It’s more than easy to fall into a movie rut. There are no new releases. Netflix hasn’t added anything that looks good in weeks, and your queue is starting to dry up. The first months of the year are notoriously dry when it comes to movies, because it falls in an awkward period after the Christmas drop and before awards season. But just because nothing new is coming out doesn’t mean there’s nothing to watch.
If you liked “Bridesmaids,” watch “Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar.”
Nothing is funnier than Kristen Wiig. She carries “Bridesmaids” (2011), cracking iconic jokes in one of the first movies depicting realistic female friendships. 10 years later she’s done it again. Wiig co-stars with Annie Mumolo in “Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar,” a film about two aging friends who prove they can still have fun. Packed with bits and giggles, “Barb and Star” is a comforting albeit hilarious movie.
“Barb and Star” is a rare portrayal of a complex aging female friendship. “Barb and Star” mixes the bizarre with the ordinary to ensure a laugh from all types of audiences. Wiig is electric throughout the film, and her love interest Edgar (Jamie Dornan) also packs in some laughs. Like “Bridesmaids,” “Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar” is perfect for a girl’s night, watching with your mom or anytime you need to smile. “Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar” is available on Hulu, and “Bridesmaids” is available on Hulu with a premium subscription.
If you liked “A Quiet Place Part II,” watch “In Fear.”
“A Quiet Place” and its sequel thrilled audiences with a refreshing horror plot, following a family that must stay quiet if they want to stay alive. The tension and intensity of these two films are also found in “In Fear” (2013). “In Fear” follows a young couple who get lost on the way to a festival trying to get to a hotel. The pair are trapped in what seems like an endless loop of wrong turns and cornfields, without GPS or a working map.
The plots of the films are very different, but both issue the same eerie air and give the viewer the same knots in their stomachs. Both films feature strong female leads, Millicent Simmonds in the “Quiet Place” saga and Alice Englert in “In Fear.” For viewers looking for a suspenseful watch, “In Fear” is a great horror movie that’s sure to leave you shaking. “In Fear” and “A Quiet Place Part II” are both available to rent on streaming platforms like Amazon and Youtube.
If you liked “Luca,” watch “My Life as a Courgette.”
“My Life as a Courgette” or “My Life as a Zucchini” (2016) is the French counterpart to “Luca”’s (2021) Italian splendor. While “Luca” shows a child that’s part sea monster trying to escape the confines of his underwater family, “My Life as a Courgette” is about a recently orphaned young boy trying to find a new family. Both films show the sweet innocence of childhood and follow likable young protagonists. “My Life as a Courgette” is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once, a 70-minute claymation spectacular that’s sure to draw a tear or two. “Luca” was one of the most beautifully animated films of 2021, featuring sparkling shorelines and delectable scoops of gelato along the Italian coast.
Both films are eye-catching and sweet, and have run-times under the two-hour mark! If you loved the lightheartedness and simplicity of “Luca,” “My Life as a Courgette” is a sensible next watch. “My Life as a Zucchini” is available to rent on Amazon and Youtube, and “Luca” is available on Disney+.
If you liked “Licorice Pizza” watch “Almost Famous.”
Is 21st-century living getting you down? You’d rather time travel back to some nondescript year in the 1970s? “Licorice Pizza” (2021) and “Almost Famous” (2000) can help with that. Both of these films have plotlines that feel too large for real life — “Almost Famous” following a young rock reporter and “Licorice Pizza” an aspiring entrepreneur.
Gary Valentine and William Miller are eerily similar, both falling for older girls they can’t have. The dreaminess and wonder a viewer feels when watching “Licorice Pizza” is the same in “Almost Famous.” It’s like looking into a different world, not just a different century. “Licorice Pizza” is still playing in theaters, and “Almost Famous” is available on Paramount+ and on Hulu with a premium subscription.
With finals approaching, there’s no better way to relax than with a good movie. Hopefully, some of these recommendations inspire a watch party or a cozy February night in. Or, at the very least, they provide some distraction from the monotonous day-to-day that winter term ensues.
