Top 10 Things to Watch

1. Kubrick's The Shining is my current favorite movie. I haven't read the Steven King novel cover to cover, but I know solely from small changes in plot an addition to the meticulously framed shots in the film that this is one of the rare cases where the movie is better than the book. For example, the book features hedge animals outside the hotel, while the movie has changed these into a hedge maze. This echoes the labyrinthine design of the hotel and positions Jack the caretaker as a minotaur trapped in that maze. The way Jack Nicholson is blocked in the film as his character descends into madness is very similar to the look of an angry bull: chin down but eyes glaring upward.























2. Anything by Wes Anderson makes the top of my list. My favorite film would be Grand Budapest Hotel, but I love the use of color in all of his films. You could watch any of these films on mute and still enjoy it, since the set design, costumes, and lighting of scenes set a particular mood that ties together the whole film. The coloring alone is extremely aesthetically pleasing, but so is the symmetry and framing of many of the shots. Anderson uses a particular shot of a head through a window which allows for more focus and interest on the dialogue coming from the head.

3. My favorite thing about the show Black Mirror is how each episode exists in its own universe, so each episode has its own distinctive style. Framed around the potential dangers of technological advancement, each episode explores a different way our electronics could screw up our lives (or, in a few episodes, be kind of helpful). My favorite episode in the series is season 3 episode 1, titled "Nosedive," which is based around the concept of people requiring positive affirmation on social media. The sleek design and unicorn-trend coloring are not only pleasing to look at, they also mimic the design of Apple products, which it's suggesting may lead us to our demise.  
4. I have a lot of confidence that I could recite the entire script of Napoleon Dynamite entirely from memory. The movie has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, and I think that's because it's a little too relatable. Everyone knows a weird kid at school like Napoleon, but everyone has also felt like that weird kid at one time or another. The nostalgic vibe and simple but expressive shots in this movie get its point across without taking itself too seriously. It handles its visuals subtly and lets the characters speak for themselves.
Watch the best scene here:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELBy5stH3b8

5. The Great British Baking Show is the foil of an American reality show. It is quiet and pure and absolutely lovely. The contestants compete in a beautiful garden on adorable retro-looking appliances and help each other whenever possible. Even though the stress and stakes are high, all the British bakers keep their composure and simply do their best to make the most delicious pastry they can manage. It makes you want to move across the pond and wander into a London bakery. Watch the introduction to season 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRNMzIl0qLo

6. I don't think a person has ever existed that doesn't think Planet Earth is an incredibly cool show. Long exposure shots of the sky and close up shots of undisturbed wild animals make you forget about the mess of civilized life and make you truly grateful to live on a planet like this one. The vibrant imagery of places and creatures you didn't even know existed paired with a low, British narration puts you into a trance and you finish the episode feeling like you just attended a very interesting science class rather than spent an hour on your couch staring at a TV screen.

7. I specifically subscribed to Hulu just so I could watch A Handmaid's Tale. There are aspects of the show that are very simple and historic, such as the houses and churches shown and the conservative dresses worn by the handmaids and the rich wives, but then all of a sudden you'll see someone using a laptop or playing Scrabble and remember that this is set in a dystopian future. It brings in the faraway elements of the past, but then pulls you back into a familiar time and makes you wonder if this could really happen.

8. Holes was my favorite movie as a kid and continues to hold a special place in my heart. The barren landscape paired with the mysticism of the history behind the camp makes this movie interesting still as I get older. The overhead shot of all the holes surrounding the camp is one of my favorite shots of the movie, and makes you feel small and insignificant compared to the giant desert.



9. I loved the movie Ladybird for the same reasons I loved Napoleon Dynamite. The film wasn't trying too hard or taking itself too seriously; it was just a story about a girl trying to graduate high school. It's familiar and relatable but not a story that's been overdone. Watch the trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNi_HC839Wo

10. The movie Moonlight is yet another example of the importance of coloring and lighting in a film. Had this movie been loud and bright, the plot would've felt less mournful and sweet. The purple and blue hues give a visual of being undercover in the same way the main character feels he has to hide his homosexuality. As you follow the main character through his formative years, you can see the shots getting more and more advanced: in his childhood, the camera is handheld and shaky, and by the time he's reached adulthood, the shots are balanced and beautiful.
http://moonlight.movie/