There are all kinds of activities that you can do with friends, be that hiking, cooking, eating at a restaurant, partying, however, a good old-fashioned movie night does hit quite differently.
Often going out and meeting others, (be that friends or family) can come with quite a bit of social pressure. These are the moments you might catch yourself thinking: “What should I even talk to them about? I haven’t seen them in ages.”
Whilst the activities I listed above serve as great bonding experiences, inviting friends over for dinner or going out to the cinema after a drink could be the ideal and most relaxing option for some. It could give you the opportunity to catch up and perhaps even re-connect with others through nostalgia or a favorite childhood film.
In addition to that, it could give all of you a break from work issues such as constantly trying to answer the question “what is a cover letter vs resume” and stressing each other out by asking “how’s the job search going.”
Nevertheless, despite sending the invites and planning the perfect night, things may not always go as planned. This usually starts through the proposal of the age-old question: what should we watch?
This is the moment when you might recommend your absolute favorite movie and to it be met by a subtle rejection from others: “I’m not actually a big horror fan, sorry.”
Of course, it’s somewhat impossible to satisfy everyone’s needs and after being overwhelmed a few times by being veto-ed, you might even start dreading the awaited relaxing night. Well, don’t worry! Below, you can find a description of two completely different films that might just be both your and your friends’ new go-to films.
Lady Bird
Lady Bird is an American coming-of-age comedy-drama starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Beanie Feldstein, Timotheé Chalamet, and many more. The 2017 film is directed by Greta Gerwig and follows the life of 17-year-old Christine between the summer of 2002 and 2003 in Sacramento, California.
Lady Bird displays the classic story of a teenager struggling to fit in and striving for popularity. Saoirse’s character, Lady Bird, reminds us of the moments we all had as teens and the awkward situations we often found ourselves in.
However, despite the fun scenes with the school plays and a youth filled with a variety of love interests, Lady Bird also provides an insight into the financial struggle of Lady Bird’s family.
Lady Bird is a true and tragic depiction of reality showing that often those that try the hardest for a better future are not the ones that are guaranteed it. Despite that, it’s also a film of new opportunities and hope.
Gerwig’s film also reveals the domestic struggles of one and the troubles that young people face both within their school and in their own families.
Lady Bird received great reception and was labelled as one of the most successful films of the year by Time Magazine and the American Film Institute. At the 75th Golden Globe Awards, Saoirse Ronan was awarded Best Actress in a Musical or a Comedy while Lady Bird won Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy).
With a budget of $10 million, Lady Bird made $79 million through the box office.
2. Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon is an American biographical crime drama film starring Al Pacino, James Broderick, and John Cazale. The 1975 film was directed by Sidney Lumet and was based on the 1972 hostage and robbery situation led by Salvatore Naturile and John Wojtowicz at a Chase Manhattan savings branch in Brooklyn.
The film follows the chaotic and failed bank robbery attempt of Sonny and Sal and the sticky situation they find themselves in afterwards: with a number of hostages (one with asthma), a tragically low sum of cash and the police department waiting outside for their surrender.
Dog Day Afternoon is an incredibly intense and captivating watch that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Similarly to Lady Bird, Dog Day Afternoon received great critical reception with it getting seven Golden Globe and six Academy Award nominations as well as winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
In 2009, according to the Library of Congress, the 125-minute film was found “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” (Wikipedia), ultimately being chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry.
From its $3.5 million budget, Dog Day Afternoon also showed a $50 million profit through its box office earnings.
Whilst the two films are very different from each other, it would allow you and your friends to explore something new and out of your comfort zone. If they happen not to like either one then perhaps stick with the safe choice of Netflix; there you can choose from a horizon of options: stand-up, reality TV or even something more romantic.