Tag Archives: beyond the lights

4 Movies We Wish Had Sequels

Each year, Hollywood, and sometimes indie cinema, come out with sequels (which we either do or don’t want) to some of our favorite movies. Whether it’s because they’re listening to public opinion or just want to get the best out of a franchise, sequels can be an exciting thing for a moviegoer. Here are four films we wish had sequels. (Be advised: If you haven’t seen any of these movies, there will be spoilers!)

Chappie

chappieThe original movie was an underrated sci-fi film with a robot called Chappie, whose “personality” was a combination of E.T.’s childlike nature and Dredd’s ruthlessness. Chappie was a character that you could sympathize with but also fear, because of the possibility of someone like him existing in the real world. At the end of the original film, Chappie’s creator “Deon” and Chappie’s mother figure “Yolandi” have become robots and Chappie has beaten Vincent, the film’s major antagonist (close to death).

The sequel would be a good way to ask some difficult questions in terms of Chappie’s role, and that of his cohorts, in modern society. Do their robotic bodies and past experiences turn them into weapons or does the human consciousness that originally conceived them prove to be a catalyst in making them something more?

Slam

slamTelling the coming-of-age story of an inner city youth named Raymond Joshua, the film bridged poetry, spoken word, and hip hop in a powerful way. At the end of the film, Raymond is faced with the possibility of returning to jail (but we never know if he does). If the film left anything to be desired, it’s that it never depicts female prisoners as it was told from Ray’s point of view.

Given the world we live in today, the themes in this film could be applied to a sequel that could give a voice to those trapped in prisons, both physical and mental. With a female lead and a new generation of spoken word poets, Slam’s sequel could be just as empowering as the original and perhaps touch more viewers.

Inception

inceptionTaking the concept of dreaming to whole new levels, this sci-fi film was a thrilling adventure that left  us wanting more. The psychological journey was exciting, but the film’s ending was rather suspicious: After using inception, Cobb has finally reunited with his family. The last scene involves Cobb spinning a top, his “totem” (an object used to test whether the person is in their own or someone else’s dream) used during inception. The totem keeps spinning as Cobb goes to join his family.

According to the film, we gather that Cobb’s top keeps spinning when he is dreaming and topples over when he is in the real world, or awake. Therefore, Cobb may not really be with his family at all. Either way, many questions and potential outcomes remain. But in the very least, a sequel with Cobb and his team trapped in a dream and fighting to get out (that’s the most suspenseful part, right?) would be an exciting adventure (even if we’ve kind of seen it before).

Beyond The Lights

beyond the lightsThis romance-drama told the story of a music artist named Noni who learns to find her own voice and rediscover her authentic self with the help of love. Raw and inspiring, the film was poignant and touching, encouraging viewers to find and love their true selves. By the end of the film, Noni and her love interest Kaz are a happy couple, and Noni is standing on her own as a music artist and getting help for her problems.

Kaz and Noni’s happy ending was great, but how do we know if it lasts? A sequel would be a great way to see how Kaz and Noni are affected by Noni’s career change both as a couple and as individuals, and also to show Noni’s ongoing journey to good mental health.