Michelin Star Movies
The Highest Standard Of Film
C. D. Michel
A MICHELIN STAR IS AN AWARD ORIGINATING IN FRANCE in the early 20th century and created by the brothers, Édouard and André Michelin. It is awarded to the best of the best restaurants, who consistently have “quality ingredients… distinct flavours… and expertly crafted dishes”. So I’ve written this article to save you time scrolling through Netflix and the countless other streaming services, by reviewing the movies I believe have the best ingredients, flavours, and quality – those which deserve a “Michelin Star” and perhaps a couple hours of your time in the next summer holidays.
The Life of Pi (2012), is a good late night movie, nothing too heavy and a peaceful watch. The film follows the protagonist, Pi and his journey of survival as he tries to find home while stranded at sea with zoo animals. The storytelling is something from another planet, and the visuals are nothing but eye candy. The ending provides a satisfying reward for the audience. However, what really brings this to a top tier movie is Richard Parker’s immaculate acting capabilities which bring this film to life.
Jordan Peele’s horror, Us (2019), is not for the faint hearted. The nail-biting film reflects on the possible dangers of cloning and biogenetics, as a family’s peaceful vacation to Santa Cruz is haunted by violent clones designed to kill. The casting for the film is perfect; despite their youth, both Evan Wilson and Shahadi Wright Joseph’s acting is superb and masterfully complement the film. Similarly to many other movies in this list, the ending leaves the audience speechless. 10/10
Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island (2010) is the definition of the perfect thriller. Every scene keeps you on the edge of your seat, as the plot remains unpredictable and unsettling throughout the whole film. So as to not give away any spoilers, I’ll keep this review succinct, but I must say the film finishes with one of the most satisfying “aha moments” in film history.
The Dark Knight (2008) really just speaks for itself. The film immerses us into Gotham City, in which the problems that arise are realistic, unlike the recent increase in artificial superhero movies jammed with CGI in every scene possible. The movie also differentiates itself as the characters are drawn back by the flaws, and it’s not just a one sided victory for the overpowered protagonist, like Captain Marvel (2019), or Aquaman (2018). However, this wouldn’t be a proper Dark Knight review without mentioning Heath Ledger’s renowned Joker, in which his skilful acting powerfully enhances the tension of the film, through the realistic nature of the Joker’s psychotic state.
The Hunger Games is what one may call a masterpiece. This refers to the whole tetralogy (a series with four movies); The Hunger Games’ value truly becomes apparent if you watch all four movies consecutively. Despite being almost nine hours, it is definitely worthwhile. The successive watching allows the viewer to understand the convoluted and fast paced Mockingjay movies that are always overlooked. The Mockingjay films go from being something that’s easily forgettable, to becoming the perfect wrap for the whole tetralogy as its comment on corruption and politics is revealed (which I’m sure the English department would truly appreciate). Ultimately, These four movies are made of pure gold, and once watched consecutively, the deeper meaning and arcs are unlocked. 10/10
Similar to the Hunger Games, the dystopian, action film, Maze Runner (2014) is a must watch. However, this time, do not watch the entire film trilogy, as the second and third films lack pretty much everything, and they both take away from the goated nature of the original. The film is high intensity, and jam-packed left, right and centre with thrill and tension. Furthermore, the story’s arc works well as the audience unravels the story at the same time as the protagonist.
Taika Waititi’s historical, comedic, tragic, romantic, war, romance, drama… Jojo Rabbit (2019) has the whole lot. The themes, characters and arcs aren’t convoluted and are easy to follow, and the film draws on all emotions within the short run-time. Waititi adds his trademark humour throughout the film as he comments on the stupidity of fascism and Nazi Germany in the Second World War, through the protagonist JoJo Betzler and his uncanny obsession with Hitler. The film is clearly deserving of a Michelin star and is an obvious 10/10.
Netflix’s recent release Painkiller (2023), is the most bingeable series I’ve watched in a while. I finished the six episode docu-fiction in less than 24 hours, just to give you an example of how good this show really is. The series reveals the critical severity of the United States’ opioid epidemic, intriguing the audience with pure interest. The protagonists Edie Flowers, Shannon Shaeffer, and Glen Kyrger also add unique perspectives to the series as they reflect on individual experiences in the opioid epidemic through the eyes of a detective, a drug dealer, and the victim of drug addiction emphasising the series’ clear superiority. Definitely, a top tier watch, in my opinion, and another 10/10.
Concluding the reviews, I am writing this assuming everyone has already seen Forrest Gump (1994). However if you haven’t, watch it right now. This movie is an absolute dime. Tom Hanks’ mesmeric storytelling will put you in a trance for two hours and 22 minutes. Topped off by Bubba’s story arc, this movie is a cinematic masterpiece.