During a recent late-night Wikipedia dive, I was surprised to learn that Charli XCX — fresh off the massive recognition of “Brat” — has not one, not two, not three but seven appearances in films set to be released in the near future.
These upcoming projects include fantasy film “100 Nights of Hero” and erotic thriller “I Want Your Sex” from queer icon Gregg Araki. She’ll also appear in “The Gallerist,” which features the likes of Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega.
The anticipation around Oscar Day is high, so here is just the thing for you to get over the jitters — an Oscars binge list. This guide has some of the best movies of 2024 — from visually stunning sci-fi epics to exciting dramas and musical masterpieces.
I hope this list was able to give you some inspiration on what to watch this Valentine’s Day. I know not everyone is on the same page when it comes to love, but no matter how or what you’re celebrating, everyone deserves to end the night with a good movie.
By Ada Sussman, Opinion Co-Editor
• November 12, 2024
This is not to understate the value of representation or the importance of advocating for more minority filmmakers. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. If relatability politics take precedent in the industry’s current state of homogeneity, the limited diversity that we are already privy to will become almost obsolete. In order to counter this, we need to advocate for the elevation of more voices in Hollywood while simultaneously discouraging the superficiality of representation at face-value.
“The Apprentice” isn’t the Donald Trump story you’re expecting. Rather than a behind-the-scenes look into Trump’s 15-season reality show of the same name, the film follows the story of how attorney Roy Cohn shaped Trump into the figure we know today.
By Ada Sussman, Opinion Co-Editor
• October 29, 2024
Because the bathroom can manifest the greatest threats, the space holds a great deal of social power in shaping our biases. Films that use an exterior threat to destroy the bathroom’s intimacy often frame the encounter through a lens of innocence of predation. In “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” Nancy falls asleep in the bathtub, leading to the famous shot of Freddy Krueger’s knifed gloved hand emerging from the water between her thighs, implying a physical or sexual violation of her body.
With Halloween approaching, grab your comfort blanket, prepare to cover your eyes and get ready to scream, because horror films have a long and chilling history that will leave you completely spellbound.
The streaming era of horror is starting to wear me down.
With Halloween looming closer, both the Sarah Paulson-led “Hold Your Breath” and body-swap blast “It’s What’s Inside” debuted exclusively on Hulu and Netflix, respectively, this October — despite holding their world premieres at Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance. This furthers a recent trend of horror movies bypassing theaters altogether and getting sent straight to streaming — making a select few festival audiences some of the only people to experience these films on the big screen.
By Ada Sussman, Opinion Co-Editor
• October 15, 2024
Film criticism likely developed this reputation because of its unique position as an academic discipline that exists in such close proximity to mass consumer interests. Critics have existed for almost as long as film has, and it's impossible to conceptualize an industry without them. But, a critic’s proficiency in the history and formal language of a populist media may put them in opposition to public taste.
A good soundtrack can elevate a mediocre movie into something better and bring an already great movie into the realm of a masterpiece. Listen up for five films that feature soundtracks worthy of enjoyment after the credits roll.
By Ruby Voge, Opinion Co-Editor
• September 30, 2024
While there may be the occasional fluke, like last year’s Barbenheimer phenomenon, the relevance of movies to the public has quickly declined over the past two decades as film fanfare lessens. It’s a different world than 25 years ago, in 1999, when the movie industry held pop culture in the palm of its hand.
