The newest “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie is among one of the top new releases on Netflix for October. Creative Commons image: JD Hancock on Flickr.
By Abby Wolfenden
Miss Congeniality
Rating: PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes: 42%
Summary: Miss Congeniality is an action/adventure film about an FBI agent sent undercover into a Miss United States pageant in order to investigate a terrorist bomb threat. FBI agent Gracie (Sandra Bullock) is completely oblivious about all things girl and pageant related. With the help of hair stylists, makeup artists, and the mentorship of other contestants, Gracie is able to learn the ways of pageantry while looking for clues of a possible terrorist.
Recommendation: This movie is a perfect combination of humor, action, and romance, and I highly recommend it. Sandra Bullock doesn’t disappoint with her hilarious performance, and the blend of FBI components and pageants make for a very interesting plot.
Hush
Rating: R
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Summary: Hush is a horror/thriller film about a deaf woman who is stalked all night by a psychotic killer. The woman, Maddie, is a writer who has isolated herself in the middle of the woods. Once the killer learns of Maddie’s disability, he chooses to toy with her, first by cutting the landline and then by circling her home and killing off her neighbors. Maddie must use her intuition and her home’s resources to survive the night.
Recommendation: Hush is absolutely terrifying, especially since the main character happens to be deaf. If you’re looking for an action packed horror movie, Hush is definitely a great movie to watch with a group of friends.
Mean Girls
Rating: PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Summary: Mean Girls is the story of new girl, Cady Heron, and her twisted relationship with the three most popular girls in school. After moving to a suburban American community from Africa, Cady is uninformed about the ways of high school. After a confrontation with “The Plastics,” Cady and her new friends make a plot to infiltrate and prank the group in order to publicly humiliate and discredit these mean girls.
Recommendation: If you’re looking for a classic chick flick, Mean Girls is definitely the movie for you. It has an interesting combination of relatable high school moments and comedic takes on adolescence that Menlo students will definitely enjoy.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Rating: PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
Summary: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a film based on the best selling book that tells the heartfelt story of 8-year-old Bruno and his innocent friendship with an imprisoned Jewish boy during World War 2. Bruno is the son of a German Nazi leader, who has been promoted and relocated to a new home in the country. Unbeknownst to Bruno, his family has been moved so that his father can oversee a Nazi concentration camp. Bored and unhappy, Bruno makes the trek out to the edge of the fence separating the camp from his home and meets a young Jewish prisoner, Shmuel.
Recommendation: This film is incredibly sad, and it’s a very interesting perspective of World War 2 that isn’t often portrayed in books and movies. Bruno and Shmuel are both young, innocent, and naive, and they don’t fully understand the horrific nature of their circumstances. The ending is sure to leave viewers in tears, but the film as a whole is beautifully executed.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Rating: PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
Summary: The first film of the amazing Pirates of the Caribbean series tells the story of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his journey to win back his beloved ship, The Black Pearl. Along the way, he encounters the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann and the son of a legendary pirate, Will Turner. Together, they organize a group of misfit sailors and pirates to sail after the Black Pearl and the pirate who stole it.
Recommendation: This film never gets old, as Johnny Depp captures viewers’ attention with his witty comments and pirate humor. Pirates of the Caribbean combines romance and action, and Menlo students will definitely enjoy.
