I just returned from my spring break, which I spent at home with friends and family. My family loves watching movies as a way to spend time together. So, naturally, I watched four movies this past week. They include: Game Night, Lady Bird, Black Panther, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

I’ve always been a big movie person. However, this week of movie-watching, combined with it being Oscar week, got me thinking about the power of movies and the messages they send.

Often times, only the people who WANT to be informed or involved in political/social issues are the ones who take the time to read the news and educate themselves. Movies are a channel to reach a bigger audience: those who may only be looking for entertainment, but in turn receive a larger message.

Movies create trends. They make songs number one hits; they make pink hair cool and alternate universes seem possible. Movies influence how we think about things and what we think about.

People sometimes complain when award shows like the Oscars become political. However, in my opinion, when you have the ability to have such a strong voice, why not use it? The movie industry has the capacity to change society and our perceptions; it makes sense for them to try to use this strength to do good in the world.

This past week, my time spent watching movies took me from a game night gone-wrong in suburbia, to a mother and daughter’s turbulent relationship in Sacramento, to the hidden nation of Wakanda, and then to the dark and twisted roads of Ebbing, Missouri.

I watched a competitive sibling relationship reveal itself as built on lies and mutual jealousy. I was reminded to embrace my relationship with my mother and not lose sight of who I am as I continue to grow up. I was given appreciation for African culture and was able to watch as a black superhero become a new idol for little boys across the world. Lastly, I struggled between goodness and anger, redemption and forgiveness, and saw how these struggles exist even in the best and worst of us.

So, next time you watch a movie, think about the bigger picture. You may find that you got more out of it than a bag of popcorn and a laugh.