Mini Reviews of Movies I Watched this Week — 5/15/20

Since the Covid-19 pandemic has hit I’ve been watching a lot of movies. There’s not a ton else to do, so when we want to do something as a family we watch a movie. Now my parents don’t know how to search for movies on our TV, so most of the time I’m in charge of finding the movie. I have spent a lot of time searching the internet for movies that my whole family would like, and it’s NOT an easy task. I know a lot of us are at home trying to find something to watch, so I decided to share some of the movies that I’ve watched lately and what I thought.

We’ve been watching a ton of movies lately and it’s getting harder to find a good movie so if you have any movie recommendations please comment below!

 

Irreplaceable You

Streaming on Netflix

A comedy which follows the love story of Abbie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Sam (Michiel Huisman), childhood sweethearts and recently engaged. When Abbie is diagnosed with cancer, she sets out on a humorous mission to find a new love for Sam.

Mini Review: 🌟🌟

So this movie basically starts out telling you that the main character is going to die, basically screaming DON’T GET ATTACHED, and then the movie tries to get you attached. It was very slow moving and it was like the movie was trying a little too hard to make you cry. I did get a little attached and there was a moment where I got a little teary eyed, but it was just an okay movie. It was just forgettable and slow. There were parts where I really felt for the main character, but it was so damn slow that I was bored and my mom fell asleep. I also didn’t think this was much of a comedy at all.

Instant Family

Streaming on Amazon Prime

When Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. They hope to take in one small child, but when they meet three siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl, they find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight. Now, Pete and Ellie must try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hope of becoming a family.

Mini Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Okay so finding a movie that the whole family likes has been quite a challenge. My mom likes mainly only drama movies, but to find a drama that is interesting and something the whole family will enjoy is pretty difficult. This movie was the perfect movie for the entire family. It was really funny and also extremely heartfelt. This was probably the biggest hit for the entire family. Mark Walhberg plays in this family friendly movie that had me laughing out loud. The humor is perfect, it isn’t stupid funny and it’s not dark humor, so it lands right in the middle. This movie is a hidden gem that I didn’t even know about, even though I’m a Mark Walhberg fan. This is the perfect mix between drama and comedy and a movie most people will enjoy.

A Simple Favor

Streaming on Amazon Prime

Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) is a blogger in a small town who happens to be a single mother. Her best friend, stylish and sophisticated executive Emily (Blake Lively), goes missing shortly after asking Stephanie for a favor. Emily’s husband Sean (Henry Golding) has no idea where she is. Stephanie writes about the disappearance, asking her readers for help, and put fliers up all over town.

As she looks into what happened, Stephanie begins to realize she really didn’t know Emily very well at all.

Based on the novel of the same name by Darcey Bell.

Mini Review: 🌟🌟🌟

After watching Instant Family I was hoping for another movie just like it, so I went to Google and typed in “movies like Instant Family” and A Simple Favor came up. The two movies could not be more different, the only thing that they really have in common is the fact that they’re both available to stream on Amazon Prime. A Simple Favor was a good movie, but it certainly wasn’t family friendly, my mom thought it was pretty vulgar, but regardless it held everyone’s interest. My dad and I enjoyed this movie more than my mom did though, Blake Lively plays a really messed up character who is a bit vulgar, but she is also incredibly fascinating and wild. This movie had some really incredible twists and turns and Anna Kendrick’s character was really likable despite some questionable choices. I actually really enjoyed this twisted movie even though it was NOTHING like what I was actually looking for I am glad that I stumbled across it.

Clinical

Streaming on Netflix

After being traumatized when a patient violently attacks her, a psychiatrist (Vinessa Shaw) tries to repair her life by helping a new patient who has his own terrifying history.

Mini Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I’ve always loved a good psychological thriller book, but I have only recently gotten into psychological thriller movies. I am totally addicted to psychological thriller movies because they pull off insane twists that blow my mind. Clinical was all about psychology and I really could relate with some of the things that happened in the story. Parts of this were super thrilling and others blew my mind. The twist at the end was one that I would have never seen coming and I think that it was done really well. This was a pretty great psychological thriller and it sparked some really great conversations about PTSD.

To The Bone

Streaming on Netflix

Ellen (Lily Collins) is an unruly 20-year-old anorexic girl who spent the better part of her teenage years being shepherded through various recovery programs, only to find herself several pounds lighter every time. Determined to find a solution, her dysfunctional family agrees to send her to a group home for youths, which is led by a non-traditional doctor. Surprised by the unusual rules, Ellen must discover for herself how to confront her addiction and attempt self-acceptance.

Mini Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This movie about anorexia was incredibly well done and thought provoking. It really reminded me of a book I had read actually called The Girls at 17 Swann Street. (Check out my review here!) I highly recommend checking the trigger warnings before watching this one, especially if you have ever suffered from eating problems because this movie is raw, but it’s also real. I never really understood eating disorders until I read The Girls at 17 Swann Street and I still don’t think I fully understand them, but To The Bone added some insight to what it’s really like. I do wish that they skipped the romance and talked more about how the girls were feeling instead, maybe an additional group therapy scene or something. But honestly this is one of the best movies that I’ve seen lately. It’s hard to do this kind of movie right, in a way that doesn’t idolize eating disorders and shows how devastating and deadly they can truly be.

Leave No Trace

Streaming on Amazon Prime

A father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful nature reserve near Portland, Oregon, rarely making contact with the world. But when a small mistake tips them off to authorities, they are sent on an increasingly erratic journey in search of a place to call their own.

Mini Review: 🌟🌟🌟

This movie initially reminded me of Alabama Moon, which was about a boy and his father who lived in the woods until the boy’s father died, except this movie was way better than that one was. Leave No Trace is about a father and daughter that preferred to live in the woods and live off the land rather than be a part of society. I watched this with my mom who loves hiking and loves adventure movies or survival themes. This movie was more about them trying to become a part of society and find a place for themselves rather than about them surviving in the woods. There were some emotional parts of the book where the daughter just wants a home and that part really got my heart. But the ending of this movie really just felt wrong and made me mad.

 

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Let’s Chat!

Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think? Do you have any movie recommendations for me? Have you been watching a lot more movies since the pandemic started? What kinds of movies do you like to watch? Make sure to comment below so we can chat about movies we’ve seen recently!