect of this film was the costume design for the Tin Man. Overall, this movie was just… okay.
Hamnet – 4/5 stars
I am not an emotional person. Very few pieces of media can get me to cry. Most of my coworkers at the Varsity saw “Hamnet” before I did, and testified how heartwrenching the movie was. I told everyone there was no way I’d cry.
I cried.
This movie was done so, so well between the costumes, the cinematography, the acting and the storyline. The peak of the film was absolutely heartwrenching. All I could hear in the theater was the resounding sniffles of those around me. Even before this movie was nominated for awards, I sang its praises to anyone who would listen. Please go watch it if you get the opportunity.
The Secret Agent – 3/5 stars
I saw this movie right before it left the Varsity with a friend. The trailer looked really interesting, and I honestly didn’t know what to expect.
The exposition establishes the point of the movie very well, with the bright and vibrant color-grading almost distracting the viewer from the danger the main character Marcelo is in. The movie very slowly escalates until the violence and action happen so suddenly that you don’t even realize what happened for another few seconds.
This is one of those movies where you don’t quite realize how the story is being told until about 75% through the film. Once that realization hits, the entire storyline heightens.
I really enjoyed this movie, but I loved others on this list more.
No Other Choice – 5/5 stars
The moment I saw the trailer for this film, I immediately asked my boss when we’d be showing it. I was so excited, I attended the very first showing.
This movie is truly a dark comedy, which is my favorite genre of movie. The cinematography and acting were exceptional. However, my heart just wasn’t properly in it. For some reason, I felt as if my initial feelings towards the movie didn’t give it justice. So, I saw it again.
And I am so glad I did. Watching this movie again allowed me to pay attention to more of the plot, the sound design, the editing and the background music. I gained much more of an appreciation for the story and its themes. I could write an entirely separate review for just this film, but for the sake of word count, I must regrettably leave it here.
While this movie has yet to be nominated for any Western awards — shockingly — please go watch this movie if you can. You won’t regret it.
