Movies I Watched in 2022: Part Three
It’s that time again–another post recapping the movies I’ve watched this year! (You can read part one of this post here and part two here.) Be aware that this post may contain spoilers for the movies discussed. And… let’s get into it!
EncantoMusical/family, 2021
“Am I too late for a miracle?”
Six months ago, when I first told a friend about my now-current WIP Butterfly Island, she told me I should watch this movie as research. I really liked it! I actually liked the instrumental music better than some of the songs. I brainstormed two pages of notes for my novel while I was watching. It was so good and so colorful; if I’d known it was set in the mountains of Colombia, I probably would’ve watched it sooner!
Nim’s IslandAdventure/family, 2008 (rewatch)
This was one of my favorite movies growing up, and I rewatched it while out of town on my writing retreat as research for Butterfly Island. It was cute, but kind of dramatic, and it didn’t really make me feel anything.
HugoFantasy/adventure, 2011
I LOVED this movie! I loved the aesthetic from the beginning. It was really visually beautiful–a wintery, whimsical, industrial/steampunk type of vibe that reminded me of both Rooftoppers (Katherine Rundell) and Clockwork Angel (Cassandra Clare) (it would be a great rewatch around Christmastime). The film made me think about what our creative work is worth. I also loved the station romance subplots. And the ending was just… YES.
The Secret GardenFantasy/drama, 2020
I didn’t really like this interpretation of The Secret Garden. The garden isn’t supposed to be magic; the point of the story is about finding magic in the ordinary. It’s not a fantasy story. And don’t get me started on the trope of curing disability in kidlit. That part seemed a little too conveniently magical, too. If I just go play outside more, will I too be suddenly cured just like Colin? Yeah, don’t think so.
The Scorch TrialsSci-fi/action, 2015 (rewatch)
“Hope is a dangerous thing.”
I’ve been wanting to rewatch this movie forever and I’m so glad I finally did! It was so good. The ending was EPIC! I love this cast so much, and it just felt good to escape into a good solid dystopian (although it was interesting watching a world taken over by a virus, lol). And now that I have more context, I really want to watch The Death Cure again… but I’ve seen that movie so so many times, I need to watch something new.
Thor: The Dark WorldAction/adventure, 2013
This was pretty good, but honestly not my favorite, especially the romance. It mainly just reminded me that my main goal in life is to have a black cat named Loki and a yellow Lab named Thor, lol.
You’ve Got MailRomantic comedy, 1998
“You are daring to believe you could have a different life.”
I loved this movie! The autumn vibes were immaculate, and I definitely teared up at the end (even though the current state of YA has me absolutely sick of “big bookstore vs. little bookstore” and “we know each other both online and IRL without realizing it”… I guess this was the original before it was overdone). But also: Being a writer now is great and all, but why didn’t she get to keep her bookstore? (Also, what is it with daisies? Lorelai Gilmore, Kathleen Kelly…)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceFantasy/adventure, 2009
Over Halloween weekend I was looking for something fall-ish to watch in the background and turned this on. It used to be my favorite of the HP movies. I think it still is! It’s the best feeling to come home to Hogwarts.
CODADrama/romance, 2021
“Do you have something to say?”
I CANNOT EXPRESS the depth of my love for this movie. The title alone already had me falling in love (the play on words made me ridiculously happy), and the movie itself could not have been more tailor-made for me. I mean, ASL? Boats? Singing? Hello, yes, yes, yes! In this movie, a hearing girl from a Deaf family is torn between helping her family on their fishing boat and going to music school. I was definitely crying by the end; I thought it did an excellent job of exploring the family dynamics. And I’ve had the soundtrack on repeat ever since I finished the film.
Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverAction/adventure, 2022
I cannot describe my excitement level for this movie! Joshua and I saw it in theaters (the first Marvel movie I ever saw, five years ago before I was even into Marvel, was Black Panther–so it was a full circle moment). But unfortunately, I didn’t like it nearly as much as I’d hoped. It was good, but LONG, and I was also a little confused because I didn’t totally remember who everyone was.
Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think about them? What was the last movie you watched? Let me know in the comments!
