The Prisoner 

A successful author’s life is upended when she finds herself on a plantation straight out of the antebellum south.

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.

When the retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale and a holiday spirit come together, viewers learn about class issues as well as perseverance despite setbacks.

An unlikely friendship changes the hearts of men, and helps a young boy come into his own.

A best friend that will stick with you to the end, on a group trip from hell, is someone to die for.

Despite it being one of the most visually impressive action movies I’ve ever seen, everything else fell short of my expectations.