11. Mamma Mia!
For anyone heading off on their holidays soon (especially if it’s Greece), what better way to get excited than by watching the ultimate feel-good film that is Mamma Mia!? Based on the stage musical of the same name, the story centres around a young woman named Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) who, unbeknownst to her permanently-stressed mother Donna (Meryl Streep), invites three of Donna’s ex-lovers (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard) out to Greece for her wedding in the hopes of finding out which one of them is her father. Naturally – and to the tune of several of ABBA’s greatest hits – chaos ensues as both Sophie and Donna try to keep everything under control until the wedding.
Mamma Mia!’s ridiculous plot combined with a fun and recognisable cast (who obviously weren’t chosen for their singing abilities) make this an easy film to sit through which, after the nightmare that was the exam period, is exactly what’s needed. This certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and, for what it’s worth, it’s not a brilliantly made film, but then it was arguably never meant to be. If you love campy musicals or are just looking for a laughably bad but hugely enjoyable way to spend two hours of your summer break, then look no further: you won’t find a better choice than this.
Words by Samantha King