it's that time of the year!

well bloggers, it's getting ever so closer to that saddening time of starting classes again. I was going through my schedule today and walking around campus when I realized how fast summer really went. I've watched a lot of films this summer, and thought I'd maybe give my top 5 I've seen so far...so as to avoid the fact that my free time is about to shrink significantly.

so let's get that summer recap done just in time for school to start again (though it's already started for many others...

top 5 films of my summer (in no particular order) 𑣲⋆

the odyssey (2026), christopher nolan

I really did enjoy this film. I watched it in IMAX with my boyfriend and thought that it told a very interesting story. as I'm sure many of you have, I read this in my freshman year of high school; though I did feel it was missing some things I truly loved about the book.

such as, it lacked this one scene with the cyclops that particularly showed odysseus' wit where he tells the cyclops when he asks his name that he is 'nobody' or 'outis,' meaning 'no man.' and honestly that kind of disappointed me. it was a great film filled with action and war, but it missed odysseus' charm which I believe makes him such an interesting character. overall though, I do believe it was a wonderful film.

eighth grade (2018), bo burnham

my best friend introduced this film to me, and it honestly came to me at a very difficult time. while I'm certainly not entering 8th grade, I am approaching a huge time of change in my life--starting college.

that being said, this movie was quite a hard one to watch, and feel that it is still relevant to today. as teenagers, we are often pushed to change ourselves to fit different societal standards of 'what's normal,' and I believe this film does a great job of summing up the life of an average teenage girl unsure of who she is.

it was sad, but wonderfully comedic at the same time (as bo burnham is a master at achieving).

spider-man: brand new day (2026), destin daniel cretton

in all honesty, I was quite disappointed by this movie. though, I still do believe it is worth mentioning in the top 5 because it's release was so anticipated.

I love tom holland's spider-man, but I did not really enjoy the movie. I haven't gotten caught up with all the marvel films since endgame because after trying to watch 'dr. strange: multiverse of madness' I was extremely confused and let down by the direction marvel entered. the scripts all feel the same, and maybe it's just the fact that I've grown up but it feels like they all use the same formula and have no uniqueness to them anymore.

the film was shot wondrously, and edited nicely, but it also felt like a walking ad. there were so many situations of product placement it distracted me from what was really happening in the movie.

(I know this review may seem a bit controversial, I don't hate the film, just wasn't up to my taste).

the florida project (2017), sean baker

another sad one... here we go...

I loved this movie. it was another one recommended to me by my best friend and I had been holding off watching it cause I forgot I had HBO Max, but then I saw it was leaving soon so I knew this was my chance.

since I watched it, I can't stop mentioning it whether here on the blog, or in day-to-day talks with my friends. it was so beautifully shot and one of the most colorful movies I've seen. it feels like we're watching a documentary of a single mother and daughter barely making it by each day.

there isn't much more to say about this film other than that it's heart wrenching and I recommend it to all.

lady bird (2017), greta gerwig

(greta you are my idol please shake my hand).

this is another film I had been holding off watching for a long time, and I'm glad I waited to watch it til now. I related to it so deeply in the time of college search/move-in time and spent a hard hour trying to hold back my tears in front of my family--as I had watched this 2 days before I took off for LA.

saoirse ronan is a stunning actress and I will always love the characters she plays, and she did not cease to impress me yet again in this role.

I know that for a long time this film will hold a very special place in my heart, and I might just have to rewatch it again tonight.

(I'll say it one more time, please greta lets be friends).

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this has been quite the summer and one for the books, but I know this year will be wonderful. I hope that the start of school or college is just as great for the rest of you, but til next time...

ttyl.