By Lisa Nault
Staff Writer

School will be going on break soon, finals will come and go, and students will finally have free time again. However, after indulging in eating good food and catching up on sleep what is there to do with your free time? Well, The Walking Dead just had its mid-season finale so you could always re-watch this zombie-filled show. Another activity you could do though is use this free time to actually go to the movie theater. There are many wonderful films that have gone by over the semester and more coming out. These are a few films that I loved and am excited for.

I was very busy this semester and I know I was not alone. The few times I had free time I tried to use it wisely so I only made it to the movies a few times. My recommendations on films you may have missed this semester are “Gone Girl” and “Big Hero 6”. These two films surpassed all the others because they are creative, contain very interesting characters, and stand out from the rest. “Gone Girl” is an intense mystery thriller that revolves around the story of Nick Dunne, whose wife is missing and presumed dead. It had my attention right from the start and held it till the lights came back on. The film is dark and at times gritty yet simultaneously has a hazy and almost fantasy feel to it. These cinematography techniques parallel the characters’ perspectives creating contrasts in the environment.

“Big Hero 6” is an animated film literally for everyone. The film takes place in San Fransokyo (a city that is the combination of Tokyo and San Francisco and the best setting ever) following a brilliant boy named Hiro. Hiro’s brother has created a robot named Baymax who becomes a good friend of Hiro.

A key aspect of this film is the science element in it and two of the lead characters are female. I loved this because these girls are incredibly smart (one is a chemist and another is a engineer) and are essential to the film without either being a love interest. Also, Baymax is a healthcare robot and puts emphasis on defeating the bad guy in a way that will not hurt him. Not many action superhero films bring up the fact that they should not hurt a person, even if they are doing mischievous deeds. All of the characters from these two films are intricate, complex, and worth a watch.

There are a few movies I am excited for during break including “The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies,” “Into the Woods,” and “Big Eyes.” “Battle of the Five Armies” is the third movie of the Hobbit series, which follows Bilbo Baggins nearing the ending of his unexpected journey to the misty mountain and defeating the dragon Smaug.

I did not like “The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug” but I am excited for seeing this movie with my friends so I am more excited for the experience.

“Into the Woods” is about a witch who impacts characters from beloved child books. A simple storyline but it will have twists, several great actors including Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp, and catchy musical numbers. Overall a very enjoyable film that will have a new take on an old story. “Big Eyes” is about painter Margaret Keane and the dilemma she goes through when her previously unsuccessful paintings are credited to her husband and then become very successful. This film will have an interesting visual aspect to it which is common for a Tim Burton film and the trailer is getting me excited for the internal struggle Margaret will be dealing with throughout the film. I hope you all have a good break and have time to watch the movies you are excited to see.