I’ll admit I don’t have the best attention span when it comes to movies. I compare myself to a goldfish (nicely) in that I can’t remember or pay attention to things for more than a few seconds, and while that’s a slight exaggeration, there’s still some truth to it - things have to really pull me in to keep me fully absorbed, and it’s hard starting a movie only to realize you’ve got over an hour left and haven’t been enjoying yourself.

I will also admit to having a pretty wide taste in movies in general - the stuff that ends up grabbing my attention isn’t always good, okay? So when I say this is a list of the best movies I’ve enjoyed over the last few months, go into it with the knowledge that my parameters for “best” are that the movie has to entertain and absorb me - and all of these definitely did!

1. Piercing (2018)

Starting off with a pretty polarizing choice to set the theme of this list right off the bat! People seem to either love this one or hate it, but I fall firmly into the former category because of how weird it is. There were so many choices and scenes that just felt too abrupt for what I was watching, and that gave my viewing experience a jarring quality that lends itself well to this “twisted love story”. Mia Wasikowska is great, and Christopher Abbott had me convinced he was Jon Snow for most of the movie. Excellent.

2. A Simple Favor (2018)

Blake Lively in a pantsuit. Anna Kendrick as a mommy vlogger. Need I say more? It’s just pure fun, and I’d gladly watch any movie starring these two together forever. I went into this with no expectations, not really knowing much about the plot, and I’d highly recommend that way of watching!

3. The Perfection (2018)

I put this off so long because I saw so many people raving about it, and I didn’t want to have my expectations built up too much. I didn’t need to worry - I loved it as much as everyone said I would! There’s an important message here about power abuse and the systemic refusal to address or repair damage done by those in positions of authority, which can be a lot for some people, so go into this with the knowledge that although a lot of it is gory and surreal and dream- like, it has some heavy themes.

4. Spring Breakers (2012)

This is just a really wild, over-the-top movie that has some weirdest scenes - the Britney Spears piano montage played and sung by James Franco?? - and I’m always telling people, “You just need to watch it, I can’t really explain.” I wouldn’t actually say it’s “good”, but it’s entertaining - I love the actresses in it, too!

5. All the Bright Places (2020)

Here’s a tearjerker for the list, so we can round things out really nicely - this one broke my heart. I did not read the book beforehand, and did not know what I was getting myself into. This is not the happy teen rom-com I thought it would be, and that’s all I’ll say about that. Watch it, and cry with me! I also love Elle Fanning so much, I’ll watch her in anything.

6. Lake Mungo (2008)

If emotional horror and found footage type recorded stuff is your jam, this one will be right up your alley. I watched it for the first time last year, then recommended it this year for our Rainbow Reel Revival movie party viewing - it didn’t disappoint on the rewatch! This has so many twists that it keeps you guessing the whole way through - I remember thinking it was over only to look at the time and see that it’d only gotten halfway through the movie!

7. After Midnight (2019)

Sometimes you just have to hop on a Twitter trend, you know? The iconic poster image of this one with the heart and monster head was intriguing, and I’d seen several friends post about how much they loved this one, so I gave it a shot. It’s more of a relationship drama than a pure horror movie or creature feature, but I loved the build up and pacing a lot. The music is also incredible, I’ve been playing Lisa Loeb’s “Stay” on repeat for weeks since watching!

8. Braid (2018)

THIS MOVIE IS SO STRANGE AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH!! I had no idea what was going on for most of it, and even after finishing, went down a rabbit hole of internet theories of what actually happens at the end. I think I’ve got my own mind made up now, but I could possibly be swayed! 😂 This has gorgeous imagery, beautiful colors, interesting characters, and quick dialogue - it’s so bizarre in the best way, and I can’t recommend it enough if you’re a fan of pretty movies that are also kinda weird.

9. Jason X (2001)

HOW HAD I NOT SEEN THIS ONE BEFORE?! Thanks to our very own Dan for the recommendation for this Reelie pick, I’ve now seen Jason in space and AM NOT DISAPPOINTED! This was so much dang fun from start to finish - an entire gymnatic hallway scene with bullets?! YES. Everything yes. I loved it so much and will be rewatching this probably every October from now on!

 10. Ponyo (2008)

Another movie I’m shocked I hadn’t seen up til now, ‘cause Studio Ghibli films are some of my favorites and it’s been on my to-watch for AGES! Both Dan and Ellen told me I’d love it, so I dove in and oh my gosh, this is one of the sweetest, cutest things I’ve ever seen! I’ll have the Ponyo song stuck in my head for months, and I’m not mad about it.

So that’s it! I will admit that I’ve been working on putting this list together for entirely too long, and because of that, I’ve now seen a whole bunch of other awesome movies! Guess that means I’ll have a follow up article coming for you all soon?! :D

By Cassie Daley

Website: letsgetgalactic.com

Etsy: Lets Get Galactic

Twitter: @CtrlAltCassie