Movie Recommendations

Everyone has a movie (or T.V. show) they’ll defend like til death (okay, that’s a bit extreme, but…) The one they rewatch when they’re sick, quote with friends or insist is a “total classic that everyone needs to see!” For our first round of movie recommendations, we asked around the newsroom. Our staff weighed in with the films they think are worth your time, from old faves to recent discoveries. But we don’t want the recommendations to stop with us. Each month, we’ll be putting together a roundup of movies the UAF community is watching, loving, arguing about, or recommending to anyone that’ll listen. If there’s a film (or television show) you think deserves a wider audience, send it our way. Tell us why you love it and why someone else should watch it. Send your recommendations to: uaf-sunstar@alaska.edu

Jonathan Wasilewski: Wings is a 1927 silent film about two best friends who have the same love interest. When World War I begins, they both enlist in the U.S. military and are sent to fight in the war, creating conflict between the friends.

Many elements of the movie help make it a classic. CGI was nowhere near being invented, so everything had to be filmed practically. Wings pioneered the tracking shot and even won the very first Academy Award for Best Picture.

If you’re in the mood for a classic movie, this is the one for you!

Amber McCain: In the mood for a ridiculously stupid but weirdly smart comedy about an average Joe who wakes up 500 years in the future and discovers society has basically become a complete disaster? It’s crude, absurd, and intentionally dumb, but the satire is honestly what makes it so good. Definitely worth a watch if you’re into dystopian comedy with a side of brain rot. Idiocracy, a 2006 film, follows Joe Bauers, an utterly average guy who gets accidentally frozen in a military experiment and wakes up 500 years in the future. He discovers that society has become so dumbed down that he’s suddenly the smartest person alive, and somehow the best hope for fixing a civilization that has completely gone off the rails.

Taight Jackson: Looking for a heart-warming movie that will toy with your emotions and leave you questioning your existence? Steel Magnolias, a 1989 film, is the choice for you!

The dramedy, set in Louisiana, takes its audience on an emotional roller coaster with a close-knit group of Southern women who appear as delicate as a magnolia flower but possess the inner strength of steel. Despite all the ups and downs life brings, they lean on each other through it all. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll laugh while crying during this movie!

Louis Seymour: When watching Parasite (2019), it can be easy to forget that nobody is speaking English. Many non-English films can struggle to break into the American mainstream, but with a star cast and thrilling plot, this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The thriller, which is set in South Korea, follows the slow, calculated infiltration of a poor family into Korean high society.

At every turn, you’ll find yourself questioning how far they can go and wondering who you are really supposed to empathize with. If you enjoy a thriller with a dash of darker comedy and commentary, Parasite is your movie!

Britany Adorno-Alicea: The Last Unicorn (1982) is an unusual children’s animated film that follows the story of a lone Unicorn who discovers she is the last of her species on Earth and goes on a quest to discover what happened to the rest of her kind. It features a blend of whimsy and melancholy, and is widely popular for its mature themes, poetic beauty, and enduring emotional resonance.

This movie was a huge part of my childhood and became a big defining part of shaping me into the person I am today! If you’ve ever watched this movie and know me personally, it makes a lot of things suddenly make sense. This story is full of magic and bittersweetness, with a very deep, profound meaning that reflects a lot on the tension between eternal innocence and the reality of time, loss, and love. I greatly recommend it to anyone who has a likeness of animated movies or enjoys movies with hidden allegories and meanings!

Gabriele Rigaudo: 1917 (2019) is a British movie directed by Sam Mendes. The story takes place during World War I and follows two British soldiers, William Schofield and Tom Blake, on a mission to deliver an important message that would stop a destined-to-fail attack. The tension builds up as we follow the two main characters throughout their journey, constantly drawing the viewer further into the story. Something I particularly loved about this film is that it uses a continuous-shot effect (oner), which makes it feel like nothing is left out. This technique works especially well with the high-stakes mission the two protagonists are tackling.

Adisen Thomas: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) reminds its audience to live in the present moment. The movie follows Walter Mitty, who escapes his mundane reality through fantasies of himself as various exciting personas that contrast his ordinary life. As a dramedy (Drama and comedy), the story blends humor with deeper emotional themes. Walter is simultaneously portrayed as an awkward boy with childlike wonder, but also a disconnected man with an urge to do something more meaningful. If you enjoy a movie with a balance of buoyancy and depth, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty may be for you.

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