The only thing I love more than finishing off a bag of tortilla chips is eating said snack while streaming a cringey rom-com and a side of salsa. Netflix in question is my go-to platform when I am in search of the next worst "chick flick" to indulge in. With an entire summer and numerous zesty Mexican snacks behind my belt, I have compiled a list of 2018 Netflix films I think make the cut for modern-day cinematic pieces that raise our expectations for men— and life.
1. The Candy Jar (2018)
IMDBQueso Level: 5/10
Romeo meets Juliet. Only not quite. Centered around two high school debate team co-presidents who possess common traits are a love of winning and a hatred for one another, these bitter rivals are forced to work together in order to win national debate championships and attend the Ivy Leagues of their dream. A male POC lead with a powerful mother in Congress versus your everyday white washed Hermione with a sad backstory will leave you screaming for a sequel. Their passion for success will make even the most bashful of audience member want to grab a mic and enter a national debate tournament. And the final scene once it's revealed what colleges they'll finally attend? A plot-twisting cinematic piece of art.
2. To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
IMDBQueso Level: 8.5/10
A feisty, yet somewhat of a push-over lead? A perfect older sister dating the dreamy boy next door? Accidentally revealing your love to every boy you have ever had a crush on and having them confront you about it in public? Seems like a recipe for a cliche disaster, yet one that audiences will want to happily indulge in any way. Lara Jean Covey is the protagonist who shows her audience that even when you blow your life problems out of proportion and elaborately attempt to lie and form a fake relationship to cover it up, you can still do it in style. The sad plot, however, does nothing to hide the fact that Lara Jean Covey is both the girl next door and a start in the Hollywood industry in regards to furthering the Asian-American representation in the media. How many cheesy chick flicks can you think of that don't have the female lead cast as anything other than Caucasian? Yeah…sounds about white.
3. The Package (2018)
IMDBQueso Level: 7/10
While this one is less of a chick-flick and more of a comedy, audiences will want to give it a chance despite the distasteful Netflix cover of the eggplant emoji. Two girls, three guys, alcohol, a pocket knife, and a weekend camping together in the woods. Seems like nothing can go wrong, right? Or so any white mother may choose to think. After drunkenly cutting off his penis while fiddling with a pocket knife, Jeremy Ablear is airlifted to a local hospital out of the woods with nothing but a cooler of ice containing his missing limb. It was only after the med-helicopter disappeared from sight that the remaining idiots soon discovered the wrong cooler had been given to the paramedics, and that poor Jeremy's member was still in their possession. In a race against time, this rag-tag, horny and dramatic group of teens must fight through any obstacle imaginable by screenwriters to return their friend's body part before it rots forever. But don't worry, aside from the medical emergency, the real drama occurs between Jeremy's sister Becky and Jeremy's best friend Sean, who is secretly pining for each other alongside ex-lovers Sarah and Donnie who can't seem to stand breathing the same air. The missing penis is only the beginning.
4. The Kissing Booth (2018)
Queso Level: 10/10
Guy and girl are childhood best friends. The girl is secretly in love with best friend's hot-shot jock older brother. Aside from the fact that everyone in the movie appears to be a privileged, wealthy, white teenager with elaborate Malibu beach houses and private school uniforms, there is something nostalgic about the Dance Dance Revolution games that are played in the grimy arcade throughout the film. Alongside the lack of any real social or financial problems in the naive lives of various high-schoolers, the Kissing Booth still possesses a sense of charm. You are drawn to it because you want your life to be as simple as it. A large house, a loving family, a loyal best friend, and the only issue that thickens the plot of the film is once again that the protagonist can't seem to acquire the balls, to tell the truth. Be that as it may, it is still a cliche worth seeing, if only to make fun of it.
