Movies That Defined My 2020

I am here to discuss movies I watched for the first time in 2020 which I felt have some kind of significance to me personally. If you haven’t read my other articles, you might not know this perspective I write about often which is that some things cross your path for a reason. The movies that basically define my 2020, or quarantine since I watched these movies while there was a stay-at-home order, I truly feel fall under the same circumstance.

As someone who prefers action/adventure over romance/drama, the following are quite an atypical choice for me to watch but I still very much enjoyed them. I pretty much only watch Disney, Marvel, and other major animation studio movies with my favorite movie being Coraline. As for why I watched them? I’m not sure why these particular titles, besides Parasite, were movies that I felt very drawn to but that’s what I’m here to discuss today.

There may be what some consider light spoilers in some of the following paragraphs just in case you’re wondering.

These first two movies, I especially feel that I was genuinely supposed to watch them at the exact moment I did, not earlier, not later. I was aware of them for a while, but I never struck much of an interest to watch them until the time that I did.

The Sun is Also a Star (2019)

I remember watching the trailer for The Sun is Also a Star in early 2019 & relating so much to the attitude that the main character, Natasha, had regarding love. Come mid-2020, my perspective had changed quite a bit & I was quite curious about what happened in this movie since I went to NYC (where the movie takes place) for the first time earlier this year. Just as Natasha was, I was also very intrigued by the Grand Central Station celestial ceiling which contains constellations of the zodiac. I really admired the ceiling because one of my favorite memories from when I was younger was stargazing when I went camping & seeing the most star-filled sky ever. I have never seen anything like it since. The time I watched the movie was also when I really started to develop a better understanding of astrology. Natasha was passionate about astronomy & although they’re not the same exact thing, they’re somewhat related.

Even more extraordinarily coincidental, Natasha originally stated she was going to go to college for the exact program I was starting in June 2020. She stated that while it was not her passion, she knew it would give her a stable income. At the time I watched the movie, I had also chosen that area of study for the same reason. However, just as Natasha ended up doing which was switching to a program related to her true passion, I ended up changing programs in October 2020 to study something I have more of an interest in as well. It was only now when I’m writing this did I realize, I probably should have seen that as foreshadowing in my own life. She also had strict parents which I can relate to so much.

The other part of the movie that really stuck out with me was the fact that she had an unintentional instant connection with someone she randomly crossed paths with. We miss or get guided to certain opportunities that result in meeting people that end up making an impression in our life & I always think about the people I end up meeting & their significance to my journey. While I don’t have an exact experience like what happened in the movie, I did have a very similar one. Since I rarely ever make soul connections with people upon the first meeting, I can definitely say that meeting certain the individuals I met within the past year definitely impacted me in unexplainable ways despite only knowing them for such a short period.

My 2020 wasn't the most eventful year, but the events that did happen stuck out to me & felt very significant to my growth & most of all my path. While I do feel like I have the choice to make my life into what I want, I also feel like I’m being guided to where I am meant to go & people I’m meant to meet.

Kimi No Na Wa/Your Name (2016)

Like the previous movie, Your Name gives me similar messages relating to the feeling of fate that you were meant to connect with someone or that you may have a spiritual connection with a soulmate from a different life. The soundtrack to this movie is super awesome & I listen to it more than is probably normal. The whole movie also gives me very “Invisible String” & “The 1″ (by Taylor Swift) vibes. Besides the fact that it is a very recognized anime movie, I hold it very close to my heart because I relate to the characters (not the body-switching of course, but instead some aspects of their relationship and timeline). I could go into more depth, but I'm not quite ready to share it. Instead, your time is way more worth actually watching for the amazing plot & art style.

Parasite (2019)

This very well talked about the movie had me looking at the real-life virus through the lens of the movie. It did a great job showing the extremes of the rainstorm (the pandemic for us) & its effect on the wealthy versus those in poverty. I recall reading articles talking about how more celebrities & the wealthy are having more babies due to the fact that they can stay home. On the other hand, I saw many having to find work elsewhere due to being let go or needing to pick up extra hours. With service jobs being in high demand due to the potential risk of exposure to the virus, it makes sense that many are willing to take the risk to pay for rent & food. After all, unemployment funds often only gave individuals a portion of their original weekly paycheck & a stimulus check would likely be used up very quickly. While the whole pandemic is really devastating, the way the movie has perfectly depicted the dynamic between the two extremes is truly *chef’s kiss*.

I would definitely not consider my family rich but we’re also not the most in need of society, instead, I’d say we’re pretty well off. I reflected on my experience from this year & identified some of my privileges & struggles which resulted in me relating to a little of both sides. We definitely had to budget even more so than usual but I’m fairly stingy with money so it was not too hard on my part. I also am lucky enough to stay home & not need to go find another job. Being home definitely doesn’t bother me because I am an introverted homebody. It also makes sense seeing as my Taurus sun and Venus is in the 4th house (associated with home and family) in my birth chart. While I’ve been home, I’ve really appreciated many things I’ve been taking for granted & this movie helped me develop my insight even further.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

I honestly was a bit skeptical about whether I would enjoy this movie because despite a movie being popular, that hardly means it will be enjoyable for everyone. However, I surprisingly found myself more than just enjoying this movie. If I’m being honest, I only found out about this movie because I was trying to find information about an Ariana Grande/Mac Miller synastry chart & I found photos of their Halloween couples costume where they dressed up as the main characters, Suzy and Sam.

I love Wes Anderson’s movies like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, & Fantastic Mr. Fox. Although I’m not too familiar with movies in the same way that I am able to distinguish a singer’s sound, I certainly get the sense that those movies were created by the same person. Speaking of music, the soundtrack is really lovely & fitting.

As for why I actually enjoyed this movie? The two main characters were acting a bit more mature than the actual adults in the movie & reminded me of what I kept seeing throughout this year. With the election campaign & backlash on masks/stay-at-home orders, I just felt like often times adults were acting like children the way some people were reacting & interacting with each other. It is really quite sad.

In order to end on a more happy note, I am looking forward to seeing what other movies I am drawn to in the future now that I’m more aware of how they tend to be symbolic of my current personal life events. Overall this year had its challenges, more difficult in many ways, but it also brought to light many blessings.

I hope you are proud of yourself for making it this far because I sure am. Proud of you, proud of me. While I'm a homebody very happy at home I do miss going out without worry. I can't wait to see what's in store for us next year!