As summer begins to wind down, the school year begins to grasp our attention. Soon
enough the cold weather will begin to set in and many of us will want to cozy up in our rooms with a nice warm beverage to distract us from our fast-moving semesters.
There are many different streaming services, most of which offer students discounts. Here are a few of the best movies from each streaming service to watch this semester while physically distanced with your friends or by yourself.
- Hulu: “I Can Only Imagine”
This is a heartwarming story based off of the song I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe. This drama film is about Bart Millard, a star football player who finds himself trying to create a new purpose for his life after an injury that costs him his career.
He finds a passion for music and begins to venture out into the world, which he never knew could change him and his life. He leaves home and the love of his life in order to pursue his new passion and figure out who he is.
Throughout the movie, Bart faces a series of complications that he must overcome in order to be free from his trauma in his past. He finds himself struggling to forgive not only himself, but people from his past. He leads himself on a journey to becoming a christian singer, but in the end discovers that acceptance may be the only thing that truly sets him free. This journey will have you worried at some points, but also hopeful that life always ends up the way it’s supposed to.
- HBO Now: “The Hate U Give”
Photo from wikipedia.org
This is a movie that relates strongly to recent social injustice that individuals have been speaking out about around the United States. This movie follows the story of a girl named Starr who is the witness to her friend’s murder after being pulled over by the police late one night.
Although she lives in an African American neighborhood, her family placed her and her siblings in a predominately white, private school to give them the best life possible. She struggles to make the decision about speaking out or keeping quiet about her friend’s murder because she is the only witness to the crime. She has to balance the weight of her friend’s death while her friends turn their backs on her when she needs them most.
In the end, her family, boyfriend and community come together to support her movement towards ending the police brutality that has been taking over their community for far too long.
- Amazon Prime: “Escape Room”
If you like some thrill in your life, “Escape Room” is a movie that will keep you on your toes until the very end.
Six individuals get personally invited to participate in an escape room with a $10,000 prize. There are no instructions other than where to meet and what will come from it. The six individuals sit in a waiting room waiting for their adventure to begin when suddenly the room begins to shift, and they find themselves in the very first level of the escape room.
Throughout the game, individuals begin to face their fears and fight for their life while they race against the clock and each other to beat the escape room.
- Disney Plus: “Halloweentown”
Photo from wikipedia.org
This is for all of the Disney fans out there. We could not transition into autumn without a rewatch of a classic: Halloweentown.
This movie takes place in a normal town to start. Marnie and her Mother, Gwen, receive a visit from Marnie’s grandmother on Halloween, as they do every year. Grandma Aggie, secretly a witch, tells the children a story about a place named Halloweentown. Grandma Aggie then gets into a fight with Gwen about the children growing up mortal. After the fight, Marnie and her two siblings follow their grandma home only to find out their life really isn’t as it seems at all.
- Netflix: “Clueless”
Many of us could use a laugh throughout all the stress in our life, and Clueless is a classic comedy that almost everyone can relate to in some way.
Cher lives a somewhat typical high school life, if you ignore certain luxuries like her closet that matches outfits for her. Despite her wealth, she struggles with everyday life, such as getting her drivers license and trying to find a boy that loves her.
As her ex-step brother moves back in, she also recruits a new girl into her friend group to “do good and give back to their community.” Cher tries to create bonds and find love but seems to fall short every time. Cher and her friends continue to navigate their lives in highschool while figuring out where they belong and how to find their own happy endings.
With this semester being filled with unknowns, times can often become stressful and a lot for us to handle. Movies are always a way to transport to another time and place to take your mind off of things. If you are in need of a moment away, these movies will keep you laughing, crying and at the edge of your seat in the way we all need.
Published by: Mikaela Fitzpatrick