Winter break provides the perfect opportunity to get into the movie theatre and join the hype of all the latest movies. These last few weeks have been filled with cramming all the semester’s knowledge back into your brain and doing last-minute school work, so enjoy your break with these must-watches that have recently been released:

• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (PG-13)

 Picture from StarWars.com

If you’re a Star Wars fan, chances are you already have plans to watch this movie. It was released on December 16, and it is a spinoff story with a whole different set of characters. For original Star Wars fans, this movie is set in place between Episode III and IV. The main heroine Jyn (Felicity Jones) was raised by a rogue rebel who taught her the importance and the stakes of fighting for a cause. She rediscovers her rebellious side as she tries to destroy the Death Star plans. The movie shows a team of rebel heroes who try to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s weapon, to destroy it. This movie is based off of the opening scrawl in the beginning of the original film of Episode IV.

As The Guardian said, “British director Gareth Edwards’s dark and moody space opera bridges the gap between the old-school 70s charm and ultra-modern 21st-century wizardry of this still evolving series. Rogue One feels like part of the same cinematic universe that gave us The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – the high-water mark to which all subsequent episodes aspire.”

• La La Land (PG-13)

 Picture from IMDb

The movie that all musical lovers, or just Ryan Gosling lovers, have been waiting for. This richly praised movie features the movie couple Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in a tale of following your dreams and finding love in “La La Land”, or Los Angeles. Mia (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress that doesn’t get any of the roles that she tries out for, while Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a jazz musician that gets fired from his gig playing piano at a restaurant. This movie follows their journey of chasing their dreams and not getting their hopes dashed in the big city of L.A. If you worry about the authenticity of this musical, don’t. All of the performing you see in the movie is done by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Just as you thought Ryan Gosling couldn’t get any better, he sings and plays the piano in the movie.

As a New York Times article said, “La La Land succeeds both as a fizzy fantasy and a hard-headed fable, a romantic comedy and a showbiz melodrama, a work of sublime artifice and touching authenticity. The artifice lies in the gorgeous colors, the suave camera movements and the elegant wide-screen compositions.”

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (PG-13)

 Picture from IMDb

A spin-off story from the world-famous Harry Potter series, this is the movie that all Harry Potter fanatics have been waiting for. Although the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is still mentioned, the main character Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has no connection to Harry Potter. This movie takes place in 1926 and is well before Harry Potter’s time. Newt travels all around the world to find magical beasts and complete his documentation of them. However, what means to be a brief stop in New York goes awry when his suitcase gets switched with a No-Maj’s (American Muggle), and all of the beasts escape. Fantastic Beasts shows Newt trying to reclaim the beasts that escaped and meeting a whole load of obstacles along the way.

If you enjoyed this movie, don’t worry about it ending yet. J.K. Rowling confirmed that there would be five movies to this spin-off series over Twitter.

• Moana (G)

 Picture from Disney Movies UK

This is a Disney princess movie that takes place in Polynesia. It features Moana, who leaves her island home to try to find a way to save it. She joins forces with the demigod Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, who helps her complete her ancestors’ quest. On this journey, they meet many monsters and a variety of problems on their ocean journey. It’s a story of a young heroine leaving her home to find her destiny, her identity, and save the ones she loves back at home. Along with its fun and cute storyline, there is also the breathtaking animation and scenery shown, playful songs, and a nod to Polynesian culture. Added bonus: if you love Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, its author, composed some songs for this film.

“All the beats proceed exactly as expected, but they hit with admirably precise timing, amid a strikingly beautiful landscape where every leaf is rendered with loving clarity. The humor, the wonder, and the awwww moments all hit home comfortably,” said The Verge.

• The Edge of Seventeen (Rated R)

 Picture from IMP Awards

The Edge of Seventeen features Hailee Steinfeld as Nadine, an awkward junior that is at odds with her popular older brother. She is struggling through high school, but she manages to get by with her best friend. However, when her best friend and brother start to date, she feels more alone than ever. She struggles through the intense emotions of betrayal and rejection at her best friend “choosing” her brother. Throughout the movie, you see the raw emotions and anger that Nadine has at the world. The Edge of Seventeen has more depth than most of the teenage movies that you have seen; this features a childhood friendship, remaining pain and loss at a loved one’s death, fighting between family members, and the struggle of accepting love between your best friend and brother.

The Time’s article said, “In some ways The Edge of Seventeen seems like a typical coming-of-age story, but that’s only because there are so many ways in which coming of age is mundane and predictable. As familiar as the basic story may be, it also hits some raw, nuanced notes.”
A lot of these movies were greatly anticipated by fans of different franchises. Although you may be concerned that they might be overrated or not meet your expectations, take the chance and give them a watch. There is a huge variety of movies in theatres currently: from Star Wars to Harry Potter, a fantastical story of heroes and adventures and a coming-of-age movie, and a movie musical. There is so much to watch, so take advantage of your free time during break to hit the movie theatres.