"Abandoned"

A very powerful movie based on a true story. It's about an inexperienced sailing crew who leave New Zealand for a pan-Pacific journey. When their boat meets a huge capsizing wave, they have to deal with survival. The crew members have their quirks, fight, but eventually come together to help each other survive. It's a great film. I've seen many comments from people who didn't like the shaky camera work. Huh? It's on a sailboat out in the ocean. Get over it. It totally makes sense. Anyway, I thought the actors and cinematography were great.
4 stars out of 5

https://youtu.be/dVRbHEmfQwY

"Margarita, With a Straw"

What a beautiful and touching film. It's about a young Indian woman with cerebral palsy who moves to New York to attend school. There she falls in love with a blind female activist. It's a story of pure love. Brilliantly acted, simple yet well written, and great cinematography. This is one of those movies you'll remember for a long time. I rarely puddle up over a movie, but this one brought tears to my eyes.
5 stars out of 5

"Backtrack"

If you like 'em creepy, you'll love this movie. The hair on the back of my neck stood up several times while watching this. The plot s about a psychiatrist who begins to see ghosts after his daughter is killed. He doesn't know what they have to do with him, but he starts to make a connection with something that happened to him twenty years in his past.  It stars Adrien Brody and, since it's an Austrian movie, has to feature Sam Neill.
4 stars out of 5

"The Fundamentals of Caring"

If I describe the plot of the movie, you probably won't watch it. It sounds so cliche. But this is quite a decent indie flick. I was especially skeptical because it was a Netflix original. So here's the plot: a thirty something guy who's going through a divorce takes a caregiving course and ends up with a teen who has a rare form of MS. The kid has a wicked sense of humor. They inevitably go on a road trip. The movie has its ups and downs, but mostly ups. The acting, scenery, and dialogue were all exceptional.
4.5 out of 5 stars