The New Year brings new beginnings and new movies to watch on all of your favorite streaming services. Disney Plus and HBO Max are two of the streaming services that have released new hit movies to transport you into the theater from your own home.

Disney Plus

Disney’s Encanto tells the story of The Madrigals who are a magical and extraordinary family who live within the hidden mountains of Colombia in a charmed place called the Encanto. The magic from the Encanto has gifted each child of the Madrigals with a unique gift that is meant to help their town and family. The Encanto has gifted every Madrigal child except Maribel. Maribel, an outcast from the rest of her family, becomes their saving grace when she discovers the flaw within their great miracle. 

Throughout the movie Mirabel embarks on her emotional journey of uncovering secrets within her family including why “We don’t talk about Bruno”. Mirabel gets to see members of her family for who they really are and 

Encanto showcases how important communication is within a family and how generational trauma can affect your loved one differently. Through the use of  colorful animation and lively music. Encanto shows the audience how to accept our differences, weakness, and strengths while staying true to cultural values in the Colombian culture. 

Encanto has received positive reviews from multiple platforms earning a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. “So good! I loved it. 10/10” said FAU student Crystal Marshall. 

Marvel’s Eternals was released on Disney Plus January 12th of 2022. Eternals introduces us to a group of 10 immortal beings Ajak,  Sersi, Ikaris, Kingo, Sprite, Phastos, Makkari, Druig, Gilgamesh, and Thena that have been on Earth since the beginning of time. The Eternals were sent to Earth by the celestial being Arishem to eradicate deviants who were threatening the human population. The movie picks up in the present day where the Eternals, who finished with their mission, are now separated living among humans observing how they interact everyday. After losing one of their own, Sersi is chosen by Arishem to lead the group and enact the Emergence which would kill off all of humanity. Displeased with this, Sersi, along with her fellow Eternals work to figure out how to stop the Emergence, saving all of humanity. Through their efforts Sersi and the Eternals are faced with a surprise betrayal by one of their own and must fight to defeat the recluse and save the world. 

The Eternals, receiving a 48% on rotten tomatoes, launches phase 4 of Marvels studios movie plan.  The Eternals delivers a diverse cast who work together perfectly to give a stunning performance. Marvel steps into a new tactic of using breathtaking cinematography and immersive storytelling to really tell its audience who the Eternals are. 

HBO MAX

HBO Max’s The Fallout follows a highschool student, Vada, as she is dealing and processing the aftermath of a traumatic school shooting. Vada develops a close relationship with Mia after they experience this trauma together. Vada spends the movie testing her own limits in order to justify what she has been through.  

The Fallout is an emotional tearjerker that induces many emotions from fear to sadness, empathy, and joy. The Fallout received 92% from Rotten Tomatoes and positive feedback all around. The Fallout shows viewers that their are different ways to process trauma and how especially in children and teens it can be a painful experience that is not always perceived to be okay by friends, family, and society. Jenna ortega’s performance explores the depths of the emotion and makes this movie something that will be remembered in History.

“It was such a good movie, I felt like I was going through the emotions with Vada myself because of how good it is.” said Makilah Burns, a student at FAU. “I think the ending was the best part it was so moving” 

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts released on HBO Max January 1st 2022. It was released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the birth of the Harry Potter series with the release of the franchise’s first film: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone. Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts revealed a glimpse into what it was like for the actors and crew playing those beloved characters that people will never forget. 

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts received a 96% from rotten tomatoes and gave the millions of potterheads another chance to be a part of the magical wizarding world one last time. Though the movie is said to “lack the magic” that the original films had, Return to Hogwarts shows how life changing Harry Potter movies were to both the cast and the audience. 

“If you’re not a Harry Potter fan then I wouldn’t recommend it.” said FAU Sophomore La’nissa Bush. “It was really cool to see how the characters were in the moments of filming. How these moments we thought were so pure in the movie were actually funny for the actors to do”