1. Lady Bird
Greta Gerwig just *got* what it feels like to be a high school senior trying to escape your hometown while also kinda loving it. Lady Bird’s messy, complicated relationship with her mom and her own identity is peak main character energy. She's not perfect, but she's so real, and honestly, who *didn't* feel like the protagonist of their own drama back then? This one's a whole mood for anyone figuring out who they are.
2. Everything Everywhere All at Once
This movie is an absolute trip, man. It takes an immigrant mom just trying to do her taxes and yeets her into the multiverse, making her the unlikely hero of… well, everything. It’s wild action, deep family drama, and hilarious absurdity rolled into one. And it totally makes you think, 'What if *my* life was just one universe, and I'm a superhero in another?' Big main character vibes, for sure.
3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Miles Morales becoming Spider-Man in this animated masterpiece? Yeah, that’s the assignment. It’s not just about passing the torch; it’s about finding your *own* way to wear the mask, even when you feel like a total imposter. The visual style is groundbreaking, making every frame feel like a comic book panel come to life. And seeing all those different Spideys? It’s a reminder that anyone can be the hero.
4. Booksmart
Okay, *Booksmart* is the ultimate ode to female friendship and that one chaotic night before graduation when you realize you might’ve missed out. Amy and Molly are so perfectly written – smart, awkward, and totally relatable. They decide to cram four years of fun into one night, and honestly, who hasn't felt that pressure to 'live it up' before the next chapter? It’s funny, heartwarming, and pure main character energy for anyone who felt like an outsider.
5. Parasite
Bong Joon-ho just dropped a whole cinematic mic with *Parasite*. It’s a sharp, brutal look at class disparity that starts as a dark comedy and spirals into pure tension. The way the Kims infiltrate the Parks' lives? Chef's kiss for social commentary. It makes you question everything about who deserves what, and how the system is rigged. Definitely understood the assignment of being a thriller with something to *say*.
6. Moonlight
*Moonlight* is just… breathtaking. It tracks Chiron through three pivotal stages of his life, exploring Black queer identity, masculinity, and the search for connection. The film is poetic, raw, and deeply intimate, letting you sit with Chiron’s experiences. It shows how profoundly our past shapes us, and how even in silence, a person’s inner world can be incredibly vast and powerful. A true masterpiece of human experience.
7. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
This film is a slow burn in the best possible way. The intense, unspoken connection between Marianne and Héloïse, captured through the female gaze, is mesmerizing. It’s about art, memory, and a love that defies societal constraints, leaving you with that exquisite ache of longing. Every frame is a painting, and their story is a quiet, powerful revolution in representation. Pure main character vibes for a love that burns bright.
