Movies: 100 Movie Challenge - January's Movie Rundown

The hardest part of the whole pandemic for anyone who loves movies is not being able to get out to theaters. Of course, there’s always the option of streaming but it doesn’t have the same flare. To not fall out of love with movies, I decided to try the 100 movie challenge in 2021. It’s just as it sounds, 100 new movies in 365 days with few rules. They have to be movies that you’ve never seen before and have to be at least 70 minutes in length. That’s it. That doesn’t seem like a challenge but its two movies a week and when you’ve seen a lot it gets tough.

January fell behind the 2 per week pace, but here are the watched movies in January in no particular order:

Mary Poppins Returns (Disney+)

Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda star in what should be a sequel to the Disney classic, but somehow it didn’t feel the same. It could be the 44 years between the original film in 1964 and the release of Mary Poppins returns. Jane and Michael are grown and looking after Michael’s kids. Somehow they’re in need of a nanny and that’s where Poppins returns. Despite hitting all the benchmarks of the original, this might be the victim to the first seeming so original. With sequels, they lose some of their magic because it’s no longer the first time you’re fascinated by something.

Tenet (HBOMax)

Unfortunately, Tenet was one of those movies that were both good, and not that great all at once. It was a typical Christopher Nolan film in all the best ways, but there’s a lot of wrinkles that make it confusing but engaging. If you’re not paying close enough attention you’ll lose the weight of some of the more important parts of the film. Tenet is one of the ones where you’ll enjoy it more the more you watch it and have it figured out.

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Pieces of A Woman (Netflix)

The weight of this movie was lost on me. It’s a movie where the subject matter is a bit heavy but with good reason. Pieces of A Woman is a story of a home birth gone wrong and the emotional toll it takes on our lead character played by Vanessa Kirby. Pieces of A Woman shows the emotion of tragedy and brings that pain to light. Hopefully, those who connect to the film feel less alone, and those who have never experienced it begin to understand.

Soul (Disney+)

There’s not a ton of bad Disney animated movies. If you’ve been a long-time Disney fan you’re right on board with their latest movie Soul. At face value, Soul is a movie about the struggle of life and death echoing finding our purpose in the time we’re here. However, I also found it was a metaphor for parenting. Throughout the movie, we see Joe trying to help 22 find her purpose while being in control of his life. He has the idea of what his life should be and how things should play out. Despite his influence, he quickly learns how to let 22 pave her own path to her purpose. The connection of parent and child and how you want them to succeed and prepare them for life without guidance plays its role and makes it a better watch.

Palmer (Apple TV+)

While each previous movie was great, Palmer was probably the best movie I watched in January. Starring Justin Timberlake and released on Apple TV+, Palmer was filled with heart. Maybe it’s the fascination with independent films and Palmer feeling like one of those movies, but beginning to end it felt like every character was the right choice for that role. It might not be an award winner or anyone’s favorite movie, it was just one of those movies that hit its mark so well.

There’s no real science to how I enjoyed each movie, they’re just personal preferences. You may enjoy some of these movies more than others or you might not like them at all. If you’re on board with this challenge, check back at the end of February to continue the 100 movie challenge.