What I Was Watching in May 2021
To be completely frank, award season exhausted me. I’ve enjoyed not watching nearly as many movies this month, so I definitely got through less than I had originally intended. However, it’s a very exciting time - I’m more than two weeks post-vaccination and movie theaters have opened back up, so it’s time to get back on my movie game. Here’s to the Regal membership making itself useful again next month!
The Beguiled
HBO Max
I don’t know truly how or why it happened, but I blame Big Little Lies for my unceasing Nicole Kidman obsession. I remember seeing previews for this film when it came out, but when I saw the image on HBO Max, all I knew was that it was Colin Farrell and Kidman in a period piece. It turned out to be an interesting enough watch, and everyone in the fantastic cast is talented, but I’m not sure I’d ever want to watch it again.
The Verdict: 3/5
Galaxy Quest
YouTube
In my head, I had decided that since I liked Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I would like this movie. My brain said Alan Rickman + space = win. Which isn’t necessarily wrong. But I didn’t like this film nearly as much. It gets a lot of points for creativity, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a movie like this before, but I have learned I find Tim Allen very off-putting now.
The Verdict: 3/5
WeWork: Or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn
Hulu
I listened to a podcast about WeWork but putting faces to names really added a new level. These not-murder-but-still-true-crime-docs are quickly becoming one of my favorite things to watch. If you enjoyed seeing things about Theranos or Fyre Fest, this is definitely worth your time. I’m even more fascinated than I was before.
The Verdict: 4/5
Notting Hill
Netflix
I love that in multiple movies now, Julia Roberts basically has to play Julia Roberts. I think between this and You’ve Got Mail, which I also just watched this month, I’d go with the latter, but this was another one of those ‘90s romcoms that aged relatively decently. I’m glad I finally watched it, but I’m not sure I was missing too much by not having seen it yet.
The Verdict: 3/5
Walk Hard; The Dewey Cox Story
HBO Max
I’m so glad I had also recently seen Walk the Line, because it made the hilarity of this movie so much stronger. This felt like an incredibly well done parody, and I laughed out loud a few times. The cast was so star studded that it almost baffled me and my favorite was absolutely Jenna Fischer as the female lead. The mockery of the musical biopic is really well crafted in this movie, and I applaud whoever drew all the comparisons.
The Verdict: 3.25/5
Downhill
HBO Max
This movie was not good. I just have to say that. I’m only rating it as high as I am because I don’t think it’s the actors’ fault, and they are extremely talented people that automatically make things decent just by existing. However, I rooted for no one in this movie. Everyone was ridiculously unlikeable and I was just ready for the story to reach some form of an end.
The Verdict: 2.5/5
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always
HBO Max
This movie, in a sense, made me feel the same way I did when watching Uncut Gems. There was a low hum of stress or anxiety underlying the whole film, but a lot more compassion and caring. I had never seen the two lead actresses in anything else and was wildly impressed. I should say there are some trigger warning surrounding this movie, so look it up before you check it out.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
Just Married
Hulu
I needed something light after watching Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always, and this delivered. It’s a romantic comedy with Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy, and it is ridiculous. It’s a comedy of errors and you can’t tear your eyes away from the trainwreck. Somehow, however, I don’t think it’s a bad movie. It’s weirdly enjoyable, and it may be due solely to the charm of the leads.
The Verdict: 3/5
The Terminal
Hulu
I feel like I’ve seen a lot of Hanks lately. But this movie gave me so much more, and that ‘more’ came in the shape of Stanley Tucci, who I’m fairly convinced makes literally any movie better by his sheer presence. I actually kind of loved this film, even though it felt a bit too long. It was endearing and with it being based on a true story, I was very curious to follow the whole plot all the way through.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
Minari
in theaters
My first movie back in theaters! I was able to view this movie in my local arthouse theater, which felt appropriate as it was one of the few Oscar noms I wasn’t able to see before the telecast. And this movie is fantastic. It’s not quite what I expected, but if you’re able to go into it with no expectations at all, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
The Verdict: 4/5
With shows finally coming to an end, it’s about to be time to burn through more of my to-watch lists on the roughly 24 streaming services I have access to. Bring on the summer.