What To Watch on HBO GO
By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22
Fun fact: All USC students are eligible for a free subscription to HBO GO; something I wish I knew before using up three of my emails on free trials. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of finals, a quick movie break could be exactly what you need, and what better way to do so than by using the subscription USC already provides? If you are looking for some justification to stop studying and start watching — I’m giving it to you. If you want some suggestions on what you could be binging as you work your way through finals week, read on!
Movies I watched in my childhood and completely forgot existed until right now:
Dunston Checks In (1996)
A clever orangutan steals jewels, scenes and hearts in this ‘first-class, stylish farce’ ('Variety’). Dunston is crooked Lord Rutledge’s simian sidekick, one of the best jewel thieves in the business. But he’s tired of his larcenous life, so when they check into a posh Manhattan hotel, Dunston checks out…and into the company of the hotel manager’s young son.
PS: This is an absolute gem of a movie and my childhood self watched it least like 10 times. If you haven’t seen it already, please do yourself a favor.
Holes (2003)
Stanley Yelnats comes from a cursed family—a curse he believes in more than ever when a false arrest lands him at a juvenile detention camp in this adaptation of the popular novel. At Camp Green Lake, the warden makes the prisoners dig holes all day—to build character—but Stanley begins to suspect there may be connection between the camp and his family’s bad luck.
Sky High (2005)
When you are the son of two of the world’s greatest superheroes, expectations can be pretty lofty. That’s the case for Will Stronghold, who seems rather average despite his super-parents. Sent to a school for those with special powers, Will deals with some of the more common issues of high-school life—girls, bullies and high expectations—while trying to find his own identity.
PS: I blame this and High School Musical for giving little me false expectations.
Underdog (2007)
“There’s no need to fear…Underdog is here!” The heroic cartoon canine is brought to the big screen in this live-action comedy that finds the super-powered beagle trying to save his city from the destructive clutches of a mad scientist. Starring Jim Belushi, Peter Dinklage, John Slattery, Patrick Warburton, Brad Garrett with Amy Adams and Jason Lee as the voice of Underdog.
Drama series that the internet has been obsessing over this past year:
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Trouble is brewing in Westeros. For the inhabitants of this world, control of the Iron Throne holds the lure of great power. But in a land where seasons can last a lifetime, winter is coming…and beyond the Great Wall that protects them, a forgotten evil has returned. HBO presents this epic series based on the book series 'A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R.R. Martin.
PS: This just might be the most-spoiled show ever due to the sheer popularity of it, but hey, no reason you can’t still watch it!
Big Little Lies (2017-2019)
Based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling book, this subversive, darkly comedic drama series tells the tale of three mothers of first-graders whose seemingly perfect lives unravel to the point of murder. The stellar cast includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard, Laura Dern, Adam Scott, Zoe Kravitz, James Tupper and Jeffrey Nordling.
Chernobyl (2019)
On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Soviet Union suffered a massive explosion. This gripping five-part miniseries tells the powerful and visceral story of the worst man-made accident in history, following the tragedy from the moment of the early-morning explosion through the chaos and loss of life in the ensuing days, weeks and months.
Euphoria (2019)
Multimedia superstar Zendaya stars in this drama series that follows a group of high-school students as they navigate a mine field of drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship in today’s increasingly unstable world.
PS: I am very much apart of that crowd that obsessed over Euphoria over the summer and am 110% looking forward to the next season.
Watchmen (2019)
Set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, this epic series from Damon Lindelof (“Lost”; HBO’s “The Leftovers”) embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, while attempting to break new ground of its own. Regina King stars as a lead detective in the Tulsa Police Force and a wife and mother of three.
PS: Watchmen only recently began premiering so it’s definitely not too late to catch up!
Drama movies with super high ratings so they’re probably good (right?):
First Man (2018)
The dramatic story that ended with Neil Armstrong taking “one small step for Man” in 1969 is seen in this masterful film about the enigmatic astronaut and his historic voyage aboard Apollo 11. Ryan Gosling, reteaming with Oscar®-winning “La La Land” director Damien Chazelle, stars as Armstrong in this Oscar®-winner for Best Visual Effects. “Astonishing” (Empire).
The Favorite (2018)
Nominated for 10 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, this darkly comic period film follows the spiteful competition between two cousins vying to curry the favour of an ailing Queen Anne. “Wonderful, nasty fun” (Vulture) starring Olivia Colman–who won the Best Actress Oscar® for her performance–Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.
Blindspotting (2018)
Ex-con Collin (Daveed Diggs) is just three days away from the end of his probation–and the chance for a new start for the Oakland native. But an innocent night with his volatile best friend, Miles (Rafael Casal) takes a terrible turn into violence. “The most exciting cinematic take on contemporary race relations since 'Do the Right Thing’” (Variety).
Comedy series that I personally love and would happily rewatch:
A Black Lady Sketch Show (2019)
Comedian/actor/writer Robin Thede created and stars in this half-hour sketch comedy series featuring a core cast of four women–Thede, Quinta Brunson, Ashley Nicole Black and Gabrielle Dennis–as they portray an array of dynamic and varied characters, as well as hyper-versions of themselves in interstitials featuring four friends stuck in a house after an apocalypse.
PS: This show has a spectacular main and guest-starring cast. Along with the amazing core ensemble comes Angela Basset, Lena Waithe, Nicole Byer, and many more!
Barry (2018-2019)
A dark comedy starring Bill Hader (“Saturday Night Live”), who created and executive produced the series along with Alec Berg (HBO’s “Silicon Valley”), Barry focuses on a depressed, low-rent hitman from the Midwest (Hader, in the title role) who falls in love with acting while on a job in LA. The supporting cast features Stephen Root, Henry Winkler and Sarah Goldberg.
PS: This show has won a couple of really big awards, so if that means anything to you, maybe give it a shot!
Popular romance movies that everyone loves or has at least heard of:
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) has just had his heart torn out: his wife of nearly 30 years wants a divorce. Amid a hapless circuit of the singles scene, Cal finds himself under the wing of skilled ladies man Jacob (Golden Globe®-nominee Ryan Gosling). Cal’s transformation is an impressive feat…but can an amazing wardrobe and a string of beautiful women heal a broken heart?
Bridesmaids (2011)
Maid of Dishonor is more like it for hapless Kristen Wiig as she leads soon-to-be-wed best friend Maya Rudolph on a comically disastrous path to the altar in this hit comedy. Strapped financially and emotionally, Annie (Wiig) is fiercely protective of her 'maid’ duties–which leads to big trouble when a picture-perfect fellow bridesmaid tries to steal her thunder.
PS: Isn’t anything with Maya Rudolph already a winner?
A Star Is Born (2018)
The drama of love and the pitfalls of fame take center stage in this hit remake about a successful singer and his young protege. Bradley Cooper directs and stars alongside Lady Gaga in the box-office smash that earned eight Academy Award® nominations–including Best Picture–while winning for Best Original Song (for Gaga’s “Shallow”). Co-starring Andrew Dice Clay.
Amelie (2001)
Audrey Tautou is a true delight as a pixieish waitress who makes it her mission to help the quirky characters in her life. A fascinating, funny, visually dazzling comedy that Rolling Stone called “utterly captivating.” Nominated for five Academy Awards®, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.
Movies meant to scare you or at least make you very stressed:
Us (2019)
If you enjoyed the terror that Jordan Peele cooked up in “Get Out,” then you’d better fasten your seatbelt for this “unforgettable dance with the devil” (Richard Roeper). Oscar® winner Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”) stars as a young woman who goes with her family to a beach town where she once had a terrifying experience…only to encounter something even more horrific.
PS: I saw this before it came out and for free with the African American Cinema Society at USC! Take advantage of those resources!
Halloween (2018)
He came home again…but this time she’s ready. Though serial killer Michael Myers has been institutionalized for 40 years since his bloody Halloween killing spree, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her most notorious role) has never forgotten that terrifying night–nor has she stopped preparing for his eventual return. A slam-bang sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic.
Black Swan (2010)
Obsession drives a devoted ballerina to the brink of madness and paranoia in director Darren Aronofsky’s compelling masterpiece. Natalie Portman delivers an Oscar®-winning turn as the perfectionist dancer who earns the coveted dual lead role in 'Swan Lake’–only to become all-consumed in her drive to unleash her inner dark side for her portrayal of the evil 'Black Swan.’
Happy Death Day (2017)
A pulse-pounding slasher film meets “Groundhog Day” in this hit frightfest about a young woman who finds herself reliving the day of her murder–for better and for bloody worse. As each day repeats, all of the mundane details play out to the point of her death while she tries to figure out the identity of her killer and put an end to the nightmare.
Animated movies that make you feel like a kid again:
Paddington 2 (2018)
Paddington is back for another furry-go-round of laughs and adventure in this comedy sequel. This time around, Paddington must wield his best detective skills after a rare pop-up book he planned to buy for Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday is stolen. Can he catch the villain before the big party? A superb cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Brendan Gleeson.
PS: I watched this with my family during Thanksgiving Break on a complete whim and quickly became way too passionate about the fate of a completely fictional animated bear. It’s ridiculous and adorable and I love it.
Madagascar (2005)
Marty the zebra and his friends–a lion, a giraffe, and a hippo–are the pampered star attractions at New York’s Central Park Zoo. But the call of the wild inspires Marty to escape from their comfy confines. A wild adventure ensues that lands all four animals in exotic Madagascar, a place that quickly reminds them just how good they had it before!
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
Mr. Krabs stands accused of stealing King Neptune’s crown! Can SpongeBob and his trusty sidekick Patrick get to the bottom of the mystery and clear the Krusty Krab owner’s name? The laughs and excitement never stop in this fun-filled animated feature. “Brilliantly funny, inventive and delirious” (Film4).
PS: From David Hasselhoff being stabbed in the butt to being chased by a murderer, this movie is actually really weird — but a classic nonetheless!
Movies I have been meaning to watch because I’ve heard they’re really good, but just haven’t gotten around to it:
Native Son (2019)
Based on the novel by Richard Wright, this film tells the story of Bigger Thomas, a young African-American living in Chicago who is hired as a chauffeur for affluent businessman Will Dalton. As Thomas enters this seductive new world of money and power–including a precarious relationship with Dalton’s daughter–he faces unforeseen circumstances that will alter his life forever.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
This is the Oscar®-winning blockbuster that tells the story of Queen, from their union with electrifying singer Freddie Mercury to their meteoric rise to fame that culminated in an epic Live Aid performance, and finally to Freddie’s brave fight against AIDS. Rami Malek won the Best Actor Oscar® for his riveting performance as Mercury.
PS: I do not know what I was doing when everyone else was flocking to the theaters to see Rami Malek (honestly, I don’t) — but hey, now I don’t have an excuse.
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