Arcane is the most visually stunning animated show I have ever seen. What they were able to do in this show sets the bar very high for animation in my honest opinion. You could tell that it was made with love, care, and patience and not made as fast as humanly possible for the sake of profit.
“What will it be? Man or woman” is the only thing that has been going through my head for the past few months
Powder
Powder is an interesting character to me. She is very weak and shy, but very smart. She creates weapons that are able to help the team fight even though she cannot physically defend herself, but everyone doubts her abilities. When Vi wanted her to stay out of important business, that crushed Powder and she found a way to help, but she ended up killing everyone in the process. She is very misunderstood. If they took the time to understand her instead of writing her off as helpless and a jinx, maybe everyone would still be alive.
Jinx
In episode five there was a scene between Jinx and Slico where Slico brought her to the place where Vander tried to drown him. He says that on that day the weak part of himself died and he became the man he is today. That is exactly how Jinx needs to be. She needs to get rid of Powder. She died the night that Slico found her when Vi left her. This scene was kind of religious in a way. It reminded me of baptism.
She still struggles with PTSD from that tragic night and I like how it is portrayed in the show. Some media would have just shown Jinx as the byproduct of that night and have her say a few things here and there about how she hates them and she’s changed. But Arcane went even deeper. She hears the voice of Mylo in her head she has flashbacks she is never going to be rid of the events from that night. It traumatized her.
“Weapons can’t be unmade and they are always used” – Mel’s (hot) mom Ambessa Medarda Episode 8
Slico
After Vander’s death, Slico gained control of the undercity (Zaun) and exploited all of its people. He bought in the drug shimmer and everyone either died or became addicted. They will do whatever it takes to get more. Because of this, the government in Topside (Piltover) does not care about what happens in the undercity.
Jayce and Viktor
“We lost ourselfsleves. Lost our dreams in the pursuit of great we failed to do good” – Viktor Episode 9
In episode three Jayce was contemplating taking his life after being banned from the Academy for his research. Viktor interrupted him and helped him actualize his dream of Hextech because he believed in him and they had a common goal.
In episode nine Viktor is contemplating taking his own life from the same spot as Jayce because he lost Sky. She was a friend, a coworker, and a woman that expressed interest in him romantically and he never got a chance to tell her that those feelings were reciprocated. His obsession with Hexcore to cure himself and to help Piltover ultimately took over his life. Now that war is immediate and he may die any day, he has lost all hope. But Jayce interrupts his contemplations.
It was dark (literally and metaphorically ), gritty, and a good time. The story keeps you wondering whom you can and can’t trust and who is telling the truth.
As for the cinmetoragphy, I particularly liked how dark it was. It made me feel how dangerous, dirty, and disgusting Gotham is. Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz shined in their respective roles. Kravitz is now my favorite Catwoman, and Pattison may damn near be my favorite Batman. I need to see the movie again, but I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal of the iconic superhero.
2021 was the year that I watched a lot of movies. Watching movies is very hard for me as my attention span is terrible, but I was able to get myself to sit and watch movies at my own pace. I am not ranking these movies, just wanting to log all the fantastic, engaging, and unusual films I have watched this year.
Next year I need to read more books……
Ammonite (2020)
I am a sucker for a lesbian period piece about forbidden love. It is often compared to A Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and I can see why. There are many similarities, but I liked this one more. Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan had great chemistry on screen, and this movie also touched on other topics. Wealthy scientists would pay off poor paleontologists to take their work and display it in a museum but strip them of any ownership and slap their name on the finding.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Perhaps the best-animated film of all time. Belle is a strong, selfless woman. She sacrificed herself for her father and showed the Beast how to love. She also did not give in to Gaston’s rude and sexist advances (I still love him, though), and she broke the Beast’s curse. Everything about this movie is fantastic.
Black Widow (2021)
I have been a Black Widow fan since 2012, and this movie was everything I wanted and more. It did not sugarcoat her past, which I loved. It is just perfect—a perfect send-off for Natasha Romanoff. I wish I could write more, but I have nothing else to say except that it was just perfect.
Carol (2015)
I know, I know. “It’s 2021, and you are just watching Carol? Your lesbian card should be revoked.” But this movie, oh my god. I loved it. Cate Blanchett is one of my favorite actresses, and she was phenomenal in this movie. It’s the period lesbian forbidden love trope; how can you not love it? The attraction between Carol and Therese is so strong you root for them until the very end.
Cinderella (1950)
II didn’t know how badly Cinderella was treated? Like, damn, she had such a tragic upbringing after her dad passed away. I enjoyed this movie.
Don’t Look Up (2021)
I have MANY thoughts about this movie, but I will try to sum it up here and make a proper blog post in the future. I can see this happening in real life. A comet threatening to destroy the earth, people not caring and posting memes and challenges online mocking the scientists. Once people give it the attention it deserves, it becomes political. It seems ridiculous but very realistic.
Eternals (2021)
First of all, this cast was STACKED. I have some issues with the script and pacing in the first half of the movie, but I liked it because of its second half. You care about each character, and they balanced how much screentime each Eternal gets. You were able to connect to each character. I loved how relatable they are and their dynamic as a dysfunctional yet functional family.
Framing Britney Spears (2021)
This documentary was an eye-opener. I grew up hearing all types of things about this woman. It clouded my judgment. She suffered from the pressure of fame while struggling with mental illness but was written off as a crazy woman. This documentary makes you think about gender and the media.
Frozen 2 (2019)
This sequel is an excellent stand-alone movie and an exciting sequel. It didn’t feel like a sequel in many ways, but the subject matter was darker and more mature. Disney knew Frozen was big among children, but it was equally as popular among adults. (especially the gay ones 🌈) Plus, the songs were chef’s kiss. I cried when I thought Olaf died and cried when Elsa sang “Show Yourself”. I like it better than “Let It Go”.
Incredibles 2 (2018)
Incredibles was my favoirte animated movie for a very long time, and this sequl was perfect. I loved seeing eIncredibles was my favorite animated movie for a very long time, and this sequel was perfect. I loved seeing everything flipped and seeing Helen save the world and Bob stay at home to take care of the kids. But it was amusing in which they went about it. Instead of only showing Bob here and there like they did to Helen in the first film, they showed how exhausting Helen’s job as a mother is and how Bob struggles to fill that role because he is home for once.
Midsommar (2019)
I’m not too fond of horror movies. I am easily scared, and I HATE jump scares. But Midsommar is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It had a few jump scares, but everything else was physiological horror. Ari Aster’s use of color made me want to watch the movie. It felt lighthearted because it was mainly in the daytime. All of the horrors happened at night. Aster also made me go from hating the Hårga to sympathizing with them. Oh, and Florence Pugh is INCREDIBLE.
Moana (2016)
This movie put me through the emotions. It was adorable, and the songs were excellent. Moana is one of the most visually pleasing animated movies I have ever seen. The clear blue sky paired with the clear blue water was so relaxing.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
I didn’t enjoy this movie as much as I thought I would. (I watched it immediately after Ammonite, which was probably my first mistake since I loved that movie.) I didn’t understand it at times. The storyline with Shopie trying to terminate her pregnancy was odd and unnecessary. I did feel the chemistry between Marianne and Héloïse, but I did not understand the conflict that led to them almost breaking up before Héloïse’s mother came back. I did enjoy the beginning and end of the film. In the beginning, we are introduced to the Portrait of a Lady on Fire then we see the story behind that painting. That was when Marianne realized her feelings for Héloïse were not platonic. The long take of Héloïse crying at the theater is similar to the long take at the end of Call Me By Your Name. She misses Marianne. I also loved the page 28 reference in the painting of Héloïse and her daughter.
Raya and The Last Dragon (2021)
The fight scenes in this movie are top-tier. I also think that this movie is kind of underrated. Not many people talk about it. The story is excellent, and I loved watching the journey of Raya and Sisu. Namaari is so cool; she should get a solo movie or Disney+ show about what she was doing in Fang while searching for Raya. This movie was also heavily queer coded. I read it as Raya and Namaari having a crush on one another as children, but Namaarihad to complete a mission for Fang and betrayed Raya. I wonder if they rekindled their friendship and if it turned into something more. No animated Disney movie is complete without me crying. I sobbed when I thought Sisu died and wept again when she was reunited with her siblings.
Shang- Chi (2021)
Top five most beautifully shot MCU movies. The use of color and nature made for a STUNNING movie. I enjoyed the action sequences and soundtrack. The fighting style was a first of its kind in the MCU, and I can’t wait to see more of it.
Spider-Man No Way Home (2021)
This is a film I need to watch again. You miss so much on the first viewing. The nod to the other Spider-Man movies was cool. Especially the lab scene. That was so funny. I was almost in tears. But the moment that had me in tears was when Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man caught MJ as she fell from the Statue of Liberty. His pain made my heartbreak. He was able to save her in this universe.
Tangled (2010)
This movie is DARK, and I was not expecting that at all. Rapunzel’s mother kidnapped her as a baby and locked her away in a tower so she could use her hair to stay young, and naturally, Rapunzel knows no better. Hence, she obeys her mother and stays, especially when her mother tells her how scary the world is. I think many of us young adults can relate to this. We want to explore the world but are held back by people telling us it’s too dangerous.
The Unforgivable (2021)
Give Sandra Bullock the Best Actress Oscar. She ate this role. The movie was great, but that twist made the movie even better. Ruth is just a woman that wants to protect her sister, and she does everything to do that then be reunited with her. We saw the different experiences of the characters. Ruth is getting reacclimated to life after being in prison for 20 years, the sheriff’s family is very broken, and the PTSD Kathriene deals with due to the traumatic event is still an issue for her. My favorite scene was when Ruth returned to the house she grew up in, and Liz confronted her on the front lawn. Sandra and Viola gave me chills.
When I saw Squid Game fan art at NYCC, I knew that I had to start watching this show.
“Hoping to win easy money, a broke and desperate Gi-hun agrees to take part in an enigmatic game. Not long into the first round, unforeseen horrors unfold.” – Summary from Netflix
Dystopian Future?
Squid Game feels like a dystopian future. The concept of people in debt unknowingly selling themselves to a game in which they are promised money if they survive and win is terrifying, but it seems like it could happen in real life.
Seong Gi-hun
Gi-hun is doing everything that he can to be a good father to his daughter. He used the emergency debit card to withdraw money to bet on horses to afford to take his daughter out to eat god food and give her a nice present on her birthday, among other things. He also trusts a stranger to give him money because he wants to be financially stable enough to prevent his daughter from going to the U.S. If she moves there, he may never see her again because he cannot afford the costly flight. And she may not be allowed to come back and visit.
The Gun is Foreshadowing the Squid Games
The gun that he accidentally gifted his daughter is a metaphor and also foreshadows the games. He wins the weapon out of a crane machine game designed for kids. He did not know it was a gun until he opened the packaging.
Once the Squid Game begins, we see a huge (creepy) doll, and she tells them that they will be playing red light green light, a children’s game, but the losers are eliminated by being shot to death.
Seong Gi-hun’s Mother
I find it interesting that her main concern is that her granddaughter will forget all of her Korean once she moves to the U.S. Is this a common fear among the older generation? Are they assuming that once someone moves to the U.S., they will forget where they came from and assimilate into the “American” way of life?
Will There Be a Winner?
Are they going to win money, or is a rich person benefiting from the desperation and struggles of those in extreme debt? They will fight and die for money, and the person in charge of the game is relaxing in an undisclosed location, listening to music and drinking while they watch these people be killed.
What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?
This is the first episode where the main character becomes a superhero, but their origin story is changed. Doctor Strange still becomes Doctor Strange but in a different way. He loses the person he loves most instead of losing his hands in the accident.
He relives the night Christine died and tries to save her, but every attempt ends in her death. Christine is supposed to die because it is an Absolute Point in the timeline. I believe Absolute Point is a term we will hear more about going forward in the MCU. Events like Natasha’s death are considered Absolute Points and cannot be reversed because they are pivotal to the stability of the timeline.
Overwhelmed by the loss of Christine, Doctor Strange seeks answers in the mystic arts. After defeating Dormammu and becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, he wants to reverse her death by seeking out the book of Cagliostro.
Another thing that will be important to remember as the MCU continues to explore the multiverse is that it is possible to split a timeline. Ancient One split Doctor Strange. The version of him that followed the path of darkness ultimately was the reason for the universe’s demise because only one Doctor Strange can exist in one timeline, so he was forced to battle himself. He successfully brought back Christine, but at the cost of the universe.
This reminds me of Madoka Magica. What is so important to you that you are willing to give up your soul to obtain it? Doctor Strange gave up everything to bring back Christine, and it wasn’t even worth it.
Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker need to think twice before trying to change or alter reality. Wanda wanted Vision back and (accidentally) created an entire alternate reality to obtain that. She may still be searching for ways (i.e., the WandaVision finale end credit scene). Peter wants everyone to forget that he is Spiderman. But these things may be considered to be Absolute Points in the timeline and are irreversible.
And finally….. what is up with the recurring tentacles?
“Frayed nerves and paranoia infiltrate the TVA as Mobius and Hunter B-15 search for Loki and Sylive. – Summary from Disney+
The TVA Cannot Be Trusted.
They took Sylive as a prisoner as a child because she created a nexus event. What kind of nexus event is caused by an innocent child? After they erased her reality and she escaped from the TVA, Sylive created nexus events everywhere she went. This is because she is technically not supposed to exist.
Hunter C-20 was Killed.
Ravonna made it seem like her mental state was so bad that she went insane and committed suicide. But she was really saying “it was real” because Sylive could access memories with her powers. My theory is that all of the TVA employees are variants, and a different version of them exists within the sacred timeline. Instead of being killed, their memories are whipped, and either false memories are implanted, or they are brainwashed into obeying the TVA.
The Nexus Event on Lamentis
I know this is a polarizing topic, but from how I am reading this and interpreting the theory of alternate realities and timelines, Loki and Sylive are the same beings. Hence, I think that the nexus event was the two of them kind of falling for one another. They connected right before their imminent doom on Lamentis.
The TVA uses the Infinity Stones as paperweights, and it makes me sick.
“After stealing the Tesseract in “Avengers: Endgame,” Loki lands before the Time Variance Authority.”- Summary from Disney+
The Sacred Timeline
The scared timeline is the main timeline. There was a battle for supremacy, but ultimately the timekeepers blended all of them into one. Variants are people that stray away from the timeline, and a Nexus Event occurs when the timeline is messed up due to a variant doing something they weren’t supposed to do.
What The Avengers Did in Endgame was Supposed to Happen
They did everything right and restored the timeline, but Loki was not supposed to pick up the tesseract hence why he is being captured as a time offender. I was surprised that he knew the Avengers time traveled from 2023.
Agent Mobius
You will only understand why I freaked out about his name if you know anything about the Mobius strip and pre-debut LOONA lore.
Control
Loki has a hard time accepting that he is not and never was in control of his choices. He was following the path that he was made to follow by the timekeepers. He believes that almost every living thing (except him) has to make choices that determine their destiny, and they never choose the right one.
When Frozen came out in 2013, I did not understand the hype. I watched the movie and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I still did not understand why everyone was obsessed with it. Here we are, June 2021, and I rewatched the movie as an adult, and it is one of the best movies i have ever seen.
Frozen is heavily queer coded. Nothing is explicitly stated in the film, but the way Elsa talks about her experiences mirrors the experiences of many LGBTQ people. From a young age, she was taught that her powers were bad, and she needed to conceal and not feel and hide away from the world to protect others. She also lost a relationship with her sister because of this.
Fearless optimist Anna teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff in a race to find Anna’s sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. – Summary from Disney+
This is mirroring what many LGBTQ people go through. Some LGBTQ people have childhood memories of being told that anything relating to homosexuality is bad and should not be discussed. Therefore they shut themselves off and did not feel those feelings. They concealed.
When the residents of Arendelle found out her secret, she ran. She is hiding because she is ashamed. This can be related to LGBTQ kids being kicked out of home or leaving home because they are different and no longer welcomed there and are considered monsters by their families.
Prince Hans finds Elsa and immediately imprisons her because he sees her as a threat. This may be a stretch, but I can connect this to people sending their gay children away to be “fixed” at conversion therapy. Hans almost kills Elsa because she is different right before her sister Anna saves her.
Interestingly, we all thought that the true love’s kiss would be from Hans, then Kristoff, but her true love was her sister. This was such a sweet twist to the movie. Not all true love is romantic; platonic love can be just as strong or even stronger than romantic love.
Andrea Ateliers 