With the releases of highly anticipated films such as Top Gun: Maverick and Jordan Peele’s Nope, this past season could be coined the summer of cinema. Theatrical releases have made a comeback and are better than ever.

From a box-office biopic (Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis) to animated dogs (DC League of Superpets), theaters everywhere saw tons of action. In a few of these theaters was none other than MVHS senior Jordan Duncan. She saw a handful of movies in theaters this past season. Towards the beginning of summer break, she watched The Bob’s Burgers Movie which she claimed to enjoy but ultimately felt was “too long.” After that, she watched Minions: Rise of Gru, a film that took the internet by a storm this summer. Duncan states the animated movie was “mid” and jokes that “they should call it MIDions.”

MVHS social studies teacher Paul Parrigon also had the experience of watching this movie in theater with his kids, it being their first theater experience. He claims that his kids conclusively loved it. Duncan also watched Thor: Love and Thunder, a popular Marvel Studios film that received a ton of mixed reviews. She says that she wishes she hadn’t watched it. She says, “I don’t remember much from it other than that every time the goats screamed, my brother laughed.”

The real star of the summer was Baz Luhrmann’s critically acclaimed film Elvis starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. It made $31.2M dollars just on its opening weekend. Luhrmann is famously known for his wildly artistic, sparkly films, and Elvis was nothing short of such. Both Duncan and Mr. Parrigon state to have enjoyed the film. Duncan claims that the movie “changed [her] life” and made an everlasting impact on her. She says, “There will never be any type of cinematic experience that can beat this.” Mr. Parrigon enjoyed the performances of the cast. He didn’t watch many films in theaters this summer, but he’s a firm believer that “People should see more classic or older movies” and to “Give black and white and even foreign movies a chance.”

Although this past summer’s films have been fun, movies are getting a bit more twisted and creative as the weather gets cooler. Horror movies such as Pearl, Barbarian, and Don’t Worry Darling have hit the big screen, just in time for Halloween.