Movie
‘You Again’ (2010)
It’s challenging to watch your brother marry your high school bully who ruined your self-esteem and crushed your spirit — especially when your brother has no idea. Welcome to the life of Marni Olsen, a woman hellbent on revenge and exposing Joanna, her brother’s fiancé. To complicate matters further, Marni’s mother is also feuding with Joanna’s aunt, and the situation soon becomes explosive. With adults acting with teenagers, the pettiness and wickedness of high school are back just in time for the big wedding. Families are turned against each other, and no one is safe from their past in this epic comedy, available now on Disney+.
Book
‘The Female of the Species’ by Mindy McGinnis (2016)
Trigger Warning: Rape
“The Female of the Species” takes a dark but necessary look into society’s perception of women and rape culture. Split between three perspectives, Alex, Jack and Peekay. The main plot focuses on Alex, an angry teenage girl who actively suppresses her violent instincts. Alex’s sister had been brutally murdered two years ago, and she can’t seem to get revenge out of her head. For the most part, she’s been able to keep a low profile and surprisingly takes Peekay and Jack as friends, but she finally meets her breaking point at a party. From there, everything falls apart, and everyone scrambles to make sense of their own emotions and the world around them.
Television
‘The Wilds’ (2020-)
After a colossal plane crash, a group of teenage girls, all from incredibly divergent backgrounds, must learn to survive and live with each other on a deserted island. Tensions run high, and every girl struggles to come to terms with this horrific accident. Except, what they don’t know is, it wasn’t an accident. The girls have become unwilling participants in a scientific social experiment. Each episode focuses on a different girl, slowly revealing their back story, and how they ended up on the plane that forever changed their lives. Personalities clash, friendships are broken and repaired, as they all fight to survive. “The Wilds” is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
Music
‘The Sunset Tree’ by The Mountain Goats (2005)
The album, “The Sunset Tree” perfectly captures the essence of melancholy. This indie album manages to be both mellow and exciting at the same time. Multiple songs focus on the recklessness of childhood and the loss of innocence, while others center around existential questions and values. My personal favorite on the album, “This Year,” captures the optimism of youth and the excitement of being free from responsibility. However, no matter where you are in life, “The Sunset Tree” has it all. In addition to softer songs perfect for reflection, the album also has songs to scream along to with your friends. There’s honestly a song for everyone.
