With so many movies spurning all kinds of memes and memorable quotes, we’ve decided to take a look at some of these movies to see whether the memes are the only thing to them or if they are worth the watch!
Zoolander
The blue steel face-offs between Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson that have been making the rounds on the internet are hilarious. And the two movies that the memes originate from are equally funny. Parodying the fashion industry of the 90s, Zoolander has a group of businessmen brainwashing Zoolander, a struggling model to assassinate the Malaysian Prime Minister whose progressive laws would affect their monopoly.
Twilight
While the cool kids used to cringe at Kristen Stewart’s stuttering Bella she has now become an icon. And now that we have time to mull over it, move over Edward and Jacob, it’s Team Jasper Wide Eyes and Carlisle The Hot Doctor. Watching it with a grain of salt makes it a fun series full of pure entertainment as we ironically enjoy the intense plot of a 17-year-old human falling in love with a 104-year-old vampire whose restraints shatter as he simply wants to drink her blood.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka had to make an appearance on this list. Reportedly, he came up with the infamous forward roll when first meeting his character, and the numerous sarcastic retorts throughout the film only add to his allure. If that wasn’t enough, the movie is an absolute classic, having been parodied a few times, most notably in Family Guy.
Pride and Prejudice
You know you have made it when your book is a classic and its iconic 2005 movie adaptation has gained a cult-like status. The film’s success may also have something to do with a dreamy Darcy confessing his love in the pouring rain while period queen Keira Knightly looks furious. The rich Darcy believes that all country people are crass and greedy while the headstrong but plain Elizabeth won’t let anyone speak ill about her family. As the blueprint of the enemies-to-lovers trope, the two constantly clash while romantic feelings bubble.
Shrek
“Shrek is love, Shrek is life” for a reason. Not only is it an iconic children’s series, but it’s also a light watch for us adults as it has everything from action and adventure to comedy and romance. Shrek is an ogre who is hired by Lord Farquad to save his future wife, the princess trapped in a castle – Fiona. But chaos ensues as Fiona has her own secret while Shrek and his sidekick Donkey do their best to keep up with her.
Encanto
We don’t talk about Bruno, but we must absolutely talk about this crazy amazing animated movie. Encanto follows the Madrigals who have different powers to protect their community, except for Mirabel who is not taken seriously. However, she soon realises that their village is in danger and she just might be the only one who can find the solution. Full of earworm melodies and relatable characters, Encanto assures us that Disney’s animated projects are in safe hands.
Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
If you are a Star Wars fan you will hate the prequel trilogy. If you are a film buff you too will hate the mess that it is. But if you are in a silly mood and want to switch off your brain for some action, a hot Darth Vader and Ewan McGregor in his prime, then this trilogy is for you. While the execution may have been poor, the story is pretty good as it gives us the origin story of Anakin Skywalker and who he was before he went to the dark side and became (probably not a spoiler) the big bad baddie.
Little Women
Another classic book turned successful movie adaptation, the 2019 Little Women creates that nostalgic atmosphere of joyful family movies set in the Victorian era. That is, of course, before that one suspiciously sickly character succumbs to consumption and we are all bawling our eyes out despite predicting the turn of events.
Bee Movie
A woman, a human woman falls in love with a bee – the very premise sounds like someone made it up for a meme. But no the Bee Movie is no Goncharov but an actual film that was quite successful when it was released. And while it took several of the films on this list to actually take off, Bee Movie was a meme before memes were even created, it is that legendary as it follows Barry the Bee suing humans for exploiting his species.
Minions
Are you tired of your Minion-obsessed friends talking like Minions or singing the Banana song? Well, you wouldn’t blame them if you just gave the movies a chance. Whether it is the Despicable Me series or the Minion standalone movies, they are absolute clowns and pretty endearing. So, if you decide to dip your toes in this yellow-blue deluge, start with Despicable Me, an enjoyable animated film about the villain Gru who ends up adopting three girls while trying to use them to steal the moon.
Scary Movie
While it may have started off as a parody of the Scream movies, it went on to poke fun at scary movies of the 2000s from the killer chatting with his targets to our heroine totally fighting as if she is in the Matrix without any training. The Scary Movie series is a hilarious parody full of clownery and breaking of the fourth wall to mock other movies that will have you in a fit of laughter.
Midsommar
It seems that the Florence Pugh frowny face cinematic universe may have taken off after this movie. And if her crying meme did not have you sold then the totally creepy plot will. Dani is considered an outsider among her boyfriend’s friends but decides to tag along when they visit a commune. Things start to go wrong almost immediately as people go missing with Dani having to decide if she wants to save the people she went with or choose herself.
High School Musical
Were you the type that was annoyed with Sharpay’s it-girl attitude or Troy Bolton’s ‘Bet On It’ angst? However, a rewatch of the series 10 years later will have you relating with Sharpay and laughing at Troy’s awkwardness. Like the name literally suggests, it is a high school musical about a bunch of non-theatre kids from different cliques coming together to create a musical while hiding from their friends’ mocking.
White Chicks
There are some movies that do not age well due to the problematic undertones but White Chicks is definitely not one of them. In fact, it mocks social constructions as the Wayan brothers get into ‘white face’ to replace the Wilson sisters as part of a secret mission to catch their kidnappers. Of course, this leads to hijinks as they have to pretend to be rich White airheads, convince Wilson’s friends that they are in fact not two grown Black men, catch the kidnapper and shake off their fellow agents who do not know about the mission. There are obviously many iconic films like the above but these are our favourites. If there are any notable omissions that you feel should have been mentioned, let us know in the comments below!
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