Quick flicks perfect for finals season study breaks
In a world where movies easily run for more than two hours, finding good films with less time-consuming running times is a demanding job, especially with the plethora of choices afforded by a myriad of streaming platforms. Here are some movies that you can watch via your USC HBO Max subscription between study sessions, guilt-free.
“KIMI” (2022), 89 minutes
From director Steven Soderbergh, “KIMI” follows Angela Childs (Zoë Kravitz), an agoraphobic IT worker in Seattle, as she comes across evidence that puts her into a dangerous situation. In under 90 minutes, Soderbergh makes “KIMI” a tech thriller that everyone can easily understand, with familiar elements such as voice assistants and a pandemic setting. Keep in mind how a home, free of the public and a sanctuary of safety — especially during a pandemic — comes to strip its owner of their privacy. Watch the scenes that seem unimportant carefully — you will enjoy how they intertwine at the end, a specialty of Soderbergh’s films.
“What We Do In the Shadows” (2014),
86 minutes
From Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, “What We Do In the Shadows” is a mockumentary-style comedy about four vampires who live in New Zealand as they adjust to human society. Both absurd and realistic, “What We Do In the Shadows” does an excellent job of embodying supernatural characters in the real world through the lens of mockumentary storytelling. But what makes “What We Do In the Shadows” a great movie is its comedy. Co-directors Waititi and Clement execute this well by planting comedic elements and using them later in the movie, so be on the lookout.
“Lady Bird” (2017),
94 minutes
In just under 95 minutes, Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” portrays a year in the life of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) as she navigates the discord and conflicts that arise from friendship, romance, family and college admission in her last year of high school. While this may sound like a generic coming-of-age movie, Gerwig’s beautiful and subtly comedic portrayal of the chaotic life of a teenager makes the movie stand out from its genre. While watching the film, try to think about being considerate of what and who will allow you to love better. It will make the last couple of scenes in the movie more memorable, relatable and rewarding.
“Nobody” (2021),
92 minutes
If you liked “John Wick” by Chad Stahelski, then you will love Ilya Naishuller’s “Nobody.” The film follows Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), a retired assassin who lives a tedious and dangerous life kept away from his family. But everything changes when a pair of burglars steal his daughter’s kitty cat bracelet, spurring him back into action. In 92 minutes, “Nobody” tells a story about a man who cannot help himself to maintain a normal life and go back to doing what he does best: killing bad guys. The movie is full of action, and the final throwdown shows how Odenkirk nails his role as a retired killer.
“Mogul Mowgli” (2020),
89 minutes
Bassam Tariq’s “Mogul Mowgli” tells the story of British Pakistani rapper Zed (Riz Ahmed), who struggles with an autoimmune disease that stalls his first big tour. While recovering from his unexpected illness, Zed explores his identity by interacting with his family and reliving his past, which helps him realize that he doesn’t have to hold himself to the extreme ends of his life. He isn’t a world-class rapper nor a complete failure but learns that he can stand in the middle, like Toba Tek Singh, a small town between India and Pakistan in the short story of the same name by Saadat Hasan Manto, as well as the title of a song that Zed produces.
While these movies are relatively short, be wary to not watch them all at once, a procrastination move which will quickly take seven hours of your day.