It is an exciting time here in the UK, as those magical places you go to watch films on a big screen among many other audience members are reopening tomorrow! Wait a minute, haven't we done this already?
Last Summer, we were in a very similar position when the first lockdown began to ease, and to mark the occasion, I listed off the 10 best pre-existing films I'd come across while in lockdown. Well, here we are at the easing of another lockdown, but this case is slightly different. Last year, my last trip to the cinema prior to lockdown was in the middle of March, and my first trip back afterwards was at the end of July, amounting to around four and a half months of no cinemas. Now, the last time I went to the cinema was at the end of October, so it has been over half a year of no cinemas, which is very sad indeed.
But, all that time of no new things and no cinemas meant I could whizz through a bunch of pre-existing things I'd never seen before, and in this lockdown in particular, I finally got round to watching a bunch of things I'd been desperate to watch for ages, more so than the previous ones. So, I thought I'd deliver another list of some of the best. If you have a Letterboxd account, I highly recommend you follow me (Jack W) as I have an extensive list with all films I watched for the first time during COVID, with many things I haven't talked about on this blog as well as the things I have discussed in an ever-changing order. If you don't have an account, get one! It's a great app for film lovers.
10. Mulan (1998)
With the live-action remake of Mulan coming out, I thought it'd be good to catch the original version, as I had never seen it before. So, when getting Disney+, it was one of the first things I decided to watch. Fortunately, although I wouldn't say it was amazing, it was about as good as I hoped. I'm not such a big fan of the comedy in the movie but I thought the main character was really likeable, the oriental aesthetic was nicely distinct from many other animated movies, the songs weren't the strongest bunch but Reflection and I'll Make a Man out of You were both bangers, and overall it was exciting and visually appealing. I have also seen the remake and, yeah, it wasn't great. Just another inferior retelling to add to the pile, though not as bad as some of the others.
9. Game Night (2018)
You know, it's great when you stick on a random flick on Netflix and it turns out to actually be pretty damn great. Game Night is a really good movie for two main reasons - firstly, it's conceptually great, with a really hilarious set up, and secondly, the execution is terrific, as it is ever so funny. It does feel kind of frothy and not like the sort of thing I'd come back to immediately, but if I do ever catch it again, I know I'll be in for a good time. Not much else to be said about this one, but I definitely suggest you give it a watch.
8. Arrietty (2010) & When Marnie Was There (2014)
These are both movies that I actually watched for the first time during the first lockdown in 2020, but in 2021 I've decided to watch at least one Studio Ghibli movie for every month of the year, so I revisited them both, and because I have similar things to say about each, I thought I'd put them together here. Arrietty and When Marnie Was There are such bafflingly overlooked and underrated movies in the Ghibli library for me; the former is a really charming and visually inventive albeit simple adventure, and the latter is a really heartfelt and resonant story (especially for introverts like myself) with some of the best animation in any of these movies. Honestly, these are both very high on my Ghibli ranking, only behind what I consider the three movies that will always be their best - Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, and Princess Mononoke. I get that they are comparatively more recent thus aren't regarded as classics yet, but I really think you're missing out if you love this company, or simply just love animation or movies in general, and haven't checked these out.
7. Cast Away (2000)
One of two Robert Zemeckis films on this list, both of which are funnily enough some of the films I'd been wanting to watch for ages. Cast Away has a simple story but executes it very well. I'm not so keen on the length and just how much it takes its time, as certain scenes definitely go on for longer than necessary, but that doesn't matter when you have Tom Hanks being his expectedly fabulous self and in a really engaging survival situation. It kind of reminded me of The Martian, which is one of the my favourite films of all time, with how it puts the main character in a situation where they have to solve problems and work out what to do and such in order to survive, and that's the sort of thing I always enjoy. The set-up is actually really scary if you think about it, and kind of makes me happy that I haven't flown on a plane for over a year now!
6. Eighth Grade (2018)
For any Americans who may be reading this, the title of this film translates to 'Year Eight' over here in the UK. I really liked this film, and not because it really resonated with me personally with its themes / messages, as they are generally quite standard coming-of-age fare that has been explored before, but because I admired how well it managed to capture the stress and awkwardness of this stage of all our lives in a way that is so genuine, honest and, as a result, really funny. I'm also really glad that it managed to be so contemporary without ever feeling out of touch; I have no idea what actual 12/13 year-olds would say to this 3 year-old movie in 2021, but to me as a 17 year-old it didn't feel behind the curve or as if it was trying to pander to the youth in really cringeworthy ways, as it easily could have. So, as a whole, just a really solid movie on the whole, and something I'd happily revisit.
5. Midnight in Paris (2011)
Midnight in Paris is also a simple concept executed really well. Not only is it really funny and clever with how it intertwines the story of the protagonist with all these famous figures of art and literature, as well as being very well shot with some great production design too, but it has such wonderful themes of nostalgia and materialism, making it a very thoughtful watch as well as an entertaining one. The performances are great too, Owen Wilson is just such a naturally likeable screen presence, and I can't really think of someone who'd fit this role better than him. What I also love about the film is the runtime - it's only 90 minutes. Honestly, the 90 minute film feels like a dying art, why? Don't get me wrong, I love an epic story that takes it's time and has a lot going on, but so many films nowadays end up overstaying their welcome in trying to be a grand picture when they'd be much better off as a nice, breezy watch like this, being able to do a lot in a short amount of time. So, there's much to love here.
4. Se7en (1995)
Definitely the best David Fincher movie I've seen aside from The Social Network. Se7en had me on the edge of my seat in ways that few other movies have, with such a tense and brilliantly constructed story as well as some excellently thrilling moments, especially that chase through the apartment block as well as basically everything in the last 20 minutes. It's also thematically a lot more intriguing as well as more distinct overall than most crime / cop movies. To top it off, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are both terrific as usual. I don't know how keen I am to rewatch it; at times it was a bit dull and I don't know if it'll have the same wow factor when I know the outcome, but I am so pleased that I enjoyed it as much as I did because I was ready for it to really test my patience.
3. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Like Cast Away, of all the films I watched for the first time during COVID, this is one I'd been dying to watch for the longest time, so imagine how elated I was when I saw that it was on Disney+. Thankfully, it did not disappoint at all. This movie was basically tailor-made for me, I'm not the hugest fan of 'golden age' animation, but I do love 2D animation, and seeing cartoony characters whizzing around and interacting with the real world was just so delightful. It's also very surreal at times with how all these characters from different companies share the screen, seeing Daffy Duck and Donald Duck performing on stage together was such a peculiar but hilarious sight. It makes me wonder how a film like this would ever happen nowadays based on how distributors have become so strict about who owns the rights to what. On top of that, a murder mystery is always fun, and putting a ridiculous twist on many elements was very enjoyable. I do think the climax is a little drawn out, and it is certainly all over the place at times, but I just couldn't help but love this movie for the most part. I really wish I'd grown up watching this as I'd probably love it more.
2. Booksmart (2019)
I had basically no excuse for missing Booksmart when it was in cinemas. It came out around the time I was finishing my GCSEs as well as secondary school overall, everyone was going on about how good it was, and it's about the nerdy kids going on a crazy night out, how could I pass such a genius concept??? So, when it came to Netflix, it was an instant watch, and such a delight. I laughed while watching Booksmart in ways I have not laughed at any film in a while, it's such a hilarious series of events that I just couldn't help but giggle at almost every turn. In addition, both of the protagonists are awesome, they're so likeable and made for such an enjoyable duo, and when their friendship does get tested at points, it feels so genuine. The way the third act plays out felt a little odd, and the ending didn't make a great deal of sense, but I just had such a good time with this, and unlike something like Game Night, this has that extra zing factor that makes me really keen to come back soon.
1. Whiplash (2014)
Wow. I mean WOW. This was absolutely astonishing. Whiplash is simultaneously the most stressful film I've ever watched and the most satisfying film I've ever watched. The depiction of someone going borderline insane and irrational as they try to achieve perfection is almost horrifying. So many scenes were really painful to watch, in the best possible way. But, it isn't completely dark and depressing from start to end, as there is a great energy to the film that keeps it feeling upbeat all throughout, and the outcome also feels so earned and well built up to. J.K. Simmons is phenomenal in this film, all because he somehow manages to portray the most evil human being I have ever seen in such a naturalistic film, while also being so charismatic and fun to watch. Seriously, how did he do that? He's just a treasure, and any time he appears in a film it makes my day. He should just be in every movie that is ever made from now on. In terms of Damien Chazelle's films, I personally prefer La La Land over this, but that's purely because I tend to gravitate towards anything that's joyful and lifts my spirits, so I can definitely understand if you hold this in higher regard. I like how both of them are ultimately just tonally different takes on similiar themes of sacrifice in the pursuit of success, in fact, even Chazelle's weakest film, First Man, can somewhat be applied to this too. On top of all this, Whiplash is another great example of a film that's the perfect length - it's just shy of 100 minutes but does everything it needs to do in that time while also feeling like it goes by in an instant. On the whole, I don't know what else can be said that countless others have said already, just watch Whiplash, even if you've watched it already, watch it again, it's just sensational. One of the very best things I discovered during COVID.
Hopefully, based on how things are looking in the world, I won't have to add to my list of things I watched for the first time during COVID for much longer. That being said, should all this bother continue, so will I in sharing the news of the good things I've encountered, as I've had much fun doing so. But, as of now, I'm off to get ready for a triumphant return to the pictures, and since I'll be 18 years old very soon, I'll be able to see literally anything that's released! I might just start off by seeing whatever 18 rated films are on because I can now.
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