Turning 21: Top 10 Coming-Of-Age-Movies

Hello, reader!

I turned 21 years old last week, so I figured I should celebrate by doing a list of the best coming-of-age films. This is a hard genre to define, with a lot of movies sort-of belonging to the genre but not quite. I resolved this dilemma by ruling that any film can make it to this list, even if their primary genre isn't coming-of-age, but I will be judging them purely on how good they are as coming-of-age movies, instead of overall movie quality. Therefore the ranking doesn't 100% represent how I'd rank these individual movies on some other list, but it does represent how well they deal with coming-of-age themes and what they bring to that genre. I hope you enjoy!

Here are my honorable mentions: Bridge To Terabithia (2007), Call Me By Your Name (2017), Kielletty Hedelmä (2009), Spirited Away (2001), The Karate Kid (1984)

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

One of the many genre infusions to make this list, Spider-Man: Homecoming combines the superhero genre with the coming-of-age genre beautifully. While pretty much all Spider-Man films do have coming-of-age elements to them, Homecoming has arguably the most focus on said elements. We follow Peter Parker (Tom Holland) navigating his way through high school, crushes, friendship and a layered relationship with sort-of father-figure Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), while also navigating the less typical teenage challenges of guarding one's crime-fighting secret identity and battling a guy in a menacing bird suit. Tom Holland is brilliant in the role of the kind-hearted, slightly awkward teenage superhero, and watching him grow as a person throughout the film's runtime is quite heartwarming.

9. La La Land (2016)

Dammit! I did it again. I meant to put Moonlight here, not La La Land. Don't know why this keeps happening...let me try again.

9. Moonlight (2016)

There we go.

Growing up has its challenges for everyone. Growing up African-American, gay and poor is an experience I can only try to picture. Director Barry Jenkins masterfully tackles the intricacies of finding oneself at a young age while belonging to a racial and sexual minority in the thought-provoking Best Picture -winner Moonlight. The protagonist Chiron is followed in three stages of his life: child actor Alex Hibbert portrays him is a troubled kid beginning to grasp his sexual identity and his societal surroundings; Ashton Sanders portrays him in his teenage years as he faces bullying, first love and a further dive into who he wants to be in life; and finally Trevante Rhodes portrays him as a young man whose identity has been built. Throughout these three acts the viewer becomes thoroughly invested in Chiron's story, and watching him grow up and find himself is a fascinating experience.

8. Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

Released about a month after the tragic death of its main star James Dean, Rebel Without A Cause is the foremost of the films that truly immortalized his career. Dean stars as troubled youth Jim Stark, an iconic character for a good reason. Rebel Without A Cause is considered groundbreaking in cinema history, due to its fleshed-out portrayal of young troublemaker personalities. Coinciding with the rise of youth culture in America in the 50's, this film explored the various reasons why teenagers act out and rebel against the world they live in: poor parenting, a sense of not belonging and the overall wanting to find oneself and make a life outside the will of one's parents are all shown as the background elements leading to the rebellious actions of Stark, as well as the other major characters Judy (Natalie Wood) and Plato (Sal Mineo).

The film has an important message about the need for understanding between generations. Its story takes the phenomenon of parents simply punishing their children without trying to understand their actions, as well as youngsters taking their actions too far, to an extreme by showing what sort of tragedies it can lead to. I'd imagine that especially at the time of its release, the film was an eye-opening experience to quite a few parents as well as teenagers - to some, it could very well be relevant even today. The film immortalized James Dean and his character as a cinematic monument to cool and rebellious adolescence, yet it doesn't simply glorify that persona: it's a complex look at growing up and looking for one's place in the world, and the rebellion that often goes with it.

7. It (2017)

You thought combining coming-of-age with superheroes was strange? Then brace yourself for the signature horror movie of the coming-of-age genre.

The combination of these two genres is odd, but it works flawlessly - much thanks to Stephen King, whose original book was just as much growing pains and sweet moments of youthful bliss as it was creepy lore and scary monsters. The central characters of the film are a group of seven youngsters who call themselves the Losers Club - all of them are different from the norms and have faced bullying for various reasons (one of them is picked on for having a stutter, one is fat-shamed, one slut-shamed and so on). Especially for viewers with experiences of bullying, the movie (just as the book it's based on) can be very therapeutic as you follow these misfits finding solace with one another and building a beautiful friendship that cuts seven ways. The bond between the heroes has just as strong of an impact as any of the tense horror sequences and jump-scares provided by the film's horror elements.

6. Lady Bird (2017)

I'm starting to notice a pattern on my list: each of these films is especially relatable for a certain type of person: It for victims of bullying, Rebel Without A Cause for rebellious youths, Moonlight for gay and/or POC youngsters, Spider-Man: Homecoming for high-schoolers who get bitten by radioactive spiders, et cetera...and to continue the pattern, Lady Bird is definitely the coming-of-age movie for artistic individuals.

Greta Gerwig's artistic style of directing works in flawless harmony with the artistic inclinations of protagonist Lady Bird (played in an amazing performance by Saoirse Ronan). As a sharp contrast to the dreamy art life that the main character pursues, her mother (played by Laurie Metcalf in another strong performance) tries to keep her head out of the clouds, often in an unnecessarily controlling and passive-aggressive way. The adversarial relationship between mother and daughter is quite gripping, yet the film has a lot of humor and heartfelt moments to balance it out. The film's vibrant depiction of growing up and becoming your own person has an amusing balance with its completely non-vibrant depiction of life in Sacramento.

5. Dead Poets Society (1989)

If this list were based purely on how good the movie is, this one would jump right to first place (it's one of my top 5 favorite films of all time, after all). Judged purely as how good of a coming-of-age story it is, Dead Poets Society gets slightly edged out by four individuals that represent the perfection of the genre - still, fifth place isn't too bad.

The film centers on a group of students at a strict and by-the-book boarding school, and their relationship with their thoroughly out-of-the-box English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams). While Williams's character is the film's most iconic one, the impact of the student characters cannot be understated: a group of relatable, realistic and absolutely lovable youngsters are brought to life by actors such as Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard and Josh Charles. The bond between them and the growth they experience throughout the movie is beautiful and inspiring, making this masterpiece one of the best coming-of-age films out there.

4. Stand By Me (1986)

This one hits hard. A breathtakingly beautiful ode to childhood innocence and youthful nostalgia, Stand By Me has its share of lessons and a whole lot of heart. The story is essentially a series of flashbacks, as the main character recounts an important event from his childhood after finding out about the death of a friend as an adult. The film follows a group of four friends as they go on a journey to find the body of a missing boy, while encountering their share of obstacles and learning a lot from one another. Pretty much every element in the film contributes to an atmosphere of blissful childhood summer memories: the Stephen King source material, Rob Reiner's directing, and of course the immortal Ben E. King song in the soundtrack.

The child acting is also some of the best I've seen: the impressive quartet of Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell bring their characters to life magnificently. A young Kiefer Sutherland is also memorable as teenage tough-guy Ace Merrill, who gets in the way of the main characters. All in all, Stand By Me is a sweet and moving story that pretty much anyone can relate to on some level.

3. Boyhood (2014)

Kudos to Richard Linklater for coming up with this ingenious idea. Boyhood is quite a unique coming-of-age film, as it was filmed during a span of twelve years, thus allowing the characters to grow up in a gradual and realistic manner. The main character, Mason, is played by Ellar Coltrane, who was 7 years old when the filming started, and 19 when it ended. It is absolutely magnificent to follow Mason and his family growing up slowly with each passing year, as the 2-hour-and-45-minute runtime tackles various challenges and milestones of early childhood, puberty, teenage life and becoming an adult.

In addition to the visually impressive gimmick of seeing the cast grow older moment by moment, the actors also bring a whole bunch of skill to the table: Coltrane shows off their range in the leading role, while Patricia Arquette rightfully won an Oscar for her layered performance as the family's mother, and Ethan Hawke is complex and compelling as the father. Funny how Hawke was one of the kids in coming-of-age movie Dead Poets Society, and 25 years later he played the parent in this film of the same genre - quite the full circle.

2. The Breakfast Club (1985)

The princess. The athlete. The criminal. The brain. And the basket case. And, of course, the Simple Minds song Don't You Forget About Me in the soundtrack. Now there's a recipe for a masterpiece.

The Breakfast Club is an amazing story about five very different kids bonding while in detention. Parts of the film are gripping and emotional, while other parts are some of the most chill and feel-good moments in all of cinema. There's heart-wrenching dialogue as the main characters open up to each other about their hardships, and there's hilarious dialogue as their pitch-perfect chemistry leads to a lot of wonderful moments. There's an ending scene that will put just the widest smile on the average viewer's face. So, all in all, The Breakfast Club is quite an incredible film about different people finding common ground, friendship and personal growth.

1. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)

One of the hands-down best films of the 2010's, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a heartbreaking yet ultimately heartwarming coming-of-age film that everyone might benefit from seeing. There may be a very subjective reason for it being nudged all the way to first place on my list: the film tackles themes and experiences very close to my own life, and no other movie has had such an emotional impact on me on a personal level as this one. To me, Perks is the very definition of art having a therapeutic healing effect.

But that's far from being the only reason! The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a great coming-of-age film by pretty much any standard, as it deals with important life lessons, the challenges of growth and the journey to find one's identity and place in the world. Logan Lerman is absolutely perfect in the lead role, as are Emma Watson and Ezra Miller as his offbeat friends, and Paul Rudd as the mentor-like teacher in his school. The story has some very gripping moments, but just as many wholesome and heartfelt ones, as many youthful struggles are portrayed realistically but so is the act of getting past said struggles. The film's ending monologue is one of my favorite movie moments ever, as it hits on some profound truths about life and moves me to tears every damn time. Seriously, if you haven't seen this film, I thoroughly recommend it.

Thank you for reading - be sure to check out my list of top 10 July 4th Movie Recommendations next week!

Ranking Every Episode Of Rick And Morty

Wubba lubba dub dub!

Dan Harmon & Justin Roiland's insanely popular animated sitcom Rick And Morty (2013-Present) recently finished the airing of its fourth season. Therefore I figured I'd do what any normal person would do, and, y'know, rank all 41 episodes of the series. It really wasn't too big of a job, as I had made a ranking of the first season's episodes back in the day when I first watched them, and then have updated my list with each new season.

Semi-spoiler alert: I will discuss specific plot points fairly freely as the list is aimed at people who have seen the series, but I won't spoil any major twists or surprises in case you haven't caught the newest season yet.

41. Rickmancing The Stone (Season 3, Episode 2)

I'm pretty much always on board when Rick And Morty does expectation-subverting, barrier-breaking episodes that often polarize the fans. So, for me, the worst episodes of the series are the ones that are simply a bit forgettable and mundane. Such is the case with Rickmancing The Stone: doing a parody of the Mad Max movies is a fine enough idea, but the episode doesn't really go anywhere beyond having a Mad Max setting for a by-the-numbers adventure. It's quite boring, especially by Rick And Morty standards.

40. The Rickchurian Mortydate (Season 3, Episode 10)

This is a fine enough episode, but quite lame for a season finale - why end a mostly amazing season with such a basic and below-average episode? Main characters Rick (Justin Roiland) and Morty (also Justin Roiland) are summoned by the U.S. government to fight an alien threat, which leads to an adventure that is mildly entertaining but nothing special. The highlights include Keith David's guest performance as the President, as well as an admittedly hilarious off-the-cuff gag about Greek god Poseidon, but as a whole, this episode was quite a dud to end season 3 with.

39. The Old Man And The Seat (Season 4, Episode 2)

Both of the storylines in The Old Man And The Seat (one of the best episode titles in the series) are funny and entertaining, but neither is all that special. One is about Rick searching the galaxy for an alien who used his special toilet, which leads to a strangely emotional (but not especially powerful) conclusion. The other storyline starts off very amusingly with Morty's father Jerry (Chris Parnell) encountering the "Do not develop my app" -alien (voiced by the awesome Taika Waititi), but it falls a bit flat towards the end as it becomes more of a generic alien invasion plot.

38. Something Ricked This Way Comes (Season 1, Episode 9)

Even the least good episode from season 1 is quite solid, if definitely not a masterpiece. Rick and his granddaughter Summer (Spencer Grammer) share an adventure together as they encounter The Devil (Alfred Molina), which makes for quite a fascinating addition to the Rick And Morty universe and for the unforgettable training montage to the backdrop of DMX's X Gon Give It To You. Meanwhile, the subplot of Jerry helping Morty with a science project leads to an amusing trip to Pluto, making for some laughs while not being as funny as most of season 1.

37. Childrick Of Mort (Season 4, Episode 9)

So, this is an episode where Rick may have impregnated a planet, an entire alien population is created and evolves into a functioning society, and Rick fights a Zeus-like creature in space - and by Rick And Morty standards, it's considered a "basic adventure". That speaks volumes about what kind of a series it is. And while it is indeed a bit flat when compared to most of season 4, Childrick Of Mort is still a lot of fun: we get to see the whole Smith/Sanchez family interacting together for a change before they are split into subplots, and the storyline of Morty and Summer trying to save the day with their skills in video games and substance abuse is very amusing.

36. Raising Gazorpazorp (Season 1, Episode 7)

Morty becoming a father to an alien baby and trying to raise him is one of the early examples of one of the pillars of Rick And Morty's humor: taking a preposterous high-concept sci-fi idea, and having everyone react to it in a very casual manner. Morty's parents Jerry and Beth (Sarah Chalke) are hysterically calm and normal about the entire situation, and Morty's attempt of parenthood is quite hilarious. The subplot of Rick and Summer being trapped on an alien world with a matriarchal society also holds up quite well, making for an all-in-all fun episode.

35. Claw And Hoarder: Special Ricktim's Morty (Season 4, Episode 4)

Ah yes, the dragon sex episode. It is so very on-brand for Rick And Morty to specifically do one episode about the fantasy genre (instead the usual science fiction), but to focus pretty much entirely on the sexuality of dragons. While usual aspects of genre, such as wizards and spells, are brushed off, the main focus is in exploring the culture of the act of dragons "soul-bonding". Liam Cunningham from Game Of Thrones is great as the dragon Balthromar, as is Matthew Broderick as the talking cat in Jerry's subplot (which pales in comparison to the main plot, but still has some funny moments).

34. Rest And Ricklaxation (Season 3, Episode 6)

While not as memorable or hilarious as most season 3 episodes, Rest And Ricklaxation gets a whole lot of points for character development. The characters of Rick and Morty are very thoroughly explored in this episode, where they remove their toxins in an alien spa, and their de-toxified selves start to live a healthy lifestyle while their toxins take a form of their own and try to win their bodies back. A fascinating look at the show's two main characters, this episode is a showcase of the brilliant character writing in Rick And Morty, while also featuring the trademark creativity and dark humor of the series very prominently.

33. Promortyus (Season 4, Episode 7)

With an unconventional narrative structure and a bunch of funny moments, Promortyus is a fine enough episode even without its layered meaning. But when you look at this fresh season 4 episode as an allegory for human history, it becomes truly clever and worth re-watching. We follow an alien culture with primitive ways and short lifespans, and throughout the episode the presence of the main characters helps them form a society, form their own religion, and eventually descend into war while some individuals become enlightened and start to see themselves as individuals and not just members of their society. Many Rick And Morty episodes have double meanings and deeper messages, but this one has one of the less obvious yet most cool ones.

32. Look Who's Purging Now (Season 2, Episode 9)

It says a lot about season 2's quality that his hilarious adventure is the season's worst episode. Look Who's Purging Now tackles the Purge movies by having Rick and Morty visit a planet where an annual day of purge is held, as they explore this strange culture, leading to a series of dark and violent events. The definitive highlight of the episode is Morty's rant to an aspiring writer whose story opens with a flash-forward and then cuts to 3 weeks earlier. Morty's absurd amount of rage about this storytelling device being overused is clearly just writer Dan Harmon venting on his issues with certain gimmicks, as he has done multiple times on his other series Community (2009-2015).

31. Vindicators 3: The Return Of Worldender (Season 3, Episode 4)

This episode pokes fun at the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the overall popularity of the superhero genre, but that's not what makes the episode awesome - there are two other elements that accomplish that. First is the running joke of the episode being a "sequel" to adventures we never saw (the title is Vindicators 3 although we never saw parts 1 and 2, and the episode has multiple references to events we had no idea about), and second is Rick's role as a Jigsaw-type villain: it is a dark turn for the character even by his usual standards, but very entertaining to follow. The episode also has a bunch of memorable guest characters, including the archetype superhero Vance Maximus (Christian Slater), sidekick Supernova who is played by Community alumnus Gillian Jacobs (Dan Harmon has a long-standing habit of casting Community castmembers in Rick And Morty episodes), and of course the unforgettable Noob Noob (Justin Roiland).

30. Meeseeks And Destroy (Season 1, Episode 5)

Let's not discuss what went down with Mr. Jellybean. I'm a fan of dark humor, but that scene goes way over the line for my tastes, and pushes this episode back quite a bit in my rankings. But, once you get past that scene (as I hope most viewers have, for their own sake), everything else in this episode is such comedy gold that it still ranks this high on my list due to all its upsides. Morty choosing an adventure and Rick taking him to a stereotypical fantasy quest is very amusing, as is the episode's namesake plot, as Justin Roiland creates one of his greatest voice performances: Mr. Meeseeks. Between the goofy riffing on stories about epic and heroic quests and all of the hilarious moments in the Mr. Meeseeks storyline, I've found this episode to be worth re-watching multiple times despite that one scene always leaving a bad aftertaste amidst all of the good stuff.

29. Anatomy Park (Season 1, Episode 3)

The "shrinking yourself in order to take a spaceship-like vehicle inside of a person's body" story has been told to death in various sci-fi and comedy movies and shows, but very few have done it as hilariously as Rick And Morty. This is in part thanks to hilarious gags (such as Rick's obsession with his "Pirates Of The Pancreas" idea), and in part thanks to hilarious guest voice performances by comedy legend Dana Carvey as Jerry's father Leonard and talk-show host (as well as Community alumnus) John Oliver as Dr. Xenon Bloom. Also, the episode has one of the funniest lines in the entire series, when Rick asks Morty if he can get to the left nipple (of the body they're inside), and Morty, while making out with a girl, replies "Are you kidding? I'm hoping I can get to both of them, Rick!". Comedy gold.

28. Rattlestar Ricklactica (Season 4, Episode 5)

The season 4 midseason finale is just classic Rick And Morty. With an adventure equal parts creative, dark and hilarious (Morty interferes with the culture and history of a planet populated by highly evolved snakes), some awesome sci-fi (the series does a rare dive into time travel in this episode), a bunch of meta humor (the time travel storyline exists largely to make fun of of time travel stories), a subplot about Jerry being incompetent (this time an attempt to put up Christmas lights without dying leads him to a series of near-death situations) and some unforgettable gags ("Snake jazz" is a personal favorite of mine), you can't get much more Rick And Morty than this.

27. The ABC's Of Beth (Season 3, Episode 9)

What I really liked about this episode was the in-depth look that it gave of Beth's character. Morty's mother has been an interesting and funny supporting character throughout the series, but this was the first time the series really delved into her past and her motivations - largely through a trip into a colorful world that Rick created for her when she was young. Sarah Chalke's voice acting as Beth is at its absolute best in this psychologically complex episode - there's also bunch of laughs and some cool science fiction to go with all of that character development. The episode also gives birth to a clone-related storyline that gets an amazing follow-up in season 4.

26. A Rickle In Time (Season 2, Episode 1)

The season 2 premiere may not be among the show's funniest episodes, but it does have some of the absolute best sci-fi in the Rick And Morty universe. The cliffhanger ending of season 1 is followed up as the situation escalates: an uncertain existence during Rick's temporary freezing of time leads to multiple alternate timelines appearing. This is one of the show's coolest science fiction stories, and it also has some great (and surprisingly emotional) moments surrounding the main characters. Also, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele appear in a hilarious voice performance as two fourth-dimensional beings!

25. The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy (Season 3, Episode 5)

Ah, the Rick & Jerry episode. When I saw the promo for The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy before its release, where it was marketed as a rare Rick & Jerry adventure, I knew it was going to be good - and boy, was I right. The adversarial relationship between the two and their strange chemistry with one another is on fully display here, as the unlikely duo travels to a planet where one cannot die and various shenanigans ensue. The episode's highlight is undoubtedly Jerry's psychedelic wormhole trip, which is visually magnificent and very amusing.

24. Get Schwifty (Season 2, Episode 5)

Even by Rick And Morty standards, this one is bizarre. An alien race abducts Earth and transports the entire planet to an other region of space, making the planet participate in a twisted song competition. The sheer absurdity of the premise makes the episode very enjoyable, as does the delightfully weird nature of "Get Schwifty", the hit song Rick and Morty (along with Ice-T) write in an attempt to make Earth win. There are tons of memorable gags in the episodes, from the fantasy-like lore surrounding Ice-T's origin to Rick's classic line "Time to go the Pentagon. Well, not the Pentagon. The lame one, here on Earth", which really makes you wish that one day the series would explore what the Pentagon is in the show's imaginative universe.

23. Lawnmower Dog (Season 1, Episode 2)

This early episode is awesome. The A-story follows Dan Harmon's thinly veiled criticism of Inception's popularity, as Rick and Morty go into Morty's math teacher's dreams and various hijinks ensue while Rick criticizes the overall lack of logic in the story device - I love Inception, but it's still a lot of fun to see Rick And Morty making fun of it. The B-story is devoted to the Smith family's dog, Snuffles, as he gains sentience which leads to a full-on dog revolution. The episode even has time to poke fun at the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise in a wonderful way, as a Freddy Krueger -like figure chases Rick and Morty in one of the dream layers, giving birth to one of the first season's funniest moments (the monster saying "You can run but you can't hide", after which Morty realizes that he's lying and they actually can hide, followed by the two lead characters successfully hiding from the monster).

22. Edge Of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat (Season 4, Episode 1)

The most recent season sure opened with a bang. This eventful season premiere follows Morty as he gains access to a crystal that shows him his future based on what choices he makes, and as fans of the series may guess, this leads to a whole lot of humorous situations, outrageous dark comedy, and clever science fiction. In addition, the show's meta side makes some savage jabs at the show's fanbase (particularly those notorious fans who demand the series to meet their expectations loudly on the internet). Likening them to actual Nazis may be a bit much, but Rick And Morty never was one for subtlety, and this at least gets the showrunners' point across loud and clear.

21. Auto Erotic Assimilation (Season 2, Episode 3)

Rick having a romance with a collective hive mind, a hilarious Beth&Jerry subplot that ends with an unexpected payoff, a hilarious meta reference to Harmon's masterpiece Community, memorable guest voice performances by Christina Hendricks and Patton Oswalt, and a dark and surprisingly emotional ending scene - what more could you possibly ask from a Rick And Morty episode? Auto Erotic Assimilation is a classic, and the only reason for it not being higher on my list is that there are 20 even better episodes out there.

20. Big Trouble In Little Sanchez (Season 2, Episode 7)

What's not to love about a teenage version of Rick Sanchez? In this unforgettable episode, Rick turns himself into a teenager in order to infiltrate Morty and Summer's school and hunt down a vampire. Whether he's gleefully shouting "Tiny Rick!" for no particular reason or performing his hilarious "let me out" dance, everything Tiny Rick does causes many a laugh. The subplot is also very decent, as yet another Community castmember appears - this time it's the ever-hilarious Jim Rash as Glexo Slimslom, an alien therapist who tries to help Beth and Jerry sort out their toxic marriage.

19. Mortynight Run (Season 2, Episode 2)

There are just so many memorable gags in this classic season 2 episode. From the iconic scene where Morty plays Roy: A Life Well Lived at Blips & Chits and the world's most casual assassin Krombopulos Michael (Andy Daly) to the daycare for Jerrys of different dimensions and the Bowie-esque "Goodbye Moonman" music sequence, Mortynight Run may not have the strongest story of the series but is absolutely filled with hilarious and memorable individual moments, giving it pretty much infinite rewatch value.

18. Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1)

Rick And Morty is definitely one of those shows that had me hooked from the very first episode. I think it was the combination of Dan Harmon's meta humor and pop culture commentary and the actually well-written and creative science fiction that had me sold. The very first scene, where Rick drags Morty out of bed to go on an adventure, is hilarious with its shock value humor - it makes it clear that this is no ordinary animated series. What follows is an episode with a fascinating setting (the two main characters try to smuggle mega-seeds of mega-trees from another dimension) and some absolutely delicious dark comedy (I still burst out laughing every time I see the scene where Rick tells Morty to shoot an alien security guard saying that he's just a robot, and once it becomes clear that he was a living being with a family, Rick's excuse is "It's a figure of speech, Morty. They're bureaucrats, I don't respect them"). Classic.

17. One Crew Over The Crewcoo's Morty (Season 4, Episode 3)

This is a similar case to the first season's Inception parody: I really like heist films and don't mind most of the genre's tropes, yet it is extremely fun to see Rick And Morty making fun of them. When Rick says that his rival's heists are annoying and consist of "60% putting a crew together and 40% revealing that the robbery already happened" at the beginning of the episode, I thought it was just a hilarious throwaway line. Turns out, the entire is episode is dedicated to the cheesiest heists imaginable, until they become so cliché that they actually subvert the trope, as the acts of assembling a crew (I love it how every single character says "You son of a bitch! I'm in!" after being approached) and revealing the heist already happened (the amount of double-crosses are hard to keep up with) become mechanic and repetitive, to a very amusing degree.

16. Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate (Season 2, Episode 8)

Some people dislike this episode because it repeats the exact premise of the season 1 episode Rixty Minutes, and I can see how that could be annoying for fans wanting something new and fresh. I absolutely love this episode simply because the premise for Rixty Minutes made for so much fun that I was delighted to see more of it - with every other season 2 episode being very original, I definitely didn't mind this episode being a sequel that is pretty much just as hilarious as the original. There's nothing groundbreaking about Interdimensional Cable 2, but the episode consists almost entirely of very funny individual moments. Clips like "Jan Quadrant Vincent 16" and "Man Vs. Car" are so hysterically funny, that this ends up being one of the show's better episodes in my book.

15. The Ricks Must Be Crazy (Season 2, Episode 6)

"Quantum carburetor? Jesus Morty, you can't just add a sci-fi word to a car word and hope it means something. Huh. Looks like something's wrong with the micro-verse battery".

That line alone should earn this episode a spot in the comedy TV hall of fame. In addition to that moment of pure humor, the episode has a whole lot to offer: entertaining guest performances by Stephen Colbert and Alan Tudyk, the fascinating premise of an entire micro-universe existing to power Rick's car battery (as well as an other micro-verse existing within that one), and some classic dark comedy in the subplot where Rick's car is programmed to "keep Summer safe". No wonder this episode is such a fan favorite.

14. Rick Potion #9 (Season 1, Episode 6)

Perhaps the darkest episode of the series to date, Rick Potion #9 really made the series stand out from pretty much anything else ever made. What other animated comedy would use cleverly written sci-fi for something so very dark? Yet somehow, unlike the Mr. Jellybean scene in Meeseeks And Destroy, I'm very fine with this one - the resolution to the episode's storyline may be downright traumatizing to the characters and a lot to take for the viewer, yet it feels true to the show and boldly groundbreaking for the medium. The ending scene, where Mazzy Star's Look On Down From The Bridge plays hauntingly in the background as Morty tries to live with what happened, strikes a strange balance: on one level it's not even funny as the viewer becomes emotional and feels sorry for the character, but on another level, what happened was so norm-defying even for a dark comedy series that it plays into the show's outrageous dark humor on some extreme level. It's a gripping episode, but a great one.

13. Ricksy Business (Season 1, Episode 11)

And now for something lighter. The season 1 finale primarily follows a house party organized by Rick and Summer at the Smith house, with Morty being his usual self in the mix. While the subplot of Jerry and Beth having a reverse-Titanic experience is pretty hilarious, the best bits of the episode are definitely in the house party. Seeing Summer's crowd of stereotypical partying teenagers mix with Rick's crowd of colorful sci-fi aliens so casually is absolutely hilarious. Many absolutely immortal supporting characters are introduced here: Birdperson (voiced by Dan Harmon himself), Squanchy (Tom Kenny) and of course the chaotically neutral Abradolph Lincler (Maurice LaMarche) to name a few. In addition to all of the episode's wacky moments of fun, there's also a very cool cliffhanger ending that is brilliantly followed up in season 2.

12. Morty's Mind Blowers (Season 3, Episode 8)

To be honest, I would've been fine with a third Interdimensional Cable episode, but I get that I'm in a minority there. Therefore I very much appreciate Harmon and Roiland taking a turn to the different with the season 3 clip show episode, and boy is it hilarious. Blending zany hijinks with dark implications to a matter of perfection, Morty's Mind Blowers reveals that Rick can swipe Morty's memory and has done it for various reasons several times - and now we get to see those forgotten memories. Much like with the Interdimensional Cable episodes, the individual clips are beyond hilarious (my personal favorite being the one where Morty clicks the wrong light switch, leading to disastrous consequences) - but the scenes in between are pretty much equally awesome, as the interactions between the lead characters take many interesting turns.

11. M. Night Shaym-Aliens! (Season 1, Episode 4)

This is one those episodes that manages to parody a certain genre whilst simultaneously succeeding as a member of it - a tough line to walk. While the point of M. Night Shaym-Aliens! is to make fun of mystery films with an overwhelming amount of plot twists (hence the title's less-than-subtle jab at director M. Night Shyamalan), Harmon and Roiland are such skillful writers that the episode's plot twists (especially the final one) are actually really awesome in their own right. While the episode walks the tightrope of satirizing plot twists but also building good ones, there is plenty of room for a bunch of hilarious gags - Jerry being blissfully unaware of being in a simulation as he listens to "Human music" and the recurring simulated character saying "My man!" are favorites of mine.

10. Pickle Rick (Season 3, Episode 3)

I mean, Rick literally uses his scientific skills to turn himself into a pickle. Who the hell even comes up with this kind of stuff. It's perfect.

9. Star Mort: Rickturn Of The Jerri (Season 4, Episode 10)

The most recent episode to air, Rickturn Of The Jerri is a blast. The fourth season ends with a crazy amount of continuity and plot threads coming together that one wouldn't have expected from Rick And Morty: old questions are answered, old cliffhangers are followed up on, an old characters return, giving the episode a bombastic and climactic feel. Also, there's an invisibility belt that leads to all sorts of fun, a very intense and well-directed action sequence for an animated sitcom, and a fantastic Morty & Summer arch (that Morty hilariously keeps referring to as their arch, because meta). The whole episode is fan service, but with a twist - all in all, a great way to end the season. Can't wait for season 5!

8. The Vat Of Acid Episode (Season 4, Episode 8)

There are just so many elements that come together to make this episode into the masterpiece it is. The titular vat of acid -gag is beyond hilarious, and a great example of Harmon & Roiland's sheer creativity and strange brand of humor. The episode's main premise, a real-life version of the "save game" function that Morty begs Rick to create, is loads of fun - with a whole bunch of dark implications, as is standard for the series. While there's a lot to love in this episode - including the genius ending resolution - my favorite moment has to be Rick's Prestige (2006) -like twist (which is of course referred to as a Prestige twist), because of the sheer shock value and dark comedy as well as well-built storytelling that accompany it.

7. Total Rickall (Season 2, Episode 4)

This one is a fan favorite for a good reason. In the episode, the Smith house is infested with parasites that multiply through implanting themselves in false memories - the characters keep flashing back to memories that never really happened, and the people from those memories suddenly seem real whilst actually being parasites in disguise. The episode escalates in the most fantastic way, leading to the house being absolutely filled to the brim with zany characters such as Reverse Giraffe (Keith David), Sleepy Gary (Matt Walsh) and of course the beloved Mr. Poopybutthole (Justin Roiland). And then there's the montage of Rick's wacky catchphrases, including "Wubba lubba dub dub!", "Grass...tastes bad" and "No jumping in the sewer" - undoubtedly one of the funniest TV scenes of all time.

6. Close Rick-Counters Of The Rick Kind (Season 1, Episode 10)

This season 1 classic follows Rick and Morty as they become fugitives chased by the Interdimensional Council of Ricks. Featuring our first look at the Citadel Of Ricks, a bunch of zany sci-fi stuff (the escape route through different dimensions where pizzas, phones, chairs and humans have different functions is a big favorite of mine) and a well-written story with a dark and extremely memorable ending, this episode is absolute gold. Seeing various versions of the two main characters, such as Doofus Rick and Evil Morty, is loads of fun, and this episode's combination of pure fun and intriguing world-building puts it very high in my ranking.

5. The Rickshank Rickdemption (Season 3, Episode 1)

It had been a long wait after the cliffhanger ending of season 2. Then, on April Fools' Day 2017, with no previous indications of a release date, the season 3 premiere suddenly dropped as a total surprise. And what a surprise it was. The Rickshank Rickdemption is the defining episode of Rick And Morty, featuring absolutely outrageous humor that knows no barriers while also having a great story to it. The episode is 22 minutes of fast-paced plot twists, action sequences, sheer insanity and meta dialogue as the aftermath of the season 2 finale is followed in brilliant fashion. There are so many legendary moments, from Rick toppling an empire in a badass manner to the hilarious fourth-wall-shattering rant at the end. This is Rick And Morty in its most intense, adrenaline-fueled and norm-breaking form.

4. The Wedding Squanchers (Season 2, Episode 10)

In the first two seasons, Rick And Morty had tested the boundaries of their genre(s) multiple times with creative episodes that had various twists to them. The biggest twist of all came in the season 2 finale, with something truly groundbreaking for such a cynical and outlandish show: things suddenly get emotional, and you suddenly find yourself caring about the characters against all odds. The episode's plot is shocking and intriguing throughout its run, as things go very wrong from the get-go and an unexpected chain of events unfolds. But the ending is what really gets me - as Nine Inch Nails's Hurt plays in the background while the heartbreaking ending unfolds, the viewer suddenly sees the characters in a whole new light. I would've never expected to be so moved by a Rick And Morty episode, but the season 2 finale proved that they can provide an emotional gut punch just like any other series - while also providing one hell of a cliffhanger ending.

3. Never Ricking Morty (Season 4, Episode 6)

I'm a big fan of meta fiction, as can be guessed from my well-documented love for Community, Deadpool (2016) and of course, this series. So it stands to reason that an episode that is probably the most meta piece of fiction I have ever seen ranks quite high on my list. What I love about Never Ricking Morty is not very different from why I love Twin Peaks (1990-1991; 2017) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): it breaks pretty much every single barrier in its own medium. I've read analyses of this episode that claim that it managed to break the fifth and even the sixth wall, something unheard-of beforehand. There are layers upon layers, as the main characters find themselves on a train that is referred to as a literal story device and is clearly based on Dan Harmon's own method of writing stories, and this method is then played with in a way that defies canon, references the show's creators, fans and owners, and creates a whole lot of confusion and laughter with its twists and turns.

2. Rixty Minutes (Season 1, Episode 8)

What's even better than the emotional power of The Wedding Squanchers and the brilliant meta levels of Never Ricking Morty? Surely it's some magnificently written and intricate Shakespearean masterpiece?

Nope, it's the episode that consists of the characters watching television for 22 minutes.

I've definitely seen Rixty Minutes more times than any other Rick And Morty episode, as it simply never gets old and always makes me laugh. The premise is so simple yet so perfect: Rick hooks the Smith family's TV up with cable from other dimensions, and they spend the episode watching an array of strange shows. Adding to the episode's awesomeness is the way the episode was made: Justin Roiland improvised the dialogue for a bunch of made-up TV shows and ads that he though of on the spot, and then the show's talented animators created a clip to match the audio. The sheer sloppiness of it is amazing: Roiland cracking up while narrating the trailer for "Two Brothers" is one of the funniest things I've witnessed in my life. All of the TV clips, from the ad for the 45 Horsepower Sneezy XL to the hilarious political ad on trunk people, are absolute gold. Rixty Minutes is far from being the most epic or genius episode of the series, but it is the funniest, and that counts for a lot with a comedy series.

1. The Ricklantis Mixup (Season 3, Episode 7)

I know, it's mainstream to pick the episode with the show's highest IMDB rating (9.8) as my favorite, but it has the highest rating for a damn good reason. The episode was promoted beforehand as an adventure to Atlantis, but that gets subverted in the most amazing way: the titular adventure only consists of two short scenes at the beginning and end, and otherwise the episode is devoted to a high-concept out-of-the-blue look at what's going on at the Citadel Of Ricks. Justin Roiland gets to show off his voice acting range as he voices virtually every character in the episode, as we follow all sorts of versions of Rick and Morty except for the usual ones. The episode's premise is awesome enough, but what the episode does with it is beyond amazing. The episode channels The Wire (2002-2008) with a subplot that explores cultural relations between Ricks and Mortys by following two police officers, while another storyline channels Stand By Me (1986) as we follow a group of young Mortys coming of age together.

And then there's the ending. I won't spoil the specifics, but I wouldn't have expected Rick And Morty to have literally one of the greatest plot twists in television history. The way the twist is slowly built as the soundtrack and dialogue make you slowly realize what is going on is beyond amazing - so many plot threads come together to form a truly mind-blowing moment.

Thank you for reading! I turn 21 years old the day after tomorrow, so naturally I'll post a list of the top 10 best coming-of-age movies next week. Stay tuned!

Top 10 Netflix Stand-Up Comedy Specials

So what's the deal with stand-up specials?

I don't know about you, fellow reader, but I've sure needed my dose of comedy in the last few months, and I've most certainly had the extra time to watch a lot of stuff. As the world is currently in such a chaotic state on many fronts, I figured I could share some recommendations of pure comedy to lighten up everyone's day. If you like stand-up comedy and have Netflix, chances are you'd enjoy several of this list's entries (even if you aren't all that into stand-up, it still might be worth a shot to try one of these out - you never know!).

Here are my honorable mentions: James Acaster: Recognize (2018), Jimmy Carr: Funny Business (2016), Pete Davidson: Alive From New York (2020)

10. Dave Chappelle: Sticks And Stones (2019)

I could write so much about Sticks And Stones, a viewing experience more philosophical than the other items on this list combined. Dave Chappelle's trademark controversial humor is never more controversial than it is here, and watching it works as an ethical dilemma on what things should and shouldn't be joked about. The fact that this special has an 8.5 on IMDB (that's extremely high for a stand-up special) is proof that our world isn't as polarized as it often seems: Chappelle's commentary is so liberally inclined that ultra-conservative people surely wouldn't like it, but the man is also so politically incorrect that he wouldn't do well with an ultra-woke audience either. The high IMDB rating stands as a much-needed testament to humanity finding some common ground.

I'll admit that some of the jokes in the special were too far even for my tastes, although I'm generally quite a fan of dark humor and norm-defying entertainment. While some of Chappelle's humor is controversial in an absolutely delicious way, other parts really made me question what things should be joked about and what shouldn't - but that's exactly what I like about Sticks And Stones. There's no definitive answer to this question, but it's an interesting one to think about, and thus this comedy special makes for a fascinating experiment of thought on the subject of borderline humor and the limits of free speech.

9. Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours To Kill (2020)

If you would've told me beforehand that Jerry Seinfeld, the king of the stand-up genre, would release his first Netflix stand-up show while I was in the process of writing this list, and that it would only end up at #9, I wouldn't have believed you. I'm a huge Seinfeld fan, and his bits of stand-up comedy in the iconic Seinfeld (1989-1998) are often my favorite part - I was pretty sure that his special would be a top contender for this list of mine. But as it turns out, it wasn't nearly as good as it could've been - but still awesome enough to make it this high on my list. Kathryn VanArendonk of The Vulture summed my feelings up in the genius title to her review of Jerry's show: "Jerry Seinfeld's 23 Hours To Kill is great (and also sucks)". It references the bit in Seinfeld's routine where he talks about how "great" and "sucks" are close to being the same thing, but it turns out to be quite true in this case.

The problem I had with the show was the second half. Seinfeld talks about his marriage, in a way that is quite common for the comedy norms of previous generations, but feels quite out of date in 2020. Places #6 and #3 on this list of mine are great examples of modern comedians joking about their marriage in a healthy manner without being overtly mean or slightly sexist with their tone, but Seinfeld fails to do that. Watching him go on for way too long about how annoying his wife can be and generalizing cliché thoughts about women just didn't hit my comedic tastes at all.

Luckily, the first half of the show was so incredibly good, that it still made this show very worth watching and an overall good experience for a glass-half-full viewer like myself. Seinfeld's observations about mundane things are exactly as hilarious and perfectly delivered as they were in the 90's, and it's great to hear him doing bits about more modern phenomena like social media and meaningless phrases. The first half of 23 Hours To Kill features hysterical and unforgettable jokes, not to mention the most epic entrance I've ever seen in the genre, but the second half was enough of a letdown to lower this show's placement on my list significantly.

8. Taylor Tomlinson: Quarter-Life Crisis (2020)

Taylor Tomlinson may be six years older than myself, but watching her stand-up special still felt like the welcome change of watching stand-up from someone roughly my age. Many defining issues of my generation are joked about throughout her routine, which makes for a lot of relatable and fresh humor. Tomlinson's effortless-seeming style of delivering jokes is also very much on point, and the ample pop culture references make the show all the more enjoyable.

Not going much into serious societal issues and not featuring any especially controversial humor, Tomlinson's comedy special is definitely one of the most chill and "safe" options on my list. She does have her share of sharp and strong opinions, but they're usually aimed at subjects like dating culture and 'fake introverts'. Perfect comfort viewing for millennials and zoomers looking for relatable humor, or perhaps an interesting way for older generations to try and understand modern youths a bit better, Quarter-Life Crisis is quite simply a lot of fun.

7. James Acaster: Represent

The second part of British comedian James Acaster's four-part collection Repertoire is even funnier than the very funny first one - I have yet to see the last two, but I'm very much looking forward to them based on the quality so far. Acaster's one-of-a-kind delivery of jokes and the way he builds them up with an endearing seriousness is quite refreshing and intriguing to follow - he presents many of his jokes as "true stories" that get more and more ridiculous as you slowly start to realize that this never happened but is just a build-up to an elaborate joke. My favorite bits from Represent would have to be the "celebrity gossip" with a twist in the beginning of the show, as well as the recurring joke about a juror who is really into log flumes.

6. Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby (2019)

While I'm a big fan of comedian Seth Meyers, I didn't have high expectations for this special - somehow it seemed to me that stand-up comedy wouldn't be his strong suite. I probably got that impression due to having seen him exclusively in very different kinds of comedy situations; between anchoring Saturday Night Live's (1975-present) Weekend Update segments and hosting his talk show Late Night With Seth Meyers (2014-present), I don't think I had ever seen him physically standing up, much less delivering the kind of comedy that goes with the genre. But boy, was I wrong with my low-bar expectations: it turns out that Mr. Meyers is a man of many talents.

The namesake of the show is the amusing story of how Seth's second child was born; I had already heard the story on his show, but here he delivers it in a much funnier manner. Later in the show, he jokes about politics, while offering Netflix viewers the option to "Skip politics" with a function similar to the "Skip intro" function on Netflix shows, which leads to some clever messing with the audience. The end of the show serves as a perfect antithesis to the outdated "I sure hate my wife" humor that I mentioned at this list's #9 placement: Meyers jokes about his marriage in an honest and heartfelt way, and to make absolutely sure that he wasn't giving an unfair image of his marriage, he then uses his acting chops to assume the role of his wife and joke about what an annoying husband Seth can be, as his wife. That makes for the most wholesome moment I've seen in any stand-up routine, proving that good comedy doesn't always have to be at the expense of others.

5. Trevor Noah: Afraid Of The Dark (2017)

Apart from being one of the best in the talk-show business as the host of The Daily Show (1996-present) from 2015 onward, South African comedian Trevor Noah is one hell of a stand-up performer. Perhaps his most staggering skill is impressions and accents, and that skill is on full display in Afraid Of The Dark. In a magnificent bit about Brexit and colonialism, he casually shows off English, Scottish, Indian and Russian accents, all of which have the perfect balance of accuracy and over-the-top humor, making them quite hilarious yet not offensive or too caricature-like. Later in the show, he does go into his famous Obama impression, but not in a conventional way: he creates a hilarious fictional scenario where Nelson Mandela supposedly taught Obama how to talk like a president, and enacts a conversation between the two, where Obama's voice begins as a high-pitched Chris Rock -type until Mandela manages to tone it down. Noah's work with voices is at its most impressive here, and that's saying quite a lot.

But it's not all about impressions and funny voices. The jokes and anecdotes themselves are very funny, if not quite as much so as in his other Netflix special (more on that later). Noah's smooth charisma makes him a likable performer, who manages to stay more clean and less offensive than most in the modern stand-up industry, even when he's joking about subjects like race relations or immigration - he always knows where to draw the line. If Dave Chappelle's act is too edgy for you, Noah's comedy features much less controversial but just as funny jokes on many of the same topics.

4. Jimmy Carr: The Best Of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits (2019)

This Jimmy Carr comedy special is ranked much higher on my list than the other one I've seen from him, but to be fair, it might be for the same reason that I liked Deadpool (2016) much better than Deadpool 2 (2018), even when they're just as good in most aspects: I saw The Best Of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits first, so it has all of the positive shock value as an advantage. The British comedian was totally unknown to me when my girlfriend showed this comedy special to me, so I didn't know what to expect, and that made the experience a lot more memorable. Never before had I seen a stand-up show with humor so borderline, edgy and disturbing - yet so funny and surprisingly unoffensive.

The comedy of Jimmy Carr is a strange in-between point of Dave Chappelle and Trevor Noah; it's always pushing it, a bit controversial and quite edgy, yet it never quite crosses the line. It's not completely politically correct like Noah's routine, but also not staggeringly incorrect like Chappelle's. Carr's show hit my sense of humor perfectly, as I'm a big fan of dark humor, but not of downright offensive comedy. In addition to the incredible writing skill of preparing a show full of jokes that walk that difficult line, Carr also gets points for the jokes being extremely funny. I also enjoyed watching his other special Funny Business (2016), but it didn't have nearly as much of an impact - but as I mentioned, it might be due to the order in which I watched them. Hard to say for sure. Just in case, I recommend watching either one for any fans of dark humor, and then watching the other one if you enjoyed!

3. John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid (2015)

Former Saturday Night Live writer John Mulaney is hands-down my favorite comedian. If I could see any stand-up comedian live, I wouldn't have to think for two seconds about who I'd choose. There's something about his sharply written jokes, his absolutely hilarious way of delivering them and his overall strange energy that always gets me - the guy looks and talks like a radio announcer from the 1930's, yet his comedy act is still filled with modern sensitivities, which makes for an odd but addicting combo.

In The Comeback Kid, Mulaney performs an awesome set at his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. The set includes a wholesome and funny take on his marriage, a hysterical rumination about what a weird movie Back To The Future (1985) is, and one hell of a final act with the story of the time he met Bill Clinton. The entire Clinton-bit is a perfect example of the stand-up comedy trope where many elements that have been built throughout the show all come together in a sort of climax, where one story gets better and better with a series of punchlines and callbacks to previous jokes throughout the show. There are so many hilarious twists to the Clinton story that it serves as a perfect ending to what is one of the greatest stand-up shows that Netflix has to offer.

2. Trevor Noah: The Son Of Patricia (2018)

Speaking of comedians tying together multiple jokes with a story that connects them all, The Son Of Patricia features better examples of that than any other comedy special I've seen. It happens for the first time less than halfway through the show, as Trevor Noah tells a long anecdote about his trip to Bali. The story gets better and better for a long time, as Noah tells it with comedic perfection, allowing many of the elements to resurface towards the end of the story. It all comes together beautifully. A similar thing happens at the end of the show, where Noah manages to tie together nearly all of the show's best bits and jokes with a hilarious bit about linguistic differences and racial slurs.

Racism as a topic is an obviously serious matter that often doesn't make for good comedy, but there's just something about how Noah tells about his South African heritage and the ways he has dealt with racists, always with a tongue-in-cheek feel while still not kidding about the issue's serious implications. I especially enjoy his story of taking his mother's advice while reacting to the first time he was greeted with a racial slur in America, in an anecdote that served as the namesake for this comedy special. Other parts of The Son Of Patricia delve into many different topics, with nearly all of it consisting of Noah telling true stories from his own life, but just doing it in an absolutely hilarious way - my favorite is probably the one about the time he met president Obama, and thoroughly embarrassed himself due to a misunderstanding. The stories themselves are quite amusing, but it's Noah's impeccable delivery that really make them into such comedic gold.

1. John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous At Radio City (2018)

The Trump presidency has been the favorite topic of American comedians for the last four years - but not a single comedic jab at the current commander-and-chief has been funnier than John Mulaney's allegory of a horse being loose in the hospital, found in this magnificent stand-up special. He never even mentions Trump by name during the bit, but his hilarious anecdotes of the loose horse go on for quite a while, tackling many Trump-related issues in absolutely hysterical fashion. The first time I saw that bit, I was more or less cry-laughing for much of its duration.

The rest of the special is just as good. Whether he's joking about the Catholic church and his own religious upbringing, his time as a writer for SNL, or about eccentric detective J.J. Bittenbinder's advice for children, he does it all with unique charisma and perfect delivery. The jokes are well-written and Mulaney's signature style of telling them is at its absolute best, making this the slightly better of the two stand-up specials by my favorite comedian that are currently on Netflix.


That's my list! On a more serious note, I strongly recommend watching the Netflix documentary 13th (2016) to all of my readers. With the current situation in America calling a lot of attention to understanding systematic racism, watching this powerful documentary can have a huge impact - as much as I have read about the problem, 13th opened my eyes to the full scope of the issue, which is a lot larger than most media makes it out to be. Obviously a lot more has to be done than just watching a movie, but since this is a movie blog, I figured I'd through the recommendation out there.

Thank you for reading! As the popular animated sitcom Rick And Morty recently finished airing its fourth season, next week's post will be a project I've been working on for quite some time: a ranking of all 41 Rick And Morty episodes. Fans of the series, be sure to check that one out!

Happy Pride Month: Top 10 LGBTQ+ Movies

Greetings, reader!

It is Pride Month, so I decided I'd share my favorite films that cover the wide variety of LGBTQ+ culture - if you're looking for movie recommendations to celebrate this time of year, look no further. There's no clear line on which movies I chose as eligible for the list - there are a few where the LGBTQ+ elements aren't quite the #1 primary focus of the film, but said elements do need to be essential to the film and not just a side-plot for it to qualify.

Here are my honorable mentions: Dallas Buyers Club (2013), Rocketman (2019), The Hours (2002), Tom Of Finland (2017), Tomboy (2011)

10. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain is as groundbreaking for the time of its release as it is a heartbreaking film to watch. It's a story of two cowboys, magnificently played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, who fall for each other while working as sheep herders. Between the film's 1960's setting, the macho culture the main characters come from and the marriage one of them is in, the film is a powerful and gripping depiction of staying in the closet and being ashamed of one's sexuality. It's a movie that really makes one thankful for the progress that gay rights and overall tolerance have made since then, although there obviously still is a long way to go. And, at its heart, it's a beautiful love story between two men yet quite a tragic one due to the time and place where they happened to find each other.

9. Mulholland Drive (2001)

Sure, it's more of a psychedelic mystery film than an LGBTQ+ film per se - but the main love story of Mulholland Drive is one between the two leading women, and it's one for the ages. While there's a lot of violence and surrealism going on in the movie, arguably the heart of the film and thus the most sense-making part of it is the romance between Naomi Watts's and Laura Harring's characters (or two different love stories between two sets of characters both played by Watts and Harring (or possibly one love story between different versions of the same people in some sort of dream world)). I'm starting to think I should watch this film for a second time and try to get to the bottom of what's really going on.

Anyways, if mainstream gay cinema isn't your thing and you want to celebrate your Pride Month with a Lynchian twist, Mulholland Drive is definitely the movie for you.

8. Imitation Game (2014)

This is the first of three films on this list to tell a real-life story of a great person who did great things worth celebrating - and who had to suffer for no other reason than belonging to a sexual minority in an intolerant society. As gripping as Imitation Game is, it does tell the important story of Alan Turing, a World War II hero who never took part in combat. You see, Turing was a mathematician who saved lives by cracking codes. And his story comes to life in a wonderful fashion in this film, where he is played by the amazing Benedict Cumberbatch. Turing's sexuality only really comes into play during the second half of the film, but it sure makes the story more powerful. For a long time, his role in history was downplayed due to his sexuality being seen as a shameful thing - fortunately, the tables turned in the 2000's. Posthumously, Turing has gotten the true recognition he deserved, and this film made sure that a whole lot of people would know exactly who he was and what he did for his country.

7. Best In Show (2000)

Now, like Mulholland Drive, Best In Show isn't exactly about the rainbow community first and foremost. It's a mockumentary about a dog show. But seeing as A) the film features two different gay couples among its main characters and their presence is a big part of the film's awesomeness, B) I wanted to balance out all the gripping movies of this list with a few lighthearted ones and C) I make the rules when it comes to this blog, well, here it is.

John Michael Higgins and Michael McKean are hilarious and heartfelt as Scott Donlan and Stefan Vanderhoof, an amiable gay couple who enter their Shih Tzu called Miss Agnes into the film's central dog show. The couple are the most kind and likable characters in the movie, which made for a refreshing surprise - usually if a comedy from 20 years ago features gay side characters, one can expect mean stereotypes and such. But this film goes around that trope to be wholesome instead, even more so as the second gay couple shows up - discussing them might warrant some light spoilers, so I'll just say that two women find each other and it's very endearing.

6. Milk (2008)

Here's an incredible true story that cuts two ways. Milk is in many ways a sad movie - as is the case far too often, the real-life stories of many LGBTQ+ pioneers haven't had the happiest endings due to society being less than accepting. But despite the fate of the film's hero, watching Milk as a whole causes more smiles than frowns, more tears of joy than those of grief. While Harvey Milk's journey met a tragic end (not really a spoiler since we find out where things are headed in the opening scene), there was an incredible amount of goodness that he managed to cause in his life. The film is a celebration of California's first-ever openly gay elected official, and his life is one very much worth celebrating.

Sean Penn won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Milk, and that sure was deserved. The struggles that the man overcame to get elected as a city supervisor are fascinating to follow, as is the rallying of California's gay pride movement of the time around him. The film's depiction of the colorful counter-culture of Castro Street and the societal debate of gay rights in the 1970's are well-documented, making for a film with a lot of heart and an important message.

5. Boys Don't Cry (1999)

If you want to celebrate Pride Month with a sobering look at history and the struggles that the LGBTQ+ community has had to face, Boys Don't Cry might just be the movie for you. If you feel like celebrating with something happy that highlights the joys of said culture, then I suggest avoiding this movie at all cost. Boys Don't Cry is one of the hardest movies to watch that I have ever come across, but through its gripping story it is also one of the most powerful ones - if there's one movie in the world that actually might make intolerant people rethink their stances and what their hate is really worth, it'd be this one.

Boys Don't Cry is based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a young transgender man finding himself in rural Nebraska. It's a beautiful and inspiring story of being true to oneself and not being ashamed of who you are - but in addition to that, the film is also one hell of a nasty reminder of how awful some people are. Without spoiling major plot points, Teena's story is downright tragic due to the treatment he got from the prejudiced people around him. The silver lining to be found is that such a grim movie, as is often the case, ended up having a beautifully positive impact on society. Boys Don't Cry is seen as a major milestone for equality and representation in cinema, being one of the first mainstream films to have a transgender protagonist and explore trans culture in an accurate and healthy way. It has even been selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry due to its cultural significance.

Much like Milk, I see this film as quite a proper celebratory movie despite its dark nature due to the fact that the life of Brandon Teena deserves to be celebrated, and his story should be heard. In another parallel to Milk, Boys Don't Cry also took home a very much deserved acting Oscar, as Hilary Swank is simply astonishing in the lead role - a transgender actor would've been a more sensitive choice, but for the time being this was still a big leap forward for movies about the trans community.

4. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Call Me By Your Name is such an elegant film. The Italian setting, Luca Guadagnino's atmospheric directing and the tender dialogue between the film's unlikely lovers Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) make for a beautiful film full of grace and emotion. The film's love story is a deep and often sad one, yet also one of the sweetest of its kind. The chemistry between Chalamet and Hammer is off the charts, making the summer romance of their well-developed characters all the more beautiful. This artistic piece of cinematic craftsmanship is clearly one of the top picks to watch as a celebration of gay pride, as the film is at its core a celebration of love and passion in its own subtle style.

3. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

I love how this list is filled to the brim with gripping and serious dramas, but then there's this one in the midst. The Rocky Horror Picture Show may not be a soul-searching exploration of sexual identity or anything of the sort in itself, but the impact it has had on the rainbow community cannot be understated. In cinematic history, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the movie that found its audience in the LGBTQ+ world and had a powerful message to its members in its own, strange voice. While it is a hilarious, ridiculous psychedelic trip of a movie filled with aliens and monsters, back in 1975 its themes of sexual liberation (as well as its colorful song-and-dance numbers) resonated heavily with a population of people considered outsiders and outcasts by the society of the time.

Hand in hand with the original theatrical Rocky Horror Show, this cinematic adaptation gained an impressive cult following of LGBTQ+ viewers from all around, and continues to have such a following to this day. If you're looking for a fun and celebratory film to watch on Pride Month and a majority of this list's entries sound like they'd bum you out, then this comedy-horror musical (along with #7) is the one for you.

2. La La Land (2016)

Wait! There's been a mistake. I typed in the wrong name. Moonlight was supposed to be on this place, not La La Land! Let me just fix that...

2. Moonlight (2016)

There we go. The (quite dramatically) Best Picture-winning Moonlight is a gripping yet beautiful story of self-exploration. Split into three parts that each follow protagonist Chiron in a different stage of his life, the movie tackles the intricacies of grappling with one's sexuality and the difficulties of growing up gay in a less-than-accepting environment. With the addition of being African-American as well as being poor, the protagonist's complex upbringing shines a light on many of society's flaws while also finding hope from within.

Between Mahershala Ali's pitch-perfect performance as Chiron's mentor-figure Juan, the nice moments of humanity amidst the societal chaos, and the fact that the ending - well, I won't spoil it, but it's definitely not the mega-bummer you'd expect the ending of an Oscar-winning movie about a gay black man to be - Moonlight ends up being more uplifting than I had guessed. At the center of the film is a touching story of a young man finding out who he truly is in life, and his journey is one very much worth watching.

1. Philadelphia (1993)

A fair share of movies have moved me to tears, but very few have done so as excessively as Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia. The combination of a powerful subject matter, the Bruce Springsteen masterpiece Streets Of Philadelphia being in the soundtrack, Tom Hanks's Oscar-winning performance and the critical historical context is just too much for a viewer like myself to handle when it comes to containing one's emotions.

There are many reasons why Philadelphia is often seen as the essential rainbow movie. There might not be a Brokeback Mountain or a Moonlight if this masterpiece hadn't paved the way. Back in the early 90's, gay rights were not a normal subject matter for award-hopeful Hollywood films - let alone movies about lesbians or the trans community. Demme took a risk making this film knowing that many would condemn it in a largely homophobic society, as did Hanks who was in the height of his popularity and beloved by all Americans, as the decision of a big star to play a gay man in a movie was deemed controversial at the time.

This lead to a film that had an immense cultural impact on fighting homophobia overall, and especially concerning AIDS awareness. By 1993, AIDS remained deeply stigmatized despite scientific evidence about how it does and doesn't spread. Demme's motivation for this film was to help destigmatize the phenomenon, and for that same reason he chose Bruce Springsteen to write the theme song: he figured that the presence of Springsteen's music would bring in a lot of viewers from demographics who might not otherwise choose to see a movie about a gay man, and who would benefit the most from the film's lessons.

Like many on this list, Philadelphia is a sad movie, but I still see it as a very fitting choice to celebrate Pride Month with. As heartbreaking as the film is, the impact it had on the world was extremely positive. For prejudiced viewers of the time, seeing America's beloved Tom Hanks playing a gay man who happens to be an amazing person might've been the nudge they needed to become more tolerant and accepting. Many things have changed since, but even in 2020, the story of Hanks's character staying strong and being the bigger man as the antagonists of the film try to discriminate him is quite hard-hitting and extremely moving.

I hope you liked my list, and I wish a joyful Pride Month to all! Next week I'll be sharing my list of the top 10 stand-up comedy specials on Netflix, for all of you looking for some laughs in these trying times.