Quarantine Movies – We all admit that the quarantine was so long and we could not wait for this to end. But hey, it’s better safe so sit down and have a good time with your TV and relax. These are the movies for your every mood.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
David Fincher’s 2008 film about a man who ages in reverse is oddly applicable to our current moment. Time seems to work differently now, sometimes speeding up so much that weeks blend into months, and at other times slowing down to an interminable crawl as our lives are put on hold. Let Brad Pitt and his motorcycle jolt you out of the monotonous quarantine stupor!
13th
Named for the 13th amendment of the Constitution (“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States”), Ava DuVernay’s groundbreaking documentary traces the history of Black oppression in the United States, and draws a line between slavery and mass incarceration.
Premature
Directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green from a script by Zora Howard (who also stars as lead character Ayanna), Premature captures that scorching, elated feeling of a first love during a New York City summer. If you can’t make it outside, make the steaming sidewalks come to you.
Luce
Now’s the perfect time to catch up on one of the best, most under-seen movies of 2019. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is mind-blowingly good in Julius Onah’s movie about a model student and athlete whose adopted parents (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth) begin to doubt him after teacher (Octavia Spencer) flags a disturbing response to an assignment.
The Half Of It
It took 15 years for Saving Face filmmaker Alice Wu to return with her follow-up film — but it was worth the wait. A modern spin on Cyrano de Bergerac, The Half Of It centers around teenage loner Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), who’s asked to help schoolmate Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) woo his crush by ghost-writing letters for him. The problem is? Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire) is also Ellie’s crush.
Atlantics
Mati Diop’s movie is beautiful and haunting — literally. When 17-year-old Ada says goodbye to lover Suleiman after a day spent kissing at the beach, she doesn’t know it’s forever. Soon, she learns that he and a group of others have drowned off the coast of Dakar while trying to reach Europe, where economic opportunities beckon. So, who’s texting her claiming to be Suleiman’s ghost?
The Social Network
In the past couple of days, Hammer has embraced that pandemic life, shaving his heartthrob hair into a faux-hawk, complete with a mustache-goatee combo a la Joe Exotic. It’s an energy that can only be matched by the time he played not one, but two people in the same movie, David Fincher’s The Social Network. The movie tracks the rise of Facebook from Mark Zuckerberg’s (Jesse Eisenberg) Harvard dorm room to billion dollar company, and his conflicts with former best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), and the Winkelvoss twins (Hammer). (Oh, and be sure to spot Dakota Johnson in one of her first roles.)
Uncorked
Written and directed by Prentice Penny, Uncorked centers around Elijah (Mamadou Athie) a young man working in his parents’ (Courtney B. Vance and Niecy Nash) barbecue restaurant, who dreams of becoming a master sommelier. Pour yourself a big glass and get ready to learn some things!
Booksmart
Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut is the perfect movie to watch in a virtual group (stay home). After all, it’s all about high school seniors Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy’s (Kaitlyn Dever) quest to fit in one big blowout night before graduation, after years spent studying rather than hanging out with their peers. Are your friends double booked? No worries. There are more than enough vibrant characters in here to keep you company.
Julie & Julia
In 2002, Julie Powell took on a peculiar challenge: She would cook her way through Julia Child’s seminal cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, completing 524 recipes in 365 days. Nora Ephron’s film documents that challenge, juxtaposing Julie’s (Amy Adams) life with that of her hero and muse, Julia Child (Meryl Streep), as the two women face similar crises of confidence and seek to find themselves through the joy of food. Hot tip: Don’t watch this on an empty stomach.
Moulin Rouge!
Bars, clubs, and restaurants are closed around much of the United States, but that doesn’t mean you can’t live the bohemian revolution from the comfort of your couch. Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical extravaganza takes you back to 1899, when young English writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) falls hard for cabaret singer and courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman), the “sparkling diamond” of the Moulin Rouge. Unfortunately, her affections have already been bought by the Duke of Monroth (Richard Roxburgh), who expects to get what he paid for. If you can get past the whole consumption thing, your reward is Kylie Minogue as Absinthe Green Fairy, an unbeatable medley of popular songs, and the most spectacular spectacular costumes and dance numbers of all time.
A Simple Favor
This movie, directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), is crazy in the absolute best way. Anna Kendrick plays single mom Stephanie, a mommy vlogger who befriends the mysterious and seductive Emily (Blake Lively). But when the latter suddenly vanishes into thin air, Stephanie starts to dig into her friend’s past — and finds out there’s more to Emily than chic suits and a penchant for very dry martinis. She’s downright sinister. If you — like me — have not worn anything other than sweatpants for nearly a week, let this film remind you that better sartorial times lay ahead. Enjoy the loungewear while you can.
Moonstruck
Moonstruck is an absolutely perfect movie. I dare you to find a flaw. Directed by Norman Jewison, it stars Cher (who won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance) as Loretta Castrioni, a widow who falls for her new fiance’s younger brother Ronny (Nicholas Cage), just as she’s about to invite him to her wedding. This is Nicholas Cage at his peak, folks, wooden hand and all! He plays a baker! A baker who bakes bread! Bread is life.
Well, there are thousands of movies that will set up your mood and ease your boredom. How about you? Is your favorite movie part of the list?
