There’s a chill in the air and all of a sudden I want to go to the movies.
I want to put on my best all-grey tracksuit and a pair of warm socks, knowing that the aircon will be on full blast and the cinema will feel like an icebox. I want to select the perfect seat in the middle at the back, but not too far back because my eyes aren’t what they used to be. I want to smile at the cashier as I buy my overpriced hot buttery popcorn and decline any other snacks because I’ve got peanut M&Ms, Maltesers and a hopefully still cold Coke Zero smuggled in my coat pocket. I want to complain about all the ads to my friend next to me and unpack why they never seem to make any sense. I want to look out over the dim lights and guess which couples are on their first or second date based on their uptight body language and darting eye contact. I want to drink in every trailer and whisper “ooh I want to see that” without ungluing my eyes from the screen, and put my phone on silent for the next few hours and remember what it's like to unplug from the world.
Good or bad, I want a movie to irrevocably change me - to feel the thrill of a perfectly put-together storyline or be reminded that money can’t buy talent. I want to leave and feel like I’ve gained something.
Over the last 12 months, I haven’t seen that many movies that changed me for the better. Captivating storylines that make you feel something are few and far between. So in light of this scarcity, I thought I’d share the ones that moved me and simply enjoyed recently.
The Iron Claw
Based on the true story of the Von Erich brothers, The Iron Claw follows Kevin, Kerry and David as they make history in the competitive world of professional wrestling in the 1980s. But as much as this movie is centered around wrestling, it isn’t a sports movie - it's a story about tragedy, triumph, and how toxic masculinity can unravel a family and ironically be their biggest weakness. Zac Efron arguably delivers his best performance and you’ll be sure to cry your heart out by the end of it.
Challengers
Probably my favourite movie of the year so far, Luca Guadagino’s (Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All) tennis drama brings throuples back into fashion. Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a tennis prodigy turned coach, who lives out her tennis career through her husband (Mike Faist) and transforms into a grand slam champion. Tension, both sexual and emotional, arises when Art (Faist) is matched to play against ex best friend Patrick (Josh O’Connor), who is also Tashi’s ex. Through steamy flashes between the past and present, Luca explores the mirroring relationship between tennis and relationships, and that while threesomes can be complicated, they can also be largely beneficial for everyone in the triangle. Everyone has something to offer, but they can’t offer everything - so why not outsource?
Anyone But You
Anyone But You is a little sugary and cringe, especially with its over-the-top (and largely stereotypical) Australian accents, but it was surprisingly one of the best romantic comedies I’ve seen in a long time. Hollywood doesn’t seem to make romcoms like they used to, and not many at that, so when they announced a new enemies to lovers trope I immediately got excited. Starring Glen Powell as Ben and Sydney Sweeney as Bea, Anyone But You begins with a first date that goes wrong. After a year or so, they are forced back together and into a fake relationship when their loved ones decide to get married in Australia. The movie is full of cliche’s, but its charming, lighthearted and the chemistry between Ben and Bea is hard to deny.
Scrapper
Charlotte Regan’s feature debut Scrapper follows 12-year-old Georgie (Lola Campbell), whose been parenting herself by steeling and recycling bikes and avoiding social services since the death of her single mum. When her absentee and child-like father Jason, played by Harris Dickinson (also in The Iron Claw), shows up to fill the role as ‘parent’, the two begrudgingly have to learn how to navigate their new circumstances. Admittedly Harris Dickinson was the main reason I saw this movie, who I’d previously seen in Triangle of Sadness and When the Crawdads Sing, but I was pleasantly surprised at its ability to unpack the complexities of two emotionally tangled people, tackle childhood grief, whilst also maintaining humour.
I also want to give some notable mentions to Dumb Money, Barbie and Oppenheimer for obvious reasons, Saltburn (controversial but I stand by it), and Love at First Sight.
What I’m looking forward to for 2024/25
It can be a little depressing this time of year as we say goodbye to the sun and for those in South West London, late nights at the Pear Tree, but with the darkness comes new opportunities, festivities and better fashion. Think of the cold as an excuse to go to the movies on a weeknight or watch a classic on the projector, drink hot chocolate, or maybe an Irish coffee, enjoy a Sunday roast next to the fireplace at your favourite pub, pick up a fresh Christmas tree early, order that expensive but well-worth it wool coat, or warm up with a red wine and cheeseboard.