2012 was quite the year. In fact, it’s kind of hard to believe it was already a decade ago. Lot’s of stuff happened that year, including a lot of movie releases .
Ten years later, it’s kind of fun looking back on some of 2012’s films, and seeing how they hold up in 2022. Spoiler alert: some of them don’t.
‘This Is 40’
This Is 40 is a sort of spiritual sequel to 2007’s Knocked Up , and features some of the same characters from the film. It’s about Pete and Debbie, played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, and their live as they approach 40.
How well does it hold up?
Pretty well, actually. Rudd and Mann were both praised for their performances, and it’s as funny as you’d expect one of Judd Apatow’s films to be. Plus, it’s about the fairly universal experience of turning 40 in America.
‘Silver Linings Playbook’
The movie stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, both playing characters who have mental illnesses. While it was a little weird to watch Cooper and Lawrence play love interests (especially since he was 37 and she was 21 at the time of filming), they still served some pretty solid performances.
But how well does it hold up today?
Not quite well. But also not quite bad . The film offers a look at mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder , which is something movies struggle to talk about even today. It’s not a perfect form of representation, but it’s also not inherently bad.
‘Sinister’
The film stars Ethan Hawke as a writer who moves his family into a house where a horrible murder took place years ago. No one but Hawke’s character knows about it. And it’s also haunted, for good measure.
Despite being a decade old, it still holds up very well.
While horror can be incredibly subjective, there are few people out there (at least that I know of) who weren’t at least a little scared by this film. Also, according to science, it’s one of the scariest movies to exist (having held the number 1 spot until 2020’s Host released).
‘Piranha 3DD’
A sequel to Piranha 3D , a remake of a film from 1978, this one took all the fun of its predecessor and somehow manages to ruin it all. I mean, no one was expecting a movie where the premise is a bunch of bloodthirsty piranhas attacking a water park to be good, but still.
And no, it doesn’t hold up well today at all.
Which makes sense, considering it didn’t hold up well when it released.
A big reason for that was, while it attempted to be a horror comedy, it was maybe a little too overtly sexual. Even the name is a play on bra cup sizes.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’
If you happened to be a teenager in 2012, you’d have probably seen a lot of people quote “we are infinite” all over the internet. Because this film, and the book it was based on, were beloved by internet teens at the time.
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And luckily, it still stands up as a good movie!
Emma Watson’s questionable American accent aside, the performances were phenomenal, and really captured the struggles of being a teenager in a way that feels timeless (or maybe I’m just biased).
‘Spring Breakers’
This was the film that saw a group of former Disney stars (plus Selena Gomez, who was actually still in Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverley Place at the time) try to shed their childish personas in favor of a more edgy, mature film.
But did it hold up well?
I feel like it’s the kind of movie you probably had to see in 2012 (or in the few years after the fact) in order to really enjoy. It just doesn’t do it for today’s landscape, I’d say.
’21 Jump Street’
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star in this buddy cop/stoner comedy, where two cops go undercover in a high school to stop a drug ring. Only, they look nothing like high schoolers. And that’s where a lot of the comedy comes from.
Ten years on, it’s still a really funny movie.
It definitely feels very 2012, but not in a particularly bad way. It’s definitely still worth a watch in this day and age, if you’re into these kinds of movies.
‘Ted’
Now for a comedy that really didn’t age well. Its whole premise revolves around the titular teddy bear, who was voiced by Seth MacFarlane (who also co-wrote and directed the movie). He’s vulgar, inappropriate, and weirdly sex-focused for a stuffed animal.
Again, that’s the point, and it’s meant to be funny.
To be honest, it feels very Family Guy (which makes sense, considering both this film and the show were created by MacFarlane). Wonky CGI aside, this film especially feels like a product of its time, nothing more and nothing less.
‘Chronicle’
This somewhat forgotten 2012 film centers around a group of teens who end up with superpowers, and how that affects their lives. It was actually really well-received at the time, and you’ll probably hear fans calling it underrated.
This one definitely holds up in 2022.
Despite being a good decade old, this film ages with ease. It’s definitely one of those films you can (and probably should) watch at least once, no matter what year it is.
‘American Reunion’
Following the same leads of the American Pie movies, the characters are now grown, and attending their high school reunion. It’s definitely the kind of movie that would appeal to the fans of the originals from a decade or so prior.
But how does it hold up these days?
To be honest, not super well. At this point, the original American Pie is over 20 years old, and the humor has definitely aged poorly. And yes, the same can be said for American Reunion .
