Black Panther: All Hail the King

For many years, Marvel has been trying to shake things up and give us a movie that seems new, fresh, special. Black Panther, which was already following in the steps of Wonder Woman by creating a superhero for a very specific demographic – black viewers, who have yet to see a superhero who looks like them take the role of the main hero – has also become the shake-up that Marvel needed, a new type of superhero movie that we all needed. Instead of focusing on just the hero and his commitment to fighting his specific bad guy, Black Panther tells the story of a country, a history, a people who are vibrant and breathing and alive, bringing a new life to superhero films that does not just focus on one character or one team. Black Panther focuses on a whole new world, and its characters both inhabit it and bring it to life in a way that we haven’t seen from Marvel yet.

Mudbound: Solid History, Highlights Needed Discussions

Lately Netflix has been trying to prove that their original content can be just as good as any of their competitors, and Mudbound seems to be their attempt to garner some praise at the Academy Awards. What else could possibly prove that the studio helmed by the streaming service is as good as any of those who’ve been around since the film industry began? Certainly, this is a movie made for those who love movies that win Oscars® – it falls right into line with 12 Years a Slave (2013), Fences (2016), The Help (2011), and plenty more. Because of this, while the story may be pretty and deeply emotional, it still comes off feeling like a story you have definitely heard before, just with different characters and different circumstances. It might not be the most ground-breaking film of the season or an attempt at something new, but it is still well-written with some great performances.

Detroit: Heavy, Intense, Necessary

There are certain movies that you go to if you want to enjoy yourself, but this is not one of them. You should not enjoy yourself watching Detroit because it sheds light on a dark time in this country’s history and tries to uncover one of the most terrible nights that the city of Detroit has ever encountered. Director Kathryn Bigelow takes the difficult topic and does not hold back, showing the audience every gritty detail of a night whose details are still questioned. This dark biopic that echoes with more recent events, such as the Ferguson riots, does not aim to entertain us, and nor should it. You watch this movie to gain a better understanding of both a time that has passed and of a time we are currently living in, and hopefully learning a lesson from it. While some execution may be heavy-handed, perhaps that is what is required to truly make the lesson sink in.

Girls Trip : The Fun Night Out

*Warning: Potential Spoilers*

I originally did not want to see this film. Not that I had anything personal against it the way I do with some other films, mind you, but this type of raunchy comedy just usually isn’t my thing and I either get uncomfortable (and feel like a prude because everyone else finds it funny) or I get bored. When my mother suggested we go see it, after it had already been in theaters for quite some time, I agreed because I knew she would probably enjoy it and there are not a ton of movies we agree to see together. This is a familiar tale for me, because it was almost the exact same reaction I had more than a year ago when she wanted to see Bad Moms (2016). And the end result is the same now as it was then – there are some over the top moments and parts that are more face-palm funny than laugh-out-loud funny, but it is just genuinely funny, and the end becomes more heartfelt than you had any right to expect from a fun summer flick. There’s a reason that it was in theaters long enough for me to see it, more than a month later (and what’s still got it in some theaters now). It is fun for just about anyone, even if not all the jokes land the way they could, and the ending is more touching than you would expect a fun summer comedy to be. Most of all, you will definitely have #friendshipgoals.