Modest Reception (2012)

'Zombieland: Double Tap' was entertaining and fun at times, but not very evolved. It had poorly developed female characters and stereotypical characters of color.

This list was made with the intention of celebrating comedic craft and a love of seeing more women of colour and newcomers on the scene.

In a film where a Black couple is framed to be the lead characters, they still managed to get shuffled off to the sidelines. The enthusiastic cast delivers well on goofy bits- but can only go so far before they begin to fall flat.

"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.

What seems like such a simple story of survival is so much more than that—it’s a story of family, and of war, and of destruction. It’s painful to watch, but not in a bad way. It makes its audience reflect on their own actions, and in how they are complicit in the sufferings of others as the adults in this film are. Grave of the Fireflies does not hold back from being heartbreaking, and it shouldn’t. It tells a message that needs to be heard decades after the war, and a story that cannot be forgotten by history.

A gentle coming of age story, Water Lilies takes its time in exploring what it’s like to be a young girl trying to make sense of her sexuality in a heteronormative world.