I am, by nobody’s standards, a movie person. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of asking me whether I’ve seen a particular movie, regardless of its popularity, you’d know to expect a “no.” After countless times disappointing my friends by being utterly clueless about the world of cinema, I resolved to watch more movies in 2026. What better way to honor my Los Angeles roots? I went to high school across from the Disney Animations building, damn it! So, this past winter break, I put my Netflix subscription to use. My Letterboxd saw a record increase in activity of five (five!) new films, whose reviews I’ll keep as non-spoilery as possible.
Hamnet
Starting with the movie that left me sobbing in the theater: Hamnet. I went into the theater completely blind to the plot. As an English major, I was excited to watch a movie about Shakespeare, and as a Normal People fan, I was looking forward to seeing Paul Mescal on the big screen. I was not expecting a completely gut-wrenching story about motherhood, loss, grief and redemptive creativity. It was far from your typical Shakespeare — in fact, Shakespeare’s name is only said once — and all the better for it. Jessie Buckley’s performance as Agnes Shakespeare deserves every accolade in the book, and then some. Hamnet was absolutely gorgeous, but it’s the kind of movie you need recharge time before rewatching, lest you be emotionally destroyed.
People We Meet on Vacation
From the discourse I’ve seen online, people have major gripes with this movie for deviating from the plot of the book. As someone who hasn’t read the book, I had no such reservations. Emily Bader was absolutely magnetic as Poppy; I want her entire wardrobe, her personality and also her makeup routine. The move itself was your typical rom-com, silly and fun and more enjoyable if you don’t take it too seriously. I feel as though we’re in a great drought of good rom-coms (Anyone But You was an utter disgrace to my eyes), and this scratched the itch perfectly.
Red Riding Hood
Ever since The Housemaid came out, I’ve been craving Amanda Seyfried on my screen. Unfortunately, I dislike Sydney Sweeney as an actress too much to go see The Housemaid, so I opted instead for a movie with a whopping 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, Red Riding Hood (2011), starring Seyfried. It may be that I’m easily entertained, but I think the reviews are a little too harsh. It was moody and aesthetically pleasing, if a bit cliche. Was it a profound, award-worthy work of cinema? No, certainly not. But was it an adequate movie to put on in the background while I worked on a painting? Yes, it was.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Now, I’m not religious, but I did spend around nine years of my life attending Catholic school, so this movie evoked some emotional reactions for me. While undeniably comedic, Wake Up Dead Man was also deeply profound, cutting through the fallacious pomp and superiority of the church to get to the heart of what religion is supposed to be founded on — empathy and love for our fellow humans. I like the Knives Out franchise, but the ensemble cast fell very flat for me in this one. I struggled to believe any of them had motivation to commit the movie’s central murder, which is kind of the whole point of a murder mystery. Still, I thought it was a strong addition to the franchise, although nothing tops the first Knives Out.
Apollo 13
If your father is anything like mine, he always wants to watch some random old movie, usually one you’ve never heard of. This time, it was Apollo 13, which he said, and I quote, “is history, not just a movie.” Unlike his last movie pick, Tremors, I thought Apollo 13 was incredible. It was well-paced, balanced moments of humor and emotion and built tension beautifully even though I knew the outcome already. Every time I thought the climax had passed, the movie took it one step further. In other words, I thought Apollo 13 did absolutely everything right. I was glued to the TV the entire time, hanging on every word, which I’m sure provided my father some sense of gratification. 10 out of 10, would watch again.
I recognize that this miscellany of movies doesn’t include the ones most cinephiles would recommend, but at least I’m trying! Besides, you’ll never get a scathing review from someone whose favorite movies are Tinker Bell’s Secret of the Wings and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. With the semester picking up, I doubt I’ll have much time to indulge until our next break, but I’m sticking to my New Year’s Resolution. Next time you see me, I’ll have watched The Godfather. Probably.
‘Are You Still Watching?’ is a column spotlighting what the Cornell community has been streaming. It runs every Wednesday.
Melissa Moon is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is an Assistant Arts & Culture Editor on the 143rd Editorial Board. She can be reached at mmoon@cornellsun.com.
