Every time Michael and I meet for a cup of coffee, we usually end up with one subject in particular that we love to talk about. Well, yes, you guessed it by now by the title – movies and series… And we could talk for hours. That’s why we decided to share with you on a regular basis the motion pictures we enjoyed the most.
This list contains movies you can enjoy probably the best at home or a friend’s place, with a glass of good wine (or cocktail perhaps… but we don’t judge if it’s only a cup of tea), comfortably on a sofa, cuddled in a blanket. Those movies for big silver screens we leave for the next time.
Aftersun
A debut, written and directed by Scottish-born, New York-based Charlotte Wells, Aftersun is an exploration of the relationship between father and daughter, pointing to details which are often so subtle they are easily ignored. A beautiful understated tale of love and loss.
This movie offers us a well-orchestrated and honest character study but it does not try to manipulate us into feeling something in particular. To complement the feeling of the storytelling, Charlotte plays with different styles and framing, using a shaky MiniDV camera. It’s no wonder why this movie is nominated for the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Paul Mescal, and why it already won the BAFTA Awards 2023.
Tip: If you like it, we recommend watching it more than once to connect all the dots and certain details you might overlook.
The Son
When Florian Zeller adapted one of his own plays for the screen and debuted with the movie “The Father”, the result was one of cinema’s most remarkable portrayals of ageing and difficulties connected to dementia. With his second movie, The Son, Florian once again explores mental illness in a bolder, less focused follow-up to “The Father”.
This movie received mixed reviews, and we think that even though The Son didn’t reach the quality and sincere exploration of a tragic experience as The Father did, it is still an amazing movie with a powerful emotional punch, which shows us how childhood and incidents that happened in that period can affect our lives.
It’s not yet on the streaming platforms here in Denmark, but make a note, it will be there soon.
Sharper
A movie that Michael recently enjoyed and is now streaming on AppleTV+. Sharper is a stylish refreshing neo-noir con thriller, where a crime is nearly pulled off. It is a showcase of certain natural human instincts and how they can work on both sides of the moral compass.
We see the movie from each character’s perspective in different segments and it works well for such a genre. With every segment, we get new information which we thought we already knew from a different perspective. And the nonlinear narrative storytelling, instead of being distracting, lets the story unfold in a very natural way and keeps us invested.
So, if you’re looking for a movie where you can enjoy a series of twists, “Sharper” is a good choice for your evening. And who would say no to Julianne Moore?!
Other movies worth checking: Somebody I Used to Know, When You Finish Saving the World
