Photo by The Shark-Infested Waters of Romantic Comedies and Thrillers
Sometimes it feels like there are as many shark movies as fish in the sea. Sadly, most of them are not just atrocious but proudly, perhaps even intentionally so. Blame the success of that portmanteau of portside cable schlock, Sharknado – or, at the other end of the budgetary waters, The Meg, a gimcrack B-movie with a blockbuster’s allowance. Both are probably, partly responsible for the school of artless fin flicks arriving every beach season on cue.
Under Paris, new to Netflix (and, at the time of this writing, the top movie on the platform), is a cut above the bottom feeders of the subgenre. Compared to the average Jaws wannabe, this French thriller is practically, well, Jaws. Make no mistake, this is a very silly movie, rendered no less silly by playing its ridiculous premise – a maneater loose in the City of Light – completely straight.
The thrill of the hunt
But what about romantic comedies? Winter Spring Summer or Fall, starring Jenna Ortega and Percy Hynes White, seems to think it’s a Gen Z Before Sunrise. Two unlikely individuals connect – on a train, no less! – and kick off a romance with a seemingly firm expiration date, as one half of the pair leaves for college in the fall. Not only is Winter Spring Summer or Fall’s timeline of a year longer than Before Sunrise’s one night, it feels longer, too. Generic teen romance tropes and cringeworthy dialogue don’t help, but the cardboard characterization and excruciating series of red flag-filled “meet-cutes” take the film from unremarkable to downright painful to watch.
Love on the tracks
And then there’s The Watchers, a fantasy horror mystery that had me on the fence. It’s not as good as I was hoping it would be, but it definitely wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Knowing this film was attached to the Shyamalan name, I was excited because I know there are going to be things you miss and won’t understand until the end. Had I not been in that mindset, I probably would have liked it a lot better.
The eerie atmosphere
In conclusion, it’s clear that these movies, despite their flaws, have something to offer. Whether it’s the thrill of a shark attack or the agony of a cringeworthy romance, each film has its own unique charm. So, grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
The perfect snack
