First-Time Watches for April 2021

 

Hi everyone! This afternoon I was scrolling through my Letterboxd diar (psst - you should follow me!), and I realized I watched a lot of new movies last month! I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of all of my first-time watches, and if I'd personally recommend them. I'll talk about these movies through a professional lens, as well as my personal taste. Let's get started!

1. Raya and the Last Dragon, dir. Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumondra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it's up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.

This movie and it's animation absolutely blew me away. Sisu the dragon was hilariously voices by Awkwafina, and was comedic gold. It was relatively fast-paced, but still provided a mesmerizing and wonderful experience.

2. Nomadland, dir. Chloe Zhao

A woman in her sixties embarks on a journey through the Western United States after losing everything in the Great Recession, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

I'm going to be honest, I was a little underwhelmed with this movie. I was looking forward to watching Chloe Zhao's work - I'm a major Marvel fan, so I couldn't wait to see what she had in store for The Eternals. I did feel like this movie was more of a documentary than a film with a three-act structure, but I wonder if that is what Zhao's goal was. It was worth the watch, but I wasn't as emotionally invested as I thought I was going to be. It was not something that stuck with me or particularly pulled at my heart strings.

3. I, Tonya, dir. Craig Gillespie

Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.

I was completely in awe of this film the entire time. This movie really shined a light on Tonya on her as a person, and how, even though she is also just a victim of circumstances, her hands may not have been completely clean in what happens to Nancy Kerrigan. There were so many factors of the film I fell in love with, between Tonya breaking the fourth wall every once in a while to the electrifying soundtrack. I was enthralled from beginning to end, and I cannot recommend this film enough to anyone who loves a good biopic like me.

4. Sound of Metal, dir. Darius Marder

A drummer begins to lose his hearing and has to come to grips with a future that will be filled with silence.

I was very late when it came to watching this movie, and I do apologize, because this film was great. It was an incredibly strong example of what coming to terms with hearing loss is like. Riz Ahmed did incredible with this role, and gave such an authentic and powerful performance locked from sound without warning. Something from this film that particularly stood out to me was the sound design. It was a great personal touch to be able to hear from the perspective of someone who has cochlear implants.

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, dir. Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America is living quietly in Washington D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villanious plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy - the Winter Soldier.

I am so mad at myself that I didn't see this movie sooner! Definitely now one of my top favorite Marvel movies. Incredible performances from all of the cast. The action scenes were some of the best that I've seen from the entire MCU, and I fell absolutely in love with Henry Jackman's score. Whenever the Winter Soldier came on screen, and we hear the shreaks of the score - I felt complete and utter chills.