Wondering what movies to watch this weekend? We review FORGOTTEN ISLAND, HEART OF THE BEAST and THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS to help you pick your next movie night.
Looking for something to watch this weekend? Whether you’re planning a family movie night, want an emotional survival story, or are ready to settle in with a swoony rom-com, there’s something new for just about every mood.
We watched FORGOTTEN ISLAND, HEART OF THE BEAST, and THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS, and all three are worth adding to your weekend watch list for very different reasons.
FORGOTTEN ISLAND
Watch it if: You want a fun, colorful family adventure with plenty of heart.
Friendship, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos! FORGOTTEN ISLAND is wild, fun, and packed with adventure, with an amazing soundtrack, bright and zany animation, and plenty of humor to keep the adults entertained, too.
The story follows two best friends stranded on the mystical world of Nakali, where their only way home might come at the cost of their shared lifetime of memories. We especially loved seeing different cultures woven into the story, including Philippine mythology, while friendship remains at the heart of it all.
Adrian brought his best friend along to watch this one, and they were both SO amped about it. This is definitely a movie we can see watching over and over.
Parents: FORGOTTEN ISLAND is Rated PG for animated sequences of scary action, language, rude humor, thematic elements, some violence, and brief tobacco imagery.
HEART OF THE BEAST
Watch it if: You love emotional survival stories, beautiful scenery, and dogs. Just bring the tissues.
After a harrowing plane crash, Special Forces veteran James Belmont and his combat dog, Odin, find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness, where they’re forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements.
HEART OF THE BEAST is beautiful and emotional, and dog lovers are absolutely going to fall in love with Odin. Brad Pitt is phenomenal, almost single-handedly carrying the entire film. He embodied Belmont so completely that I forgot I was watching Brad Pitt.
The CGI is noticeable at times, but if you’re focused on the story rather than the special effects, it’s easy enough to look past.
And seriously, bring your tissues. You’re going to need them.
For my fellow dog lovers who need to know before committing to a movie like this: the dog does NOT die. That’s not a spoiler. The director has let audiences know going in because they understand that can be a trigger for some viewers.
Parents: HEART OF THE BEAST is Rated PG-13 for violence, peril, bloody/injury images, and some language. I’d leave the little ones at home for this one. Its story and themes are much better suited to teens and adults.
THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS
Watch it if: You want to giggle, swoon, and fall in love with a rom-com.
Okay, this was the big one for me.
THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS has been one of my favorite books for years. I own multiple editions, including signed copies, and Ali Hazelwood can pretty much do no wrong in my book. So yes, my expectations for the movie were HIGH.
Did I stay up after midnight the first night to watch it? Why yes, yes I did. Did I giggle until 2 a.m. and love every minute? Again, yes I did.
I think they did a fabulous job adapting the book. No, they didn’t include everything. Yes, some key characters and moments are missing. But it’s an adaptation, and I go into these knowing there’s no way everything from a book I love is going to make it into a two-hour movie.
The question I ask is: Did they capture the heart of the book?
For me, that’s a resounding yes.
I was even okay with the way they changed Adam’s years of yearning. Fully exploring that history would have required a much longer movie or an entire series, which I absolutely would have watched. Instead, we get a neuro-spicy, stiff Dr. Carlsen, aka “Dr. Evil,” slowly but surely melting for our quirky Olive, and I fell right along with them.
The casting was spot on. Lily Reinhart may officially be a new rom-com queen. She was perfect as Olive, while Tom Bateman was dreamy as Adam.
I especially loved how Bateman played Adam’s yearning. You can see it in his looks, his hair and wardrobe, the way he walks, his posture. There are so many little cues that felt intentional and helped bring Adam to life.
What I didn’t expect was to swoon just as hard over Olive and Anh’s friendship. They were adorable! Malcolm also brought the perfect amount of comic relief.
Most importantly, I had FUN watching it. I smiled, giggled, swooned, and finished the movie completely happy with what they’d done with a book that means a lot to me.
It’s a five-star adaptation for me.
Whether you’ve read THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS a dozen times or have never picked up the book, give the movie a chance. And if you’re a book lover who didn’t love the adaptation? That’s okay, too. There’s room for all of us here.
So, What Should You Watch This Weekend?
All three!
Watch FORGOTTEN ISLAND with the family when you want something colorful, funny, and full of adventure. Choose HEART OF THE BEAST when you’re ready for something more intense and emotional. And save THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS for when you want a fun, swoony rom-com that might keep you up way past your bedtime.
That sounds like a pretty solid movie weekend to me.
