Wrap Up: What I Was Watching In February 2019
While I did get to spend more time in a movie theater this month, there were still quite a few indulgences of streaming movies while curling up under a blanket (and a decent amount of documentaries this time around). Also let me know in the comments if there are any movies that you recommend I put on my list for next month. Trying to alternate between filling the (embarrassing) gap in my movie history knowledge and newer ones that I’ve been wanting to see since they were in theaters.
FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Netflix
Since my only knowledge of this insane Fyre Festival was what I had seen on Twitter, I was super intrigued by the fact that there was enough to say for two documentaries. This one seemed a bit more informative and a little less scandalous, outlining what actually went wrong and just showing how it all fell apart. For less than a two hour time commitment, I’d say it’s definitely worth a watch.
The Verdict: 6.5/10
Serenity
In theaters
My boyfriend and I have a sincere love of movies that are so bad that the terrible reviews are almost poetic in their descriptions. So naturally, we had to see this bonkers mess of a film. I truly can’t even begin to describe this one, except I personally think it’s worth a cheap rental. Everything is just off about it, nothing quite makes sense and the ‘twist’ only half explains the questions you have from the beginning.
The Verdict: 3/10
The Breakfast Club
Netflix
To defend myself: I am watching this movie for the first time as an almost-27 year old in 2019. I recognize that John Hughes movies are the reason a lot of teen and rom com movies exist, but I didn’t feel like a lot of this aged well. There was so much sexual harassment and confusing relationship choices in this one that I didn’t fully love it, even with knowing what it leads the way to.
The Verdict: 4/10
The Edge of Seventeen
Netflix
I heard only good things about this movie, especially concerning Hailee Steinfeld’s performance, and finally seeing it did not disappoint. It’s a solid coming-of-age story that is endearing, fairly realistic and enjoyable completely throughout. Woody Harrelson is a wonderful, curmudgeon of a teacher with a heart of gold, which rounds out the story beautifully.
The Verdict: 7/10
Abducted in Plain Sight
Netflix
So, this is a mess of a story. There’s no other way to put it. It’s worth watching solely for the jaw dropping response that will be forced out of you every five minutes as you watch it. Even if you aren’t a true crime fan, it doesn’t matter. This isn’t your standard crime doc. It just gets more and more bizarre as you keep going, and there’s no limit to the insanity.
The Verdict: 5/10
Popstar: Never Stop, Never Stopping
YouTube TV
I picked this almost by accident when unsure what to watch one evening and I was pleasantly surprised. I was never a huge Andy Samberg fan before I binge watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine, so I was a bit cautious with this movie. It was a really fun watch though, and the cameos in it are some of the best I’ve seen in any movie. They just kept coming.
The Verdict: 6/10
Fyre Fraud
Hulu
Naturally, if I was going to watch one of the Fyre docs, I may as well commit and go for both of them. This one on Hulu felt way more dramatic and sensational and yet didn’t give as much information. I expected a lot more out of these interviews than what I got. It doesn’t feel like a waste of time to watch both, but you don’t get a ton more from one over the other.
The Verdict: 6/10
Ghostbusters
Netflix
I committed movie craziness, it seems. I somehow went my whole life without watching this one and instead saw the Melissa McCarthy remake before seeing the original. Some of the humor didn’t age super well (I feel like we’re in a totally different world of comedy than we were then) and I truly wish I had seen it when I was younger because I think I would have liked it a lot more.
The Verdict: 5/10
What’s one of the biggest gaps in your movie knowledge that you’d like to fix? Let me know in the comments.