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"Safe" Movies

Why I Tend to Avoid Certain Movies

By Ronnie GonzalezPublished 5 years ago 6 min read
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DVD collection

I had family over earlier in the week, and I just couldn't get myself to stay in the same room with them—not because I wanted to avoid talking to them. No, no. The problem was that the TV was on... and it showed a movie or show that I just wasn't into. And it breaks my heart to not be able to explain myself without causing a fight of some sort.

Now, before I provide examples of what movies make me feel uncomfortable, there will be spoilers from: The Unmiracle (2017); Firewall (2006); and Fate of the Furious (2017) (You've been warned).

The most recent movie that I had really got me ticked off was The Unmiracle, which was on Netflix. I remember seeing my grandma watch this on Christmas Day of last year (2018). Just then, the movie got to the part where these teens were at a house party. Some girl overdoses on something. One of the guys suggests calling for help, but some other guy says no, because there were drugs in the house, and the girl would lose her scholarship if she was found out. Eventually (perhaps too late—I couldn't bear to watch the rest of the movie), the girl is in a coma at the hospital. A police officer tries to interview the family, but the mother goes off at him; and his own feelings get hurt. From there, I remember getting up, bursting into tears, and telling Grandma, "Why would you watch this? And on Christmas?!" I was disgusted, and left the room.

Movie Theater Dilemma

Dad would always ask me, "Why don't you want to go to the movies anymore?" And I would make excuses: either there were movies that I wasn't interested in, or there was a lack of anything good to begin with. In fact, the last time I've been in a movie theater was back in October of 2018, to see the movie Venom (which was an okay-movie, by the way).

But I think what had started my avoidance of movies was back in 2006, even though I was dumb enough to return to the theater some time later. In 2006, there was a movie called Firewall with Harrison Ford. It was a movie about a criminal holding a guy's family hostage... Yeah. That's the whole movie in a nutshell—a guy's family being held hostage by criminals! What's worse is that these guys are physically and verbally abusive to the family.

I was disgusted. I remember my dad pressuring me to see this movie when it was in theaters. He was like: "Oh, but it's about a guy saving his family..." trying to sugar-coat things. Don't ever sugar-coat a bad movie.

The Final Straw...

Fast-forward to 2017, when I was finally fed up with the movie industry screwing me over with movies that turned out to be bad and/or insulting.

I had gone with my dad to see Fate of the Furious. First of all, I like some of the Fast and the Furious movies—I think those kinds of movies are fun to make (even though by now it seems repetitive). Anyway, this movie in particular got me legitimately angry. Imagine having to take orders from someone you hated so much, while that said person dangles your loved-ones over your head (in this case, a baby that you didn't know existed, because your ex didn't tell you). When Toretto's ex-girlfriend gets axed off, because he "disobeyed" a direct order, the villain Cipher threatens to kill his infant son if he failed again. First of all, I hate Cipher with a passion. I mean, sure, she's the antagonist and all; but I've seen way better villains than her, and I know other villains that are less insulting than she is. Long-story short: I hated the movie; I hated its villain. I never want to see it again.

My DVD collection

So, you may be asking, "What kind of movies do you like, then?"

Well, here's my criteria for movies:

  1. Don't be insulting.
  2. Don't be stupid, AND
  3. Don't be depressing.

I like movies that are positive and fun. That's why I have a bunch of kids' movies (though, there are some kids' movies that I would avoid, too). And I also like shows that I can learn from—moreover, lifestyle shows like some of the ones on PBS. Those are the stuff I like, because they're calm and positive.

And one of the DVDs that I love the most in my collection is LarryBoy and the Bad Apple (from VeggieTales.) Here's why that movie meets my criteria:

  1. Don't be insulting. Sure, this movie has a villain in it; but the villain (the Bad Apple) is likable, and I don't find her too insulting in acting and demeanor.
  2. Don't be stupid. The story, well, despite its flaws, at least it doesn't go out of its way to make poor decisions.
  3. Don't be depressing. Well, nothing depressing about this movie. Superheroes can be fun, especially since LarryBoy is my all-time favorite superhero.

So, I can safely say that movies like LarryBoy and the Bad Apple are "safe" movies.

The Downside to having "Safe" Movies

Why call them "safe" movies?

These are movies that I know wouldn't make me sad, depressed, or angry. And I don't walk into a movie without doing my research on it first, because, you know the phrase: books and covers, right?

But you might ask, "Well, aren't all movies like that? They're supposed to make you have these emotions?"

I understand that viewpoint; however, if you understood my circumstance, then you might understand mine.

You see, I grew up where I had little to no friends. I wasn't into any relationships. All I did was work to do well in school. So yeah. I've already witnessed loneliness. I've already witnessed heartbreak. So, why do I need to sit through a depressing movie to emphasize it?

Plus, if a potential boyfriend was to learn that I had this problem with movies, then chances are, he'll see this as a turn-off. If I'm not doing well on movies with my family, then that would affect other relationships in the long-run.

Conclusion

Honestly, I don't want to avoid the movie industry, because I know that everyone has a right to have a taste in movies. I just wish I was someone who loved going to movies without having to wonder, "Is this movie going to get me upset at some point?"

I don't despise a movie willy-nilly. It's just that after living a life of loneliness, anger, and depression, it wears you down, and you don't want to feel it anymore.

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About the Creator

Ronnie Gonzalez

YouTuber: LarryBoy Fanatic

Gaming Connoisseur: gamer_vrouw

Writer: "Dolphin Princess" series (Barnes and Noble Press)

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