420 Friendly Comedy Special (2014)

In the spirit of Halloween, here's a list of body horror films which can be interpreted as trans allegories.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" isn’t just a movie; it’s an experience. It's one of the best superhero movies thanks to the amazing writing, the fantastic performances from the actors, and a healthy helping of fan service.

The social issues The Half of it takes on are handled well, between the antagonization brought on to Ellie for her race and the conflict that arises from her being gay. Both aspects of her character are built up over the course of the film and don’t seem abrupt or rushed. The film shows racism towards Ellie and her and father in varying levels, from having her schoolmates specifically address her as "Chinese girl” to the fore mentioned way her Dad is treated due to language barriers. The same can be said about Ellie being a lesbian. While she never truly “comes out” in the narrative, that does not undermine her journey of self-discovery from being meaningful. These ideas aren’t thrust upon the viewer in a preachy manor, the scenarios that occur feel believable given the rural setting. The film presents watchers with problems whom those like Ellie may face, and leaves us to sit with them and reflect.

Kate Winslet and Saorise Ronan deliver stellar performances in a film that doesn't live up to its potential.

Perhaps the most amazing and groundbreaking quality about The Birdcage is how removed it is from both illness and insensitivity. Whereas films preceding it were often somber stories about the tribulations of being gay in a conservatively straight world, Nichols and screenwriter Elaine May expose the fallacies of conservatism as traditional values are thrown into a more open-minded space. They don’t care how far the community has fallen so much as how high they can rebuild themselves.

"Be good. It doesn’t mean you can’t be tough. It doesn’t mean you always have to be nice. Just be good."