It might be easy to switch on the TV at home and scroll through the endless film options, but there is nothing like seeing a movie on the big screen. When I was at university, I worked at a cinema and spent way too much time watching the latest blockbusters. Free tickets made it all too easy to get lost in movies instead of studying.
Going to the cinema was a huge part of my life until the COVID-19 pandemic, but it feels like many people still have not returned to theatres as often as they did before 2020. Still, I’m determined to recapture some of that lost movie magic, so I thought I would share a few of my favourite films from the past five years that reminded me why it is still worth leaving the house to go to the cinema.
Knives Out (2019/2020)
If you have ever picked up an Agatha Christie novel or played Cluedo, then you are probably familiar with most murder mystery stories and bored with the classic tropes. However, Knives Out is a brilliant film that challenges your assumptions and reinvents this well-worn format to make a really fun story.
Knives Out begins with the death of Harlan Thrombey, an eccentric murder mystery author who is found dead the day after his 85th birthday. The entire Thrombey family is entirely dysfunctional, and as they are interviewed, it is clear each could have a motive to kill off the rich patriarch.
At the centre of it all is Marta Cabrera, Harlan’s kindhearted nurse. Her unusual inability to lie complicates matters as the famous detective Benoit Blanc arrives to uncover the truth.
This is a movie filled with red herrings that plays with your expectations of this genre, but has such a rewarding and clever ending that you will immediately want to rewatch it to discover what clues you missed.
Knives Out technically came out in late 2019, but unfortunately, I think most people missed it in theatres due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it became one of the most talked-about movies in 2020 when it was released on streaming platforms.
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Dune (2021)
Anyone with Gen X parents has probably heard the story of them lining up to see Star Wars in theatres and the shock they felt when Darth Vader uttered one of the most iconic plot twists in movie history with the line, ‘Luke, I am your father.’
Dune is the closest I think my generation will get to experiencing such an incredible movie experience, as I did not believe the biggest sci-fi book of all time could be faithfully adapted until I saw it on the big screen.
In a future where noble houses rule entire planets, Paul Atreides’ father is given control of Arrakis, a harsh desert world and the only source of spice, a powerful substance that enables space travel and enhances human abilities.
But the appointment is a trap set by a rival house with the secret backing of the Emperor. After a brutal attack leaves his father dead, Paul is forced to flee into the desert with his mother. As he learns to survive in this strange world, Paul is also haunted by visions that suggest following his destiny could spark a bloody war that may cost millions of lives.
This huge sci-fi epic keeps you on the edge of your seat with its stunning world-building and offers a hauntingly original twist on the classic ‘chosen one’ narrative that will linger in your mind long after the credits roll.
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The Menu (2022)
The Menu follows Taylor, a hardcore foodie who has bought a $1,250 ticket to dine on a remote island at one of the most exclusive restaurants in the world run by his idol, the celebrity chef Julian Slowik whose kitchen seems to be run more like a cult than a business.
However, Taylor’s date Margot is not as impressed by the pretentious menu or the elite guests, who seem more interested in dissecting the food rather than eating it. As the night goes on and the courses become more bizarre, it is clear no one will be left standing by the time the dessert arrives.
This is a hilarious horror film designed to poke fun at pretentious food critics and is fantastic at slowly putting you on edge as the tension builds towards the first scare. This is a deliciously fun movie that almost seems like Charlie and the Chocolate factory for adults.
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The Boy and the Heron (2023)
As a kid, Studio Ghibli somehow managed to both delight and traumatise me, but its films became some of the most unforgettable parts of my childhood. So, finally getting to experience one of these enchanting movies on the big screen rather than on a fuzzy TV with a DVD player attached felt like a dream come true.
The Boy and the Heron is about Mahito, a 12-year-old boy growing up during World War II, who loses his mother in a hospital fire during the Tokyo bombings. After his father remarries, Mahito is forced to move to the countryside, where he is lured into a mysterious fantasy world by a talking heron who claims his mother is still alive.
This is a breathtaking film with some of the most beautiful animated scenes I have ever seen. It manages to tell a difficult story about how to cope with grief at such a young age and how to keep going in a burned-out world.
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The Substance (2024)
In a world where every picture is photoshopped to perfection, The Substance is a brilliant yet ridiculous horror movie that asks how far you will go to have the perfect body.
Elisabeth Sparkle was a huge Hollywood star in her youth but is now forced to become a television fitness instructor in her fifties as the job offers dry up. After being fired, Elisabeth becomes desperate to be seen as beautiful again and gets hold of a black-market drug that creates a younger version of herself named Sue.
Both Sue and Elisabeth are two different people fighting for control over the same body, and as they grow more famous they need to decide what they are willing to sacrifice as they become more monstrous.
This movie is not subtle about its social commentary, but that made it all the more thrilling to watch in a packed cinema. The audience around me were laughing, gasping, and even screaming during some of the most disturbing scenes and that shared experience is exactly why I still love going to the cinema, even when it is more convenient to stay home.
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