New to Netflix in February

“Lincoln” 2/5

“Lincoln” is a movie dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis. It revolves around Lincoln’s contributions to ending the civil war and how he strode to better the U.S. up until — spoiler alert — his assassination.

Although the movie seemed to capture Lincoln’s image well, the first half was tough to follow — the Oscar-nominated film felt more like a historical lecture than entertainment. There was constant talk about Lincoln’s reelection and what was happening in the government during the American Civil War. Staying awake in World Regional Studies is hard enough, so I don’t understand why a page from my textbook was turned into a movie.

My dislike for the historic plot might be because I’m not a fan of history class or because Lincoln said phrases like, “Time is a great thickener of things.” When my phone buzzed with a Snapchat, I was too eager to respond than I should’ve been during a movie, but as the film continued the notifications remained on my lock screen.

The second half of the movie was easier to comprehend, especially for someone who doesn’t spend free time studying presidential biographies. You get to see more of Lincoln’s personal life and how Mrs. Lincoln handled things like the early death of her son. Two-and-a-half-hours weren’t completely wasted, as the movie taught me a things about the war and slavery’s abolishment.

This movie could be a conversation starter with a future history teacher, so if that’s what you’re into, give “Lincoln” a try. But I wouldn’t recommend this movie unless you have a strong grasp on how the U.S. government works, otherwise it may be hard to understand.

“The Bachelors” 5/5

Don’t let the title of this movie fool you. It has nothing to do with rose ceremonies or exotic group dates. “The Bachelors” is about a father who lost his wife and decides to move with his teenage son, Wes, to a new city hoping to start a new life. This movie deserves a 5/5 because of the perfect balance of humor and drama, reminding me of a John Green novel.

Bill Palet, played by J.K. Simmons, has trouble moving on from his deceased wife, and faces many obstacles in his new relationship with a colleague, including depression.

Wes is assigned Lacey, played by Odeya Rush, as his homework partner who quickly becomes his love interest. There were many moments between Wes and Lacey that caused my friend who was watching with me to smile and squeal, “They’re so cute!” She refused to leave until she knew what the fate of the two lovers was would be, and I don’t blame her.

I normally find myself rooting for the romantic couple, but the father-son relationship was the one I cherished most. Bill and Wes’ relationship collapses in the beginning, so seeing whether Wes made up with his father kept me engaged.

If you find yourself tired of rose ceremonies and spiteful women, then I would suggest giving “The Bachelors” a chance.

“Dismissed” 4/5

The only reason this movie initially interested me was because of Dylan Sprouse, most famously known for his role as Zack in “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” Sprouse’s character Lucas Ward is a high school student who wants nothing more than a perfect GPA — and will do anything to maintain it.

After his English teacher gives him a B+ on a paper, Lucas sets out to sabotage his teacher to convince him to raise his grade to an A. He starts off by drying out all the teacher’s markers, then steals and poisons his lunch. When that doesn’t work, he tells a peer that his English teacher romantically likes her, and it all escalates from there.

Lucas is essentially a psychopath, but I didn’t find him scary. He just made me think of happy memories from my young Disney-loving self. Maybe it was because when I see Dylan Sprouse I see a character from my childhood who I loved, but I really just wanted Lucas to get the grade he so rightly deserved, even though he was the criminal.

“Dismissed” isn’t supposed to be a comedy, however I found myself continuously laughing at the unrealistic movie. There were many cheesy lines written for every character which made for entertaining acting.

I was still pleasantly surprised by the way the movie ended. Sprouse’s character had an unpredictable twist causing his deranged actions to make sense. This movie is perfect for those who don’t like horror movies but would still like to have that unsettling feeling when the creepy music turns on. Who knows, maybe you’ll find more in common with Lucas than you’d like.