This week I pinched a nerve in my back and I was forced to take a couple days off work since I could hardly walk, stand, or sit. I was in quite a bit of pain so I ended up watching movies to take my mind off the pain. I turned on Netflix and just started browsing for things I had never seen before (plus one rewatch). Everyone is always asking for recommendations of things to watch, so here’s a little info on what I watched, and what I thought while I couldn’t move or do anything else with my life.

Unhinged

A woman who has a bad day decides to honk her horn in traffic at a dude who turns out to be a psychotic killer. He systematically hunts down the people she loves, torturing and killing them in the most insane case of road rage that could ever be imagined.

This was a pretty good and entertaining thriller. It was the movie I watched when I was in the most pain, and it definitely took my mind off of it, which was great. I have to admit, I love thrillers much more than typical horror movies, and this one was well acted and well crafted. Decently predictable but still entertaining with some good payoff moments.

This movie will make you think twice about using your horn.

The Vault

A genius engineer is mysteriously recruited to help a team of people crack into a vault that is impossible to get into. They are after an ancient treasure that is being kept inside after recently being discovered. Predictably, he figures out a way to solve every problem that arises, but there’s just the perfect amount of suspense and flow throughout the adventure to keep you entertained.

Classic heist movies always make me happy, and this was no exception. Although I feel like there’s not too much to say about this one, I loved this movie. It had everything that one wants in a heist movie. Good acting and an interesting scenario. If you like heist movies, you’ll want to check this one out.

Anna

Russian woman living a terrible life gets recruited into the KGB. She’s beautiful, brilliant, and is desperate to take control of her own destiny. She goes undercover and is absolutely masterful. The acting in this one is brilliant, and I think it’s well written.

Didn’t know if I would enjoy it at the beginning but I quickly became hooked and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I enjoy a movie that keeps you thinking, and I became very invested in Anna’s journey towards empowerment and freedom.

Training Day

We have been watching “Black-ish” recently and there was a reference to the movie Training Day that I didn’t understand. I have been trying to diversify my media content a lot more and I have begun taking note of references that I don’t know within that context and then exploring those as well. So I found Training Day and went for it.

It’s about a LAPD detective (Denzel Washington) who introduces his new partner to the high-stakes world of LA narcotics. It’s safe to say his partner is not exactly prepared for it and it quickly becomes all about kill or be killed and adapting to any situation to figure out how to survive a world that you didn’t come from.

There’s a lot of real life parallels in this movie that I found riveting to watch and reflect on afterwards. I cannot know what it’s like to live in this world, but I appreciated the cultural context of this crime thriller. Corruption in the police force is still quite prevalent today in many places, and this movie shows how lines can blur quite easily when you’re in a position of authority on the streets.

The Upside

This movie stars Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. An ex-con somehow manages to land a job he is supremely unqualified for in taking care of a quadriplegic billionaire. This movie is an absolutely perfect comedy-drama. The pair become friends over time, exposing each other to completely opposite ends of the social class, and learning from each other along the way.

I appreciate the friendship between the two, as it shows just how tumultuous a real friendship can be when you are extremely close to someone. Not everything is perfect, and of course arguments and depression will rise up at times. It’s how you deal with those moments together that matters. I love how this movie shows that general humanity is of course relatable to all of us, regardless of class, race, or any other social divide.

We all need to laugh, love, and be loved. Watch this movie.

Twister

My mom owned this movie on VHS when I was a kid. It came out in ’96 when I was 5 years old. I thought the cover looked SO cool and I desperately wanted to watch it for YEARS. She didn’t even watch it, and kept it sealed. I think that way she would know that I hadn’t watched it secretly when she wasn’t around. She kept saying the movie would be too violent for me to watch. I can’t remember when I finally decided enough was enough, but at some point around 12 years old, I opened the plastic wrap and popped it in the VCR. I didn’t care if I got in trouble.

I LOVED IT. I instantly wanted to be a tornado chaser when I grew up.

What an awesome movie. I enjoyed being thrilled by this one once more this weekend. Cows and Semi-trucks flying through the air, houses rolling by like tumbleweeds, and the perfect example of the “thrill of the chase”. Even though I knew everything that would happen in this one, I had many moments I just couldn’t look away. The acting is great, and the effects are timeless. This one will always be riveting for me, and will always make me think of the storm chaser life that I could have led.

See You Yesterday

A genius girl and her equally genius friend invent a gadget that allows them to travel. They start exploring with it when it quickly become dangerous. Her brother gets shot by a police officer for doing absolutely nothing wrong and she does everything she can to go back and fix it, but as always, time travel just keeps getting messier the more you meddle with it.

This movie is very socially relevant with a little sci-fi thrown in. I appreciate this unique take on a very sensitive subject. There’s so many things wrong with our world but we can’t always fix it ourselves, no matter what tools we might have at our disposal. This movie is emotionally deep enough that I forgot all about the sci-fi aspect. It almost seemed completely natural. Very glad I explored this movie.

Beetlejuice

Well, this one is something I honestly thought I would never watch. This Tim Burton classic from ’88 is something that I have been mildly interested in my whole life, but always thought looked stupid and weird. My mom never wanted me to watch this because of some kind of actual demonic superstition, but I think it’s safe to say I am well past believing in that. It’s just Tim Burton doing what Tim Burton does.

I wasn’t wrong in what I thought. This movie is definitely stupid and weird. But it’s also uniquely engaging. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, although it is not something I will ever watch again. I’m glad I finally watched it; mostly for the unique concept that only Tim Burton can create. This movie is a fantastical and dark visual masterpiece that was hard to look away from. It’s like a strange twisted circus.

I wouldn’t say I loved it, but it certainly did satisfy over 20 years of curiosity, and that’s good enough for me.

House Bunny

This movie is about a playboy bunny who gets booted from the playboy mansion. She has no idea what to do with her life and then she decides to become the house mother of a sorority that is falling apart. She teaches them how to be sexy while they teach her how to be smart, and together they all grow as empowered women.

I loved this movie thoroughly. It is so hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. At one point I almost made my back worse by laughing too hard. I am glad I watched this one as I was almost healed. Oh my goodness, what a great movie. It also has Emma Stone in it, which of course in my eyes makes any movie better.

Andrea introduced me to this one, and I highly recommend!