The Coolest Movies of Winter
When winter break hits, I can finally find the time to enjoy a movie or two. This go-around, there was a rather stellar lineup of movies out that caught my eye. For the first time in what feels like awhile, the theaters were packed, and the showings were successful. Below, I recall a few of the movies I watched, detail what parts I loved, and what parts not so much.
Starting off strong, Anyone But You. This Romantic-Comedy earned a 5/5-star rating in my book. Sydney Sweeney (she/her) and Glen Powell’s (he/him) on and off-screen chemistry allowed for a realistic portrayal of two enemies who end up lovers. There were many moments that actively had the whole audience laughing out loud, but also moments where we were on the edge of our seat waiting to see if these two would end up together. As for any truly good rom com, expect some cringey lines and nudity, but nothing that will take away from how fun the movie is. Overall, Anyone but You was a refreshing addition to the rom-com category, one that has been lacking the last few years.
Next is The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. As an avid Hunger Games fan, this was the movie I was most looking forward to watch over break. What I think put this film at a disadvantage, however, was my attachment to the original series. While Tom Blyth’s (he/him) portrayal of Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler’s (she/her) portrayal of Lucy Gray had social media going crazy, I found their performances difficult to match the success level of the first four films. In many ways, their chemistry fell flat, mainly because there were many important scenes within the book that were excluded from the film. Still, this movie provided a nice plot, enjoyable music, and a nice return to a classic series.
Saltburn. In all honesty, I watched this movie solely because I was curious to see why it was trending on social media. While there are scenes that are more sexually explicit in nature, I found this movie to be surprisingly interesting. Featuring a murder plot, Jacob Elordi (he/him) as one of the main actors, and some moments of comedic relief, Saltburn was a recipe for success. The acting was solid, and it was a quick watch despite having a two hour runtime. Overall, this movie was worth the watch.
