Need a break from college apps or a thriller perfect for Halloween? CoA staff reporter and movie connoisseur Abby Wolfenden fills you in on the best movies to watch this October. The best part is that no movie tickets need to be purchased. These movies can all be watched at home!

By Abby Wolfenden

The Nice Guys
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Rating: R

Summary:
The Nice Guys is a comical crime movie about a private investigator named Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and a hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), who is essentially paid by private buyers to hurt people. After a misunderstanding between the two, March and Healy join forces in order to solve the mystery of a girl named Amelia (Margaret Qualley), a previous client of Healy who disappeared. With the help of March’s intuitive 13-year-old daughter Holly, they track down Amelia and discover that her disappearance entails much more than the eye can see. There are several others searching for Amelia, and many of them have dark and dangerous intentions.

Recommendation: I found The Nice Guys to be funny, engaging, and unpredictable. It was action packed and remained entertaining from start to finish. The 1970s theme of the movie made it a nice blast from the past and also something for all ages. My only complaint with The Nice Guys would be the high body count and excessive violence. I would recommend The Nice Guys for viewers who enjoy mysteries and don’t mind vulgar language or a significant amount of violence.

Creative Commons photo by Bago Games

The Shallows
Rating: PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%

Summary: The Shallows is a thriller about an American surfer, Nancy (Blake Lively), who travels to Mexico so she can surf at her late mother’s favorite beach. The “paradise-seeming” beach she is greeted is an extremely remote stretch of sand that is very much isolated from civilization. Nancy is dropped off by a local and notes that two other surfers are already in the water. After surfing all day, Nancy is attacked by a great white shark. She must swim to a large rock amidst the coral reef, where the shark cannot reach her. However, as the tides rise Nancy’s predicament becomes more and more terrifying, and she is left with nothing but her own intuition in order to survive.

Recommendation: This movie was intense, but somewhat predictable. It was pretty typical for a shark movie. There were some gory scenes, and the movie remained fairly solitary considering there was only one main protagonist with a few minor side characters. Although predictable, it was definitely a frightening film, and I would recommend it to viewers who appreciate a good scare.

Mother’s Day
Rating: PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes: 7%

Summary: Mother’s Day is a comedy that intertwines the lives of four main characters and their families on Mother’s Day. The protagonist, Sandy (Jennifer Aniston), is a divorced single mom who is struggling with the fact that her ex-husband is marrying a younger woman. Her two sons split their time between her and her husband’s houses. Sandy is determined to convince the kids they like staying with her more. Sandy’s best friend, Jesse (Kate Hudson), has had major issues with her conservative parents, one of them regarding her marriage to an Indian doctor. Jesse meets Kristin (Britt Robertson), a young unmarried mother who lives with her toddler daughter and boyfriend. Kristin was adopted and never met her birth mother which is something she always wanted. Lastly, there is Bradley (Jason Sudeikis), who recently lost his wife and is having a difficult time caring for his two daughters.

Recommendation: Well, I for one, disagree with the ratings. Though I stumbled upon the movie by chance, I thoroughly enjoyed Mother’s Day. It was a great comedy and overall feel-good movie. It doesn’t take a lot of energy or focus to understand the plot and it was a cool way to approach the meaning of Mother’s Day under unusual circumstances. All in all, I would say Mother’s Day is definitely worth a watch.

Zootopia
Rating: PG
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Summary: Zootopia is an animated mystery movie about a bunny named Judy, whose dream is to become a police officer. After leaving her family behind to join the police force in the city of Zootopia, Judy is extremely disappointed with her role as a meter maid. Judy has a run-in with a cunning fox named Nick Wilde, who becomes a key witness for Judy surrounding the disappearance of an otter. Together, Nick and Judy join forces to solve not only the mystery of the missing otter, but crimes they did not know even existed.

Recommendation: I ended up watching this movie by default on an airplane, since it was one of the few movies I had not seen. Although it was an accident, I discovered that it was one of my favorite animated movies ever. The plot that was meant for entertaining children was extremely engaging and unpredictable. Zootopia was cute, funny, and somewhat scary all at the same time, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Creative Commons photo by Mike Mozart
Race
Rating: PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes: 61%

Summary: Race is a sports film about the famous Olympic runner, Jesse Owens (Stephan James). The story follows Jesse during his time at The Ohio State University and his record crushing times in the 100 meter sprint. The movie shows Owen’s journey to the 1936 Berlin Olympics and his struggles with his race, sport, and family. The film also describes the profound relationship between Owens and his coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis).

Recommendation: As an avid athlete, I found Race to be inspiring and exciting as I watched Owens improve as a runner. The film was a perfect balance between sport, drama, and action, and I found it highly engaging. Race is definitely motivational, and shows how grit and hard work are key factors to success.