Grecian heroes had their fatal flaws – hubris, arrogance, and disbelief. The current generation has theirs– dwindling media literacy leading us to watch abhorrent pieces of media for fun and then wondering what we are doing with our lives. I’ve been there, seated eagerly in the theatre to watch a new movie with friends or my family and walking out shaking my head with a, ‘I could have saved that ticket money.” The post-COVID world means theatres are open again, which is good news. The bad news is the stuff moviemakers are coming up with recently, and trust me, I do not want anyone to go through the torture. Please– never take media recommendations off TikTok.
I decided to give the famed “Culpa Mia” (I like blind-watching my movies and did not expect a step-sibling romance) and “Purple Hearts” (thinly veiled military propaganda) a watch and regretted the trajectory of events that made me bring this curse upon myself. So, the best I can do is recommend to you some movies actually worth indulging in this summer, across a variety of genres.
Barbie (Greta Gerwig). July 21
Gerwig is well-known for her work on Little Women and Lady Bird, which have stood the testament of time and risen as some of the most iconic works discussing family dynamics, femininity and the struggle to come to terms with your personhood. There is no reason not to believe this movie will not be one that makes you sit at the edge of your seats, and it has social media in a scurry already. The iconic Ryan Reynolds (as Ken) and Margot Robbie (as Barbie) conversation where they agree they are “boyfriend-n-girlfriend” had memes circulating around since the trailer release. You have a start-studded cast representing, arguably, the world’s most iconic toy that pretty much cemented our childhood years. The stellar cast also includes Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Emerald Fennell, John Cena, and Michael Cera. And Dua Lipa pops up as one of the iconic sea-faring Barbie mermaids – who doesn’t want to experience the joy of that in cinema? Add to that Nolan’s Oppenheimer coming out on the same day and you have a perfect plan. Barbie in the morning, lunch after with margaritas to cool down and rave over the movie, and Oppenheimer after, with dinner to end the day and muse about the futility of existence. Almost Kafka-esque.
Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan). July 21
Three years after the sci-fi movie that warped wrinkles in time (quite literally) to bring to our screens and show the doomed existence of the neoliberal world, we have Nolan returning with Oppenheimer, a historical thriller. It follows the true story of the American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer as he attempts to construct the nuclear bomb that changed the trajectory of the world, leaving it suspended between the horror of the act and reality. It’ll be quite the experience to witness Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer mutters the words: “Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of worlds.” Nolan has talked about the realism he has decided to make a part of his movie, and it has the masses on their edge to see what very well looks to be a masterpiece in cinematic history. It has also evoked tongue-in-cheek jokes, some commenting that they might hear the people watching Oppenheimer sob and wail in the room next door as they enjoy their watch of Barbie and its preppy soundtrack. The cast also stars Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Jack Quaid, Dune: Part Two’s Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh, Gary Oldman, Rami Malek and many others.
Insidious: The Red Door (Patrick Wilson). July 7
Honestly, I would never put myself through the terrifying experience of watching a horror movie on the big screen; I am a coward at heart and that experience would be more terrifying for the movie-goers (on my behalf – no one wants to witness someone faint in theatre). However, if you are a connoisseur of horror and thrillers, Insidious: The Red Door is the perfect way to go; this is the fifth movie in the long-standing Insidious franchise. For reference, I remember watching the first and screaming my head off and this will surely not disappoint. The last instalment deviated from the story of the Lambert family to focus on recurring side characters. This movie in the franchise goes back to where it all began and checks in on the Lambert family 10 years after their initial haunting. It includes all the basic features that have made the series a riveting success over the years– jump scares, harrowing music that creates tension, and of course, the Lipstick Demon. And hey, it beats sitting at home and witnessing the horror of July’s sweltering heat, doesn’t it?
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (Part 1) (Christopher McQuarrie). July 12
Perhaps a movie series that has stood the testament of time in the action genre other than James Bond is Mission: Impossible, due to the action-packed cinematography that has you flinching at the screen and Tom Cruise’s charisma. First launched in the year 1996 with the riveting Brian De Palma instalment, the Mission: Impossible franchise became a must-see cinematic experience with Ghost Protocol. And as always, the trailer reminds us why it is so popular– it will still have you rooting for the hero as always. The trailer shows one stunt after the other, done beautifully by the usual crew of Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson helping out the enigmatic Ethan Hunt in saving the day. The setting is very obviously a desert scape and seems to remind one of scenes from Mad Max, just ones that include shootouts at elite parties, sparring across the European landscape and the mystery and intrigue we all want on our screens.
The Lesson (Alice Troughton). July 7
“Liam, good writers borrow. Great writers steal.” If you enjoy literature like me, or are a writer yourself, you’ll absolutely love this movie. It combines a family saga shrouded in lies and betrayal with the dark, gritty aesthetic of academia to give you the complete mystery experience. The stellar cast includes Academy Award nominee Richard E. Grant, Julie Dunphy and Daryl McCormack in titular roles. It follows a young writer eagerly trying to please his idol, a renowned author whose life is marked by tragedy, through a tutoring position at said writer’s estate. There is resentment, there is retribution, and there is chilling music and papers flying across the screen. All of them guard a dark past, marked by death and loss– one that they all seek to protect. While I can contest that most authors do not have a dark, gritty past (other than high school scuffles with peers over nonconforming attitudes), one can imagine Sisyphus happy.
I decided to give the famed “Culpa Mia” (I like blind-watching my movies and did not expect a step-sibling romance) and “Purple Hearts” (thinly veiled military propaganda) a watch and regretted the trajectory of events that made me bring this curse upon myself. So, the best I can do is recommend to you some movies actually worth indulging in this summer, across a variety of genres.
Barbie (Greta Gerwig). July 21
Gerwig is well-known for her work on Little Women and Lady Bird, which have stood the testament of time and risen as some of the most iconic works discussing family dynamics, femininity and the struggle to come to terms with your personhood. There is no reason not to believe this movie will not be one that makes you sit at the edge of your seats, and it has social media in a scurry already. The iconic Ryan Reynolds (as Ken) and Margot Robbie (as Barbie) conversation where they agree they are “boyfriend-n-girlfriend” had memes circulating around since the trailer release. You have a start-studded cast representing, arguably, the world’s most iconic toy that pretty much cemented our childhood years. The stellar cast also includes Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Emerald Fennell, John Cena, and Michael Cera. And Dua Lipa pops up as one of the iconic sea-faring Barbie mermaids – who doesn’t want to experience the joy of that in cinema? Add to that Nolan’s Oppenheimer coming out on the same day and you have a perfect plan. Barbie in the morning, lunch after with margaritas to cool down and rave over the movie, and Oppenheimer after, with dinner to end the day and muse about the futility of existence. Almost Kafka-esque.
Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan). July 21
Three years after the sci-fi movie that warped wrinkles in time (quite literally) to bring to our screens and show the doomed existence of the neoliberal world, we have Nolan returning with Oppenheimer, a historical thriller. It follows the true story of the American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer as he attempts to construct the nuclear bomb that changed the trajectory of the world, leaving it suspended between the horror of the act and reality. It’ll be quite the experience to witness Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer mutters the words: “Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of worlds.” Nolan has talked about the realism he has decided to make a part of his movie, and it has the masses on their edge to see what very well looks to be a masterpiece in cinematic history. It has also evoked tongue-in-cheek jokes, some commenting that they might hear the people watching Oppenheimer sob and wail in the room next door as they enjoy their watch of Barbie and its preppy soundtrack. The cast also stars Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Jack Quaid, Dune: Part Two’s Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh, Gary Oldman, Rami Malek and many others.
Insidious: The Red Door (Patrick Wilson). July 7
Honestly, I would never put myself through the terrifying experience of watching a horror movie on the big screen; I am a coward at heart and that experience would be more terrifying for the movie-goers (on my behalf – no one wants to witness someone faint in theatre). However, if you are a connoisseur of horror and thrillers, Insidious: The Red Door is the perfect way to go; this is the fifth movie in the long-standing Insidious franchise. For reference, I remember watching the first and screaming my head off and this will surely not disappoint. The last instalment deviated from the story of the Lambert family to focus on recurring side characters. This movie in the franchise goes back to where it all began and checks in on the Lambert family 10 years after their initial haunting. It includes all the basic features that have made the series a riveting success over the years– jump scares, harrowing music that creates tension, and of course, the Lipstick Demon. And hey, it beats sitting at home and witnessing the horror of July’s sweltering heat, doesn’t it?
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (Part 1) (Christopher McQuarrie). July 12
Perhaps a movie series that has stood the testament of time in the action genre other than James Bond is Mission: Impossible, due to the action-packed cinematography that has you flinching at the screen and Tom Cruise’s charisma. First launched in the year 1996 with the riveting Brian De Palma instalment, the Mission: Impossible franchise became a must-see cinematic experience with Ghost Protocol. And as always, the trailer reminds us why it is so popular– it will still have you rooting for the hero as always. The trailer shows one stunt after the other, done beautifully by the usual crew of Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson helping out the enigmatic Ethan Hunt in saving the day. The setting is very obviously a desert scape and seems to remind one of scenes from Mad Max, just ones that include shootouts at elite parties, sparring across the European landscape and the mystery and intrigue we all want on our screens.
The Lesson (Alice Troughton). July 7
“Liam, good writers borrow. Great writers steal.” If you enjoy literature like me, or are a writer yourself, you’ll absolutely love this movie. It combines a family saga shrouded in lies and betrayal with the dark, gritty aesthetic of academia to give you the complete mystery experience. The stellar cast includes Academy Award nominee Richard E. Grant, Julie Dunphy and Daryl McCormack in titular roles. It follows a young writer eagerly trying to please his idol, a renowned author whose life is marked by tragedy, through a tutoring position at said writer’s estate. There is resentment, there is retribution, and there is chilling music and papers flying across the screen. All of them guard a dark past, marked by death and loss– one that they all seek to protect. While I can contest that most authors do not have a dark, gritty past (other than high school scuffles with peers over nonconforming attitudes), one can imagine Sisyphus happy.