Ten Movies to Spend Your Time on and Five not to Waste Your Time on in 2021
It’s Friday night, you’ve just finished a long week of work and you are ready to free your mind. Alone with a pizza, or maybe some Chinese food, you settle down under the blanket on the couch and begin your search for a movie. Here are ten movies you should watch in 2021 and five you can stay away from.
1. The first movie suggestion is Fight Club. Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. When you are alone on a Friday night, what more could you want? Much like The Grand Budapest Hotel, this movie transports you into another world through the incredible sets and ambiance. Unlike The Grand Budapest Hotel, however, this ‘other world’ is not a magical, pink fairyland, but, rather, it is a dirty basement in a dodgy part of New York City. Now, I realize that that may not sound like a draw, but trust me, it is. While this may not be a perky, feel-good movie, it might be just what you need. After struggling with insomnia, the main man is relieved when he meets Tyler. The two start a secret fight club, which helps release tension and puts the main man to sleep. I wish I could tell you more, but you’ll just have to watch it yourself. Fight Club will leave you mesmerized and confused, but, most importantly, thoroughly entertained.
2. If Fight Club doesn’t interest you, the second movie — The Pursuit of Happyness — might be more up your alley. This one is a feel-good movie. Based on a true story, Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a man struggling in his career and, subsequently, his finances. After getting evicted, Chris struggles as a single, and homeless, father. You will smile, and cry, and cry some more. In the depths of Covid, this movie will restore all of your hope!
1. Now for the first movie to skip, Annie Hall. Just hear me out, I know it’s a classic, but it’s past its prime. Instead of watching this and putting more money in Woody Allen’s wallet, you can listen in on a therapy session of someone with crippling neurosis, or a couples counseling session with a paranoid boyfriend. Watching Woody Allen panic to the camera for an hour and a half is a waste of precious time. If we are being honest, neurosis is never an attractive quality, and this movie did not help to convince me otherwise. Let’s leave the whole idea of an incredibly paranoid and neurotic partner being attractive out of 2021.
3. If you’re looking for a classic, The Godfather is the way to go. This is the all-time classic mafia movie, and there is a reason it is so revered. While Annie Hall may be past its prime, The Godfather has stood the test of time. Francis Ford Coppola’s direction, along with the amazing performances from Al Pacino and Marlon Brando, make this movie truly unforgettable.
4. If you enjoyed The Godfather, or maybe you just want to go to bed 30 minutes earlier while still being able to enjoy a good mafia movie, GoodFellas might just be for you. Based on the true story of Henry Hill, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat. If Robert De Niro playing a mafia member is not enough to convince you, maybe the direction by Martin Scorsese will.
2. To save two more hours of your time, might I suggest skipping the 2019 film Yesterday. While this film was well-received, as I sat in the theater, I could not help being disappointed. The idea for the movie was brilliant! It is a world where only a handful of people remembered the Beatles, and one man is left to share their music with the world. I know my opinion is unpopular, but I think that they dropped the ball. With such a genius idea, this movie had endless possibilities. It was like watching someone receive a million-dollar check and then trip and drop it down the gutter. Save your time. Instead, spend your two hours listening to the Beatles.
5. Last mafia movie, I promise. Donnie Brasco is a mutch watch. Johnny Depp plays an FBI agent whose mission is to infiltrate the mafia. His entry ticket comes in the form of Lefty, played by Al Pacino. Lefty is a made man with a soft spot for Donnie. Things get complicated when Donnie and Lefty get close. Donnie knows that he must complete his mission, but Donnie also knows that when the mafia members find out he was with the FBI they will kill Lefty. This movie will pull at your heart and leave you wishing you could watch it for the first time again.
6. True to my word, this next movie has no relation to the mafia. Hitchcock’s Rear Window is one of the most incredible movies I have ever seen. Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco in beautiful ’50s fashion, what more could you want? James Stewart’s character, Jeff, is wheelchair-bound in his New York City apartment when he believes he has witnessed a murder. As things unfold and tensions rise, the audience is stuck at the window with Jeff. You feel just like Jeff as you look out over the neighborhood. If you take none of my other suggestions, you must watch this one.
3. Third on the list of movies not worth your time is The Prom. Allow me to preface this by saying that I have never seen the movie, but I did go see the Broadway play on which it’s based. Laying on my deathbed, I will be upset that I wasted that time. Frankly, I found the whole show offensive. It frames homophobia as some sort of misunderstanding, that can be corrected through a two-minute song about the Bible. I am aware that homophobia cannot be solved in a two-hour musical, but it can be discussed more tastefully than it was in The Prom. As for the movie version, I was so disgusted with the play that I haven’t bothered to watch any of the trailers. One thing I did hear, however, was that many were offended by James Cordon’s stereotypical flamboyant portrayal of a gay man. James Cordon might have worked if his portrayal hadn’t been so offensive, but honestly, my biggest gripe with this is that they hired a straight man to play a gay man. Tituss Burgess would have been a perfect choice. Waste of time, and not worth your support.
7. Another Hitchcock movie for you to watch in 2021 is Shadow of a Doubt. This is not one of his more well-known films, like Rear Window or Psycho, but it is extraordinary. A young girl’s beloved uncle comes to visit her family, but chaos ensues as she begins to suspect him of being a murderer. Watching this black and white film will make you feel like a film snob. You will be mesmerized while watching Hitchcock’s earlier work.
8. Having bombarded you with thought-provoking classics, I think it’s only fair I suggest a movie that you can mindlessly enjoy on your Friday night. That movie is Notting Hill. Anyone who has heard Hugh Grant talk about his work will know that he is the first to trash the romcoms that he is in. He ridicules them as being sappy and unfunny. The one romcom of his that he seems to have a soft spot for is Notting Hill. Grant says that this film is truly romantic and funny, and if it’s good enough for Hugh Grant, it’s good enough for me. Grant plays William Thacker, your average man, who happens to become involved in a relationship with world-famous celebrity Anna Scott, played by Julia Roberts. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and then you will watch it again.
4. Bear with me here, I know this one will not be popular, but Sixteen Candles is not worth your time. Between the racism of Long Duck Dong and the date rape, this film does more harm than good. To watch Andy get a guy who let some party guys take a run at his drunk, passed out girlfriend is hardly a satisfying ending. Forget satisfying, the ending is totally predictable and immoral. This film has lost its charm with time.
9. The next movie that I encourage you to watch is All the President’s Men. This film, based on the true story of the Watergate scandal, will have you wishing you were a ’70s journalist. The secrecy, the scandal, the fast pace, and the investigations will have you glued to your TV. I’ll be honest, similar to many movies of the time, All the President’s Men starts slow, but don’t give up on it! It is seriously life-changing.
10. Finally, in 2021 make sure to watch Good Will Hunting. Matt Damon plays Will Hunting, a genius young man crippled with childhood trauma. After his mental skills are discovered, he begins to see a therapist played by the late Robin Williams. The two form a lovely friendship. Watching Matt Damon, Robin Williams, and Ben Affleck is not a bad way to spend two hours. Make sure to bring tissues, because this film will make you cry. After a year like 2020, though, a movie that pulls on your heart-strings could be just what you need.
5. Now, I know that my list of movies to skip is making me more enemies than friends, and fair warning, this last movie is in keeping with that trend. I personally think that you can skip Star Wars — A New Hope. I have never watched the full thing because I, a person with insomnia, fell asleep. That’s right, call the doctor because the new sleep drug is an outdated movie. I know that this movie was a cultural reset, but the culture has since progressed. The effects and the movie are outdated. Appreciate the genius of it, but if your gonna watch Star Wars for the first time, maybe start with a more recent movie, not too recent though.
Bonus: I couldn’t leave you on a negative note. One more movie you should definitely watch in 2020 is The Holiday. A holiday rom-com with a perfectly charming and predictable ending is just what you need when it snows. It’s an easy watch that will pick you up when life gets you down. With Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, and Jack Black, how could it not?
Feel free to form your own opinions about the movies on my not to watch list, but definitely make sure to check out the movies on the watch list. Here’s to 2021 being better than 2020. I will see you all next year.
