The acting. For me, it’s always the acting. My husband will recommend something to watch at the Redbox and if I’ve never heard of the film, my first question is, “Who is in it?” If he comes back with a name I’ve never heard, I’m OUT. Not even going to waste my time. I don’t need a fancy set, flashy costumes or death-defying stunts. Honestly, most action or stunts these days means too much CGI and it puts me to sleep quickly.

I want real people that I trust to captivate me on screen acting out well written scripts with stories I cannot predict the ending to. I need the characters to not say too much when just a few words will suffice. I need to be left wanting more.

My very favorite films are the ones that play out mostly like everyday life. The boy doesn’t always get the girl, the murder isn’t always solved, the ending is certainly not always happy. Real life is what I find the most interesting. For an actor to be able to make me believe them in  the average, ordinary and mundane as if they aren’t even acting, to me, is brilliance.

I love a true story that’s completely random. Someone’s story that I never would have known about had it not been for someone else deciding it had value and making it in to a film.  Any movie that makes me search for hours on Google once I’m done watching it is a winner in my book. They’ve succeeded in hooking me into finding out more about the stories and the characters. They’ve cause me to think beyond their 2-hour window. I’ve watched films that I thought about for the next week. Whether the content was happy or sad, it moved me to think about it and analyze it.

To find these gems, I watch a lot of bad films. HA. But it’s worth it. What do you think makes a quality film?  

Angi Flatt – Project Manager- Engage Media Partners