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When Joe Banks, a hypochondriac stuck in a soul-sucking office job, is told that he has a terminal condition dubbed a “brain cloud,” he decides to quit and live out his remaining days on his own . Soon after, he receives an outrageous yet oddly liberating proposition: to sacrifice himself by leaping into a volcano to appease a Pacific island tribe, thus facilitating a wealthy tycoon’s business interests.

Although it’s a preposterous premise, writer-director John Patrick Shanley fully embraces the absurdity of the situation, creating something that is both surreal and sincere. I watching Joe Versus the Volcano long ago – so long ago that all I could recall was that it involved a volcano and that Meg Ryan played three different characters.

Speaking of Meg Ryan, her performances as three distinctly different women are one of the movie’s highlights. DeDe, Joe’s sniffling co-worker, is in awe of Joe’s courage when he quits his job. Angelica, a flighty socialite, is responsible for bringing Joe out to her father’s yacht, while Patricia, Angelica’s half-sister, is charged with taking Joe to Waponi Woo, where he is to jump into the volcano. Each of her performances is compelling in its own right, showcasing Meg’s comedic talent beautifully.

Ultimately, it is Patricia who captures Joe’s heart during their ill-fated journey to Waponi Woo. She is cynical and determined but also vulnerable enough to connect with Joe over their respective life paths. While many people likely think of Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail when they consider Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, it’s Joe Versus the Volcano that introduced us to their sparkling chemistry and initiated the Tom and Meg rom-com trilogy.

Part of what makes the film so great for me is that, with Meg portraying three different women, any of them could have ended up with Joe. I was particularly fond of Patricia and Joe together, but I also found Angelica to be a compelling character. Her brief scenes with Joe before their separation were enjoyable as well. But, alas.

The use of color in Joe Versus the Volcano is also interesting. Once we leave behind the dreary, gray-toned offices and harsh fluorescent lighting, we’re embraced by more vivid colors, symbolizing Joe’s transformation from a depressed hypochondriac to a man who embraces life and love. The colors of the island, in particular, are brightly saturated. I found it very telling that Joe felt as though he was dying while working in a dystopian-like office, and yet, he was still preparing to die when surrounded by so much beauty and lush plant life!

One shot that truly stuck with me was when Joe, delirious from being out at sea for too long, watches the moon rise and discovers new meaning in being alive. It’s a beautiful image, as Joe lifts his arms, almost like he raises the moon into the sky while worshiping everything it represents.

Joe Versus the Volcano is whimsical and witty, filled with illogical rules that both the characters and audience simply accept. It embraces an unapologetically optimistic view of discovering meaning in life, reminding us that sometimes all you need to do to find purpose is to take a leap of faith.

When their best friend, Darren Silverman, gets engaged to the controlling and manipulative Judith, Wayne and J.D. go to extreme lengths to pull him away from her tight grip. After most of their schemes fail, they eventually kidnap Judith and fake her death to push Darren toward his high school crush, Sandy.

Saving Silverman epitomizes the kind of comedy that was popular in the early 2000s. It leans heavily into slapstick humor, bordering on the absurd. But it’s clearly not a movie aiming for sophisticated comedy. Instead, it’s filled with immature gags and nonsensical plot devices.

However, the wild performances of Steve Zahn and Jack Black save the movie from being a complete failure. As Wayne and J.D., they approach their roles with chaotic energy, providing most of the film’s laughs.

Jason Biggs plays Darren with sincere sweetness, making it hard to understand what he finds attractive in Judith (Amanda Peet), who shows little interest in him beyond wanting to control him. He and Sandy (Amanda Detmer) make a cute couple, even though Sandy’s backstory, wanting to become a nun after losing her true love in a circus accident, is just as silly as the rest of the movie. Saving Silverman goes all out with its outrageous premise, becoming even more ludicrous as it stumbles toward its conclusion.

Though the film is only 93 minutes long, it feels longer, and yet… I don’t have much to say about it. The jokes become repetitive, and the characters grow increasingly cartoonish as the story unfolds. Logic does not apply in Saving Silverman. However, it does have a few genuinely funny moments, thanks to the hilarious performances of Steve Zahn and Jack Black. If you’re looking for something mindless and over-the-top, you might enjoy it, but don’t hold me to that!

When Jane and Will meet at a mutual friend’s wedding, they immediately hit it off. But a botched hook-up becomes much more meaningful as they spend the day together and unpack their emotional baggage from past relationships.

Rather than settle for the typical rom-com cliches, Which Brings Me to You focuses on conversation, sharp wit, and brutal honesty between its two leads. As Jane, Lucy Hale’s performance is grounded and nuanced, while Nat Wolff is both charming and vulnerable as Will. Together, they have the right kind of chemistry needed for such a stripped-down premise, and their connection feels genuine enough to keep me interested in the outcome of their romantic journey. What I loved about their story is that it was less about instant ion (which we know is usually pretty temporary) and more about finding something real within each other.

Another thing I appreciated about this movie is that the blossoming relationship between Jane and Will felt authentic. Director Peter Hutchings (The Hating Game, Then Came You) doesn’t create idealized versions of the characters. He goes for realism, instead, as uncomfortable as that can sometimes be. Jane and Will are awkward and flawed, and some of the traits that ruined their past relationships indeed threaten a potential future between the two.

One of the film’s greatest strengths is its honesty. Instead of sweeping you away with fantasy, it leans into emotional scars, past mistakes, and genuine self-reflection. It’s rare for a romantic movie to give this much space to pain and personal growth, but Which Brings Me to You does it with real empathy. Although it’s partly marketed as a romantic comedy, it feels more like a romantic drama, lightened by moments of dry humor rather than big laughs. That approach keeps the story grounded and avoids the overly sentimental tone that often accompanies the genre.

The film keeps things subtle and focused, giving the actors space to really settle into their roles and letting the story unfold at its own pace. It moves along briskly without ever dragging. It’s the kind of movie that asks you to pay attention and not rush through it. This is a love story for people who understand that love comes with plenty of challenges and is rarely easy. It doesn’t push a happy ending on the audience. It simply suggests that something real is possible if Will and Jane are willing to put in the work.

I enjoyed this movie so much more than I expected to. It’s emotional and romantic, balancing realism with optimism. With strong performances from both leads, Which Brings Me to You is a genuine love story that deserves to be seen.

Heart Eyes is a romantic slasher film – bet you didn’t expect that, huh? – that revolves around Ally (Olivia Holt), a jewelry designer trying to move past a rough breakup. When she agrees to go on a “work” date with Jay Simmons (Mason Gooding), the charming new consultant at her company, things don’t unfold as they anticipate. What Ally doesn’t realize is that her city has just become the hunting ground for the “Heart Eyes Killer,” a masked murderer notorious for targeting happy couples every Valentine’s Day.

Marketed as a horror rom-com, Heart Eyes effectively combines elements of both genres. The film creates an eerie atmosphere with rainy streets, dimly lit apartments, and an unsettling synth soundtrack. While there are a few clever kills reminiscent of classic slasher films, Heart Eyes emphasizes tension over bloodshed, which may be a disappointment to some horror fans who expect more intense violence and less reliance on jump scares.

Olivia Holt delivers a grounded and likable performance as Ally, blending warmth with a slow-building sense of paranoia as she realizes they are being hunted. Mason Gooding adds just the right amount of ambiguity to Jay, keeping the audience guessing about his true motives. At least for me, I was finding myself hoping he wasn’t in cahoots with the Heart Eyes Killer, given the great romantic chemistry between him and Ally, and the possibility of a happy ending.

However, my disappointment with Heart Eyes lies in the reveal of the killer. For those paying attention, it’s relatively easy to figure out who the killer is, and their motivation for the murders feels somewhat weak. Additionally, some of the choices made by Ally and Jay can be frustrating and illogical, which I assume is part of the horror clichés the film is paying homage to. While I enjoyed most of the film, the final act didn’t quite meet my expectations.

Still, Heart Eyes remains a moody and watchable blend of horror and romance, elevated by two appealing leads and a killer who leaves a lasting impression. It doesn’t reinvent either genre, but it provides a suitably eerie viewing experience for Valentine’s Day, with a touch of heart, even if that heart is a bleeding one.

Thanks to the unfortunate timing of an employee’s death, two weddings are accidentally double-booked at the same isolated venue. The two very different families are then forced to co-exist on their big day.

I won’t lie, I was excited for this movie, even if I thought the romantic pairing of Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon was a bit odd. But as unlikely pairings had impressed me in the past, I was more than willing to give it a chance. Will Ferrell plays Jim, the uptight, overly involved father of the bride with his signature manic energy, while Reese Witherspoon leans into her Southern charm as Margo, an ambitious TV producer and sister of the bride. Directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring two comedic legends, You’re Cordially Invited held a lot of potential for a genuinely funny and romantic movie, but unfortunately, the execution falls short.

Even with its cozy, romantic setting and a few spirited performances from the ing cast – Leanne Morgan was the movie’s MVP for me – the movie struggles to establish a steady comedic rhythm. Scenes seem to meander or drag, missing opportunities for proper character development and more inventive humor. Ferrell has a few charming moments, but mostly feels like he’s just phoning it in, while Witherspoon tries to add some life to a role that doesn’t give her much to work with. Their chemistry flickers here and there but never fully ignites.

But the lack of chemistry between Reese and Will isn’t the movie’s biggest problem. What could have been a heartfelt story about family dynamics and unexpected connections ends up getting lost in a script that never actually takes the time to explore these themes. Instead, it just bounces from one chaotic moment to the next, and there’s not a lot of emotional payoff. Even the film’s resolution is rushed, concluded in a way that feels unearned, given the messy road it took to get there.

I will say that despite the lack of romantic tension, I did enjoy the chaotic, escalating feud between Jim and Margo. There are some laughs to be had, but I just wish the movie had focused a little bit more on developing this enemies-to-lovers angle than focusing so much on sitcom-y gags that fall flat and border on absurd. For example, there is an entire sequence featuring an alligator that requires an impossible suspension of disbelief.

In the end, I found You’re Cordially Invited to be a disappointment. It’s a film with the star power and a setup designed to be successful, but instead it lacked the wit and chemistry needed to make it so. Instead, it’s the kind of movie that you may enjoy on a lazy Sunday, but it’s ultimately forgettable.

Part romantic comedy, part espionage thriller, I’ve learned that Charade (1963) is often called “the best Hitchcock movie Hitchcock never made”— and yes, I was quite surprised by that because for years I had assumed Charade was part of Hitchcock’s filmography! But no, this movie was directed by Stanley Donen (Singin’ in the Rain, Funny Face), who invokes his inner Hitchcock and blends suspense, charm, and humor into a sleek package, elevated by the unbeatable pairing of Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.

Audrey Hepburn stars as Regina Lampert, a woman who returns from a vacation to discover her husband has been murdered—and that he was not who he seemed. Thrown into a twisting mystery involving stolen money, menacing strangers, and false identities, she finds herself reluctantly trusting the charming and mysterious Peter Joshua (Cary Grant).

The biggest enjoyment within Charade lies in its two leads. Hepburn is as luminous as ever, blending vulnerability and wit with poise and a wardrobe so stylish that it should have its own shoutout in the credits. Grant, who is probably older than the part may have initially called for, still brings his signature dry humor and charisma. Their on-screen chemistry is undeniable, but I must it that the romantic tension occasionally feels more performative than ionate. I believe Grant was very aware of the age gap between him and Hepburn (which was one of the reasons he declined being in Roman Holiday), and so it makes sense that the romance blossoming between Regina and Peter feels a bit tame.

I also enjoyed the ing cast quite a bit! Walter Matthau brings a subtle, sinister edge to his seemingly mild-mannered character. At the same time, James Coburn and George Kennedy add some erratic energy to the group of wartime buddies/conspirators. Henry Mancini also lends the film a sophisticated score that manages to enhance both its comedic moments and suspenseful scenes.

What I really loved about Charade is that it knows precisely what kind of movie it wants to be. There is a knowing wink among the increasing body count, and while it is a suspenseful movie, the tone remains pretty light and humorous. The constant questioning of Peter’s true identity amused the hell out of me, thanks to Regina’s reactions to each reveal, and Cary Grant’s comedic timing.

That being said, I found the movie’s plot to occasionally border on convoluted and hard to follow, especially in the last act. There are so many twists that I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up confusing some audiences, and perhaps the ending was wrapped up a little too cleanly.

But these are very minor nitpicks in a film that delivers so much entertainment. Charade is a satisfying mix of romance and mystery, carried by two stars at the height of their screen presence and a director who knows how to keep things moving smoothly. It’s not quite Hitchcock, but it’s close enough!

This review may contain spoilers.

Twenty-four years after we first met Bridget, we finally come to the final page in her diary. In the last chapter, Bridget had Mark Darcy’s baby, after which the two finally got married. Now, Bridget (Renee Zellweger) is a widow, having lost Mark four years earlier when he was killed during a humanitarian mission in Sudan. She’s raising their two small children, Billy and Mable, and is as frazzled and awkward as ever, still processing her grief.

As reluctant as Bridget is to start dating again, she’s finally pushed onto Tinder by her friend and colleague, Miranda. There, she starts chatting with Rockster (Leo Woodall), a much younger man she met in the park when she got stuck climbing a tree. Classic Bridget. They begin a hot and heavy relationship, but their age-gap is the elephant in the room that can’t be ignored forever.

I will it that I was not looking forward to this movie. In fact, I wasn’t sure I would watch it at all. Knowing Mark Darcy’s fate, I didn’t see the point. Bridget and Mark’s love story has been at the heart of every movie in this franchise, and why would I want to watch Bridget move on with someone else? But, you all know me. I love my romantic comedies, and I love Bridget. I’m glad I decided to give Mad About the Boy a chance. My fear stemmed from Mark being a distant memory as Bridget moved on, but Mark is very present throughout the entirety of the film.

We see glimpses of him when Bridget re small moments, such as when he would tuck their children into bed. Their son, Billy, is still struggling with the loss of his father as well, something Bridget is only made aware of when his science teacher, Scott Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), points it out during a school parent night. Mad About the Boy ensures the audience knows how much Mark Darcy meant to Bridget, and the fans of these novels and films. Perhaps she’s finally allowing herself some happiness after his death, but that love will always be there.

Mad About the Boy is a romantic comedy, yes, but it’s definitely more poignant and emotional than the three films that came before it. There is some treading on old familiar ground – Bridget in a love triangle once again – and an age-gap romance that doesn’t exactly bring anything fresh to the popular trope. Leo Woodall is perfectly fine as the young Rockster. He’s cute and makes Bridget feel desirable again. He’s the catalyst Bridget needs to start taking care of herself and perhaps open herself up to the possibility that she could find love again. But we all know it’s not going to be with Rockster.

Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Scott Wallaker is perhaps the new stand-in for Mark. He’s a buttoned-up teacher and a bit aloof when he and Bridget meet. There’s not an instant dislike there as there was with Mark, but Wallaker certainly keeps his cards close to his chest as he and Bridget dance around one another during some awkward encounters. No one is ever going to top Mark Darcy as a love interest, but thankfully, the film doesn’t try to. Ejiofor and Zellweger have charming chemistry, and it’s worth seeing Bridget have (another) happy ending.

I will it that I cried during Mad About the Boy. A lot. I think I cried more than I laughed, though that’s not to say the film doesn’t have its humorous moments. But this movie has less to do with romance and comedy and more to do with Bridget navigating single motherhood, aging, and grief. It’s not all sadness and tears, however! There’s undoubtedly plenty of fan service, with callbacks and brief cameos by characters who amused us in previous films.

Most notably, Hugh Grant returns as the devilishly charming Daniel Cleaver (presumed dead in Bridget Jones’s Baby). Now he’s “Uncle Daniel” and occasionally babysits for Bridget. He’s still a playboy, just a less sleazy one. He and Bridget seemed to have fallen into a platonic relationship that works for both of them. Seeing Grant back was nice, even though I couldn’t help but wonder if Daniel and Mark patched things up before Mark’s death or if Bridget and Daniel’s friendship grew out of their shared grief.

Zellweger herself shines again as Bridget, falling effortlessly back into the character that earned her an Academy Award nomination back in 2001. As much as I adored her love story with Mark, it was always Zellweger who carried the films as our awkward, hapless heroine. She does the same again in Mad About the Boy. While watching this movie, I realized it was Bridget. I was tuning in to watch it, and she made it worthwhile.

It’s clear that this is the last chapter in Bridget Jones’s story, and while it’s extremely bittersweet, it’s also surprisingly satisfying.

The Nanny Diaries has a promising premise —an aimless, young grad (Scarlett Johansson) stumbles into the chaotic world of Manhattan’s ultra-wealthy when she becomes a nanny for “Mrs. X”, the matriarch of a dysfunctional Upper East Side family. Like with The Devil Wears Prada, this premise allows for plenty of sharp satire and class commentary. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t fully commit to either of these.

Johansson does her best with the material, bringing charm and some relatability to the character of Annie, though her character often feels more like a vehicle for the plot than a fully developed person. Laura Linney, on the other hand, is easily the movie’s standout, nailing her performance as the icy and emotionally distant “Mrs. X.” It would have been so easy for Linney to teeter over into caricature with this particular role – as some of the ing wives do – but she perfectly balances the image-obsessed Mrs. X with an emotional vulnerability that gives the character some much-needed depth.

And then you have the romantic angle of The Nanny Diaries. While Mrs. X is coping with a straying, disinterested husband (played by the wonderfully smarmy Paul Giamatti), Annie is falling for the building’s “Harvard Hottie” (Chris Evans). As Hayden, Evans provides plenty of boy-next-door charisma. He and Johannson share a decent amount of chemistry. But the character is sorely underused, and Hayden and Annie’s romance feels more like an obligatory subplot than anything significant to the story.

The Nanny Diaries flirts with deeper themes, such as how privilege and personal growth both affect one’s parenting, but the movie instead settles for a candy-coated approach, rather than offering a more biting look at modern family dynamics and how they differ across economic disparities.

There are some moments that I enjoyed, such as how the movie frames Annie’s employment as an anthropological study, as well as her growing bond with Grayer. Unfortunately, it’s just not enough to overcome the frustration of the movie’s wasted potential. I really believe that with a sharper script, it could have been just as biting and successful as The Devil Wears Prada in of class commentary and identity. But The Nanny Diaries plays it safe, hedging around more compelling ideas to give the audience a glossy, feel-good story that ultimately comes across as disingenuous.

I found The Nanny Diaries to be entertaining for what it was, but for a movie about navigating one of the most chaotic jobs in New York, it felt oddly tame. If they weren’t going to go all in with more complex themes, I would have liked more of the romantic angle – but I am obviously a bit biased there.

Set against the backdrop of 1990s Los Angeles, Borderline follows Sofia, a pop star turned actress, who is dealing with an obsessive stalker named Paul Duerson. Paul believes that he and Sofia are engaged. When he shows up at Sofia’s house, her bodyguard, Bell, tries to escort him away. However, Paul mistakenly thinks Bell is Sofia and threatens to kill himself. In a violent turn, he stabs Bell instead. After wandering through Sofia’s house in an excited state, Paul calls the police and turns himself in.

I went into this movie with high hopes. Samara Weaving has solidified herself as one of my favorite actresses in horror, and Ray Nicholson is steadily carving out his own path as an actor while still bringing his father’s uncanny Cheshire grin and unsettling gaze to life. Pair them together in a dark comedy about a home invasion and a delusional fan, and you’ve got my full attention. Sadly, Borderline didn’t exactly live up to my expectations.

Directed by Jimmy Warden—known for writing Cocaine Bear and The Babysitter—Borderline struggles with tonal inconsistency. Striking the right balance between comedy and horror is crucial, but the blending of the two in this film felt jarring. I was left unsure whether I should be scared or amused. The only time I felt the right mix of both emotions was during Nicholson’s performance.

His portrayal of Duerson was the highlight of the film for me. His character provides the movie’s genuine laughs, as he is a man convinced that he is meant to marry Sofia, even mistaking two grown men for her. While he cheerfully plans their wedding, there’s a lingering sense that he could snap and cause harm, creating a precarious situation that keeps you engaged in his next move.

Sofia, played by Weaving, remains remarkably calm throughout the chaos, whether she’s handling Paul’s delusions or fighting to the death with his Harley Quinn-esque sidekick, Penny (Alba Baptista). Sofia and Penny’s interactions provide an amusing yet unsettling musical number when Penny discovers Sofia’s piano and begins to belt out a powerful Celine Dion number. It’s really the only time we see Sofia emote beyond mild bewilderment at her circumstances. It’s possible this was simply Sofia’s character, but she felt severely underwritten to me, which is a shame.

Sofia’s PR boyfriend, Devante Rhodes (Jimmie Fails), offers an outside perspective on the situation, but unfortunately, he is largely underused and comes off as superfluous to the plot. This was one of the reasons Borderline didn’t resonate with me. There seems to be a fun horror-comedy waiting to emerge, but much of the script feels uneven and incomplete. Characters are either underdeveloped or unnecessary, and the humor often disrupts the tension rather than enhancing it. Consequently, there’s very little to fear here, which is disappointing.

In summary, Borderline is a campy, incoherent psychological thriller bolstered by Ray Nicholson’s delightfully deranged performance and a nostalgic soundtrack for anyone who grew up in the ’90s. It may be worth watching for Nicholson alone, but don’t go in expecting much.

Soccer player Viola Hastings has big dreams to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels after graduation. But when her high school cuts the female soccer team, she devises a plan to pose as her twin brother Sebastian, who has conveniently decided to ditch the first few weeks of school, in order to enroll at his prep school and the soccer team. But her plan is complicated by her blossoming feelings for her roommate, Duke, who happens to have a crush on the pretty and popular Olivia… who, in turn, only has eyes for Sebastian, aka, Viola.

She’s the Man is a standout teen comedy that gets nearly everything right — it’s funny, charming, and unexpectedly heartfelt. Director Andy Fickman puts a modern twist on William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, setting the classic tale of disguise and mistaken identity within a high school full of teenage students navigating romantic complications while trying to figure out themselves.

Amanda Bynes is the absolute standout here. Her fearless performance as Viola is comedic perfection. Watching her navigate life as her twin brother is endlessly entertaining. She nails the physical comedy and brings a lot of depth and personality to the role. Whether she’s awkwardly talking in a fake deep voice or trying to survive a soccer scrimmage, Bynes is magnetic.
One of my very favorite scenes in any comedy takes place in this movie – after Viola realizes she likes Duke, but recognizes Olivia as a romantic rival, she attends a ladies luncheon and stares down Olivia with what I can only describe as crazy eyes, while chomping on a leg of chicken. Another woman leans over and suggests Viola “chew like you have a secret”. I could probably watch that scene on a loop all day and never stop laughing. It’s just one example of Bynes’s talent back in 2006, and what promise she had as an actress.

Channing Tatum, in one of his earlier roles, shines with brooding jock energy. He gives Duke a softer, more vulnerable side that makes him so much more than just the stereotypical love interest in a teen comedy. Tatum can do as many Magic Mike movies as he wants, but I still think his real talent lies in comedy. He and Bynes have fantastic chemistry that works even when Viola is pretending to be Sebastian. It’s a bromance that blossoms into romance, and it’s a joy to watch happen.

This movie is so wonderfully 2006. The acting, the fashion, and the humor. Few films from this era still hold up well in 2025, but She’s the Man is one of the exceptions. It’s flawless blending of Shakespeare and comedy is probably rivaled only by 10 Things I Hate About You.

Part of its charm is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. She’s the Man is very aware of its own absurdity, leaning into it with confidence. And yet, it still manages to deliver a feel-good story about being true to oneself while breaking down gender stereotypes. There are plenty of teen comedies that attempt to find more depth within its story, but very few are able to execute it as well.

With memorable one-liners and lovable characters, She’s the Man remains a fun and rewatchable favorite. So, if you’re in the mood for a light, smart comedy with a standout lead, then this one is worth revisiting.

When Tom meets Summer, his dream girl, he falls hard and fast, despite Summer’s insistence that she does not want a serious relationship. When Summer breaks things off, Tom reflects on their relationship to try and figure out what went wrong.

(500) Days of Summer quickly points out that this is not a love story. Even when Tom and Summer are at their peak happiness, we can see it’s clearly not love, at least not from the viewpoint of Summer. Tom is oblivious to Summer’s cooling affection because he’s happy and in love, so we take the journey with him as he struggles to figure out what caused the demise of their relationship.

I really loved that this film is not linear. It bounces back and forth through various points (days) of Summer and Tom’s relationship, and while we already know the ending, this unconventional way of story-telling keeps things interesting. As Tom, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is extremely likable, and I am sure anyone who has experienced heartbreak can relate to his maddening inability to see how wrong Summer is for him.

Zooey Deschanel was the perfect actress to play the part of Summer. This kind of role could have teetered quite easily into the manic-pixie dream girl trope, but Summer has depth and an actual personality that makes her feel like a fully realized person. She’s honest, independent, and doesn’t seem to have a romantic bone in her body.

More than that, she does not exist solely for Tom to mature and grow as a man (though he does). While she does have her charms, Summer can also come across as somewhat unlikable. She told Tom she is not interested in a boyfriend or anything serious, yet she allows it to happen anyway. She knows how Tom feels about her, and when he walks away, she pulls him back in.

I’ve seen plenty of commentary on this movie where Summer is seen as the villain, but I disagree. I don’t necessarily think anyone in this movie is the “bad guy.” They they both make questionable decisions – Summer continuing the relationship knowing she does not feel for Tom the way he feels about her and Tom for placing some rather unrealistic expectations on their relationship. But that is what makes (500) Days of Summer so good. It’s a story about human relationships. Sometimes they don’t work out and there’s not always one person to blame that on.

(500) Days of Summer is unique and sharply written with on-point performances from Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt. Director Marc Webb pulls us into the rom-com world with a delightful musical number, some black-and-white fantasies, and animated, lovesick birds. And then he yanks us back into the real world, full of disappointment and days where it’s harder enough to get out bed, let alone get dressed and face life without someone you thought was The One. Expectations versus reality. Rom-coms are usually meant for us to revel in the expectations, but every now and then, a movie comes along that forces us to face reality, and we are better for it. (500) Day of Summer is one of those movies.

Newly enrolled Bristol student Brian Jackson is thrilled when he is chosen for the University’s Challenge team, giving him an opportunity to appear on University Challenge, a college quiz show he grew up watching on television with his father. While at Bristol, Brian befriends Rebecca, a left-leaning Jewish student, and falls for Alice, his sexy Challenge teammate.

Starter for 10 is, at its heart, a romantic comedy. It follows the genre’s proper beats but does so with sharp wit and a lot of 80s nostalgia. Not to mention a killer soundtrack. It also showcases James McAvoy’s ability as a charming leading man. He carries the film as Brian, a young man striving for knowledge while getting caught up in the drama and angst that can accompany one’s first year at university.

But it’s more than just lust, love, and heartache. The movie doesn’t shy away from what the people in England were going through under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. Income inequality and massive unemployment were issues largely ignored by Thatcher and her government. While the movie doesn’t focus solely on these issues, they’re certainly subjects touched upon, especially as they directly affect Brian’s best friend, Spencer (Dominic Cooper). One could say Starter for 10 is coming-of-age fare, and I wouldn’t argue that. But these problems feel more significant than, say, a bunch of high schoolers attempting to lose their virginity before prom.

Alice Eve, as Alice, gives depth to a role that might have been fairly thankless on paper – a beautiful blonde who is using the University Challenge as “experience” on her way to becoming a TV host while leading Brian on in the process. While Eve may be playing a superficial character, she’s a strong enough actress to make Alice both likable and… not. Even if you know she’s not the right woman for Brian, she doesn’t feel like a love interest who is merely a shallow throwaway. McAvoy and Eve have pleasant enough chemistry, but the real sparks fly when he is on screen with Rebecca Hall, who, yes, plays Rebecca.

Rebecca is the antithesis of Alice. Dark-haired, sharp, and intelligent in her own right, Rebecca is constantly spotted by Brian ing out flyers for her next left-wing protest. Rebecca isn’t oblivious that Alice only sees Brian as a friend, yet she waits for Brian to open his eyes and figure it out for himself. And perhaps she provides him with a gentle push.

The ing cast is just as entertaining, specifically Benedict Cumberbatch, as Patrick, the uptight, post-graduate captain of the Challenge team. He’s insanely obnoxious and unlikeable, yet his physical comedy during a fight with Spencer is one of the funniest moments in the movie. It reminded me a lot of Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver’s “fight” in Bridget Jones’s Diary; only Patrick is both Mark and Daniel in this fight, and it is humorously painful to watch.

One thing I appreciated about Starter for 10 was it did not bend to the predictable Hollywood ending. Brian finds his footing, but that doesn’t mean everything works out perfectly as it might in a more traditional romantic comedy. It was realistic and yet still satisfying to me. I am not sure if Starter for 10 will end up in my rom-com rotation, but I certainly enjoyed it and maybe I’ll revisit it again in the future. It’s a smart rom-com with a pitch-perfect cast and just enough drama. I definitely recommend giving this one a watch!

Best friends, Jamie and Ben, decide to break up with their respective significant others, Simon and Claire, while at home for Thanksgiving in order to enjoy the full college experience without being tied down. Upon returning to their hometown, they run into many obstacles in their quest to end their respective relationships.

Sweethearts is yet another movie in the vein of Superbad, Booksmart, and I Love You, Beth Cooper, where things spiral out of control in the span of twenty-four hours. Yet, Jamie and Ben’s night of shenanigans is decidedly more tame, even if they, like the friends in those other films, must confront the fact that their co-dependent friendship may end as adulthood looms.

Ben is a people-pleasing free spirit, while Jamie is uptight and still healing from high school-related wounds. Yet, Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga work well together, and their chemistry is strong enough to believe that they’ve been best friends for years.

As a subplot, Jamie and Ben’s other best friend, Palmer (Caleb Hearon), has returned from Paris openly gay and ready to tell everyone in their small town. To be honest, I was more entertained and invested in Palmer’s story than Jamie and Ben’s. He inadvertently ends up with Coach Reese, who Palmer is stunned to find out is gay, and Reese’s boyfriend, Ethan.

Palmer begins to learn that one does not have to live in a big city in order to have a satisfying life as a gay man. Palmer’s story certainly felt more important and poignant than Jamie and Ben’s simple desire to end their relationships. And honestly, Palmer, Coach Reese, and Ethan’s night was a lot funnier and felt less contrived. If there’s one reason to watch this movie, it’s for this particular storyline.

Overall, Sweethearts is decent, if a bit uneven. Some of the jokes are pretty sharp and genuinely funny, and then some fall completely flat. Do we really need to see a flaccid penis? I guess that depends on the context, but during these moments, I felt Sweethearts desperately wanted to belong to the genre of edgier rom-coms by adding unnecessary shock value. It just didn’t work.

The movie also falls prey to the one-dimensional boyfriend/girlfriend trope that plagues so many rom-coms. Simon is a stereotypical horny jock devoid of personality. Claire is clingy and shallow, as all annoying girlfriends in these movies tend to be. Neither character has any depth, so honestly, we don’t care whether or not Jamie or Ben ever find them, let alone dump them.

As Sweethearts is being marketed as a rom-com, it’s easy to predict where their friendship is headed… or is it? This is a movie that is clearly trying to circumvent the typical rom-com. It asks, “What if Harry and Sally just decided to be friends?” but I am not sure it comes up with a very satisfying answer.

In the middle of winter, two homeless men – Jim Bullock and Aloyisius MeKeever – illegally take up residence in a luxury townhome while its actual owner, the wealthy Michael O’Connor, resides in Virginia. When O’Connor’s daughter Trudy runs away and arrives at the townhome, she finds herself taken with Jim and decides against revealing her true identity. When O’Connor arrives at the townhome looking for Trudy, she convinces him to play the part of a vagrant named “Mike”, at least until Jim proposes. Shenanigans ensue!

It Happened on 5th Avenue is considered to be a holiday classic by many. While its premise is quite fantastical, it still manages plenty of commentary on class disparity, all presented in the form of holiday hijinks. I can see why people really enjoy this movie. For me, however, it fell a little short of becoming an annual holiday viewing.

The highlight of It Happened on 5th Avenue is Victor Moore as McKeever and Charles Ruggles as Mike O’Connor. Both are charming in their own way – Moore as the poor but buoyant McKeever. He welcomes Jim and Trudy into the home, and soon after, some of Jim’s servicemen friends whose families are also down on their luck and without shelter. The real fun begins when Mike O’Connor arrives. McKeever seems to revel in his role as the de facto leader amongst the guests.

He wears O’Connor’s fancy clothing and gives O’Connor plenty of orders, unaware that he’s bossing around the true owner of the home he’s been squatting in. O’Connor is forced to go along with the ruse, not wanting to upset his already estranged daughter. O’Connor is a sourpuss, and Ruggles brims with barely contained resentment that he’s the one cooking and cleaning in a home where he is used to giving orders. The dynamic between these two characters was probably my favorite part of the movie.

Jim (Don DeFore) and Trudy (Gale Storm) were sweet enough together. The rapidly blossoming romance is the catalyst for O’Connor’s ruse as “Mike,” but Jim and Trudy’s relationship takes something of a backseat to everything else going on in the movie. While DeFore was more or less acceptable as Jim, I found Storm to be delightful as Trudy. She has a commanding presence on screen, and I enjoyed her scenes, most notably with Ruggles.

It Happened on 5th Avenue is a familiar story to most of us – a cranky rich man learns from the less fortunate what it means to be truly happy. We wish to see it happen in the real world, but alas, we have to find it in fiction instead. And It Happened on 5th Avenue does a fine job balancing the message with humor rather than delving into something overly sentimental. I suppose my biggest criticism is that the movie felt uneven at times, and some situations came across as contrived. The addition of two more families within the mansion gave a claustrophobic feel to the movie – the characters weren’t developed or significant enough to matter, so they just came across as filler. It wants to preach the meaning of humility and chosen family, but I didn’t care enough about half of the tenants in the mansion to really care much when they all had to say goodbye.

It Happened on 5th Avenue is a fine movie to watch this time of year, and I am sure many will find it charming and meaningful. When I learned Frank Capra had been set to direct this but then turned it down to direct It’s a Wonderful Life instead, it made sense to me why I wasn’t as enamored with it as I would have liked – it felt like a poor man’s Capra film, missing particular spark that makes these films so magical.

After the death of his wife, Elizabeth, Bob (David Duchovny) has a difficult time moving on. When he finally agrees to a blind date, he finds himself more smitten with the restaurant’s waitress, Grace (Minnie Driver), than his date. The two begin to see one another and soon realize that Grace, a transplant recipient, received Elizabeth’s heart after her death.

It had been some time since I saw Return to Me, but I decided to give it another watch after my rewatch of The X-Files. Obviously, Duchovny will always be Fox Mulder to me, but occasionally, I do like to see him in a different kind of role. While a bit maudlin, I did enjoy his role as Bob. He had already perfected the art of dry wit as Mulder, but it turns out Duchovny is also quite an affable romantic lead.

The always-reliable Minnie Driver is adorable and funny in this movie but shines when her character is at her most vulnerable. Together, Driver and Duchovny share the right kind of easy chemistry needed to make such an unbelievable premise work.

Writer and director Bonnie Hunt weaves a romantic comedy that, shockingly, feels grounded in reality. The talented ing cast, consisting of David Alan Grier, Caroll O’Connor, Robert Loggia, Jim Belushi, and Hunt herself, surround Grace and Bob with plenty of old-world wisdom and . It’s a testament to Hunt and Don Lake’s script, which is full of humor, sweetness, and plenty of all-too-human moments that make it feel relatable rather than outlandish.

If you are looking for a sizzling rom-com, you won’t find it in Return to Me. Grace and Bob remain relatively chaste as a couple, as Grace is insecure about her surgery scar, and Bob is still navigating his own feelings after the death of his wife. But not every romantic comedy needs a hot, beneath-the-sheets romp. Grace and Bob fall in love despite the lack of physical intimacy, and I have to credit Hunt for making Grace and Bob’s love story just sweet enough without hedging into overly sappy territory.

Return to Me is not for the cynical or those who like an edge to their rom-coms. This movie is unapologetically romantic. It’s a solid directorial debut for Bonnie Hunt, with lovely chemistry between Driver and Duchovny and the perfect romantic comedy to watch when you’re looking for something cozy and sweet.

After Broadway dancer Ashley is aged out of her job in New York, she decides to head home for Christmas to recoup. There, she finds out her parents’ venue, The Rhythm Room, is on the brink of foreclosure due to back payments of $30,000. Ashley decides to put on an all-male revue to try to win back some customers and pay off her parents’ debt.

Hot off the heels of Hot Frosty comes The Merry Gentlemen, another holiday rom-com offering from Netflix. And while Hot Frosty was a pleasant surprise, The Merry Gentlemen was sadly a disappointment. The premise is a reliable one, if not exactly original. Business is going under and needs a miracle to stay afloat. Put on a show, charge a lot of money, and save the day! That’s The Merry Gentlemen in a nutshell, except the show is an all-male revue where hunky guys bump and grind while stripping off their clothes – well, a shirt, anyway.

Britt Robertson is as adorable as Ashley, but the character is sorely underdeveloped. All we really know is that she loves to dance, and being a Jingle Belle was all she had ever wanted to do with her life.

Chad Michael Murray’s Luke isn’t much better. He’s a handyman and divorcee whose ex-wife left him to go live in a big city. I suppose that’s to create some emotional stakes in the relationship, as Ashley lives in a big city, and will history repeat itself? Take a guess. Murray’s performance is low-energy, and he comes across as completely disinterested in what he’s doing. Together, Ashley and Luke create a rather bland couple without much heat to keep the romance interesting.

The Merry Gentlemen comes in at 87 minutes, and it definitely feels rushed. There is little time for any character development or for the romance to blossom. More time is spent on the revue performances, and honestly, if you’ve watched these guys dance and strip off their shirts once, you really don’t need to see much more of it – yes, I am sure there may be some people out there who disagree with me there! But time was wasted on the awkward stripping where those minutes could have been used to give the movie some more tangible plot.

In any case, I wasn’t a big fan. I didn’t feel as though much had happened, and I didn’t buy into the insta-romance between Ashley and Luke. When the chemistry is good, I can believe a character would give up their dreams to stay with their supposed soulmate. But when there’s little sizzle, the decisions of our leads make no sense to me. The Merry Gentlemen just came across as uninspired, with stale dialogue and little charm. If you want to be mildly titillated, by all means, give the movie a watch. But there are plenty of quality holiday rom-coms to watch this year instead.

Kathy is a young widow who runs a diner in the small town of Hope Springs. While she takes pride in her work, she hasn’t done much to care for herself or the house she once shared with her husband since his ing. After her friend Mel gives her a red scarf and encourages her to find love again, Kathy puts the scarf on the snow sculpture of a muscular man. Unbeknownst to Kathy, the sculpture comes to life later that night and takes the name of Jack. Despite the fact that Jack claims to be a snowman, Kathy finds herself falling for him.

I can’t lie; I assumed the movie would be terrible as soon as I saw the title. Netflix is very hit or miss with their rom-coms, especially their holiday rom-coms, and hello… the title was Hot Frosty. The premise was as ridiculous as the title. But I knew I was going to watch it anyway. And now that I’ve done that, I’ll it it: Hot Frosty was not a great movie, but it wasn’t terrible either!

I think what works in the movie’s favor is that the entire cast seems to understand what kind of movie they’re making. Nobody is phoning in their performance, but it’s clear they’re having fun with it. That certainly makes it more enjoyable for me.

While she’s probably best known for her role in Mean Girls (2004), Lacey Chabert has also appeared in over thirty Hallmark movies, so Hot Frosty probably wasn’t much of a stretch for her. I understand she was playing the “straight-man” to Dustin Milligan’s Jack, but Chabert was the weak link in the cast for me. She is perfectly likable as Kathy, but I can’t help but think that with another actress at the helm, Kathy may have been a far more interesting character. It’s possible the character was just underwritten, but Kathy as a whole was underwhelming.

Like Buddy in Elf, Jack is a naive but sweet man who comes across as quite childlike before the “real world” prompts him to grow and mature – while never losing that optimistic innocence. Will Ferrell pulled it off without it being creepy – and Milligan manages to do the same. If you’ve ever watched Schitt’s Creek, you already know Milligan has what it takes to be both humorous and charming, and he is certainly both in this movie.

For whatever reason, all of the women in town seem to want Jack. He’s naive, but sweet and helpful. And he’s a total hottie, completely oblivious to all of the objectification. Not that it matters, of course, because Jack only has eyes for Kathy. While I wasn’t overly impressed with Kathy as a character, I do think Chabert and Milligan had nice chemistry. I found Kathy and Jack’s blossoming romance to be adorable, complete with a cutesy Christmas montage of baking cookies and snowball fights. It’s earnest in its sweetness, which can be hard to find in these ooey-gooey rom-coms.

Craig Robinson and Joe Lo Truglio as the Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff of Hope Springs add some comedic street cred to the film. Sheriff Hunter seems to be the de facto villain of the movie, though the extent of his villainy is that he is perhaps a little too aggressive in his search for the man (Jack) who was seen naked outside of a clothing store the night Jack came to life.

There’s really no major conflict found in Hot Frosty. While Jack did become a man, he’s still a snowman – I think? He’s never cold, and when he’s in a warm place for too long, he starts to sweat a lot – like he’s going to melt. If you know the story of Frosty the Snowman, you know where this is going.

Look, Hot Frosty isn’t going to become a Christmas classic, but it’s certainly one of Netflix’s better Christmas offerings. Carried by a talented cast, it’s entertaining, sweet and invokes some genuine laughs. Don’t judge a movie by its title (or premise) like I did. Give it a try and enjoy the saccharine silliness.

Potential Spoilers ahead!

I have to it that while I had obviously heard of The Apartment, I never really knew what it was about. So I went into this viewing blind so to speak, and I’m so glad I did! The film revolves around Bud Baxter, a mild-mannered clerk at a successful insurance company. Looking to fast-track his climb up the corporate ladder, Bud lends out his bachelor apartment to senior of the company as a place to entertain their mistresses. Meanwhile, Bud develops an attractive to elevator hostess, Fran Kubelik. When it’s revealed that Fran is one of the girls his boss brings to his apartment, Bud is faced with an unexpected problem.

The Apartment, directed by Billy Wilder, is an absolute classic gem, and it’s easy to see why it remains a beloved favorite among movie lovers. For so long, I’ve only known Jack Lemmon from Grumpy Old Men and Out to Sea, but I’ve come to appreciate many of his earlier films (for example, It Should Happen to You), and I can see why he’s considered an acting legend. As Bud, Lemmon’s comic timing and vulnerability bring depth to the character, making him both relatable and endearing.

And Shirley MacLaine? Wasn’t she a freaking cutie in 1960? Her ability to portray such strength and tenderness as the troubled Fran propels what could have been a mere stereotype to a character with complexity. She and Lemmon also have undeniable chemistry, and it’s impossible not to root for Bud and Fran to end up together.

I have to say that the ing cast is terrific as well. Jack Kruschen and Naomi Stevens are the film’s ing highlights as Dr. and Mrs. Dreyfuss, Bud’s neighbors who help him when he asks but disapprove of his tawdry lifestyle – they’re unaware that it’s Bud’s superiors coming in and out of his apartment with women throughout the night. Hope Holiday has a hilarious scene-stealing role as Margie MacDougall, a lonely, married woman who Jack brings home on Christmas Eve.

Fred MacMurray is Mr. Sheldrake, Bud’s boss and Fran’s married paramour. By all s, he’s the villain of the film. A serial womanizer, Sheldrake is manipulative. He is dismissive of Fran’s conflicting feelings about their relationship and has the audacity to give her $100 to buy herself a Christmas gift when he forgets to. What a d*ck!

Sheldrake is the best kind of movie villain – just an average man with success and money who believes he’s entitled to whatever he wants while feigning offense if something is asked of him in return. MacMurray has just the right amount of charm to make it believable that Fran would be so enamored with him, yet you still want to shake her for continuing to believe his lies.

Wilder and Diamond’s script is full of sharp dialogue and witty banter, drawing plenty of laughs while still somehow conveying a poignant sadness. With The Apartment, Wilder is pretty clear in its message: the world’s morality is surely deteriorating under the thumb of degenerate men in positions of power. Under Wilder’s direction, the film manages to make even the darkest themes – i.e., adultery and attempted suicide – humorous and, dare I say, entertaining while wrapping it up in the beauty of the Christmas season. It gets the message across without ever feeling immoral or tasteless, and that is the mark of an incredible director. The Apartment is a timeless film and definitely one to watch this time of year.

Cole Davis is attempting to get America to the moon before the Soviets, but lack of funding and public interest in NASA threatens to derail the entire project. Enter Kelly Jones, a strong-willed woman with a knack for marketing. Government operative Moe Berkus offers Kelly the high-stakes job. If she manages to pull off the impossible—getting man to the moon—she can have all of her past mistakes – and crimes – completely erased from her history.

While there is a spark between Kelly and Cole, there is also animosity. Cole isn’t a fan of the NASA branding Kelly brings to the program, and Kelly struggles to get Cole on board with the marketing in order to bring in the proper funds. The two clash until a mutual understanding begins to form, and Cole can see Kelly cares about the mission as much as he does.

It’s a shame that Fly Me to the Moon was released in June of this year and didn’t prompt more discussion. While it may have been labeled as a rom-com, it’s also an intriguing look into the space program and the lengths it took to get America to the moon. Granted, this is a Hollywood movie, so I’m certain there were a lot of liberties taken. But Fly Me to the Moon is as much about how the country came together for one monumental moment as it is about the romance between Kelly and Cole.

While this is the third movie starring Scarlett Johannson and Channing Tatum – the other two being Don Jon and Hail, Caesar! – it is the first one in which they act together on screen. Their chemistry is on point and a bit zany, harkening back to the days of Doris Day and Rock Hudson. That’s hard to do these days, and I hope they end up doing another film together sometime in the future.

Woody Harrelson is a delight in just about everything I’ve seen him in, and his performance as Moe Berkus, a secret government operative for President-elect Richard Nixon, gives Fly Me to the Moon an extra oomph of conflict and comedy. Jim Rash supplies the more outlandish comedic relief as the Tab-obsessed director of the faux moon landing. Ray Romano provides the heart as Henry Smalls, a NASA employee who has been pushing toward the moon even longer than Cole.

This is a movie where the entirety of the film isn’t dependent solely on its two main leads but instead showcases the talent of its entire cast, giving even the most minor role some depth. I have to give props to director Greg Berlanti, and writer Rose Gilroy for creating two fully-developed, fascinating characters in Kelly and Cole. It’s a long movie, but I didn’t really mind it so much with Tatum and Johannson at the helm.

Fly Me to the Moon wholly embraces the period in which it takes place, which definitely adds to the charm. It’s colorful and entertaining, and its romance is nestled perfectly against the backdrop of one of the most critical times in American history. This movie is definitely worth a watch for all fans of the genre.

Zara (Joey King) is the executive assistant to Chris Cole, a demanding actor who is also the biggest action star in the world. While her dream is to become a producer, Zara instead runs mundane errands and helps Chris break up with his many girlfriends. Frustrated and feeling underappreciated, Zara quits. When Chris realizes how much he depends on Zara, he goes to her home to ask her to return to work. It’s there that he meets Brooke, Zara’s mother. Sparks fly, and Brooke and Chris begin an affair that threatens to jeopardize their relationship with Zara.

Brooke (Nicole Kidman) is a successful author suffering from writer’s block as she navigates the challenges of her intertwining personal and family lives. Despite the film’s obvious flaws, Kidman gives a nuanced portrayal of a woman struggling to find herself outside of being a widow and mother. She plays well off of Joey King, who is not terribly easy to love as Zara.

It’s easy to sympathize with Zara over having to work with a challenging, out-of-touch Chris. However, Zara still comes across as a privileged nepo baby who can’t seem to see her mother as a woman who is entitled to a love life. However, the mother-daughter dynamic feels genuine, as does Brooke’s relationship with her wise mother-in-law, Leila, played by Kathy Bates. When the movie focuses on the complexities of these family relationships and lets the romantic angle take a backseat, it works really well.

Speaking of romance, Zac Efron as Chris Cole provides a pleasing, if underutilized, presence as Brooke’s romantic interest, complicating the already delicate family situation. Efron and Kidman have nice chemistry, but their relationship development comes across as stilted at times, and the film’s narrative suffers because of it. We suspend our disbelief for romantic comedies, but it’s still somewhat disappointing when a promising premise shifts into predictability, relying on familiar tropes in the genre rather than attempting something new.

There are some issues with the pacing as well, and I felt like some scenes went on far too long while others didn’t delve quite as deeply into the characters’ motivations as they could have. There is a small side plot regarding Zara’s best friend, who is going through a breakup, but the storyline feels contrived and useful only in the sense that it shows how self-absorbed Zara is. It wasn’t necessary, as this was already seen in Zara’s interactions with everyone else around her.

Ultimately, A Family Affair offers an enjoyable watch, primarily due to its talented cast and what they bring to the otherwise uneven material. However, it struggles to offer much beyond the familiar rom-dramedy formula. For those in the mood for a light, feel-good film with some solid performances, it delivers, but A Family Affair is largely forgettable.

Emma (Kaley Cuoco) is leading a double life. She’s a loving wife and mother… and an assassin. Her constant “work trips” are starting to strain her marriage to David (David Oyelowo), and she decides she’s done with the secret assassin life for good. Emma and David agree to some role play to spice up their marriage – they’ll meet up at a hotel as two completely different people. Unfortunately, at the bar, another assassin named Bob recognizes Emma, who has a bounty on her head. The consequences turn deadly when Emma has to silence him to protect her secret.

Role Play is a movie we’ve all seen before. A spouse or significant other lives a double life as a spy or assassin, and what happens when both lives unexpectedly merge. I’ve definitely seen this movie before in Killers, or even Mr. and Mrs. Smith (where both spouses are out killing people). Not much distinguishes Role Play from the plethora of like-minded movies that have come before it.

Cuoco is a likable actress who I have enjoyed in other projects (Meet Cute), but she is not terribly believable as an assassin. However, she gels nicely with Oyelowo for the more emotional scenes. And it’s Oyelowo who is the bright spot in Role Play. He’s a charismatic actor who gives a nuanced performance as the “in the dark” spouse suddenly thrust into a life-or-death situation. I paid a lot more attention whenever he was on the screen.

The ing cast is a talented bunch – Bill Nighy and Connie Nielson – but Nighy was not on screen as much as I would have liked, and Nielson, while a fantastic actress, felt like a stock character taken out of Villain 101.

I guess my real issue with Role-Play is Emma herself. Little complexity is given to her character. She comes across as cold and unremorseful for what she’s done. She’s a killer who gives us little to no reason to root for her. We want to see David survive, of course, but I was really hoping he’d boot her to the curb when all was said and done.

Role Play has its moments, namely a bar scene where Bill Nighy’s Bob shows up to throw a wrench into Emma’s life, and as I mentioned above, David Oyelowo is compelling when he’s onscreen. But ultimately, Role Play is lacking in laughs and dynamic action sequences that make these kinds of movies so much fun. Not to mention Emma is not really a heroine we can get behind. I’m glad I finally got around to watching it, but it’s not likely to be one I’ll revisit.

When her flight home for Christmas is canceled, Layla (Christina Milian) meets two men in the guest lounge at the airport. Teddy (Devale Ellis), whom she speaks briefly to at the buffet, and James (Kofi Siriboe), a man who seems almost perfect for her – except she’s not single and has no plans to be anytime soon. Feeling a connection, James tells Layla to meet him at the Pentatonix concert on the next Christmas Eve, should she find herself single by then.

A year later, Layla catches her longtime boyfriend with another woman and decides to try to grab a ticket to the Pentatonix concert so she can meet up with James. Unfortunately, the concert is sold out, and tickets are impossible to find. Her best friend Roxy suggests Layla use a concierge service known for getting their clients difficult finds, and it’s there that Layla runs into Teddy again – except they don’t exactly recognize one another from the year before. Teddy, who is on the verge of being fired, is determined to find Layla’s concert ticket, and they grow closer as they experience various shenanigans in their quest.

Meet Me Next Christmas is one of many holiday offerings by Netflix this year. Given their track record for not-so-great rom-coms, I wasn’t expecting much from this movie but a lot of contrived plots and a lot of cheese. I did get a contrived plot, and I did get cheese, but surprisingly, I wasn’t overwhelmed by them to the point where I couldn’t enjoy this movie.

The movie takes some inspiration from Serendipity, in which two people let fate decide whether or not they belong together. However, the outcome is very apparent from the first scene. Milian and Ellis have lovely chemistry together, which helps make the plot more palatable. While I may not have been a fan of her previous Netflix offerings, Milian is a reliable, likable lead for this kind of movie. It’s her leading men who seem to be interchangeable and somewhat forgettable.

The script, written by Camilla Rubis and Molly Haldeman, is able and hits all of the typical holiday rom-com notes. It even has some funny moments, although the unfunny moments—like a shallow, wealthy couple willing to part with their Pentatonix tickets—outweigh them. And that’s another thing… why was the movie so focused on Pentatonix? The acapella group is featured front and center, occasionally bursting out in random, harmonized responses and following Teddy and Layla’s journey on their manager’s phone, debating whether Layla should be with Teddy or James. They do poke fun at themselves, which was amusing to see, but sometimes Meet Me Next Christmas felt like a 105-minute Pentatonix ad.

Tymika Tafari and Kalen Allen provide most of the laughs as Roxy, Layla’s best friend, and Jordy, Teddy’s cousin. Jordy somehow wrangles Teddy and Layla into a Christmas-themed lip sync battle in order to, you guessed it, win two tickets to Pentatonix. It’s really kind of ridiculous how we get from A to B in this movie, but if you love Pentatonix and, say, Jingle All the Way, you’ll probably really like it anyway.

Out of all of Milian’s Netflix rom-coms, Meet Me Next Christmas is the most enjoyable, and while this movie is not destined to become a Christmas classic, it’s worth a watch if you want a spirited holiday romance (and you really, really like Pentatonix).

When Denny, a hopeless romantic, is dumped by her ne’er-do-well boyfriend, she meets Kaz, a homeless street musician. He and Denny fall in love, but Kaz is hiding something – he’s been cursed and will turn into a monster anytime he becomes sexually aroused. If that’s not problematic enough, Kaz is afraid he may be The Mangler – the nickname given to someone, or something, attacking women around the city.

I had never heard of My Demon Lover before, but it was recommended to me, so I thought I’d watch it! It seemed to be perfect for October, especially as I am a sucker for human falls for monster love stories. I will be honest with you: My Demon Lover is some hardcore 80s cheese. I always try to keep the era of a movie in mind when I’m watching it because, let’s face it, some older movies are extremely problematic by today’s standards. Sometimes, it’s easy to forgive certain jokes or situations if the movie is good overall. Sometimes! This is not really one of those times.

My Demon Lover is nonsensical and silly. Kaz is cursed to become a monster if he becomes sexually aroused, yet he walks up and down the street, groping and chasing after women. If that was part of the curse, I missed it! At first, Scott Valentine plays Kaz as a manic horndog. After Kaz meets Denny, he calms down a bit as he’s staying in her apartment, so the continual groping and assault probably won’t fly. Obviously, there’s a message here that men turn into monsters when they’re turned on, so in order to avoid that, they’ve got to get to know women for who they are rather than the desire to get into their pants! Am I reading too deeply into this? Probably.

The nicest way to describe Denny (Michelle Little) is… naive. I’m not sure of her motivation to take in a homeless guy who stole her food and stalked her afterward, but apparently, she has terrible taste in men. Like I said, this movie doesn’t make a lot of sense. The “plot” of this movie is that Kaz and Denny get caught up in the search for The Mangler, a similar monster attacking women in the city with its eye set on Denny. The only way to defeat the big bad is for Kaz to get horny! I’m serious.

Anyway, the writing is terrible, and the acting is subpar, but it is funny, even when it’s not trying to be. The special effects makeup was a bright spot in the movie. Kaz turns into a different monster every time he gets turned on, and they’re honestly all pretty cool-looking. I love practical effects. They add something extra to movies that even the best CGI lacks. My Demon Lover also has some humorous gross-out moments, but it’s just not enough to save the movie as a whole. I didn’t buy into the blossoming romance between Kaz and Denny, and they lacked the proper chemistry to disregard all of the movie’s other flaws.

If you want some outdated 80s cheese, definitely check out My Demon Lover! If you’re looking for a quality human/monster romance, check out Lisa Frankenstein or Your Monster.

Okay, I will be the first to it The Witches of Eastwick is not a conventional rom-com. It’s more of an anti-rom-com to be honest, but you know what, I am going to review it here anyway!

In the small Rhode Island town of Eastwick, three women lacking in love – Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer), Jane (Susan Sarandon), and Alex (Cher) – come together and discuss what they consider to be their ideal man. Soon after, a mysterious stranger buys an expensive property in town, intriguing the women. They discover his name is Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson), and he appeals to all three women in different ways. Soon they learn they’re actually witches, and are responsible for his arrival in town.

Alex, Jane, and Sukie discover their association with Daryl is beginning to affect not only their lives, but the town of Eastwick itself, and they decide Daryl has got to go. Unfortunately, getting rid of an appealing, handsome devil is harder than it looks.

This was my first watch of The Witches of Eastwick. With this cast, it’s baffling that it took me this long, to be honest. But I also went into the film not really knowing what it was about and I’m glad for it. It’s always a treat watching acting powerhouses such as Susan Sarandon, Cher, and Michelle Pfeiffer work together. I appreciated that the roles of Jane, Alex, and Sukie felt distinctly different from one another, properly fleshed out and giving them depth. Each actress delivers a strong performance, humorous and seductive in their own way.

The real star of the movie, however, has to be Jack Nicholson, as Daryl, aka, the Devil. He’s mischievous, unhinged, untethered, slightly repulsive and yet… still appealing, somehow. When he begins to lose control of his three witches, he completely loses control of himself as well, a manic sex-crazed beast who cannot function without being wanted, needed, and taken care of by his choice of women. While the women have plenty of sharp and amusing one-liners, the real comedy is drawn from Nicholson, and his performance alone makes this movie worth watching.

Another bright spot in this movie is Veronica Cartwright, who plays Felicia, the wife of Sukie’s boss at the local newspaper. After she pokes fun at Daryl’s name, she is thrown down a flight of stairs where she breaks her leg. From there, she seems to receive visions of Daryl and the behavior of the women sleeping with him. She appears to be the only person who sees Daryl for what he is, and she descends into something akin to madness while trying to convince the rest of Eastwick to see what she can see. Cartwright gives a rather unsettling performance, an unpredictable but welcome foil to the witches.

It’s a beautifully filmed movie, which isn’t a surprise considering its director is George Miller, but the downside to The Witches of Eastwick is that it seems to want to be the ultimate battle of the sexes and I’m not sure it gets its feminist message across in an effective way. Sukie, Alex, and Jane all supposedly received their powers when their husbands left them – and then they realize how dangerous Daryl is as well – I get it, women can become stronger without a man around to hold them down. But in the end, all three women still end up exactly where a patriarchal society thinks they should be. Just in a nicer home.

In the 1920s, a curious young woman named Bea (Peyton List) is visiting a museum with her family when she steals one half of a ring from a display. Shortly after, she is hit by a car and killed. Fast forward to present day when a 17 year old boy named Cole (Michael Cimino) moves into a new home with his mother, both of whom are grieving the loss of Cole’s father.

Cole soon finds the ring that Bea had stolen nearly a century earlier. When he puts it on, Bea appears in her ghostly form. The two bond and form an unlikely friendship that is tested when there is a chance Bea is able to move on into the afterlife.

Girl Haunts Boy is a lovely little romantic dramedy that is surprisingly emotional and perfect for this time of year. It has its humorous moments, especially as Bea finally escapes the confines of her home to experience what life is like in 2024, but ultimately movie is a tender story about two lost people healing from their grief together.

Bea is both charming and free-spirited, but I’m not sure her character was developed as fully as it could have been, considering she lived in the 1920s. So, it’s Cole that anchors the film – we see him as the new kid at school, hiding his intelligence to fit in and awkwardly navigating a potential friendship with a “psychic” schoolmate. He and his mother have some sweet scenes regarding the ing of Cole’s father as well, but we never find out much about Bea’s family beyond the fact that her parents were musicians. That seems designed to bond Bea and Cole further, as Cole plays guitar and used to play with his father.

The strength of Girl Haunts Boy is in the blossoming friendship between Bea and Cole. The cursed ring that Bea stole so many years ago is never fully explained, except that if the ring is returned to its other half, Bea can break the curse and “move on”.

Unfortunately, Cole has come to depend on Bea, and can’t quite bring himself to let her go. If you think too deeply on the surrounding circumstances of the cursed ring – and the ghostly rules of Bea’s existence – you’ll find not a lot of it makes sense without a deeper explanation, which we never get. However! I found I didn’t mind much, because I felt the story was more about Cole finding a way out of the grief holding him hostage than the circumstances that kept Bea from moving on into the afterlife.

List and Cimino share a lovely chemistry on screen, but the romantic aspect of their relationship was lacking. Most of their interactions are rather platonic, so when there is suddenly a spark of romance, it comes across as hurried and contrived. Had there been some more believable build-up to their ghostly romance, I think I would have it enjoyed it more, but as it was, I would have much rather Bea and Cole remained friends.

I still think Girl Haunts Boy is worth watching, especially if you prefer your spooky movies to have a lighter touch like say, Hocus Pocus. It’s a heartwarming film with cozy, lived in sets and charming performances from its leads. This movie was built for the fall season and it’s perfect for a chilly day when you just want to stay wrapped up in a blanket and watch some feel good films.

Cancer-stricken Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera) is recovering from surgery when Jacob, her boyfriend of five years breaks up with her. Jacob is a playwright and director who had promised Laura the lead in his new feminist musical, but he avoids all with her after their relationship ends.

While Laura recovers in her childhood home, she encounters a monster in her closet (Tommy Dewey), who has apparently been living there her entire life. With her mother constantly traveling, Monster – as Laura calls him – has grown adept to living alone and he orders her out of the house in two weeks. However, despite a rough start to their living situation, the two begin to bond over movies and plays, leading to an unlikely friendship. When she lands an understudy role in Jacob’s musical, Monster teaches Laura to speak up and stand up for herself, which leads to some unfortunate consequences for all involved.

With horror and rom-coms being my two favorite movie genres, it was a no brainer that I would be seeing Your Monster as soon as I possibly could. I’m a big fan of Melissa Barrera’s work, and I thoroughly enjoyed Tommy Dewey’s performance as the comically dark, sharply-tongued Michael O’Donoghue in Saturday Night (2024).

As Monster, Dewey clearly relishes this particularly juicy role, delivering ferociousness and snark while covered in prosthetics. And yet, there’s also a vulnerability to the character that Dewey so effortlessly expresses in his eyes that most of the time, you almost forget he’s a beast. And you certainly root for him to win Laura over.

Barrera once again gets to show off her strong musical background, but she’s a surprisingly strong comedic actress as well. Laura comes across as a woman who’s clearly on the verge of a major mental breakdown, and Monster seems to be the only “person” in her life not afraid to call her out on her destructive personality traits.

Barrera is so affable and radiant on screen and it’s clear to me that while her role in the Scream franchise may be dead, she still has a very promising career in the genre, should she want it. The bonus to two strong performances is that Barrera and Dewey also share some great chemistry, which is why this otherwise ridiculous premise works so well. He’s a monster! She’s a human! How will they make this work?

The ing cast takes a backseat to Laura and Monster, but Edmund Donovan, as Jacob, is one of the most hate-able ex-boyfriends in rom-com history. Smug, pretentious and completely lacking in any empathy toward Laura’s plight, it’s hard to feel any sympathy when his precious opening night is jeopardized by Laura’s ultimate revenge plot.

Meghann Fahy is Jackie, the tv actress who unknowingly “stole” Laura’s role in the musical – I appreciated that, which it was clear she and Jacob were perhaps hooking up, director and writer Caroline Lindy didn’t turn Jackie into a one-dimensional, bitchy rival to Laura. Every character in the film felt as though they had depth, they were people you probably knew in your own life. There was nothing too over the top that took you out of the reality of the movie – other than, you know, the monster living in Laura’s closet!

I will say, Your Monster has the rom (who doesn't love it when the romantic lead is caught off guard by a beautiful woman walking down the stairs?), the com (just wait until you see where Monster likes to sleep), and a good dose of what the f*ck horror. The ending was both captivating and unexpected, but I have to it, I absolutely loved the direction it went in. I am positive some may find it contrived or even predictable, but I didn't really see it coming. No spoilers, of course, but I found myself asking "Wait, what?" more than once when it ended.

As a bonus, I found quite a few parallels to Lisa Frankenstein, and if you’re into an entertaining horror rom-com double feature, watch that movie, followed by Your Monster. I can’t think of a better way to spend Halloween for the spooky rom-com lovers.

After a drunken girls’ night out, eternally optimistic and bright-eyed Deb wakes up in the bed of Ryan Waverly, a cute guy she hit on at the bar the night before. Ryan deems the evening a mistake and struggles to get the cumbersome Deb out the door. Unfortunately for both, the streets are full of zombies and the two head for Ryan’s father’s mansion to figure out their next move.

I have never heard of Night of the Living Deb before, but thanks to a recommendation on Reddit, I decided to give it a watch. It has a cute title and I enjoy Maria Thayer, plus… zombies! So it seemed like a no brainer to watch this during the spooky season.

Blah. Regret! Almost from the get-go, Deb rankled me. She assumes a drink Ryan orders before they’ve even said hello to each other is meant for her. She overhears him on the phone with a friend, trying to figure out how to get her out of his apartment, and decides to stretch out on his bed and offer to hang out in his apartment while he goes to celebrate Labor Day with his family.

Deb reminded me of Mary Horowitz in All About Steve – a woman meant to be endearing in her awkwardness, but instead, it just comes across as exasperatingly clueless. As with Mary’s cutesy red rain boots, Deb has her cutesy clothes, too, designed to make her stand out from the rest of the cast. Thayer does far Too Much with this particular personality trait, to the point where Deb should have just been wearing a sandwich board that said “I’m so quirky!”

As I said before, I like Maria Thayer, but the acting in this movie was all-around dreadful. Michael Cassidy, who plays Ryan, is quite wooden despite his attempt at physical comedy. Syd Wilder overdoes it as Stacy, Ryan’s one-dimensional, shallow ex-fiance. Ray Wise is Night of the Living Deb’s saving grace, but even he can’t carry it to a mediocre result. We can blame it on the bad writing and/or bad direction, I guess. But the dialogue is absurd, and very few of the jokes actually land.

Night of the Living Deb does its very best imitation of Shaun of the Dead, but unfortunately fails at every level. It focuses more on romance than horror, which is fine with me if it’s two characters who are appealing and share chemistry, but Deb and Ryan are not and do not. I can see that this movie does have its fans, and that’s great, but I just found this to be an all-around disappointment. One star for its name, because despite my feelings on the movie, the name is a clever take on a classic zombie film.

In 1692 New England, Jennifer (Veronica Lake) is about to be burned at the stake for witchcraft, along with her father, Daniel. Before death, she casts a curse on her acc, Jonathan Wooley, condemning all the men in future generations to marry the wrong woman.

Jennifer and Daniel’s remains are buried beneath a tree to imprison their spirits. 250 years later, lightning strikes the tree, freeing Jennifer and Daniel’s spirits. Jennifer sets her sights on Wallace Wooley, the latest descendant of her acc (Fredric March). Determined to make his life even more miserable, she uses a love potion to make him fall in love with her—leading to unexpected consequences.

I have had I Married a Witch on my watchlist for nearly a year, but it felt right to save it until the spooky season began. At 74 minutes, this is a movie that I may watch again when October comes back around. It’s a wonderfully outrageous film, carried by Veronica Lake’s captivating performance. There’s no question that she is the star here, mischievous, charming, and seductive. March’s role is certainly not as flashy but he brings a charming everyman quality to Wooley.

Lake and March famously feuded on set, and I can’t help but wonder if some of that tension spilled over into their performances. Jennifer finds tormenting Wallace to be quite a treat, while Wallace is perplexed by Jennifer and attempts, at least initially, to resist her. Even when they’re married, some apprehension still lingers between them, at least from Wallace.

I Married a Witch is a clever commentary on love, marriage, and the consequences of our actions. Jennifer gives up her devious (and probably more fun) life as a witch to become a wife and mother, stating to Wallace that “love is stronger than witchcraft”—though we never really know for sure if her enduring love for Wallace is real or if the love potion she drank is the reason for the path she chooses. Perhaps the right kind of love can tame a witch, after all.

By today’s standards, the special effects are pretty dated, but I didn’t mind them at all, as they add a certain nostalgic charm to the film. Several sequences made me laugh—Wallace’s derailed wedding to his political sponsor’s daughter, for one—and I have always loved how bitingly witty the dialogue of these Hollywood classics can be. I Married a Witch is no different. It’s a whimsical, lively-paced movie that reflects on the magic of love, both good and bad.

If you are a fan of classic cinema, or maybe you just want something lighthearted and romantic with a supernatural bent for this time of year, I recommend giving I Married a Witch a watch!

Just before Max (Anton Yelchin) plans to break-up with his girlfriend, Evelyn (Ashley Greene), she’s tragically hit by a bus and dies. As he’s grieving, Max connects with Olivia (Alexandra Daddario), an ice cream shop owner with who he shares many of the same interests. As the two begin to date, Evelyn crawls out of her grave as a zombie and re-enters Max’s life, assuming the two are to be together forever.

It’s always a little bittersweet to see Anton Yelchin on screen. He was a true talent who ed away far too soon. That said, I feel like his talent was wasted on this movie. One would think a zombie movie from Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) would be a home run, but alas, Burying the Ex falls short of those high expectations.

Max, Evelyn, and Olivia come across as stock characters with very little depth, making it difficult to root for any of them – or, in Evelyn’s case, be frightened of her. Our introduction to Olivia is when she’s dancing to hard rock in her unusual horror-themed malt shop, adorably embarrassed to be seen by Max and Evelyn when they venture inside. So yes, now we know she’s quirky and Not Like Other Girls.

Evelyn is jealous, controlling, and obsessed with environmental sustainability, while Max is just a pushover who resorts to taking advice from his slacker half-brother Travis when he decides to end it with Evelyn instead of just handling it like an adult.

Evelyn’s return from the grave isn’t necessarily scary, as much as it is just odd. She’s relentlessly horny and focuses on renewing her relationship with Max. Max wants to continue dating Olivia and tries to balance that new relationship with Evelyn’s return. Max is apparently a horror aficionado, but he seemingly has no idea how to get rid of Evelyn, who is – hello! – undead. He can’t bring himself to off Evelyn permanently, but I guess, even in fiction, there’s a big difference between loving horror and having to live it.

Evelyn is essentially stuck within Max’s apartment and is no real threat to anyone until that craving for brains kicks in, which I think happens far too late in the movie. She could have been a terrifying zombie ex for Max to contend with, but instead, she’s pretty tame until the film’s end. Ashley Greene is really able to shine in the last twenty-five minutes when she starts to act like an actual zombie rather than just an undead girlfriend wanting to please her boyfriend.

On the romantic aspect of Burying the Ex, Yelchin and Daddario have an easygoing chemistry onscreen, and they do share some cute scenes together. I appreciated Dante’s decision to intercut Olivia and Max’s first night spent together with Evelyn’s sudden craving for brains while in the company of Travis. It’s super bloody, intense, and, sadly, the best part of Burying the Ex.

While watching Burying the Ex, I could see a lot of potential in its premise, and perhaps with a tighter script, Joe Dante could have elevated the material to the heights of his previous monster flicks. As it is, Burying the Ex is just a lifeless zombie movie where everyone seems to just be going through the motions.

High schooler Johnny Dingle (Andrew Lowery) has been in love with Missy (Traci Lind) since childhood. He stages a robbery at her job to win her heart and ask her to prom, but instead ends up shot and killed when he takes a real bullet meant for Missy. When Johnny resurfaces as a zombie, he’s still determined to take Missy to prom – but his decaying body proves to be an obstacle, and he’s told that he needs to eat fresh flesh to remain intact in order to make it to prom.

I did not have high expectations for My Boyfriend’s Back, but honestly, I found it to be pretty entertaining! It’s a ridiculous movie, but it leans into its ridiculousness, which is the only way this movie works. When Johnny returns as a zombie, everyone just accepts it – it’s a little weird, sure, but hey, it is what it is. That’s when I knew this movie had the potential to be a lot of fun.

My Boyfriend’s Back reminded me quite a bit of Better Off Dead, solely in its humor and how it’s used. Especially the sharp one-liners – Okay, well, you’re dead. Which is unusual, because we don’t normally see this much activity in a dead person – and flighty, barely present parents – indeed, Johnny’s mother is so ive of her now undead son that she brings him home a live child to eat, and shoves a dead man in their fridge later on in case he wants a snack.

There’s also the cast, which is quite impressive. My Boyfriend’s Back featured the film debuts of Matthew Fox (Lost, Party of Five), as Missy’s jock boyfriend, Buck, and Matthew McConaughey, as sadly, Guy #2. But you’ll also spot Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cloris Leachman! None of them are used very well, but it’s still nice to see their faces.

At the heart of the movie is Johnny’s love for Missy. He literally returned from the dead to be with her. And even though Johnny is quite literally falling apart, Missy begins to return his affection, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend, Buck, and her father, who happens to be the Sheriff. I wouldn’t say Andrew Lowery and Traci Lind had sizzling chemistry, but they’re cute enough that it doesn’t completely derail the romantic aspect of the movie.

I do think Lowery was the weak link of the entire film. Don’t get me wrong, he’s fine, but maybe with a more charismatic actor, Johnny could have been a more interesting character/zombie. As it is, he’s rather average, and I think that keeps My Boyfriend’s Back from being a really good zombie rom-com. Maybe McConaughey would have succeeded in the role instead of a theatergoer with two lines. Hindsight is 20/20, of course.

Ultimately, My Boyfriend’s Back is a comedy engaging enough to keep your attention. I found the humor to be the most memorable part of the movie, though I don’t imagine I will revisit it in the future. If you like your spooky movies with a light-hearted tone, or you just need a break from the jump scares and gore, I suggest giving this one a watch.

Paranoid about the Cuban Missile Crisis, Calvin Webber (Christopher Walken) spends most of his time building and supplying a fallout shelter beneath his house in California. After a scare sends him and his pregnant wife, Helen (Sissy Spacek), into the shelter, a mechanical failure causes an aircraft to crash into their house, leading Calvin to believe the country is at war. He activates the shelter’s timelock for 35 years. In that time, Helen bears a child, a son named Adam, and the family remains mentally in the 60s as Adam grows up.

When the 35 years is up, and the shelter unlocks, it’s 1997, and the world has changed significantly. Calvin briefly surfaces, believing the world is now a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of mutants. He wants to stay within the fallout shelter, but Helen protests, prompting a fight between the two. Calvin suffers a mild heart attack, and Helen sends the now-adult Adam (Brendan Fraser) to the surface to gather supplies – and to find a non-mutant wife.

Adam is the epitome of a fish out of water in Los Angeles. His 1950s mindset frequently clashes with the modern era. Thankfully, he has a chance encounter with Eve (Alicia Silverstone), a hardened young woman who only agrees to help Adam stockpile his supplies in exchange for money. While their personalities don’t exactly mesh, Adam begins to win over Eve… at least until he reveals where he’s been for the past thirty-five years.

I’ve never seen this romantic comedy before, although I certainly its release in 1999. I didn’t know much about it beyond its very basic premise. And the premise is ridiculous, but that’s not a problem. I love ridiculous rom-com premises when they’re executed well. The reason Blast from the Past works is because of Brendan Fraser. His earnest portrayal of Adam makes the character charming, rather than obnoxious. We root for Adam, whether he ends up with Eve or not.

The ing cast is fantastic too. Sissy Spacek, as Adam’s endlessly patience, but about to blow, mother. Christopher Walken as his father Calvin, who, after 35 years in solitude with his wife and son, clearly fears returning to society, and Dave Foley as Eve’s gay roommate Troy – yes, we have to get the gay friend trope into this one! – has the best lines in the entire movie.

For me, the weak link was actually Silverstone. She and Fraser didn’t have much chemistry on-screen, and to be completely honest, I didn’t think she was particularly good in the role. It hurts the romantic side of the film, and I was more entertained by Adam’s foray into the modern world of the 1990s. And with such a silly premise, it’s not as funny as it could be. I understand it leans toward being a satirical take on society, but that particular theme is lost once Adam emerges from the fallout shelter, triggering a tonal shift. Maybe that was the point? But it didn’t work much for me.

I realize a lot of rom-com fans considering Blast from the Past to be a classic rom-com. I found it to be okay. I’m not sure I’ll watch it again, but it’s worth a watch for Brendan Fraser’s performance.

Zoey (Josephine Langford) is a college student who does not believe in traditional love. She believes relationships only work if the two people are compatible with shared interests. In fact, she’s developed an app to help people find their match based on this particular algorithm. However, her belief system is challenged when Zach (Drew Starkey), the school’s star soccer player, gets amnesia and mistakes Zoey for his girlfriend, who is also named Zoey.

Rather than set the story straight, Zoey decides to go along with the misunderstanding to get closer to Zach’s cousin Miles (Archie Renaux), who seems to share not only the same interests as her, but also her cynical views on love.

My sister kept asking if I had seen The Other Zoey yet, so I finally decided to give it a watch. I wasn’t expecting much, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! The Other Zoey has some genuinely funny moments, is chock full of rom-com references, and channels the spirit of While You Were Sleeping (one of my favorites).

Just like While You Were Sleeping, the premise of The Other Zoey is pretty implausible. A woman pretending to be someone she’s not will eventually be caught or found out, and Zoey is supposedly a highly intelligent young woman, so obviously she is aware of this, but her attraction to Miles is strong enough for her to ignore the insanity of her own actions. There are also a lot of holes in this movie, common sense that is conveniently ignored, but the movie is so charming that it’s easy to overlook its flaws.

Josephine Langford is a likable lead. As Zoey, she’s book smart but flails where it matters. Pretending to be Zach’s soccer playing girlfriend, yet she can’t answer the simple question of “What position do you play?” – one would think she would have at least Googled some soccer facts to keep up her charade. And the real Zoey can snowboard, but this Zoey cannot. Thankfully, Zoey’s contradiction coverups satisfy Zach’s family – none of whom have ever met the real Zoey. Again, this is where you’ve got to suspend your disbelief. Otherwise, you’re not likely to enjoy this movie.

Langford shares some palpable chemistry with Drew Starkey, even before she has to pretend to be his girlfriend. Zach is by far the more interesting love interest. He’s dry and witty and challenges Zoey’s belief that love can only succeed if you find a like-minded partner. His scenes with Langford are both sweet and funny, and the movie’s emotional stakes are only revealed once they actually start spending time together. Sure, Miles is the obvious choice for Zoey – he’s smart, handsome, has plenty in common with Zoey, and doesn’t buy into traditional love either – but how fun would a rom-com be if our heroine ended up with the obvious choice?

The Other Zoey may be formulaic but it succeeds with affable leads and old-school rom-com vibes. If a romantic comedy can make me laugh and swoon? It’s going to be one I want to watch again.

Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) is a professor pf psychology and philosophy at the University of New Orleans who also assists in undercover sting operations for the NOPD. When Jasper, a cop who impersonates fake hitmen to elicit confessions and payments from suspects gets suspended, Gary is reluctantly thrown into the role.

As it turns out, Gary is a natural. He researches each suspect and creates a persona that will appeal to them, making it easier to garner the solicitation. When he meets Madison, an unhappy woman who is looking to have her abusive husband killed, Gary, posing as the charismatic Ron, finds himself attracted to her.

I have been a fan of Glen Powell’s ever since Set It Up (2018) and I am loving all of the films he has been appearing in recently. Hit Man is no exception. It’s a sharply written dark comedy that poses some pretty profound questions about one’s “true self”, and if it even exists.

Powell’s talent is on full display as Gary/Ron and it’s clear he’s going to have some longevity in his career, especially since he doesn’t seem to be typecast, or nailed down to one particular genre. He also shares some sizzling chemistry with Adria Arjona, who plays Madison. Her role is not as flashy as Powell’s, but she holds her own as a wife looking to become her true self after a disastrous marriage. Is she a blossoming flower or a femme fatale?

I absolutely adored Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, and I see some shades of the creative partnership he shared with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke in the screenplay he wrote with Powell. The premise is a bit wild, but the characters are still engaging enough to believe that even the most implausible aspects of the movie are… well… plausible. There’s a lot more going on beneath the surface here, and I think Linklater and Powell cleverly disguised the movie’s message of morality and the constructs of one’s self in the wrappings of a sexy, dark rom-com.

Hit Man does have plenty of laughs and more than a couple WTF!? moments. I think the ending may polarize some people, but I found it to be a fitting way to wrap up the story. If nothing else, it will definitely spark some discussion.

Fun fact: Hit Man is based on a true story about the life of Gary Johnson. Obviously there are a lot of liberties taken, but it’s still interesting to look into after you’ve watched the movie.

Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) is a woman whose obsession with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has stifled her love life. After a string of bad dates, she finally decides to go on her dream vacation to Austenland, a British resort where guests experience living in the Regency era – romance included.

Because she didn’t opt for one of the grander packages, Jane is neglected and poorly treated by Mrs. Wattlesbrook, the resort’s owner. However, Jane finds herself at odds with the reserved Henry Nobley (JJ Feild) while finding romance with one of the “servants” named Martin (Bret McKenzie).

I first saw Austenland in 2013 when it was released in theaters. I thinking it was a cute movie but largely forgettable. After another watch for this blog, my opinion hasn’t changed much.

Keri Russell is endearing as the socially awkward Jane. It’s easy to root for her when she blossoms into a woman who can hold her own among the bolder personalities. The ing cast helps anchor the film, especially Jennifer Coolidge and Georgia King, who play the other two guests who befriend Jane. They easily steal most of the scenes they’re in, while Russell remains the most grounded of the three. I tend to like most things starring Jennifer Coolidge. She’s a comedic icon and has some fantastic one-liners in this movie.

JJ Feild and Bret McKenzie are equally good as Jane’s suitors – Henry and Martin. Henry seems to be the real-life version of Mr. Darcy, but it’s the down-to-earth Martin that Jane finds herself drawn towards. Without even realizing it, Jane is living a Jane Austen-inspired romance… but is it real, or all part of the “Copper Package” she purchased before arriving in Austenland?

My main problem with Austenland is that I’m not sure it knew precisely what it wanted to be. Did it want to make fun of the Austen-inspired romances? I could see the satire, especially with how obsessive certain fandoms become of their literary heroes. But at the same time, it seems to dive headfirst into everything it’s criticizing in the first place. Then again, I may be overthinking the movie as a whole, and ultimately, all it really wanted was to become a guilty pleasure to watch on a rainy afternoon. In that case, Austenland succeeds.

I won’t lie -the movie has its charms. I think Jane Austen fans will probably enjoy it more than I did. Still, even if you’re a casual fan, or you have some appreciation for Pride and Prejudice… or even just Colin Firth’s portrayal of Mr. Darcy, you would probably find Austenland entertaining. Like I said before, I found it a cute movie, though forgettable. But there is a fun little twist at the end that, on my first watch, I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed it, though, as it gives Austenland the little bit of “oompf” that keeps it from becoming just another mediocre rom-com.

Two years after her divorce from yacht designer C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant), wealthy socialite Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) is set to marry the equally wealthy George Kittredge (John Howard). The editor of Spy magazine wants to cover the wedding and uses Dexter as a means to get his reporter, Mike Connor, and photographer, Liz Imbrie, into the Lord’s mansion to do just that. While Dexter pretends Liz and Mike are old friends of Tracy’s brother, it doesn’t take long for Tracy to see through the charade. But she is forced to relent when Dexter informs her Spy magazine will publish an unflattering story of her father’s infidelity if she does not allow Mike and Liz access to the wedding.

The Philadelphia Story was nominated for six Academy Awards and won two (Best Actor for James Stewart, and Best Screenplay). It’s easy to see why it’s considered a classic. The Philadelphia Story has everything you would want in a romantic comedy—a marvelous, star-studded cast of performers, a cleverly written script, and immaculate direction. If you were to ask me, this film has no weak link and very little to criticize.

Hepburn, Grant, and Stewart are some of my favorite actors, and having them all on screen together was a real treat. It’s rare that in a romantic comedy love triangle, the heroine has equal chemistry with both suitors, but that’s definitely the case here. Tracy’s bitter yet ionate history with Dexter is sizzling as the two trade barbs and force each other to face their flaws and reasons for their marriage’s breakdown.

Meanwhile, Tracy can be a bit softer and more vulnerable with Mike, who initially turns his nose up at the elitist atmosphere but soon becomes enamored with Tracy as she defies the wealthy stereotypes he has always despised. And George, her fiance? Well, he’s really the only person she keeps the mask on for, attempting to be the perfect socialite wife when, in reality, she is anything but. While we know George is absolutely not The One for Tracy, it’s a toss-up as to who she will ultimately end up with, and frankly, I would have been happy had it been Mike or Dexter, which is great because either way, I would love the ending. And I did!

I am focusing quite a bit on the romantic angle of The Philadelphia Story, but it’s also a genuinely funny movie. Hepburn has some amazing one-liners, but personally, I think it’s Stewart and Grant who give the best comedic performances here. They’re brilliant when on-screen with Hepburn, but together they’re incredible. Dexter and Mike are romantic rivals but ultimately form something of a bromance.

One of the movie’s funniest scenes is when a drunk Mike arrives at Dexter’s home in the middle of the night. While Stewart always believed his Best Actor award was compensation for not winning the year prior for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, I believe Mike Connor is one of his best performances. He should have won for his drunken scene with Cary Grant alone.

The Philadelphia Story is a must-see if you’re a romantic comedy fan. And if you are a film fan in general, The Philadelphia Story is also a must-see. It’s probably as close to a perfect romantic comedy as a film can get, and though released in 1940, it holds up extremely well even now.

Newly divorced Helen (Ellie Kemper) is struggling to get her life back on track. She has a strained relationship with her carefree brother, and a difficult childhood has made it hard for her to open herself up to people and new experiences. So she decides to take a wilderness survival course, unaware that her brother’s best friend Jake (Luke Grimes) has also signed up for the hike.

Happiness for Beginners is one of those movies I had never heard of before Netflix recommended it to me. But I like Ellie Kemper a lot, so I finally gave it a watch. This movie was a pleasant surprise! While I do not spend a lot of time out in the woods, I’ve always enjoyed nature trails, and every now and then, I think about how much fun it would be to go on a proper hike somewhere. I don’t know if I would want to go with strangers, but I digress!

Kemper’s Helen seems to be at a crossroads in her life. She had a fairly traumatic childhood with the death of her younger brother and subsequent abandonment by her parents. She keeps herself at a distance from most people, including her other brother. But she is hoping a weekend wilderness trip will somehow reset her life…and wouldn’t you know, it does!

Along with her brother’s best friend, Jake, Helen is surrounded by a group of much younger people, including Beckett, the hiking guide. They’ve all got their own eccentricities, but over time, they learn to work as a team, and Helen finds the ability to take charge instead of falling behind. Jake’s unrequited crush on Helen is pretty evident, and the two of them become closer despite Helen’s best attempts at self-sabotage.

Jake is a great leading man. He’s a former doctor who is quiet but attentive and not entirely afraid to call out Helen when she needs it. I haven’t seen Luke Grimes in much, but I greatly enjoyed his performance. Ellie Kemper is well known for her ing comedic roles, and I found her performance as Helen to be a nice change from the usual perky, optimistic characters she takes on. While I wasn’t blown away by her chemistry with Grimes, they were cute enough together that it didn’t completely throw off the romantic aspect of the movie.

The highlight of Jake and Helen’s blossoming romance is Jake’s small speech to Helen at the end of the movie regarding his feelings for her. It was sweet as hell, and I wonder just how much more lovely it would have been had Kemper and Grimes had more chemistry with one another.

All in all, Happiness for Beginners is worth watching. It’s a cozy little movie about finding oneself and developing camaraderie with others, especially in the wilderness, where help and supplies are scarce. This movie was based on a 2015 novel by Katherine Center, and I will definitely be checking it out soon because I’m actually eager for more of the story.

If you have a quiet afternoon available sometime in the future, definitely watch Happiness for Beginners, and then come back here and let me know what you think!

In the Irish countryside, two neighboring families, the Muldoons and the Reillys, have been feuding for generations. Their children, Anthony Reilly (Jamie Dornan) and Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt), have been dancing around their feelings for one another for years. But the two are forced to confront their feelings when Anthony’s ailing father contemplates leaving the farm to his nephew instead of his son.

Before I watched Wild Mountain Thyme, I had heard it was a quirky film with a ridiculous revelation, but I managed to resist spoiling myself on what it was. I won’t give it away here, but I will say… yes, it was rather ridiculous and a bit out of left field.

Before that particular scene, however, I had been enjoying Wild Mountain Thyme well enough, mostly because I’m a fan of Emily Blunt, and hearing Christopher Walken with an Irish accent was pretty dang entertaining. I don’t think I hear enough Irish accents in the wild, so I don’t know how accurate Blunt and Dornan’s accents were (both are British), but they sounded lovely enough, if a bit thick at times.

While I am a sucker for love stories (duh), and I have a soft spot for unrequited love, I have to it that after a while, Rosemary and Anthony’s constant inability to communicate grew extremely frustrating. The entire movie consists of the two coming thisclose to being honest with one another but never getting over the hump. And it works for a while, but at some point, it just feels redundant.

It’s a slow-burn romance; when I say slow, I mean sloooooow. On the plus side, Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan are two very good-looking people with enough chemistry to keep me invested despite these minor annoyances.

Wild Mountain Thyme is not a great movie, but it’s good enough to watch at least once. The Irish countryside is breathtakingly gorgeous, and perhaps if you sit down and expect an absurdist romantic dramedy, you may enjoy it more than I did. Maybe you’ll even find the, uh, twist at the end to be more whimsical than silly. If so, please come back here and let me know!

Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck) and her father, Colonel Harrington (Charles Coburn), are professional card sharks and con artists who make a living swindling wealthy men. Their newest target, Charles Pike (Henry Fonda), is the socially awkward heir to a brewery fortune. Soon, Jean falls for Charles but is heartbroken when he discovers her deception and breaks things off with her. To exact revenge, Jean re-enters his life as an aristocrat, Lady Eve Sinwich.

The Lady Eve is generally considered one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time, so I have no excuse for not having seen it yet. But I have finally remedied that problem and am pleased to say that I loved it. It’s directed and acted so effortlessly that it doesn’t matter that it’s quite a preposterous film. Honestly, that’s part of its charm.

Barbara Stanwyck is brilliant as Jean/Lady Eve. She plays the character with a complexity you rarely find in rom-com heroines. Machiavellian and vulnerable at the same time, Jean has no qualms about swindling men who fall in love with her until she falls in love with one herself. When Charles wants nothing to do with her, she concocts an improbable plan of revenge. She wants to punish Charles, yet I don’t think she realizes how she is punishing herself, too. Stanwyck’s performance is one for the ages as she embraces the madness of Jean Harrington and commits fully.

Henry Fonda plays the straight man who keeps the entire film grounded. He’s shy and clumsy but eager to show off his card tricks and pet snake, Emma. He loves reading books like “Are Snakes Necessary?” and going on expeditions to the Amazon to study and retrieve reptiles. He has no clue how to handle himself in a room full of women who are quite eager to get their claws into him – and his fortune.

Fonda is a fantastic actor, but his comedic contribution to the movie is mostly restricted to physical pratfalls. It just reminded me of more modern rom-coms, where they try to endear a female character to the audience by making her insanely clumsy… maybe Charles Pike was the prototype? My only nitpick of this movie is that maybe there were too many pratfalls, though quite a few of them were pretty amusing.

The Lady Eve’s ing cast was also fantastic. Charles Coburn, Jean’s father, has an amusing scene where he tries to cheat Charles in a game of cards. Jean attempts to derail the attempt with some humorous results. Eugene Pallette garners quite a few laughs as Charles’s boisterous father. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when he sits down for breakfast, but every silver tray is empty. So desperate he is for food, he ends up beating the lids together in an attempt to get someone’s attention. Ah, rich people. I laughed quite a bit, I won’t lie.

One of the smaller but more significant roles belongs to William Demarest, who plays Muggsy, a man who looks after Charles when he is away from home. Muggsy is initially suspicious of Jean and her father and sets out to protect Charles from being scammed. But he’s also the only one who sees “Eve” and tells Charles, “That’s the same dame!”—the audience’s voice, no doubt.

This is a movie I’ll likely watch again, and I understand why it’s so highly regarded. The Lady Eve is one of those lightning-in-a-bottle rom-coms. It has a ridiculous premise that works, thanks to two talented leads with the right amount of chemistry, effortless direction, and a genuinely funny script.

After suffering an injury on set, stuntman Colt Seavers steps away from show business and leaves Hollywood behind, along with his lady love, Jody. 18 months later, Colt is back on the set of a big-budgeted blockbuster, this time with Jody at the helm as director. While he tries to navigate their broken relationship, Colt is saddled with the unfortunate task of tracking down the movie’s star before the entire film is derailed.

It’s not difficult to get me into the theater whenever Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt headline a movie, but when that movie happens to be a romantic comedy? You know I’ll be there opening weekend for sure. Even better? The Fall Guy embodies the kind of cinema I crave—a refreshing departure from the inundation of superhero flicks, sequels, and reboots.

The Fall Guy has everything a summer movie ought to have: an all-star cast featuring not only Blunt and Gosling, but also talents like Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (at times channeling his inner Matthew McConaughey), a witty script, adept direction, a killer soundtrack, and a perfect blend of comedy, romance, and action. The Fall Guy certainly appeals to fans across the cinematic spectrum. What more could you ask for in a summer blockbuster?

Ryan Gosling shines as the movie’s charismatic linchpin. His playful rapport with Emily Blunt infuses the film with warmth, though Gosling’s charm extends to his interactions with just about everyone he interacts with onscreen. Most notably, I adored his scenes with Winston Duke’s Dan, Colt’s stunt coordinator, and Jean Claude, the Kelpie attack dog—yes, a dog—who only responds to French commands. Blunt brings a sweet vulnerability to Jody, a novice director thrust into the limelight. Yet, when circumstances demand it, she reveals a captivating strength, elevating her character into a heroine worth rooting for. Her strong chemistry with Gosling gives the movie its emotional stakes. Without it, the movie loses most of its heart.

While The Fall Guy may be a love story between Colt and Jody, underneath the romance, it pays homage to Hollywood’s unsung heroes—the stunt doubles and their crews. Director David Leitch, himself a former stuntman, showcases breathtaking action sequences and practical effects, eschewing CGI extravagance. This commitment to authenticity underscores Leitch’s reverence for a profession often overlooked in Hollywood.

In the end, not every film needs to be profound; sometimes, it’s enough to offer two hours of pure, unadulterated entertainment. The Fall Guy achieves just that—a cinematic delight that leaves audiences smiling as they exit the theater.

Jack Gable (John Candy), the head writer of Beyond Our Dreams, a popular soap opera, feels like he is losing his grip on the production. He’s got an unrequited crush on the show’s demanding lead actress, Laura (Emma Samms), and is fighting against introducing a new character named Janet, whom a struggling actress named Louise (Mariel Hemingway) is auditioning for.

After experiencing a head injury, Jack wakes up in Ashford Falls, the fictional town of Beyond Our Dreams, which is now very, very real. It takes Jack a bit to realize what’s going on – he’s still the head writer and can write whatever he wants to happen, including making Laura – now her character Rachel – fall in love with him.

While Delirious has a fun premise, it’s not executed as well as it could have been. John Candy is the film’s bright spot. He brings a charming, sweet, on-screen presence that has you rooting for him, even when he’s making all the wrong decisions.

Emma Samms and Mariel Hemingway seem to be having fun with their soap opera personas, but neither of their characters is very interesting – fictional or not. That’s the problem I have with Delirious as a romantic comedy – John Candy doesn’t have a ton of chemistry with either actress, though I did find the scenes between Jack and Louise/Janet to be rather cute.

I did enjoy how Delirious made fun of soap operas. I used to watch soaps daily when I was younger and didn’t have to, you know, work. Now, most of the soaps I watched are no longer on air, but I certainly how campy and dramatic they were, how every storyline seemed to get more and more bizarre or out there, and Delirious takes the silliness and goes full throttle with it.

There are some solid gags throughout the movie, including Dylan Baker’s Blake Hedison, who is slowly falling apart (literally) due to his sister Rachel’s poisoning of him, as well as Charles Rocket, who plays another one of Rachel’s brothers who seems to be in love with her. Icky, but also pretty darn funny too. As a whole, I think while Delirious may not be anywhere close to John Candy’s best work, it can still be considered guilty pleasure viewing. It’s not one I’ll revisit again, but I’m glad I watched it.

After the events of Murder Mystery, Audrey and Nick Spitz are working as full-time private detectives. Their new business is struggling, so they accept when their friend Vikram—the Maharajah—invites them to his wedding on a private island. There, they meet Vik’s fiancee and sister and are reunited with Colonel Ulenga (John Kani).

During the ceremony, Vik is kidnapped. A group of M16 agents arrive to help find Vik, and soon a $70 million ransom is demanded. Things go awry, and Audrey and Nick are framed for Vik’s kidnapping.

If you have seen the first Murder Mystery, you have already seen Murder Mystery 2. It follows the same beats, although instead of a murder, there is a kidnapping. Okay, so there is a murder, but it’s of a minor character, and the film focuses on finding Vik and getting him back in one piece.

The movie borrows many of the gags from the first film, including the framing of Nick and Audrey for the crime. And, as with the first film, the one thing that saves Murder Mystery 2 from being completely awful is the chemistry between Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. Once again, they’re delightful on-screen together, and their banter kept me entertained.

Murder Mystery 2 definitely falls into the romantic “action” comedy, though there is less conflict between Nick and Audrey now than there had been before, which is fine! They’re struggling to legitimize their business, and I’m honestly glad this movie didn’t begin with the two having found success as private detectives. They absolutely need something at stake here – beyond the obvious frame job.

The ing cast wasn’t as impressive as the first film, but they had their moments, and ultimately, they were there to increase the body count until Nick and Audrey cracked the case. I was disappointed in how little Jodie Turner-Smith and Melanie Laurent was used, but alas, this isn’t exactly an ensemble film, so it is what it is.

I left Murder Mystery 2 feeling the same way I had with the first film. It was fine. It’s a decent date night movie, especially if you’re an Adam Sandler and/or Jen Aniston fan. But it will not likely be a repeat viewing for most.

Nick (Adam Sandler) and Audrey Spitz (Jennifer Aniston) are in a rut. Nick, a police officer, has once again failed his detective exam. Audrey, a hairdresser, feels her marriage needs a spark. The two never got a honeymoon, even though Nick had been promising one to Audrey for years. When Audrey calls him out on the empty promises and lack of romance, Nick surprises her by saying they’re going to Europe for their delayed honeymoon.

On the plane to Europe, Audrey meets billionaire Charles Cavendish. He invites her and Nick to his uncle’s yacht for a lavish party celebrating his uncle’s marriage to Charles’s ex-fiancee, Suzi. Once Audrey and Nick see the hellish tour bus they’re booked for, they take Charles up on his offer. When there is a murder on the yacht, Audrey and Nick find themselves at the center of, you guessed it, a murder mystery.

I enjoyed Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler’s chemistry in Just Go With It, so I was happy to see they had made another film together. Murder Mystery is not a romantic comedy like Just Go With It was, but it could still be labeled as such, just with more action and murder!

Sandler and Aniston’s chemistry is still on point, but unfortunately, Murder Mystery is a letdown. That’s not to say it’s not entertaining, because it is! Mostly. There are some funny gags, and the cast is pretty great, but the script lacks anything exciting or original. It could have been a fun homage, or even parody, to movies like Murder on the Orient Express, but it seems pretty content with something that barely scratches the surface of a good murder mystery.

On the plus side, it’s quite lovely to the eye. The production design is rather swanky and grand, as Nick and Audrey bounce from a billionaire’s yacht to Monte Carlo to Lake Como – with what funds, I have no idea, but realism is not needed here. Jennifer Aniston’s wardrobe is chic but accessible, and I guess it says something about the movie itself when I am more enamored with what dress Audrey is wearing than whether or not their marriage will survive lies and mounting debt!

It’s Sandler and Aniston who carry the movie just slightly past mediocre. Aniston is still charming and luminous on screen, and Adam Sandler has perfected his everyman dry wit. For me, he’s much funnier when he’s not doing those obnoxious voices. I wish they would do another pure rom-com, but I guess I’ll take what I can get, and what they’ve given me is Murder Mystery 2 to review next!

So, sure, Murder Mystery isn’t great, and frankly, disappointing due to my higher expectations. But it is suitable for 90 minutes of mindless entertainment if you’ve got nothing else to watch or just want some easy fluff.

Mirabelle (Claire Danes) is an aspiring artist who makes ends meet by working at the gloves counter at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Her life is relatively dull until she meets Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), an aimless slacker who is into music and fonts, and Ray (Steve Martin), a wealthy divorcee. Both are infatuated with Mirabelle, and while she finds Jeremy intriguing, she soon falls hard for Ray. Eventually, it becomes clear that Ray is not looking for anything serious, and Jeremy needs to become more serious about his future. Mirabelle then needs to decide what her own future will look like and who will be a part of it.

This was the first time I’ve ever seen Shopgirl. I starting to watch it years ago but getting distracted by something and never returning to it. I’m glad I finally sat back down to watch it. I enjoyed the cast quite a bit, and it was nice seeing Steve Martin in something more akin to a dramedy than the pure comedies I’ve grown accustomed to. He is, of course, a comedic genius, but he has a lot of range I don’t see often – which is mostly my fault because I’m sure there are many of his films I’ve not seen yet.

Claire Danes is as affable ever as Mirabelle. Vulnerable, emotionally open, and clinically depressed, she grows through her mature yet casual relationship with Ray, as well as her awkward connection with Jeremy. And, of course, Jason Schwartzman plays Jeremy to perfection – a socially inept slob who, in reality, probably should never be able to attract a girl like Mirabelle, but he has a weirdly charming vibe to him. And he’s willing to change himself to win the girl.

Shopgirl is a delicate film held afloat by the strength of its cast. With her fearless performance as Mirabelle, Danes is the star here, but Martin and Schwartzman seem perfectly fine with stepping back and letting her shine. She has pleasant enough chemistry with both men, but I can’t help but root a bit for the underdog – Jeremy.

At the same time, I was disappointed in the lack of answers regarding Ray. We get no explanation as to why Ray decides to pursue Mirabelle, or what attracted him to her in the first place. He appears in a reasonably casual way, and suddenly, he’s sending her gifts and taking her out to dinner. What is his motivation beyond sex? At least when Jeremy and Mirabelle meet, there is a conversation and understanding. Sure, it may be a bit cringe-worthy, but it starts a journey that leads to a rather satisfying destination. Ray may reveal himself throughout the movie, but there is still always the mystery of why surrounding him.

Ultimately, I found Shopgirl to be an enjoyable watch. Maybe not one I will choose for repeat viewings, but it’s a lovely little film that deserves more recognition.

Princeton issions officer Portia (Tina Fey) is gunning for a promotion. However, her chances of moving up the ladder at work are threatened when she meets Jeremiah, a gifted student who doesn’t precisely meet Princeton’s traditional standards.

Portia finds herself attracted to Jeremiah’s teacher, John (Paul Rudd), which only complicates matters. Oh, and Jeremiah might be the baby that Portia gave up for adoption when she was in college.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen ission, so I only ed bits and pieces of the film, but I’ll watch anything with Tina Fey and Paul Rudd in it.

ission is a cute enough movie. Tina Fey is pretty great at playing a woman who has her life in order and is struggling to maintain the status quo. Paul Rudd is Paul Rudd – charming, adorable, and impossible to dislike. The two of them together aren’t sizzling on screen, but they’ve got pleasant enough chemistry to enjoy the blossoming romance between Portia and John.

At the core of ission is Portia’s realization that John’s student could be her son. This is what drives Portia to turn her life upside down. In an effort to help Jeremiah get accepted into Princeton, her maternal side kicks in, and she’s willing to sacrifice everything she’s built. There’s a small twist toward the end of the film, which could frustrate a viewer, but I thought it helped propel Portia’s character development, so I appreciated it.

I enjoyed the cast quite a bit. I’ve already gushed about Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, but Nat Wolff is affable as Jeremiah, and Michael Sheen is a comedic bright spot as Portia’s boyfriend, Mark. Then, of course, we have Wallace Shawn as Portia’s boss and the always amazing Lily Tomlin as Portia’s mother, Susannah. Their unconventional relationship is one of the movie’s bright spots – Susannah is the complete opposite of maternal, and it’s easy to see why Portia became the way she is. But Fey and Tomlin have a lovely and hilarious rapport, and I think the ission is worth watching for that alone.

I can’t say that this movie is an outright rom-com, because it’s not. It’s a romantic comedy-drama, but the focus is more on Portia and the unraveling of her life as soon as John and Jeremiah walk into it. There are some genuinely amusing moments, and I did find parts of it pretty cute, but ultimately ission is an average, somewhat forgettable comedy.

Kate is an ice skater going for the gold at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Doug Dorsey plays for the US Hockey Team. Kate is denied Olympic glory when her skating partner drops her during their routine. Doug suffers from an injury that affects his peripheral vision in one eye, costing him a chance to play in the NHL.

A few years later, Kate is in training again for the 1992 Olympics, but her difficult personality and perfectionism have driven away every potential skating partner she’s had. Doug works multiple jobs, including at his brother’s bar, but continues to play hockey, not wanting to give up on his dream despite every professional hockey team rejecting him.

When Kate’s coach, Anton Pamchenko, tracks down Doug and offers him a tryout to become Kate’s skating partner, he initially scoffs but realizes figure skating may be his last chance to get back on the ice. Kate and Doug are immediately antagonistic with one another, and their contentious relationship threatens their success on the ice.

It has been so long since I’ve seen The Cutting Edge, but I loved it when I was younger. It is the quintessential enemies to lovers rom-com. Moira Kelly and D.B. Sweeney are perfection as Kate and Doug, two people who could not be more different. Kate was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth. She had the best tutors and trainers and grew up with her own ice skating rink at home. Doug is from a small town in Minnesota, where he grew up among the working class. He’s certainly more laid back than Kate, and their clashing personalities create some delicious tension.

What I love so much about The Cutting Edge is the natural progression of Kate and Doug’s relationship. Watching them try to outdo one another while trading barbs is entertaining, yes, but when they slowly begin to warm up to one another, and the icy wall between them begins to melt, that’s when the movie really hits its stride.

There is reluctance, but then mutual understanding and respect between the two. The Cutting Edge doesn’t rush the blossoming relationship. While there is always an attraction, Doug and Kate become friends first, which, to me, is what makes an enemies-to-lovers rom-com successful. Fighting leading directly to sex is fine, of course, but can easily be dismissed as lust. But when they become something akin to friends first? I can absolutely buy into the characters falling in love by the movie’s end, and you know that kind of love can last.

I also think the skating sequences are entertaining to watch. They hold up well, even thirty-two years later. Director Paul Michael Glaser uses some clever editing to hide the fact that it’s not Moira Kelly and D.B. Sweeney out there on the ice performing the Pamchenko. But excluding that particular move, I read that Sweeney did a lot of his own skating, while Kelly had to depend on a stunt double after fracturing her ankle during the first week of filming. Honestly, the stunt doubles were not as easy to pinpoint in The Cutting Edge as they are in some of these physical sports movies.

The movie’s true strength is in the chemistry between Sweeney and Kelly. They’re captivating onscreen together, and it’s that chemistry – not to mention their pitch-perfect performances – that pushes The Cutting Edge past what could have easily been a formulaic, overly sentimental rom-com into something more magical.

I don’t think it will take me years to watch The Cutting Edge again. Rewatching it reminded me how fun and romantic it is and what romantic comedies could be with the proper script and two leads with incredible chemistry.

After witnessing her mother’s horrific murder, Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) is adjusting to life in a new town when her father remarries. Lisa’s stepmother, Janet, is tightly wound, while her stepsister, Taffy, is perky, popular, and ecstatic over having a new sister. Taffy attempts to get Lisa to socialize more, but Lisa would much rather hang out in the local cemetery, where she has taken it upon herself to care for the headstone of a young Victorian man.

After being assaulted at a party, Lisa wanders back to the cemetery, where she tells the man’s headstone that she wishes she were with him. A strange storm sweeps through the town that night, bringing back to life the dead Victorian, whose name is never revealed but is known as “The Creature” in the credits.

Lisa finds something of a confidante in The Creature (Cole Sprouse) and begins to help him replace missing body parts by unsavory means. The Creature appears more human with each new part and a zap from Taffy’s temperamental tanning bed. But while The Creature is slowly regaining his humanity, Lisa seems to be falling apart, spiraling into madness. They are both misfits, outsiders who want to be loved. It just so happens that their journey to that love is covered in a lot of blood and body parts.

Diablo Cody has done a fantastic job crafting a modernized, playful take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and perfectly captures the 80s, creating an atmosphere of nostalgia with crimpers, aerosol hairspray, Jellies, the hot glow of neon pink, and a kickass 80s soundtrack.

Lisa Frankenstein is very Burton-esque, with its whimsical and gothic animated opening sequence, Janet’s unique, pink house that sticks out like a sore thumb on an otherwise dull suburban street, and the creepy, overgrown cemetery complete with a wrought iron fence. It’s not shy about embracing its imitation of the 80s movies that have inspired it. I got so many Heathers vibes from this film, and Kathryn Newton’s big-eyed, gothic Lisa would have fit in perfectly with the female horror heroines/anti-heroines of that era.

While there is plenty of bloody camp to enjoy, the bright spots of Lisa Frankenstein are the moments between Lisa and The Creature. Kathryn Newton is fantastic as Lisa. She is your average teenager, living with an unconcerned father (Joe Chrest, essentially playing his role as Ted in Stranger Things) and an emotionally abusive stepmother (the wonderfully bitchy Carla Gugino). She’s had to bury the trauma of witnessing her mother’s murder, and the inability to deal with the mental health issues it caused has certainly contributed to her interest in the macabre and, soon, her emotional unraveling. Lisa’s transformation from awkward and sweet to confident and callous is mesmerizing, thanks to Newton’s increasingly unhinged performance.

Cole Sprouse’s performance is 99% physical, as The Creature is non-verbal, though Lisa seems to understand his croaks and groans well enough, so communication is not that difficult. Sprouse has fun with it, because what else can you do? I’ve never been a big fan of his acting, but I will it he showcases some comedic chops here. Newton and Sprouse play well off of one another, and their chemistry is strong enough that, despite all their bad behavior, you kind of want them to get away with it!

I also really enjoyed Lisa’s relationship with her pretty, popular stepsister, Taffy, played by a charming Liza Soberano. Taffy could have easily been the stereotypical mean girl, a popular cheerleader designed to make Lisa’s life even more miserable. But Taffy is the exact opposite and perhaps the only truly sympathetic character in the movie. She is ive of Lisa and perhaps just as misunderstood as Lisa, just in a different way. I appreciated Diablo Cody subverting the mean girl trope so often found in these movies, and Newton and Soberano were just as captivating on screen together as Newton and Sprouse.

Lisa Frankenstein is a quirky horror-rom-com and probably not for everyone. It has some pacing issues, and I think the movie occasionally plays it safe. Maybe it would have been better with an R-rating? Let the blood rain! Still, it’s a clever, campy take on burgeoning womanhood and how difficult it is to grow up and find love, and I think this is a movie I’ll find myself watching a lot in the fall when the spooky vibes begin to creep in.

Upgraded revolves around Ana, a struggling art intern desperately trying to impress her intimidating boss, Claire Dupont. When Ana mistakenly gets upgraded to first class during a trip to London, she meets Will, who mistakes her for her boss. As Ana’s little white lies escalate, they jeopardize her job and her budding romance with Will.

As Ana, Camila Mendes does a fine job carrying the movie. She’s likable as a lowly intern who knows her art but gets overlooked by her more sophisticated colleagues. She has excellent chemistry with the cast, notably Marisa Tomei as Claire, and Lena Olin as Catherine, Will’s famous, eccentric mother. It’s essential to like Ana because otherwise, I’m not entirely sure we – or anyone in the movie – would have been so willing to forgive her for all of her lies, and Camila succeeds in having us sympathize with her plight, even if we would agree that what she did was wrong.

Archie Renaux is charming as Will, though I felt he was underutilized, especially as Upgraded is being marketed as a romantic comedy. Is there romance? Yes. Would Upgraded have lost anything in its narrative had there been no romance? No. Upgraded is more about Ana’s journey from a broke intern to the toast of the art world. Her romance with Will is more of a subplot, which is a shame. The two are charming on-screen together, and ultimately, it feels as though Will is the only person who tries to hold Ana able for her behavior.

Another bright spot in the film is Marisa Tomei’s Claire. She’s Miranda Priestly-lite, but draws plenty of laughs as Ana’s overbearing boss. Early in the movie, there is a brief mention of Claire’s upbringing, but sadly, it was never brought up again, which is a shame because it would have nicely tied together Claire and Ana’s stories and perhaps made for some genuine understanding between the two.

I left this movie feeling some shades of Never Been Kissed. A young woman overlooked at work becomes someone else to experience a different kind of life while wanting to prove herself in her career field. Eventually, she must atone for her lies and earn forgiveness from those she hurt around her. The romance in Never Been Kissed was also secondary to the plot, but at least Will wasn’t Ana’s teacher crushing on her while he thinks she’s seventeen. In any case, both movies succeed because of their affable leads and a witty script that keeps the plot interesting.

Upgraded is a movie that captures the essence of career aspirations, but I’m disappointed in how it dealt with Ana’s behavior. There are some consequences, yes, but they are short-lived, and ultimately Ana receives everything she’s ever wanted. If you’re going to view this as a rom-com, then fine, I get it… there’s almost always going to be a happy ending. But I think it would have meant more to have Ana work harder to achieve her aspirations than to reward her effectiveness in deceit.

Upgraded is worth a watch for fans of the genre, but I think if you go into it expecting a full-blown romantic comedy, you’ll likely be disappointed. Lower your expectations, and I think you’ll enjoy it well enough.

David (Colin Farrell) lives in a world where Coupledom is the only acceptable way of life. When his wife leaves him, he is sent to The Hotel, where he has forty-five days to find a compatible partner or be transformed into an animal of his choice for the rest of his life. Circumstances lead him to a group called The Loners, who live outside of societal norms and forbid romantic relationships between anyone in the group. David meets a woman we only know as Short-Sighted Woman (Rachel Weisz), and the two have to hide their blossoming romance or risk death.

As with nearly all of Yorgos Lanthimos’s offbeat productions, The Lobster is… an acquired taste. It is bizarre, occasionally distressing, and oftentimes hilarious. There is no explanation for why the world has become this dystopian future, but an answer isn’t necessary. We learn along the way. It’s ridiculous and appalling but somehow, horribly believable.

Colin Farrell gives a nuanced performance as David. Left by his wife, he is sent to The Hotel with his brother, who had gone through the Hotel’s program and failed and was thus turned into a dog. His initial awkwardness and vulnerability are palpable as he adjusts to life at The Hotel, including its restrictive rules and harsh punishments. And Farrell’s deadpan delivery, for the most part, complements the film’s absurdity.

I loved watching David’s progression from determination to find a companion to pushing back against The Hotel and everything it stands for and escaping. When he does find love within the loners, he also finds a new level of oppression. The Hotel and The Loners… are they really any different? One must either love fully or love not at all… where is the in-between?

We never learn Rachel Weisz’s name in The Lobster. She is known as the Short-Sighted Woman and is the film’s narrator. Weisz is adorably charming as SSW and David’s love interest. They play exceptionally well off of one another. Despite the grim outlook and foolishness of the situation, it feels like they can succeed somehow, even if that requires horrific sacrifice.

Along with its unique premise and sharp script, The Lobster also boasts an immensely talented cast. Olivia Colman is the no-nonsense hotel manager. John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw play fellow hotel guests who befriend David as they search for their compatible mate, and French actress Léa Seydoux is excellent as the magnetic but cold leader of the loners. You can’t help but sympathize with these characters and how inane their world has become. It’s hard to blame them for whatever actions they take, especially when they’re not given much choice to do anything different.

Even so, despite the humor that cuts through some of the more ridiculous moments, The Lobster is also incredibly bleak. It provides plenty of laughs, but there’s an oppressive darkness to the narrative, because how could a world like this one ever provide its inhabitants a happy ending? At times, the pacing felt a little clunky, and while I was entertained for most of the film, it began to feel like it would never end. The romance is captivating but the movie never quite lets you forget just how disturbing it really is.

While The Lobster has incredibly dark undertones, it’s still biting satire on society’s obsession with companionship, and how far one will go to form a proper connection with another. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but you must it that Yorgos Lanthimos is a unique and bold storyteller.

Neighbors Nicole (Melissa Joan Hart) and Chase (Adrian Grenier) used to be friends, but now they run in different social circles. However, when Chase’s socially conscious girlfriend breaks up with him and Nicole’s crush falls for a cheerleader from another school, they team up to make their love interests jealous by pretending to date each other.

I cannot recall watching Drive Me Crazy before, though it’s possible I saw it in 1999 when it was released. There are only a few teen comedies from that era that I actually because only a few were memorable; the rest are your typical copycat.

In all honesty, I expected Drive Me Crazy to the long list of forgettable teen rom-coms, but I was instead pleasantly surprised! I love fake dating stories, especially when there is a history between the two lead characters. Nicole and Chase grew up next door to one another. They were friends until a tragedy in Chase’s life caused Nicole to pull away.

Now Nicole is into the star athlete in school, and Chase is dating Dulcie (Ali Larter), a punky girl who is into social activism. Nicole and Chase believe that pretending to be a couple will catch the attention of Brad and Dulcie. We, of course, know better. Because even if their plan is successful, it will be too late, because Nicole and Chase will have caught feelings for each other.

I thought Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier played well off of one another. They had decent chemistry not only with each other but with the ing cast surrounding them. There were no typical mean girls for Nicole to compete with, though that’s probably because that role was filled by Nicole’s supposed BFF, Alicia, played by Susan May Pratt. Alicia plays the ive friend while being vindictive behind Nicole’s back.

Chase’s friends, David (Mark Webber) and Ray (Kris Park) aren’t entirely sure what to think of Chase when he shifts from slacker to Nicole’s preppy boyfriend. David wants to be accepted by the popular crowd himself, so he’s envious of Chase’s sudden social upgrade. Ray is less dramatic and seems more focused on his own crush on Nicole than anything else. It’s teenage drama at its best, yet still so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, as most teen angst is.

While I think Drive Me Crazy was attempting to show how wrong Brad and Dulcie were for Nicole and Chase, I’m not sure it succeeded, at least not in the way it may have wanted. Dulcie breaks up with Chase for not taking her interest in animal rights seriously. She is not an unlikable character. Not wanting to be with a guy who dismisses her ions is a legitimate excuse for breaking up, if you ask me.

And when she begins to observe how Chase is changing himself for Nicole, it concerns her, which tells us she does care about him. Even if it wasn’t intended, I appreciated that Dulcie wasn’t a stone-cold B-word in order to convince the audience that Chase should be with Nicole instead.

As for Brad, he doesn’t do anything wrong other than fall for another girl who seems nice enough. It’s Alicia who screws up that relationship, not Nicole. And Brad is probably the least interesting character in the movie. He’s bland with little character development or personality, so we honestly don’t care about him or Nicole’s crush.

My biggest pet peeve with this movie was I preferred Chase pre-transformation. There was nothing wrong with him. He had curly hair and comfortable clothes that fit with his personality. Then Nicole gets his hair straightened, cut, and slicked back, and he begins to dress in plain clothes you might find on a mannequin in front of some preppy department store. It’s boring. Here’s hoping Chase reverted to his true style without issue after the two finally ended the fake dating charade.

I’m nitpicking now, and I recognize that. Despite its flaws, I found Drive Me Crazy to be a cute movie. Grenier and Hart had decent enough chemistry to make me root for them. There were some genuinely funny moments, and who doesn’t love a school dance confession of love?

Widowed Loretta has recently become engaged to her boyfriend, Johnny. When Johnny’s mother falls gravely ill, he has to return to Italy but asks Loretta to track down his younger brother, Ronny, to invite him to the wedding. Johnny and Ronny have been estranged for quite some time, but family is important to Johnny, so Loretta agrees. As Johnny is away, Loretta and Ronny fall into a ionate romance that is complicated with Johnny’s return.

Upon its release, the movie was a critical and commercial success. It won three Oscars out of six nominations, including a Best Actress Oscar for Cher, and is one of the most celebrated romantic comedies in the genre’s history.

It’s been so long since I’ve seen Moonstruck, but rewatching it for this blog reminded me why I enjoyed it so much. This romantic comedy was skillful in circumventing the usual rom-com formula, generating an odd but charming comedy about finding love in the most unexpected places.

Cher has a magnetic screen presence in Moonstruck, world weary, and no nonsense. She is the grounded member of the Castorini family but begins to let her hair down – metaphorically and literally – after meeting Nic Cage’s Ronny. Cage is still a great actor, but there is something so charismatic about his earlier roles. Cher may have won the Oscar for this movie, but I feel like Cage gives Moonstruck the ionate energy that makes it such a successful romantic comedy. Ronny is intense and maybe a little chaotic, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else pulling it off without coming across as a psychopath.

Olympia Dukakis and Vincent Gardenia play Loretta’s parents, Rose and Cosmo. Their love story is just as complicated as Loretta’s, as Rose correctly suspects Cosmo of having an affair. Dukakis and Gardenia were both nominated by the Academy for their ing roles, with Dukakis winning in her category., deservingly so. Her performance is so beautiful. It is subtle and devastating, and yet she has some of the funniest lines in the movie. “I just want you to know no matter what you do, you’re gonna die, just like everybody else.”

Moonstruck does not shy away from heavier topics like family estrangement, death, and infidelity, but it doesn’t make light of them, instead presenting these issues with a simplicity that thankfully won’t send us into a spiral of depression. These things just are. It’s life. We accept them just as Loretta accepts that she’s fallen for Ronny, as complicated as it may be.

There are times when I felt the movie dragged a little, and perhaps the ending is a little too neat for my tastes, but you could say those are minor nitpicks. Ultimately, Moonstruck is a sharply written movie about the kind of love that is messy and complicated, the kind that can be both joyful and painful, and I think that is what sets it apart from so many other romantic comedies. It may not be for everyone, but I think it’s absolutely worth a watch for the performances alone.

Rom-Coms that feature the main character running/rushing to confess their love.

• Along Came Polly
• Bridget Jones's Diary
• Fever Pitch
• Going the Distance
• The Half of It
• The Holiday
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
• It Happened One Night
• The Kissing Booth
• The Kissing Booth 2

...plus 18 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Romantic comedies that take place during the holidays… if  Christmas is featured in any way… it’s on this list.

• 12 Dates of Christmas
• Almost Christmas
• The Apartment
• The Best Man Holiday
• The Bishop's Wife
• Bridget Jones's Diary
• A Castle for Christmas
• The Christmas Contract
• Christmas Cupid
• Christmas in Connecticut

...plus 52 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Bridget Jones's Diary
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Something's Gotta Give
• You've Got Mail
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
• Pride & Prejudice
• Sweet Home Alabama
• 10 Things I Hate About You
• Palm Springs

...plus 28 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

The best homes you'll find in the rom-com genre.

• The Holiday
• Something's Gotta Give
• Father of the Bride
• Sweet Home Alabama
• The Lake House
• The Proposal
• It's Complicated
• Under the Tuscan Sun
• Clueless
• Sleepless in Seattle

best dads you'll find in rom coms.

• The Holiday
• About Time
• Definitely, Maybe
• Sleepless in Seattle
• Love Actually
• Jersey Girl
• Love, Simon
• Crazy, Stupid, Love.
• The Big Sick

my favorite rom com kisses (so far)

• Bridget Jones's Diary
• You've Got Mail
• When Harry Met Sally...
• Serendipity
• Pretty Woman
• While You Were Sleeping
• Notting Hill
• Love Actually
• The Wedding Singer
• The Proposal