Okay, so, first off, I want to say that anyone can like any type of art for whatever reason. Art is subjective and I'd wager to say that the term "guilty pleasure" in relation to films, shows, or songs that critics or audiences at large did not particularly enjoy for a myriad of reasons. Terrible dialogue, CGI, and camerawork? Maybe. Poor casting and direction? Could be.
Regardless, these movies make me happy, and I hope that I can introduce you to some new films that you might have been avoiding due to the bad or mixed bag reviews.
#8 The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
Keanu Reeves as an emotionally detached alien with sick martial arts skills, a giant civilization-destroying robot, and a vendetta against mankind for destroying the Earth? Yes, please. I know this is a remake of the 1950's classic- but I'm mostly refusing to see the original to spite professional film critics.
#7 Jupiter Ascending (2015)
This is the book I wrote in 8th grade- and I'm so glad that the Wachowskis made a film about it! A housekeeper discovers that she's actually a reincarnated space empress and falls in love with an ex-military winged dog-man? I mean, sign me up! If this film had been broken up into a trilogy to give us more time to explore the world, I think it would have been much better received. It seemed like many details about the universe and the story got left on the cutting room floor for the sake of brevity.
I have so many head canons. So many.
Also, Michael Giacchino did the soundtrack and I'm in love with it. Please. Please. Please listen to the soundtrack.
#6 The Magnificent Seven (2016)
This is another situation similar to The Day the Earth Stood Still. Though, I have slightly less ambivalence for seeing the original which was actually based on a film called The Seven Samurai which I actually do want to watch. The Seven Samurai is critically acclaimed and has been spun, homaged, and straight up hijacked by many shows and films over the years- and of course it has been. In this version, seven cowboys band together to save a small town from a group of capitalistic gold miners.
The premise is rock solid, and it gives the writer a chance to create incredible character depth and tragedy in short order. The Magnificent Seven managed to nail that emotional resonance for me. Talk about ouch. I cried a lot during my first viewing.
#5 Bright (2017)
This one might be one of the more controversial ones on my list due to the fact that it was written by an extremely unsavory character. Simply put, Bright is a urban high fantasy buddy cop flick about how an unusual human and orc cop duo gets more than they bargain for when they respond to a call and stumble head first into a plot to resurrect the Dark Lord, an ancient evil entity that seeks to claim dominion over the earth (original, I know).
I loved the political/ magical and character dynamics, as well as the special effects make-up. However, I thought it was a shame that they didn't make Bright a TV show from the start. Additionally, the female characters (Leila and Tikka) lacked depth. The person who wrote this film obviously didn't care enough about women to give them any real dimension or solid backstories, but that's pretty unsurprising given the allegations that have been leveled against them. Those are the biggest gripes that I have, though. The rest can be fixed with a more talented screenwriter that can bring more nuanced depth to characterizations, deeper world building exposition and exploration in future installments.
For the love of GOD, Netflix, hire a good female writer for this!
(Additionally, Édgar Ramírez's performance as federal agent Kandomere seriously made me want to scream. In a good way. Like. It's probably not healthy how much I think about him in elf make-up. Someone send help.)
#4 The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
This is my favorite piece of end of the world horror porn because it's the most realistic. In The Day After Tomorrow, climate change has caused freshwater glacial melt to such a degree that it changes the ocean's chemistry and disrupts the Atlantic current, triggering a worldwide cooling event.
I know everything happens hundreds of years faster than it would in actuality to keep the attention of moviegoers, but we actually are seeing many of the weather anomalies that, the film claims, lead up to THE catastrophic blizzard. We're seeing increasingly more brutal and extreme weather conditions, gigantic pieces of the arctic ice shelves breaking off, tornados are happening where they shouldn't be, and the jet stream is acting extremely irregularly. I think this film was actually quite well researched- in fact, here's an article from the Business Insider on what they got right- specifically regarding Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Check it out here.
The relative accuracy aside, I found the script compelling and the relationships formed between the characters was well-acted and believable. Honestly, the critics did this one so dirty.
#3 Crimson Peak (2015)
This classic gothic horror is a well-acted, haunting, gory work of art and I adore it so much. The costuming alone is enough of a reason to give this movie a watch. It's light on the jump scares but heavy on the unsettling tension- leaving you breathless by the well-orchestrated reveal. I absolutely love Edith's (the main character) cleverness and agency. There is an almost literary depth to it that is reminiscent of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. The sets and costumes are gorgeous, the CGI is incredible, and the acting is fantastic.
#2 The Proposal (2009)
The premise of this rom com is ridiculous and hilariously executed. The cast is star studded featuring the talents of Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, and Betty White- need I say more? When an unpopular Canadian editor of an American publishing company overstays her visa, she's about to be kicked out of the country and lose her job when she comes up with a hare-brained scheme to marry her American executive assistant. One thing leads to another, and she finds herself in Alaska to meet his eccentric but lovable family- as she and her assistant attempt to convince his family that they're a couple.
The awkward situations they find themselves in are so much fun to watch, and I have so many good memories watching this one with my mom.
#1 Daybreakers (2009)
People can talk as much smack about vampire movies as they want, but Daybreakers is excellent. In this movie, Vampires make up a majority of the world's population and there is a shortage on human blood- even though most humans have been captured, locked in a facility, and farmed. Some humans have managed to evade capture, but there are not enough of them left to sustain the vampire population. As an added layer of awfulness, when vampires don't drink enough human blood, they turn into bloodthirsty, grotesque creatures that lose all semblance of humanity.
The world building is wonderfully executed and quite sad, actually. This film nails the hopepunk narrative, and I'm a huge fan.
Note: I did not actually write Jupiter Ascending in 8th grade- that was a joke.
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