Stories of Transformation
Jay Kelly (2025)
Jay Kelly is about a man who has spent years being impressive and is no longer sure he is alive. The world around him still responds to the name, the résumé, the performance. Yet something inside has gone thin. The film does not rush to fix him. It simply lets him feel the distance between the life he curated and the one he might still claim. For anyone sensing that achievement has outpaced alignment, this story leans in close. New beginnings sometimes begin with the courage to admit that what worked is no longer enough.
Gattaca (1997)
There are moments when a person decides to outgrow the story written about them. Gattaca moves with restraint and longing. It lingers in the space between what is predicted and what is chosen. A man, marked from birth as lesser, sets his sights on the stars and refuses to bow to the verdict. It is a film about distance. The distance between who you were told to be and who you might still become. If you are standing at the edge of something new, uncertain and restless, let this one sit with you. Some beginnings are quiet. Some are costly. All of them require a kind of stubborn hope.
Poor Things (2023)
Poor Things offers a glimpse into a woman’s evolving autonomy, unencumbered by societal expectations. It begins with a Frankenstein-esque formula and quickly matures into a modern coming of age tale ripe with humanity. Bella, the main character, is quick to act, though sincere and introspective. She seeks growth, pleasure, intellectualism, charity, freedom, and good. The cast of odd men who surround her are hard-pressed to keep up with her ever more expansive and empowered existence. Though the overall setting is absurdist bordering on absurd, Bella’s character arc acts as a microcosm mirroring the progression of women’s rights throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Completing the charm of this nuanced and insightful film, Poor Things aesthetically sits atop stunning visuals inspired by the likes of Gaudí and Dali.
The Wind Rises (2013)
The Wind Rises follows a quiet dreamer named Jiro working as an aeronautical engineer in WWII Japan. Director Hayao Miyazaki masterfully guides viewers through the tumult and heartbreak of the period, helping audiences experience geopolitics, romance, ethics, and duty through Jiro’s point of view. Beautifully balanced animation coupled with melancholic storytelling brings this era in world history to life.
