Janie’s COVID Watchlist Part II

Well, well, well, look at that. We’re back. It’s been a while since I posted my first COVID watchlist. As predicted, here is a second installment for your holiday shelter-in-place viewing pleasure.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

Everybody likes a good spy movie. Set against the backdrop of Cold War tensions, a divided Berlin, and the Soviet-US arms race, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. reboots a popular 1960’s TV series of the same name. The unlikely trio of American art thief Napoleon Solo, KGB agent Ilya Kuryakin, and East Berlin mechanic Gabby Teller team up to prevent international nuclear fallout.

The first strained and eventually grudgingly codependent dynamic between Henry Cavill’s Solo and Armie Hammer’s Kuryakin provides audiences with both comedic material and wonderful character development. For instance, watching Cavill and Hammer (two pretty tall men) cram themselves onto the same Vespa is hilarious. I love how the film portrays the struggle of all three agents to balance national allegiances with a growing loyalty to one another.

Guy Ritchie is one of my favorite directors of all time. He is also known for directing the Sherlock Holmes movies and box office bust King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (which I personally enjoyed). I love Ritchie’s distinctive, fast-paced cinematography and the way he uses music to heighten emotional tension and to punctuate fight scenes. In The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ritchie uses split-screen, comic book-style cuts to accentuate the film’s espionage-fueled action in a fun, genre-appropriate way.

I know this isn’t one of my movie rating posts, but The Man from U.N.C.L.E deserves the extra endorsement. So, to finish my discussion of this movie, I want to say that I would give it a 9/10. On my rating scale, that’s a pretty big deal. I’m hoping for a sequel someday.

Klaus (2019)

My housemates and I watched this movie during finals week this semester. For me, Klaus provided the perfect heartwarming accompaniment to frantically cramming 75 endnotes into a policy paper. I re-watched Klaus at home with my family last week, and it was just as good the second time. Perfect for audiences of all ages, this movie puts a refreshing spin on the North Pole Christmas narrative with a captivating animation style and loveable characters. Really, what more could you ask for?

Holidate (2020)

Netflix has gotten lots of flack this holiday season (and in the past) for their Christmas movies. I’m not here to disagree with all the criticism out there. I have no idea what the city of Chicago has ever done to Netflix filmmakers to deserve the poor treatment it gets, nor do I get excited to find Vanessa Hudgens’ name on a cast list. (Particularly when she plays multiple characters). That said, Holidate is unquestionably a diamond in the rough.

First of all, Holidate presents a plot as relatable as it is ridiculous. For anyone who has spent a major holiday (or two, or many) unattached, dragging a designated “holidate” to all your seasonal obligations sounds like a pretty genius way to avoid unwanted scrutiny. The fact that central characters Sloane and Jackson end up falling in love is corny and predictable. However, Holidate also crams in plenty of comedic interludes involving Easter bunny costumes, Fourth of July fireworks, and a black panther at a Halloween party. Jackson’s Australian-ness seems like audience-service and Sloane’s 100-yard stare is slightly unnerving, but their emotional development shines through. Holidate is worth a watch this Christmas.

If you want BAD bad holiday movies, check out Netflix specials Midnight at the Magnolia, the Princess Switch movies, or last year’s The Knight Before Christmas. They’re so terrible they’re almost worth watching.

Togo (2019)

If you’ve heard of the 1925 Alaskan Diptheria epidemic, then you’ve probably heard of Balto, the sled dog famous for completing the final leg of a 674-mile serum run from Seward to Nome. Disney’s Togo follows the real hero of that story. While Balto got headlines and commemorative statues, it was a team led by Togo and musher Leonard Seppala that braved 264 miles of ice and snow.

The movie follows a dual-timeline structure set in 1925 and during Togo’s puppy days. The earlier storyline establishes Togo as a “survivor” and a mischievous underdog whose love for running is eclipsed only by the bond that develops between him and Seppala, played by Willem Dafoe. This boundless affection that keeps Seppala and his team alive as they face blizzards, fractured sea ice, and mountain chasms. The sequences that feature Togo’s battle against the elements will have you on the edge of your seat, and man and dog’s performances alike will bring bittersweet tears to your eyes.

Instant Family (2018)

This movie made me laugh, cry (twice), and want to adopt all the foster kids a single college student can support. (Which is admittedly not very many.) In all seriousness though, Instant Family provides a candid portrayal of the foster system, adoption, and finding family. Isabela Moner plays Lizzie, a 15-year old who has raised her two younger siblings in the system, hoping that their birth mother might someday return for them. Her fraught relationship with her foster mother (played by Rose Byrne) stands out as the most poignant aspect of the film.  

Hulu’s RBG (2018)

Hulu’s documentary about the life and legacy of late US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will make you want to get off your couch and change the world. My college friends and I watched this movie shortly after Justice Ginsburg passed away this year. It provides valuable insight into Ginsberg’s personal life as well as her rise to pop culture stardom. I had long admired the “Notorious RBG” for her poise, perseverance, and outstanding legal career. However, this film enhanced my appreciation of the many battles she won for American women and the example she left behind.

Honorable mentions:

Remember the Titans (2000), Love Actually (2003), Les Miserables (2012), Short-Term 12 (2013), and the only show on this list for some reason, The Wilds (2020- ).

Guess what? I have a feeling there might end up being a part III sometime in the future.