“Films that make you Feel.”
If you’re looking for a movie with action and depth, then The Woman King directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood is the ticket.
It’s the historically fictionalized depiction of the West African kingdom of Dahomey and its female soldiers called the Agojie who were revered in the 1800s and sworn to sisterhood as they protected their people.
Beyond the epic battles you’ll find a story about identity, survival, and taking back your power.
The 2022 film stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch and John Boyega among others.
It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Films that make you Feel.”
Eleanor the Great is quietly captivating.
The 2025 directorial debut by Scarlett Johansson is a touching story about an unconventional bond between a 94-year-old woman and a 19-year-old journalism student that explores friendship, love, the choices we make while grieving and the resulting consequences.
It stars June Squibb and Erin Kellyman who share some heartfelt and comedic moments throughout the drama that also features Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rita Zohar and Jessica Hecht.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and continues to find audiences.
“Films that make you Feel.”
You might recall that my favorite film is The Shawshank Redemption – a story that may appear bleak but is truly about hope. So, when I heard about Sing Sing, another film with an imprisoned character falsely accused I leaned in.
The drama directed by Greg Kwedar follows men locked up in maximum security as they find purpose while being involved in a Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. It’s based on a real-life initiative in a New York Prison and features formerly incarnated people who are alumni of the program.
Knowing that the system often hardens individuals and isn’t truly designed to rehabilitate, it was eye opening to learn there are opportunities for inmates to be vulnerable, playful, as well build trust and camaraderie – a brotherhood that is not about intimidation and violence. It’s a different kind of survival that truly allows them to transform and go places outside the prison walls through art, giving them hope.
Get ready for moving performances by Colman Domingo, Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, Sean San José, Paul Raci and others in the 2023 film that premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.
“Films that make you Feel.”
When Tessa Thompson stars in a film it’s a guarantee that I’m going to watch. And her performance in Hedda is not to be missed.
The drama written and directed by Nia DaCosta is a reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 stage play Hedda Gabler. It follows Thompson in the title character stuffed into a life where she is desperately trying to maintain power as well as her own agency as a woman in the 1950s.
What unfolds during the course of one night is a pressure cooker of a story as Hedda sets the stage for chaos in her own struggle to survive. She’s restless and controversial with loads to unpack.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025 and features Nina Hoss, Tom Bateman and Nicholas Pinnock.
“Films that make you Feel.”
It’s a New Year and I decided to revisit a film I watched at the beginning of last year that has stayed with me – Nickel Boys.
The 2024 film directed by RaMell Ross chronicles the life of a young man poised for college who finds himself in the wrong place, and the friendship he develops while navigating the brutal realities of a reform school in Florida during Jim Crow.
The cinematography gives a unique point of view from each of the lead characters played by Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson that really makes you lean in, and the aspect ratio is a poignant reflection of the suffocating time period.
It’s intimate, beautiful and devastating all at the same time.
Among the films’ haunting questions is whether looking away from wrongdoing also makes you complicit.
It’s based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys that details the real-life Dozier School for Boys which is now closed.
The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and also features the always memorable Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Daveed Diggs.
“Films that make you Feel.”
When it comes to Christmas movies there are a handful that I can watch every year including The Family Stone, This Christmas, and The Best Man Holiday that I've shared in previous years. The Holiday can be added to that list.
The 2006 romantic comedy directed by Nancy Meyers follows two women – an English journalist and an LA movie trailer editor – as they swap houses a couple of weeks before Christmas to get a breather from their daily lives and heartbreak.
It’s charming, heartfelt and at times cheesy in all the best ways.
The film stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black, and has some truly sweet moments with the late Eli Wallach.
“Films that make you Feel.”
If you’re looking for a movie that puts you in the thick of the action, then The Lost Bus is your next watch.
The film directed by Paul Greengrass follows a school bus driver and teacher as they save 22 children during a treacherous wildfire. It’s based on a true story and the book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, by journalist Lizze Johnson of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The filmmakers put you smack in the middle of the 2018 fire ignited by a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) transmission line, and at times I had to remember to breathe. It’s a wonderful mix of handheld camera work and quick edits and carefully crafted quiet moments to get to know the characters amongst the chaos.
It stars Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera, and premiered this year at the Toronto International Film Festival. And while the film also has its flaws it continues meaningful conversations about fire preparedness, wildfire notification systems, support for first responders and more.
“Films that make you Feel.”
As Domestic Violence Awareness month gets underway, I can’t help but reflect on a project that is dear to my heart.
Why Me!? – written and directed by yours truly is the story of single mother Nicole who finally finds love, but it turns into an abusive relationship where brokenness fills both of their lives.
It stars the phenomenal Zakiyyah BG and Dennis Marin who are supported by their equally talented cast members Velda Hunter, Lauren Ross, Jesse Boyd-Williams, Jeffrey McMahon and Scott Norman.
The film premiered at the Micheaux Film Festival in 2023 and was on the hotlist for the Oscar qualifying 47th Cleveland International Film Festival.
It’s based on a true story and was made with support from Haven of Oakland County – “a nationally recognized nonprofit leader that provides comprehensive programs to promote violence-free homes and communities.” The organization has helped survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault for over 50 years.
The short film can be streamed on Yow.tv which champions indie filmmakers.
https://yow.tv/video-detail/why-me--3
(Link can also be found in Bio)
@yowtv_official
“Films that make you Feel.”
When I first watched Women Talking, my stomach turned but when I learned that it’s based on truths from a Mennonite community I was gutted.
The 2022 film written and directed by Sarah Polley shines a light on the abuse men inflicted on the women and girls in their isolated community and the aftermath as the women are left to grapple with their faith, secrets, shame and how to move forward – stay and fight, leave, or do nothing.
It’s based on Canadian author Miriam Toews 2018 book and premiered at Telluride Film Festival with an ensemble cast that includes Rooney Mara and Frances McDormand.
It’s a story that continues to resonate in our world about the power of words and how to build a better world.
*Trigger Warning*
“Films that make you Feel.”
Walking out of the theater of Ryan Coogler’s current film with so much to unpack caused me to reflect back on his first feature film and how his projects not only entertain but have something to say leaving audiences with a multitude of feelings.
Fruitvale Station which Coogler wrote and directed is based on the true story of Oscar Grant and his death on New Years Day 2009 in Oakland California which was captured on video by numerous witnesses.
The 22-year-old father was handcuffed and held on the ground when he was shot in the back by Bay Area Rapid Transit police officers who were responding to a scuffle on the train.
The film gives you a snapshot of Grant’s life in prison, him trying to turn over a new leaf, and ultimately his humanity.
It premiered in 2013 at Sundance and stars Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand and Chad Michael Murray.
