1. "Seeking a Friend For The End Of The World"
What would you do if you were told that the world was going to end in three weeks? Well, Dodge, the main protagonist, decides he's going to keep doing what he usually does. He continues to go to work and keeps attending to all of his usual responsibilities. He is inadvertently convinced by his neighbor, Penny, to search for his high-school sweetheart before they cease to exist. Throughout this journey, Dodge and Penny meet a ton of interesting characters and find themselves in hilarious situations. It isn't until the three weeks are up, when the audience is faced with the reality of the situation. This ending is definitely heartbreaking, but it's also very peaceful and quite beautiful.
Rating: 5/5 Tears
2. "Instructions Not Included"
At first, I thought I was going to be watching a light hearted comedy; I was very wrong. I knew that the main actor, Eugenio Derbez, was going to make me laugh for sure because of his work in the Mexican sitcom, "La Familia P. Luche." The concept of the film was really sweet and the father-daughter dynamic was brilliant. The ending was so sudden and shocking that I couldn't believe it actually happened.
Rating: 4/5 Tears
3. "Everything Before Us"
"Everything Before Us" is an immensely underrated film with an amazing ensemble cast. The setting is sometime in the future, where people are rated based on their relationships. The rating determines where you fall in society or what opportunities you can receive. For example, if you have a low score, your chances of getting a car loan are small. It's kind of like "Love Actually" because the characters are all connected somehow, but the characters have separate story-lines. One story-line in particular is guaranteed to make your eyes tear up. High-school couple, Seth and Haley graduate and move on to different colleges. They try to make things work with a long distance relationship, but obviously it doesn't end well for the young couple.
Rating: 5/5 Tears
4. "LUV"
Before they featured in "Barbershop 3: The Next Cut," Common and Michael Rainey Jr. starred as an Uncle and Nephew trying to navigate through life after Uncle Vincent is released from prison. The whole movie takes place in one eventful day. Uncle Vincent teaches his young nephew, Woody, how to be a "man". He teaches him how to drive, how to shoot, and how to hustle. Their relationship starts off as somewhat cute, but then you'll realize how toxic Uncle Vincent really is to Woody. Throughout the film, Woody interacted with other boys that were forced to be "men" too soon. It kind of sucked because it was realistic and honest. The ending was powerful, emotional, and hopeful all at once.
Rating: 4.5/5 Tears
5. "Super"
I never expected this movie to be anything more than a dark comedy about a vigilante. Frank is a sad fry-cook that only has two great moments from his entire life. He drew both moments and placed them on a wall by his bed. One moment was when he guided a cop to the direction of a petty thief and the other was the day he married Sarah. After Frank gets cheated on and dumped by Sarah, he turns to comics and a show about a Jesus loving superhero. He decides to become a vigilante and take down her boyfriend's drug syndicate. This whole time he is convinced that God has blessed him and that he is the "chosen one." However, towards the end he realizes who the "chosen one" really is and he is able to come to terms with the direction of his life.
Rating: 3.5/5 Tears
6. "Margarita With A Straw"
Laila is an Indian woman with cerebral palsy who ventures to New York City with her strict mother when she is accepted to NYU. At this point, she's already used to getting rejected by guys and is still struggling to be independent. At NYU, her professor introduces her to another student, Jared, who she is instantly attracted to. She also meets Khanum, a young blind woman, at a police brutality protest. Laila begins to develop feelings for Khanum and they fall in love. After the honeymoon phase, their relationship goes south. Eventually, Laila realizes that the key to independence is being okay with being alone. Although it would have been cool if they hired an actress that actually had cerebral palsy, the concept was unique and the conclusion had a bright ending to a dark situation.
Rating: 3/5 Tears
7. "Fruitvale Station"
Based on a true story, "Fruitvale Station" takes us through Oscar Grant's last day. It humanized a controversial situation and provided another perspective on the Oscar Grant case. Oscar's day consisted of him trying to make up for the mistakes he made, like cheating on his girlfriend. He even tried to get his job back at the grocery store he once worked at in order to step up and help out. The day ends with a tragedy that could have easily been prevented if it wasn't for an anxious officer with his finger on the trigger. The cinematography was great and the way the film cuts actual footage into certain scenes, displaying the truth of the movie's interpretation of Oscar's last day.
Rating: 5/5 Tears
8. "Before I Disappear"
The cinematography is surreal and the script delivers a poetic monologue five minutes into the movie. The entire concept of this movie will leave you bawling. Richie, a suicidal man, is forced to take care of his niece when his sister finds herself in some trouble. Sophia, his niece, is the spitting image of his sister, Maggie. Sophia is assertive, intelligent, and ambitious. Richie had never really met Sophia up until that point because he and Maggie had a falling out. However, Richie and Sophia bond while dodging dangerous thugs he owes money to in the bustling streets of New York City. Sophia unintentionally saves Richie's life by giving him a reason to stick around.
Rating: 5/5 Tears
