If this is your first time reading this blog, I think it’s obvious that I like to watch movies. However, the Coronavirus pandemic washing over the globe has created a sudden drop off in the number of new movies for not just mine, but others’, viewing pleasure. As many studios are moving their blockbusters to future dates or forgoing the silver screen to the flat screens of homes, it’s difficult to find new material to write about. Given that reality, I’ve turned to the streaming services and many decades of cinema preceding us for my viewing. While I am tempted (and will) go back to familiar favorites, I challenge myself to dive headfirst into films I have never seen. Sometimes that consists of a film in the last five years, ten years, maybe forty years! For the duration of this crisis, I’ll be keeping all my fans of the quality films that I’ve seen since being stuck at home.
Without further ado, here are some of the movies that I’ve seen and recommend for your viewing pleasure while being trapped in the house.
The Addams Family (2019, Available on Hulu)
Growing up with the original Addams Family movies of the 1990s, I wasn’t for an animated remake. But this version, diving into a small origin love story for Gomez and Morticia before the family moves to a creepy house in New Jersey (everything is legal in New Jersey) was entertaining. It’s definitely a children’s movie, but one that the whole family can enjoy to meet the spooky Addams Family.
The Assistant (2019, Available on Hulu)
The Assistant is not a movie for the faint of heart. Taking place over the span of a day, we watch Jane, an aspiring film producer who is working as a junior assistant for a film production company, and decides to go on the offensive as she suspects that her boss has facilitated a culture of sexual harassment. The movie is not filled with flash or bright lights as the aesthetic tone fits the story being told. You feel the pressure of Jane’s job and the powerlessness that she feels in the office, creating a relatable atmosphere for others in a similar position. I had to watch this movie twice and I’m glad I did in order to fully see the story being told.
The One and Only Ivan (2020, Available on Disney Plus)
One of the many new movies that found its way onto streaming, The One and Only Ivan told the story of a gorilla and his animal friends as they attempt to escape from a small circus show. Based on a true story and possessing a great voice cast, this solid movie hit many emotional levels while removing the darker themes of the actual story. You feel the bond of the animals quickly in this new family film.
Enola Holmes (2020, Available on Netflix)
I know, I know. Another Sherlock Holmes movie. Honestly, this one wasn’t as bad. placing the younger sister of Sherlock center stage, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) attempts to find her missing mother and unravel a dangerous conspiracy involving a young lord all while avoiding her super-sleuth brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill). The plot is very thin and by the numbers in the mystery genre, but the advantage of telling a new feminist origin story in this Holmes universe is what the franchise needed.
Hunt for the Wilder People (2016, Available on Netflix)
I can’t say enough about this movie from the uber-talented Taika Waititi! Focusing on the father figure and foster son duo, “Uncle” Hector (Sam Neill) and Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), they become a targets of a manhunt after fleeing into the New Zealand bush. The duo’s performance and chemistry along with the zany energy Waititi brings to his films make this a movie worth seeing more than once.
Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay! What are your thoughts on Part V of Movie Quarantine Chronicles? What movies would you recommend while we are all stuck inside? Comment down below!
Be on the look out for new reviews and Part VII!
One Scene at A Time 