From historical epics to gothic horror, to everything in between, Hollywood has had a lot to offer recently. This past year, many USC students saw some of the most widely-watched and highly praised—or critiqued—pictures. Out of all of the new releases, what was actually worth the watch?
We gathered general student opinions on many of these popular releases from social media and an online survey to testimonies directly from students.
"Wicked"
When "Wicked" made its way from Broadway to the silver screen, both longtime devotees of the original musical and new fans took to social media to express their excitement. The first part of "Wicked" opened in theaters on Nov. 22, 2024, sharing the untold stories of the witches Elphaba and Glinda—played by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, respectively—long before Dorothy set foot in the land of Oz.
The digital audience had slightly mixed, yet largely positive, reviews. On sites like Metacritic, 87 percent of reviews were holistically positive and only 10 percent were negative, with 3 percent falling in between. Of the negative, many cited the disorganized plot, with one reviewer calling it “incoherent.” For every negative review, however, there were ten positive. One rating described Erivo and Grande's performances as “tearjerking.”
What did USC students think? On @garnetandblack’s Instagram page, the average rating from 46 responders was four out of five stars. The survey indicated an overwhelmingly positive response, with 100 percent of watchers saying that not only was the storyline engaging, but they also would all recommend the film to a friend and rewatch it.
Sophomore Maarya Khan thoroughly enjoyed Erivo's performance and how she brought Elphaba to life.
“She showcased Elphaba perfectly and gave her a heroine side that I hadn’t seen before," Khan said.
Khan's only criticism lay in certain plotlines—specifically, a lack thereof.
“I do wish they added more of a plot surrounding the animals; I thought that was really interesting,” Khan said. But ultimately, she loved the film and would watch it again.
Another student had a similar perspective on "Wicked." Sophomore Jordan Gentemann came in with low expectations, unsure of how it would compare to other films.
“I actually went into it expecting nothing because I thought it was overhyped,” she explained. “I was proven wrong.”
As a musical enthusiast, Gentemann recommends the film to other students, particularly those who also appreciate the genre.
“It's a really good feel-good movie, but also has a lot of drama,” Gentemann said.
"Gladiator II"
"Gladiator II," the sequel to the 2001 Oscar-winning film, released in theaters Nov. 22, 2024. It picks up around two decades past the original timeline, focusing on gladiator Lucius Verus Aurelius. Online fans expressed both their eagerness and doubts for the movie, as not only did it have a star-studded cast, it also had big shoes to fill.
Upon the film's release, many critics couldn't ignore some of the film's historical inaccuracies and its poorly-paced script. On the other hand, viewers commended Denzel Washington’s performance, with some even calling the story “gripping.” However, the general consensus online was that despite having many positive reviews, the sequel did not live up to the original.
USC students also seem conflicted. The average poll response was three stars, with most stating that the storyline was engaging but they would not rewatch it.
Yiana Hilyer, a sophomore, had much to say about what "Gladiator II" did well and what it lacked. For one, she enjoyed the casting.
“Choosing Paul Mescal to play Lucius was a really good decision," Hilyer said. "I think he portrayed that character really well, especially in many of the fight scenes.” She added that his subtle references to the original film made his performance all the more special.
Hilyer also enjoyed its momentum, remarking that many films today tend to struggle with holding viewers’ attention.
“I would definitely recommend this to other students, especially students who like action and combat movies,” she said. “I was pulled in the entire time.”
At the same time, Hilyer acknowledged that the film was far from perfect. She indicated moments where character development fell flat, particularly with Aurelius’ mother.
“Her character didn’t really develop and she wasn’t as strong of a character,” Hilyer noted.
Hilyer mentioned an awkward gap between where the original's storyline left off and where the sequel picked up. Although she enjoyed the plot of the film, she felt there could have been more context behind it.
“We just don’t know anything that happened between the time he went away and then when he returns as a gladiator," Hilyer explained. "I feel like a little more backstory would have helped that.”
Generally, USC students thought "Gladiator II" could have been more developed, but for the most part, they appreciated the cast’s performances and said the film had an interesting plot. Most maintained that it was worth the watch.
"Nosferatu"
Arguably the most highly-anticipated horror release of 2024, "Nosferatu" also amassed a lot of media attention before and after its arrival in theaters on Dec. 25, 2024. Like "Wicked" and "Gladiator II," "Nosferatu" was a reference to a production preceding it, namely the 1922 silent film "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror." Both "Nosferatu" movies were inspired by Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel "Dracula." Expectations of the film before its release were filled with lore, hoping that it would do its predecessors justice.
And do justice it did, according to glowing reviews published by acclaimed critics. USC students reflected similar appreciation—the film received an average of four stars in poll ratings. Two students who had seen the film argued in its favor but acknowledged it was not flawless.
Sophomore Lily Gillam is a fan of the gothic horror genre. She highlighted many promising aspects of the film and noted a few missing details that could've improved it.
“The establishing of the characters initially,” Gillam suggested. Although she was familiar with the original, it was confusing for those of her friends who were not.
“I remember some of my other friends who watched it who hadn't seen the original movie," Gillam said. "They kind of struggled with picking up on some of the themes.” According to her, the film could have included more contextualization instead of assuming viewers had seen the original.
Nevertheless, for Gillam, there was a lot to like about "Nosferatu." She particularly enjoyed Robert Eggers’ attention to detail as director and Lily-Rose Depp’s performance as the possessed, melancholic main character, Ellen.
“She managed to capture the plight that her character was in in a very in-depth manner,” Gillam said. “It felt like I was watching the character go through it as opposed to someone just playing the character going through it.” .
Gillam also mentioned that she understands why the film could have been misunderstood by those unfamiliar with the genre—it was not fully marketed as a gothic horror movie, which could lead people to have different expectations.
“If you’re going in with the hype that it’s a horror movie and just a slasher type of horror movie, you’re not going to be happy with it," she explained.
In general, Gillam said that while it occasionally lacked context both within the film’s establishment and with outside advertisement, "Nosferatu" was fundamentally well-made.
Sophomore Noelle Andrews also enjoyed the film, particularly its flow and quality acting.
“I know a lot of people were nervous about Lily-Rose Depp,” said Andrews. “Her performance stood out to me; I was impressed.”
When asked about the plot development, Andrews had high praises.
“It wasn’t too slow or too fast at any point. It was engaging the entire time,” she added. "Even in the opening scene you were really hooked and interested, which is hard to do sometimes.”
Conversely, her major criticisms of the film lay in the lighting and underwhelming soundtrack, two crucial yet often underappreciated details.
“I was kind of struggling to follow in some parts just because of the lighting, and also I wish the soundtrack stood out a little more.”
While Gillam and Andrews both had minor complaints, they indicated overall respect for the movie and its formation.
"Severance"
A sci-fi-meets-"The Office" series whose second season dropped Jan. 17, "Severance" follows the fictional Lumon company’s procedure that separates workers' personal and work memories, essentially splitting a person’s psyche in two and creating a boundary between their job and the outside world. The work is “mysterious and important,” which is pretty much all that viewers—and characters—know going into it. After a long wait and an extensive marketing campaign, both die-hard fans and first-timers went online to express their theories, praises and concerns for the series.
A Metacritic “must-watch,” "Severance" recieved universal acclaim, with multiple reviews raving about both seasons. While the series originally was not met with overwhelming attention, many USC students watched it and had predominantly positive opinions.
An Instagram survey yielded an average four-star rating, with 100 percent of surveyed students indicating they would both rewatch and recommend the show. We interviewed one sophomore, Max Romines, on his thoughts, what he enjoyed and what could have been done better.
In his eyes, there was little that could be improved upon. However, he expressed that there could have been more context on the setting of the show and the characters’ backstories.
“I would like more scenes of their outside lives so you get more of an understanding of what they’re really doing down there,” he said.
Romines emphasized that Adam Scott’s performance as Mark Scout was phenomenal.
“He had a lot of very good, important scenes. It was with him, the contrast from the pain he feels on the outside and how he’s loving towards his coworkers on the inside," Romines said.
Overall, students enjoyed the series and are excited to see the rest of Season 2 and get answers to the many questions raised throughout.
"Abbott Elementary"
"Abbott Elementary," first released in 2021, is a four season “mockumentary” comedy series that features the lives and struggles of a teaching faculty at a Philadelphia elementary school. It is centered around the teachers' dedication to helping their students despite many trials.
Like "Severance", "Abbott Elementary" is a highly-regarded show for many, both online fans and USC students. According to Metacritic, the show has generally favorable reviews by fans and critics.
Receiving the highest average score from the Instagram poll, "Abbott Elementary" garnered 4.8 stars and had a universally positive response on the survey. Sophomore Alec Early had many praises for it, such as the character design.
"They all have their own very distinct personality," Early said.
Another aspect he enjoyed of the show was the recent season.
"I think that the seasons have improved over time because the characters have developed,” Early added. “It definitely didn’t fall short at all; it was a very good show, and I still look forward to the episodes every Wednesday.”
His only judgement of the show lies in its sitcom structure. He wishes that rather than having every episode restart a new plot, one would continue throughout the course of several episodes.
“Maybe a more developing plot throughout the whole series may have made it better and made me more hopeful to see what would happen in the future rather than just laughing at it,” Early said.
Early confirmed that like many other students, he would both rewatch and recommend "Abbott Elementary" to others despite his minor qualms, implying that it was a show worthy of binge-watching.
After gathering USC students' perspectives on these recent films and series, one thing can be said for certain: despite the criticisms students may have had about each release, all were worth a watch. With detailed reviews and ratings, it's evident that USC students are budding cinephiles, looking forward to what Hollywood has in store for the rest of 2025.
