Movies & Shows that I've Watched - September 2023

Hey everyone! I want to start writing short reviews on movies and TV shows I've watched for the month. My favorite part at night is when I wind down from the day and lie in bed, watching Netflix or Hulu…so you can say I watch a lot of content. Not to say this as an excuse, but as an actor, I'd say that I need to watch content because…I need to know what's out there, haha. 

I watched many movies and TV shows this month because I was sick for a few weeks. (COVID's still around, so y'all stay safe out there.) So be prepared for the long list! 

As a bonus, I will rate the movies with emojis. ⭐

One Piece Live Action (2023)

One Piece is about a boy named Monkey D. Luffy, and he's on a mission to find the rare treasure One Piece and become king of the pirates. His character is wholesome, and he does everything possible to recruit crew members to find the One Piece. One Piece is probably the biggest anime series out there, and they released the live action at the beginning of September. I've never watched One Piece (because it has over a thousand episodes), but this live-action series was great! I was impressed. The casting, the production, and the actors were not cringy at all. Many people may hate live-action versions of the animated shows (which I get), but this series was executed well. Also, it's amazing how the live-action introduces more people to the series because I have never considered watching the anime. But I have a question, though…When was this casting call for this?!? I would love to be a part of this series. Anyway, I'm excited for season 2! 

Emojis Rating: 👍🏴‍☠️🤡

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Puss in Boots is the cat from the movie franchise Shrek, and in this movie, he is a legendary hero in his town. However, he "died" and was finally on his last life (since he lost 8 out of 9 lives). He never felt fear until he fought a wolf and was defeated. And so, he begins his quest to find the treasured Wishing Star to grant his wish of getting lives back. I heard great things about this movie, and when I watched it, I thought it was good! It has heartfelt moments.

Emojis Rating: 🥰 🐈🐕

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)

I wanted to like this movie. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is an interactive movie where viewers can choose the actions and get the ending depending on their choices. The movie is about a guy who is a game developer. He interviews for the company his role model works at, and his first assignment is to build the game by their deadline. The plot varies so that it could go to different routes. However, while testing different paths, I noticed the third act is the same. Some moments escalated from 0 to 100 really quickly. They could've had a "happy" ending, but they're all pretty dark, and it doesn't matter what you choose. 

Emoji Rating: 😐

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Drugs, money, and girls - you got all that in this movie. This movie has been on my "To-Watch" list for a while, and I finally got to watch it. It's a wild and long movie, but I enjoyed it. Jordan is a Wall Street stockbroker who loses his job from a market crash. He takes a job selling penny stocks and eventually builds his stock brokerage business with his friends. As he made millions, he became involved with drugs, fraud, and corruption, and then he became a target of the FBI. This movie was a journey and a ride to watch, so I was engaged throughout the film. 

Emoji Rating: 🤑

Birds of Prey (2020)

In Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn explosively announces (literally) that she's broken up with Joker in the city. However, now that she does not have Joker's protection, everyone with a grudge against Harley is after her and wants to attack her. Then, she is kidnapped by the Black Mask. To be free and have protection again, she has to find a diamond that holds the account numbers of the most prominent crime family in the city. I like this movie - this was a great weekend movie to watch! In addition, I like the action scenes, the funny moments, and the female empowerment of the characters (girl power!). I remember this movie was hyped up because it has a female director - and yes, the director gave this movie and Harley Quinn justice! 

Emojis Rating: 😍🗡️♀️

Theater Camp (2023)

This movie was such a niche for the theater kids. And as an actor, it was hilarious. Theater Camp is a mockumentary about a group of summer camp staff trying to manage the camp after the owner fell into a coma. The owner's son tries to handle the fundraising and finances for the camp, but he isn't passionate about the theater. Meanwhile, the group of alumni, also struggling actors, are working from scratch on the newly written play about the owner. The movie purposely has cringing and second-hand embarrassment moments that are funny. I like how this mockumentary is subtle with its slice-of-life moments and has a heartfelt ending. I recommend this movie to my actor friends! 

Emojis Rating: 🎭🤣

The Little Mermaid - Live-Action (2023)

I'm biased, so I like this movie! I watched the animated The Little Mermaid as a kid, so it's part of my childhood. People can be mad about Disney remaking their movies, but I'll allow Disney to capitalize on my nostalgia, haha. The Little Mermaid is about a young mermaid named Ariel who falls in love with a human and wants to experience life outside the sea. Ariel signs a deal with the sea witch, Ursula, to become human. I like the soundtrack, but some songs could've been better (for example, adding more "choir" or "ensemble"). The CGI was good for the most part, except for a few moments. But visually, it's a beautiful movie! Overall, I would've LOVED this movie if I had watched it as a kid. 

Emojis Rating: 🎵🌊 🥰

Now You See Me (2013)

Now You See Me is a heist movie about a group of magicians who robbed a bank and rewarded the money to their audience. Throughout the film, the FBI chased them down to catch them as they stole millions of dollars. I usually love watching heist movies, so this was fun to watch! There were a lot of magic tricks, and it had a good twist in the third act. Of course, these magic tricks wouldn’t work in real life, but watching how they were executed was fun. It was an easy movie to watch while being sick, too. 

Emoji Rating: 😲

Now You See Me 2 (2016)

I decided to watch this movie after the first one. Honestly, the main reason why I decided to watch the Now You See Me series was because I saw the clip where they did the card trick at the security vault, passing the data chip with each other with their bodies and clothes (and gravity didn't apply to them). This movie was set a year after escaping the FBI from the first movie. After hiding, they were assigned to steal a data chip. However, unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this movie like the first. There were fewer magic tricks and performances and more of them running away from the FBI, which got old quickly. That scene mentioned earlier was good, though. 
Emoji Rating: 😒

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Crazy, Stupid, Love has also been on my "To-Watch" list! The romantic comedy movie is about Steve, whose wife cheats and wants to divorce him. To cope, Steve drinks at the bar every night and meets a younger man named Jacob, who brings a new woman home every night. After seeing Steve depressed and rowdy every night, Jacob decides to teach Steve how to hit on women. This movie was really great and fun to watch! It made me laugh a lot, and the twist was hilarious. I would definitely watch this movie again! 

Emoji Rating: 😂

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005)

This movie is about a kid named Max who is bullied for having a fantasy world about Sharkboy and Lavagirl. However, Sharkboy and Lavagirl show up at his school, proving to his class that it is not a fantasy. They came into the human world to ask Max to save their world. Together, they try to keep the alternate world from destruction. I thought I watched this movie as a kid, but I don't think I did anymore and perhaps saw a few scenes. But wow, I did not remember the CGI being…really rough, hahaha. And even though this was a short movie, the pace felt slow. It was funny to watch the bad CGI, though. Personally, I wouldn't watch this movie again…to my defense, I am an adult who decided to watch this movie. 

Emoji Rating: 😶

The Clique (2008)

The Clique is a teen movie about Claire, who moved, and her family has to stay at the host home of the wealthy family, Blocks. The Blocks has a daughter named Massie, who is the same age as Claire. Massie leads the school's richest, prettiest, and most popular girl group, the Pretty Committee. Massie doesn't like Claire, so she and the group bullies Claire. The Clique is a movie from my childhood because I read the book series in middle school, so I decided to rewatch it (and I even had the DVD, but I think it's gone now). I'm biased, so I like this movie. This movie is like Mean Girls but set in middle school and has a basic plot. I remember wanting to be like the Pretty Committee: pretty and rich. Honestly, I still want those things. As I said, this movie is basic, but I will always rewatch this movie! 

Emoji Rating: ❤️

Only Murders in the Building (2021 - 2023)

This comedy and mystery series is about a trio who love true crimes, get together, and solve the mystery after someone dies at their apartment complex. Each season has a different murder and mystery to solve. And I love Only Murders in the Building! I started binging this show last month and caught up to Season 3. This season airs weekly and is ending pretty soon. Honestly, there were some moments when I thought I knew who the murderer was, but I was wrong. And then, I developed trust issues and couldn't trust any characters after all, haha. I like how this show is both serious and funny at moments. I recommend this series to everyone - it's a great show if you're in the mood to binge! 
Emojis Rating: 👀😀

Phew, that was long; sorry about that! I'll make this ending short. Let me know your thoughts on any of the movies and shows that you've seen listed above. 

Also, I'm feeling better and not sick anymore, but it was a good month, watching a lot of content. 

Until then, thanks for reading!