By: Ellie Simmers ~ Assistant News Editor
As the month of February comes to a close, I wanted to wrap up the month with some of my favorite movies I watched during February, some being familiar rewatches and a couple of new films.
Here are four films that stood out to me this month:
I was shocked to go back and look at the list of movies I had recommended before and not see Thelma & Louise.
The first time I saw this movie, I knew right away that it was one that I would come back and rewatch frequently.
In fact, I love this movie so much that I wrote my final paper for my film class about it!
The film follows two best friends: Thelma (Geena Davis), a sheltered housewife, and Louise (Susan Sarandon), a hardened, independent waitress, as they embark on a weekend getaway together. When their adventure takes a dark, unexpected turn, they’re forced to flee, embarking on a journey of liberation, friendship, and self-discovery.
One of the things that makes this film so special is how groundbreaking it was for its time. Upon its 1991 release, Thelma & Louise faced intense backlash, particularly from male critics, for its portrayal of women committing violence against men.
Many accused the film of promoting misandry, the inverse of misogyny while overlooking the deeper themes of autonomy, survival, and defiance woven into the story.
Despite this, Thelma & Louise became a cultural staple, particularly for its feminist themes. It flipped the traditional road movie, giving two women the agency and complexity typically reserved for male antiheroes. The film resonated deeply with audiences, especially women who saw reflections of their own struggles in Thelma and Louise’s fight for freedom.
Rewatching the film this month felt more empowering than ever, especially in light of women’s challenges in the United States.
With the increasing uncertainty surrounding our rights and autonomy, Thelma & Louise serves as both a reminder of resilience and a reflection of the fears and frustrations many women still experience today.
As a DVD I picked up at the thrift store, I didn’t have high expectations for Junebug, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it and how deeply it moved me.
The film follows Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), an art dealer from Chicago, who travels to North Carolina with her new husband, George (Alessandro Nivola), to court a new artist for her gallery.
While there, she meets George’s deeply Southern, working-class family, including his shy mother, his resentful younger brother, Johnny (Ben Mckenzie), and Johnny’s overly talkative, deeply sincere sister-in-law, Ashley (Amy Adams).
As the story unfolds, the tensions between family, culture, and the unspoken dynamics that shape relationships are dissected and brought to the surface.
The film has immense emotional depth, not through explosive confrontations but quiet moments, subtle tensions, and everyday interactions that define relationships.
It’s impossible not to love Amy Adams as Ashley, whose optimism and persistent enthusiasm mask a deep need for love and validation.
Her character brings warmth and heartbreak to the story, making her the clear emotional heart of the film.
Junebug also thoughtfully explores the differences between urban and rural life.
Madeleine and George are newlyweds, and as Madeline learns more about his family, she realizes how little she knows about him.
The film subtly raises questions about identity, who we are, where we come from, and whether we can fully separate ourselves from our roots.
This film stood out to me this month because it felt unexpectedly personal.
I went into it with no expectations, yet found myself completely absorbed in its quiet, emotional storytelling.
The exploration of family, belonging, and the tension between different worlds lingered with me long after I watched it, making it one of my most memorable films of February.
I went into The Art of Getting By not expecting much beyond a typical coming-of-age indie film, but something about it stuck with me.
The film follows George (Freddie Highmore), a cynical high school senior who has glided through life, believing that death is inevitable and that doing things is pointless.
That is until he meets Sally (Emma Roberts), a free-spirited classmate who challenges his outlook and pulls him out of his shell.
What stood out to me the most about this film was its portrayal of teenage aimlessness and self-doubt.
George isn’t your typical brooding, rebellious protagonist.
He’s lost, unsure of himself, and he feels stuck.
His journey of self-discovery, though subtle, felt authentic in a way that many coming-of-age films don’t always capture, as it wasn’t perfect and everything didn’t go the exact way he may have wanted it to.
The film’s quiet, melancholic tone, combined with its indie soundtrack and muted cinematography, gives it a certain nostalgic charm.
While it might not be a groundbreaking film, there’s something deeply real about its exploration of growing up, figuring things out (or not), and how certain people come into our lives at the right moment.
That theme resonated with me even more this month as I found myself experiencing something similar in my own life.
- Shark Tale (2004)
This film may seem like an outlier compared to the other three on this list, but this is one of my favorite films of all time and one I rewatch at least once a month.
So, I had to include Shark Tale, my favorite Mafia fish film, in my top four.
This film follows Oscar (Will Smith), a smooth, hustler fish who gets caught up in an elaborate lie after taking credit for the accidental death of a shark from a powerful mob family. As he basks in his newfound fame, Oscar quickly realizes that success built on deception comes with a price, especially when the vengeful shark boss Don Lino (Robert De Niro) and his sensitive, vegetarian son Lenny (Jack Black) get involved.
Watching it now, I can’t help but appreciate how bizarre it is.
A mafia movie but with fish? Will Smith as a hustler fish? Martin Scorsese as a pufferfish with giant eyebrows? Angelina Jolie as the ultimate femme fatale fish?
It’s chaotic in the best way.
Beyond the humor, the film has some heart.
Lenny’s struggle to be accepted for his vegetarianism, which I have always interpreted as an allegory for being gay, adds a surprising layer of depth.
Oscar’s journey toward realizing that fame and fortune don’t equal happiness gives the movie a little more depth (no pun intended).
Shark Tale is my ultimate comfort movie. If for nothing else, I will rewatch the film purely for the shrimp monologue.
Check out my LetterBoxd account (@elliegsim) for past recommendations and what I’m watching now!
