My favorite ANIME movie

Spirited Away 千と千尋の神隠し
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki - 2001

While I'd seen a handful of anime films before this one, I had never seen anything like this one... This was my first Miyazaki film, so of course, it holds a special place in my heart. It still, to this day, makes me feel eerie and surreal when I watch it. Plus, I actually really like the English dub. The music is fantastic, and I've even seen the live stage play in theatre too!

Honorable Mentions: Perfect Blue パーフェクトブルー, Catnapped とつぜん!ネコの国 バニパルウィット

My favorite BIOPIC movie

House of Gucci
Directed by Ridley Scott - 2021

I had no idea I was going to love as much as I did. I get that biopics aren't totally true, but I don't care. I loved Lady Gaga and Adam Driver in this movie, and I normally don't care for either of them! Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani was so fashionable and cool. As bad of a woman as she was, I wish I could look more like her! I also think it's hilarious that this was made by Ridley Scott... This isn't exactly the type of movie I'd attribute to him, but whatever!

Honorable Mentions: The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Spencer

My favorite COMEDY movie

Ghost World
Directed by Terry Zwigoff - 2001

I remember watching this in high school thinking "I am just like Enid Coleslaw!" I even have similar hair (minus her lack of bangs) and fashion-sense! Plus her disdain for other people. I thought this was a fun little coming of age story for both Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson's characters, and I really just love Steve Buscemi in anything.

Honorable Mentions: Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, Kamikaze Girls 下妻物語

My favorite CRIME movie

The Departed
Directed by Martin Scorsese - 2006

I can't remember if this was the first Scorsese film I ever watched, but I do remember not thinking I would be as into it as I was... I don't even care for Leonardo DiCaprio or Jack Nicholson at all (they're both creeps) but this was just so damn good! When I went to Boston I was so excited to walk around the filming locations, and one of these days I'm going to watch the Chinese film that this was based off of - Internal Affairs.

Honorable Mentions: American Psycho, Cold Fish 冷たい熱帯魚

My favorite DRAMA movie

Stoker
Directed by Park Chan-Wook - 2013

I have a hard time figuring out what drama movie I like best too, because to me, there are some thin lines between dramas and thrillers. However, to me, a drama is more like a soap opera. Nothing magical or scary involved. Just people living their lives and being very melodramatic about it. While crime does occur in this movie, and it's a bit on the eerie and uncomfortable side, I still consider this a drama. I love India Stoker, her style, and the story! She was another character I really identified with as an older teen.

Honorable Mentions: Girl Interrupted, The Nightingale's Prayer دعاء الكروان

My favorite FANTASY movie

MirrorMask
Directed by Dave McKean - 2005

I made my husband watch this with me recently and I forgot how much of a surreal fever dream it is. But I love it! I would borrow this from the local library all the time and watch it when I was a kid. I didn't realize that the main guy in it sounded (and acted) a bit like CallMeKevin. Anyways, I'm not a huge Neil Gaiman fan, but this was super cool.

Honorable Mentions: Return to Oz, Legend

My favorite HORROR movie

Leprechaun
Directed by Mark Jones - 1993

Fuck me, I have to pick one movie as my favorite horror movie of all time??? UGH! This is so hard! Is it a horror movie I go back to time and time again? A horror movie that disgusted me? A horror movie that legitimately scared me? I guess I will go with the one I return to over and over and put the two others that fit those other questions below in the honorable mentions... The winner here is Leprechaun, a horror comedy. I don't like to repeat movies much, but I could watch this entire series once a month and still love it. It's so stupid! The third one where he goes to Vegas is my all-time favorite though.

Honorable Mentions: Martyrs (2008), Jeepers Creepers

My favorite MUSICAL movie

Muppet Treasure Island
Directed by Brian Henson - 1996

Not only is this my favorite musical, but it's also my favorite Muppets movie of all time! This is another one of those I can watch over and over again, and I know all the words to the songs! I think I actually own the soundtrack... Anyways, this even beats out Pirates of the Caribbean for me. It's so much fun!

Honorable Mentions: Moulin Rouge, Cry Baby

My favorite MYSTERY movie

Knives Out
Directed by Rian Johnson - 2019

I apparently don't watch a lot of mysteries. I also don't consider movies with supernatural elements to be "mysteries", so that cuts down on a lot of the mysterious movies I do watch. I do read a lot of mysteries though, so there's that...! But out of the movies, I think Knives Out exemplifies a fantastic example of the genre, and Rian made it fun too! Also, Daniel Craig is a "Colonel"-esque southern dandy is just SO GOOD! I love it.

Honorable Mentions: Disturbia, Bodies Bodies Bodies

My favorite ROMANCE movie

Emma
Directed by Autumn De Wilde - 2020

This movie was SO CUTE! And it's another genre I don't watch often. I actually really hate romance movies and novels and I only watch ones that have other genres mixed in, so it's rare that I find one I enjoy. While I don't like Anya Taylor-Joy as a person, I do like her as an actress, and Johnny Flynn is super cute (and a great singer), so I was really into this!

Honorable Mentions: Amélie, Bridget Jones’s Diary

My favorite SCI-FI movie

The 5th Element
Directed by Luc Besson - 1997

This is legit my favorite movie of ALL TIME! Yes... ALL TIME! I can watch it over and over and still find things I didn't notice the first million times I've seen it. I remember watching it when I was younger and I had no idea who Gary Oldman, Maïwenn, or Tricky were. And Milla Jovovich as Leeloo was everything I wanted to be as a young girl. I own the vinyl of the soundtrack to this. It's just a shame that Luc Besson is a pedo.

Honorable Mentions: Prometheus, Total Recall (1990)

My favorite THRILLER movie

The Cell
Directed by Tarsem Singh - 2000

Another example of a genre that is hard for me to choose one single movie from, since I watch a lot of them! However, the winner here has stood the test of time as being another one of those movies that just has stuck with me over the years on a level I can't describe. Jennifer Lopez is a shit actress, but everything else about this movie makes up for that! Eiko Ishioka did the costuming in this one, and she was always one of my favorites!

Honorable Mentions: Black Swan, Parasite 기생충

My favorite WESTERN movie

True Grit
Directed by The Coen Brothers - 2010

I remember going to see this in theatres while I was in college. I had no interest in western movies what-so-ever, so color me surprised when I watched this and fell in love with it! I already adore Jeff Bridges, and The Coen Brothers, so I think that helped a lot. I did like Hailee Steinfeld's headstrong female lead, although I thought the character Matt Damon played always flirting with her was creepy and weird. Either way, this one is much better, in my opinion, than the original.

Honorable Mentions: Bone Tomahawk, Ravenous

My favorite WESTERN ANIMATED movie

Shrek
Directed by Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson - 2001

If you don't like Shrek... You are wrong. Get out of here! But seriously, I do think this movie is a masterpiece. And no, I'm not being ironic. It tells a fairy tale story (in a subversive manner) and just does it so damn well. And the characters are so likeable (even when they're not likeable) too (except maybe Farquad)! Like... I literally don't know how this movie was made it's so damn good.

Honorable Mentions: Hercules, Moana