By Halle Brindley – Contributor
I changed my major to film and media, making me a self-proclaimed, reliable movie critic. So, what really makes a movie five out of five stars?
If you consider quality in terms of the number of times you have watched a film, Mamma Mia takes the lead for me, being a childhood favourite. I love Meryl Streep, but there is more to my movie criteria than the ease of turning a flick on.
Here is a reminder: do not compare movies. Barbie (2023) and Oppenheimer (2023) were fighting for the top spot at the box office, but given that one is based on a doll and the other is based on historical accounts, they are simply not comparable. It is possible to rate both films highly, which I did, leaving a difference of a half-star between the Gerwig and Nolan summer flicks.
An impressive film is original. When I look up “movies similar to Fight Club,” I am not looking for the lower quality recent remake of it. I guess that you are not either. You are probably looking for something that either evokes the same feelings in you, fits the genre of a psychological thriller or features Brad Pitt.
At this point in my life, I am looking for films that are unique from the millions that already exist. Maybe that’s why I like A24 movies so much. Independent filmmakers rise up (at the 10th annual Bishop’s University Film Festival)! The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is an extraordinary example: the movie unravels almost entirely from point-of-view shots of an individual who has fallen into locked-in syndrome after a stroke.
Where the Mission Impossible series allows the audience to escape into a state where they feel like they are Tom Cruise – a highly experienced spy on a high-risk mission to save the world – The Butterfly does the opposite. Viewers desire to escape the film as they live uncomfortably in the skin of someone experiencing locked-in syndrome. Creativity abounds in such an original piece.
A successfully crafted original work should be of high quality. It should be noted that quality does not necessarily imply a high budget. Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó is a 17-minute short film and Academy Award nominee that follows the lives of the director’s grandmothers. It is a tear-jerker comedy documentary and everything in between. The cinematography along with the produced story deserves a round of applause. I was craving to see more of the grandmothers’ eccentric personalities, which brings me to my next point.
A solid movie should not have you checking how much time is left. Films should be captivating, no matter what the story or plot is. But, this is my opinion, and only YOU know what makes a movie five stars. For me, I can rest assured my time will be well spent if Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Joaquin Phoenix or Margot Robbie are listed in the cast.
As a word of advice, although my friends’ Letterboxd (the “Goodreads for film”) watchlists serve as trustworthy recommendations, it is worthwhile to read into what a film is about to see if it would even appeal to you. If I had done this earlier, I might have been able to spare my parents from watching Midsommer with me.
It is still a five-star movie.
The Campus 