Pretty sure most people find themselves in a slump when trying to find the perfect movie to watch, whatever genre it may be. Some people even compile their own ”to watch” lists and still not make up their mind on what to watch next. We’ve compiled a list of movies we thought should be on your recs list, varying in genre, of course.
1. The Truman Show
Year: 1998
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
This is probably one of the most recommended movies of all time, but we’re here for it. An insurance salesman finds out that his entire life has been a television show. Yes, you read that right. Truman Burbank is completely unaware that his entire life is a mere television show and that his family are just actors. As he begins to notice certain things and uncover the truth, he decides to fight back in order to escape.
“Good morning, and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight”
-Truman Burbank
2. The Notebook
Year: 2004
Genre: Drama, Romance
Most people may look at this one and think that this may be an overrated recommendation. The Notebook is a movie adaptation of the novel of the same name, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Noah, a regular young man, falls in love with a young rich girl, Allie. But, they are soon separated because of their social differences.
Three years later when the US joins in WW2, Noah and his best friend enlist in the army and Allie works as an army nurse. It is there that she meets an injured soldier, Lon, who, after the war, would meet up for dates and he later proposes for marriage. When Allie sees Noah and their dream house in a newspaper, she starts to feel divided between her first love and her now-commitment to Lon.
“Stop thinking about what I want, what he wants, what your parents want. What do you want?”
-Noah
3. Space Sweepers
Year: 2022
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure
The crew of Spaceship Victory find a little girl in a space shuttle that they snatched in debris chase. The girl is the one that has been reported missing as a highly dangerous human-like robot that is wanted by the UTS Space Guards and decide to ask for ransom. In the process, the little girl grows on the crew and they even start to realize that she isn’t actually a robot. They then do everything in their power to keep her safe. Long story short, it guarantees a happy ending.
4. In the Tall Grass
Year: 2019
Genre: Horror, Drama
To simply put it, this movie is a bit mind-bending. Two siblings hear a little boy’s cry in a huge field of tall grass and enter in it in hopes of helping the boy, but soon realize they are trapped and cannot escape the evil that lurks in there. To describe the movie is a bit hard as the movie itself looked like a loop of never ending doom or misery for whosoever entered the field of tall grass. Also, if you’re sensitive to strong and disturbing images you may want to sit this one out.
“Want to see the rock? Want to lay on it naked, and feel me in you, beneath the pinwheel stars, while the grass sings our names?”
-Stephen King, In The Tall Grass
5. Gifted
Year: 2017
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Frank, who is raising his late sister’s daughter, Mary, finds himself in a legal battle with his mother, Evelyn, over Mary’s custody after she found out Mary is a math genius, just like her late mother. Evelyn is willing to do everything in her power for little Mary to finish her late mother’s project. Only later, after much pain and hurt of the custody battle does Frank hand over his late sister’s finished project, this being six years after her death, stating her work was only to be published postmortem. Now whose death do you guys think she was referring to?
“ She’s not normal, but if Einstein can ride a bike so can she.”
Frank Adler
6. Inception
Year: 2010
Genre: Sci-fi, Action
A thief that steals secrets from people’s dreams with the help of dream-sharing technology receives one last job: to plant an idea in a target’s unconscious mind. This movie truly is a masterpiece, one that explores the boundaries that exist between dreams and reality.
“Dreams feel real while we’re in them. It’s only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.”
-Cobb
7. Okja
Year: 2017
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
Mirando Corporations decide to take Okja, a huge animal that looks like a mix of pig and hippo, who has been a friend to young Mija for about ten years. When Mija learns the true intent of the company, she decides -with no plan- to leave her small home in the mountains of South Korea and go on a rescue mission all the way to America to rescue her beloved animal friend, Okja. It is on her way that she meets people who are passionate about freeing animals from harm and receives some help from them too.
“We needed a miracle. And then we got one. Say hello to a super piglet.”
Lucy Mirando
8. Clueless
Year: 1995
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
This has got to at least be on your list of all-time favourite movies. Definitely one of the best classic movies from the late 90s. It centers around Cher, a rich, pretty and charismatic teen who goes to a high school in Beverly Hills. And who must live out the ups and downs of her life. While trying to play cupid for two teachers at her school and helping another student gain popularity, she starts to learn that she actually likes her former step brother… if that makes sense. This is a movie that should be pasted on every recommendation list, truly.
“No, she’s a full-on Monet. It’s like a painting, see? From far away, it’s OK, but up close, it’s a big old mess”
-Cher
9. Luca
Year: 2021
Genre: Family, Adventure, Drama
Suckers for platonic love, gather round, this one’s for ya! This movie is set in Italian Rivera. Two kids, Luca Paguro and Alberto Scorfano, are two teen sea monsters who turn into human boys when they’re on land and away from water. Luca, who grew up being warned of the scary life he might find on the surface, one day meets Alberto and gets convinced to give life on the surface a try.
Luca is absolutely in love with living on land but is still on edge about people finding out that they are sea monsters. They spend their fun-filled summer with another friend of theirs, who is completely human and finds out about their true identity later on. This movie truly does guarantee to make a grown adult sob.
“Silenzio Bruno!”
-Luca & Alberto
10. Onward
Year: 2020
Genre: Adventure, Family
Set in a mythical and magical world where technology has taken over, two brothers, Ian and Barley, decide to set out on a quest in hopes to resurrect their late father just for a day… because that’s how long the spell lasts. On Ian’s sixteenth birthday, their mother gives them a gift from their father before he died: a magic staff, a rare gem and a letter on which a spell was written.. A visitation spell, it was, that would be able to allow them to see their father for a day.
Ian successfully casts the spell but only the bottom half of their father was reformed before the gem breaks part. This is how the quest starts. Like any other quest, theirs is filled with highs and lows but in the end succeed in finding the gem they needed for the spell. If more is to be said it’d be a spoiler, so you better add this one to your watch list!
“Whatever it takes, I’m going to meet my dad.”
-Ian
Okay, so yes, this may not be like… THEE best recommendation list but to be fair, these are great movies that need more appreciation. These movies will either make you sob, laugh and sob, or have your mind twisted. They’re all great and I hope you give them a try!
Wow.. very insightful indeed, and well written. ????