Texts of A Pop Culture Buff

Read on for a selected list of recommendations for you to explore as the year draws to a close.

A pioneer of the blockbuster Hollywood movement, Steven Spielberg’s adventure film is replete with iconic imagery and practical effects, emerging as a classic in the action film pantheon. Complete with an engaging story that hooks the audience and a humanized hero, this film will surely awaken your inner child with heaping doses of fun and entertainment value.

Spielberg’s 1989 sequel delivers more of what made its predecessor so memorable – an immersive adventurous narrative, relentless action, well-timed comedy and a deeper look at its hero made possible by both Harrison Ford and Sean Connery’s performances.

Enlivened by David Fincher’s methodical direction and Aaron Sorkin’s striking screenplay, this masterful film is a classic Shakespearean tale of greed and power that was brewing under a generational technological revolution, elevated by Jesse Eisenberg leading an ensemble of impressive performances.

Daringly inventive, Christopher Nolan’s original sci-fi spectacle pushed the boundaries of how intellectual a blockbuster action picture could be. With a twisty, mind-bending script, and some innovative action sequences, one is left amazed at the film’s world-building and re-watch value of it all.

Drawing influences from classic noir crime films, Christopher Nolan’s 2008 superhero epic combined real-world commentary, an intricate story line, fleshed-out (or intentionally ambiguous) characters. The result? A mature, terrifying and immensely gratifying that virtually and creatively redefined an entire film genre.

Depicting how art can heal a broken family, even in the midst of political turmoil, this warm, comfortable, genre-defining classic benefits from memorable musical numbers, solid production values and a powerhouse performance from Julie Andrews.

Sofia Coppola’s romantic drama demonstrates how alienation and isolation can be overshadowed by the bright light of an impactful companionship, even if it is fleeting. A story that is sure to move you in ways more than one, you will be left smiling by the end at this story beautifully brought to life by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.

A prescient tale about our connection with technology, Spike Jonze’s commentary on the state of modern relationships is sure to tug at your heartstrings. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as a once-lonely man who forges a relationship with a virtual assistant (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), Jonze crafts an original film laced with questions on love and what technology has in store for it in the future.

What if you could erase the memories of your former love? Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet explore this “what-if” scenario that underlie human relationships in their career-best performances. With an excellent screenplay that is exceptionally moving, we are left with lessons by the time the film comes to an end.

When a socially awkward, aspiring film maker is asked to comfort his former childhood friend who is diagnosed with cancer, what follows is a heart-wrenching tale of companionship packed with emotional substance uncommon for films of its kind.

A whimsical, adventure-romance, Wes Anderson’s 2012 comedy sees two per-adolescents standing up for love, even if there’s a whole town of adults attempting to separate them. A mature take on an old-fashioned trope, Anderson’s film offers both heartfelt moments and laugh-out-loud comedy.

Lively, vibrant and immediately immersive, Damien Chazzelle’s ode to a bygone era of Hollywood film making spectacle explores the magical timelessness of art and love, and the adverse effects they may have on one another. A pairing that boasts of sparkling chemistry, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone bring empathetic performances to a film that culminates in a spectacularly assembled montage, forever etched into your brain, with always place in your heart.

A surrealist spin on old-school Hollywood musicals and romances, director Paul Thomas Anderson’s first foray into comedy is memorable from the get-go. Adam Sandler stars as a socially-inept, anxious man who searches for love and inadvertently gets entangled in a money laundering scheme. Punctuated with absurdist hilarity that never fails to entertain, the film utilizes Sandler’s comedic and dramatic chops for a colorful, light, and endearingly sweet film.