I would consider myself a movie lover. I love a good cozy night while cuddled up in bed, watching a movie. My dad is a big movie nerd, specifically with comedy movies. If I’m with him, most of the time the movie will always intrigue me. Thanks to the Media Arts academy, I’m constantly noticing different angles a director hides in, or the artistic choices behind the film. Either way, I’m always putting on a film to watch and here are some of my all time favorites

Tangled directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

I’m a big Disney lover, especially princess movies. Tangled will always win every time.

Ever since I was a little girl, this movie has been a staple in my household. The film follows overcoming new challenges and coming out of your comfort zone, which has always inspired me. Not only is the animation eye-catching, but the soundtrack is top-tier with Mandy Moore’s “When Will My Life Begin” or Grace Potter’s “Something That I Want”.

Unlike other Disney movies, Tangled focuses more on an adventurous, fast-paced narrative. Unlike other traditional “princess” films, Rapunzel breaks away from the role. The film’s primary focus is Rapunzel and finding her self-discovery, separating her journey away from Flynn Rider, the male protagonist. In many Disney films, the male protagonist often saves the princess, reflecting traditional gender roles. In Tangled, Rapunzel is often saving Flynn Rider using her magic hair to heal, or fighting back with the frying pan. The villains in the story are more complex, and have more than one, different from other Disney villains. Mother Gospel for instance, is highly manipulative to Rapunzel, making her believe that people would be after her magic hair. Overall, the film breaks away from the traditional narrative of boy saving princess, letting the female protagonist protect herself instead.

Grown Ups (1 & 2) directed by Dennis Dugan

My dad introduced me to this duology since he’s a sucker for comedies. Now it is an all-time classic for me. No matter how many times I watch the films, I’ll find a new joke to start laughing at and a new cycle begins. The duology perfectly describes true friendship between life-long friends. The laughing, jokes, and dialogue in the movies are raw-real moments, making the films even better knowing the main actors are all best friends. Because it is Adam Sandler’s production company, you’ll see in a lot of his movies that a lot of actors are reused like Kevin James, Chris Rock, or Rob Schnieder.

Grown Ups is a classic film about reuniting with best friends. The group visits their old lodge with their families after the beloved basketball coach from the boys’ youth passes away in the first film. The best buds recall their past memories of their childhood, give meaningful lessons to their children, and have the best weekend over all. I find Adam Sandler to be one the funniest comedians and actors of all-time. His production company was founded in 1999, and since then has been making movies for years. What I find most fascinating about his movies is that none are similar. Each movie follows a different plotline, comedic style, or theme. You can never be bored while watching any of his films, they’ll pull you in every time. Out of any movies, I would definitely give a watch to any of his films for a good laugh.

27 Dresses directed by Anne Fletcher

If anyone knows me, they’ll know rom-coms are a favorite of mine, especially any from the 2000s. 27 Dresses is a timeless film that’s fast-paced, impactful, and just hilarious. The movie itself focuses on sister dynamics, wanting to find love, and the hardships that come with that. Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl), and Tess Nichols (Malin Akerman) perfectly portray how sisters fight. You have the typical narrative overbearing, responsible older sister, and “go with the flow”, irresponsible younger sister.

Jane, the older sister, attends far too many weddings as a bridesmaid, doing everything possible to make sure the bride has the perfect wedding day. On the other hand, she really wants that reality for herself. When her sister, Tess, unexpectedly marries her boss (AKA the man of her dreams), Jane is heartbroken. A writer for a local Newspaper, Kevin, covers Tess and George’s wedding. During that time, he meets over-achiever Jane, whose main focus is now all the 27 bridesmaid dresses hidden in her closet. As the wedding gets closer to the date, Kevin and Jane’s relationship grows closer as well. At one point, Jane and Kevin break down near a bar. Elton John’s Benny and the Jets song starts playing. The entire bar dances and sings to the lyrics, which makes the scene by far my favorite. Not only is the song really good, but we start to see a shift in their relationship.

Almost all 2000s rom-coms are amazing, but 27 Dresses checks all the boxes for me.

Silence Of​​ The Lambs directed by Jonathan Harris

I remember my sister and I took minutes to find a movie to watch. It was near Halloween and we wanted a good thriller to watch, nothing scary. Neither of us had ever watched Silence of the Lambs, but we knew it was a classic for many. Needless to say, it definitely changed the way I view films. The film draws me in every time I sit down and watch. Unlike Grown Ups, where I find another joke to laugh at, I find more clues that leave me speechless. This film truly is a mastermind when it comes to psychological thriller and crime.

Athony Hopkins was born to play Hannibal Lecter., he was able to embody the characteristics traits of a typical serial killer, as well as portray a very serious individual phenomenally. In the film, Lecter played a psychiatrist= who gives helpful information to Clerice Starling (Jodie Foster) and the FBI to find the serial killer Buffalo Bill. The movie never gave me boring vibes, there always was a new scene that pulled me in. If you haven’t seen the movie, I won’t spoil too much, but it’s a film I’d highly recommend.