In the last few years, I’ve watched some movies that have absolutely changed my life. In just a few paragraphs, I’m going to try to convince you why you should watch these amazing, earth-shattering movies. If you can’t get them on a streaming platform, try one of those extremely sketchy pirated movie websites (I use Actvid.com, which has essentially everything). These can also all be bought/rented on Amazon Prime Video. Enjoy!
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Streaming on Amazon Prime or available to rent):
I only watched this iconic movie a few weeks ago (for some reason I kept putting it off) but it left a huge mark on me. Everyone going through a tough breakup (or ever having had a breakup, or having gone through a breakup with their imaginary partner in their head) should watch this masterpiece, starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey as Clementine and Joel, respectively. Clementine, a quirky young woman with constantly changing hair colors, has her memories of her ex-boyfriend Joel erased after a painful breakup. When Joel finds out, he attempts to undergo the same procedure. This movie follows him through their memories, as they slip away from him one by one. When he realizes he doesn’t actually want to lose her memory of her, it’s already too late. I watched this movie on a plane so I couldn’t really cry the way I wanted to, but this will tear you to pieces. The cinematography by Ellen Kuras is unique and beyond beautiful. The visuals and music are paired perfectly with the action, so it doesn’t surprise me how many awards the film won, including an Oscar and several BAFTA awards. Clementine is an emotional, lively, eccentric, beautiful, and slightly unhinged character and Winslet does an outstanding job of portraying her mood swings and spirals. I understand why she had such a hold over Joel; I definitely fell in love with her myself during the movie. When going through a breakup, I think everyone has the thought, “what if I could just erase all these memories?” This movie does a perfect job of depicting that slightly foolish dream and shows the value of remembering every person you have ever loved, despite the pain that may come with that.
Dead Poets Society (Not streaming but available to rent on Amazon, Apple TV, Youtube, and Redbox):
Content warning: This movie contains suicide
I probably quote this movie more than anyone really should ever quote something. Specifically, the line where Professor Keating says to his young pupils, “We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, and engineering, are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” Dead Poets Society is an achingly beautiful film that can be re-watched a million times and never really get old. Besides the amazing cast (most notably, Robin Williams), the screenplay is also the most poetic and well-written screenplay ever. It’s about both the beauty and tragedy of life, and touches heavily upon masculinity (both the toxic and healthy relationships with it), the value of non-conformity, and the benefits of an education that promotes creativity rather than obedience. Be warned though: this is not a happy feel-good movie—the ending is extremely tragic. However, I don’t think anyone is really alive until they watch this. Carpe diem and go watch this movie immediately.
Black Swan (Not streaming but available to rent on Amazon, Apple TV, Youtube, and Redbox):
Content warning: Self-harm, eating disorders, gruesome imagery
This movie was particularly impactful because I watched it while I was still a ballet dancer, but it had a whole different effect on me once I had left dance for good. Black Swan is a psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers, a professional ballerina whose role in Swan Lake slowly starts to completely dominate her life and mind. Nina goes through some drastic changes as she attempts to transform herself from the “good girl next door” into a black swan. This story explores the way casting and appearance in the ballet world can quickly become harmful and quite frankly, dangerous, obsessions. The gruesome self-harm competitiveness, mania, anxiety, and unhealthy eating patterns depicted by Nina Sayers look uncannily familiar to anyone who’s been seriously involved in ballet. As much as I love this movie, it definitely falls into the category of movies that romanticize mental illness and toxic environments. Every time I watch it, I feel a little itch in my brain, making me want to go back to ballet, despite the horrifying dark side depicted in the film. On the brighter side, the dancing, music, and acting in Black Swan are amazing. Natalie Portman notoriously trained intensely for this role, which won her all sorts of awards for her spectacular performance. However, there was quite a bit of controversy around the time of its release because of the way the dancing done by Sarah Lane, Portman’s dance double was downplayed. Regardless, the performances put on in this movie are incredible, and the psychological breakdowns are haunting. Watching this will definitely make you uncomfortable, but in a way that makes you want to come back over and over again.
