I'm a huge Marvel comics fan but if anyone told me 15 years ago that I'd get a movie with genuine emotional depth about a raccoon with a machine gun, I would've said that's insane. But here we are. Guardians volume 3 hits all the high Cs.
Today is May the Fourth. In my house, we finished Andor, a show that is on its surface just the backstory to an ill-fated character who is himself just more backstory to Star Wars: A New Hope. Andor is so, so much more than that. It's an examination of the nature of fascism, of revolutionary movements, and how old men send the young out to die in their battles. It is a taut political thriller. I'd put it ahead of Empire Strikes Back, if only because it brings the pot to a boil over the tiniest moment. Not a kid dropping a bomb down a vent, but a town gathered to mourn and old woman. That's the breaking point.
The best storytellers are a rare joy in this world. Tony Gilroy somehow convinced the biggest entertainment company on Earth to produce his examination of reaction to oppression. James Gunn's writing brought characters even hardcore comic fans never saw to greater prominence than decades of cartoons, radio plays and TV shows could for some of DC Comics' most famous characters. Gunn has taken the role as a the creative lead over DC Comics movie properties. Hopefully, he'll have the same success there.
Not everything is high art but we are lucky to have so many great storytellers and wonderful stories.