Some of these came out in 2014, sure. My response to anyone that might bring that up is: shush.

Spring

This is by far my favorite movie that I saw last year. This movie is listed as “horror / romance” for genre. That’s something you seldom see – a horror movie that is somehow a romance movie. It falls more on the side of romance than horror. Whatever they done did, they did good. You develop a strong connection to main characters. The tone of the movie swings between light and heavy – usually this will cause the audience to disconnect, but Spring does it right. I’m tip-toeing heavily to avoid any spoilers, just watch it, trust me.

Turbo Kid

Turbo Kid is a “retro-futuristic” indie film. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic future (1997). All the natural water is undrinkable and people scavenge for relics that might have some value to trade for water rations. We meet an unnamed “Kid” that romanticizes a collection of pre-apocalypse objects (such as a walkman). He idolizes a superhero named “Turbo Rider.” We quickly get acquainted with the antagonist(s) as well as some of the good guys that the Kid meets along the way.

When a conflict pits our hero against the band of baddies, the adventure really begins. The Kid finds, sunken beneath the ground, the ship of Turbo Rider. Although Rider is deceased, his armor and weapon are still in tact. The Kid adorns these and his companion dubs him “Turbo Kid.” The characters are simple, but lovable. The score is great accompaniment. The plot is very tight. This is a total “sit back and enjoy” movie.

It Follows

This movie also has a retro feel to it – although the time period in which the movie takes place is cleverly ambiguous. There are mostly context clues to suggest it’s the late 70s or early 80s, however, one of the characters has a clam-shell compact device that seems to have internet access. Regardless, the movie has a very linear and simple theme (that seems to be what has appealed to me lately, retro and linear). Some kind of being is walking toward the protagonist at all times. If she were to get on a plane and fly to Bolivia, this thing would eventually get to her. What, why, and how are all questions you can answer by watching the movie. The only thing I really disliked about this movie is the end sequence, the teenagers combating this entity go about battling it in a way that seems a little juvenile for their age. Still, it’s a fun movie.

Goodnight Mommy

This is an Austrian horror movie about two children (twin brothers) that are staying with their mother right after she has had some kind of facial surgery. Her face remains bandaged most of the movie and the children begin to think that she is someone else. They reason that her behavior is so cold and her temperament so angry that it must be someone in place of their loving mother. The way that this movie plays out, talking about it can easily spoil it, so I need to just shut up and you need to just watch it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Seldom to ever do I attend a blockbuster movie in theaters anymore. They usually feel (to me) like they’re designed to get as much money as they can and then are to be completely forgotten about. Casablanca is, by my math, something like 940 years old …I think. It’s still one of the best movies ever, ever. I remember Rick, Ilsa, Victor… as if I were right there with them in the cafe. Most movies lately, one forgets what the hell characters were named because the movies leave no imprint on them. Here is what I can tell you about The Force Awakens without any spoilers: it was fun, it was [again] simple, and it made me forget about life for a few hours. I had this wonderful feeling of “I’m back. I’ve returned to a galaxy far far away, a long time ago…” It was a fun ride, There was some fan service without overdoing it, added to building new characters to bring us into the next generation. I remember Kylo Ren, Rey, Finn, Po… Although I am wholeheartedly in agreement that this movie was very similar in plot to A New Hope, it was done correctly. I always say in regards to homages and remakes – if the remake leaves you longing for the original, it has failed. This movie succeeded. It made me want more of this story. I’d say “you should see this movie,” but being that it was just announced that it’s officially the number 1 box office movie of all time, you likely already have.

Finally I need to present one more accolade: The 2015 Trevor Moorehouse Award.

Meet Me There

A woman is suffering from sexual dysfunction that is possibly tied to a suppressed childhood trauma. The woman and her boyfriend decide to take a road trip to her home town, a very small town in the middle of nowhere (I can relate to being from such a place). All of the locals are strange and unwelcoming. It’s a very odd movie, having a very low budget feel – as a result of the low budget. They did the best with what they could; it was a crowd-funded project. A big plus for me was seeing the main character in a a Daniel Bryan t-shirt, as well as an appearance by Dustin Runnels, AKA Goldust of WWE. If you’re into horror movies and, more specifically, the “so bad it’s good” horror movies, I think you’ll enjoy this – moreso if it’s on in the background while you’re fooling around on Instagram.