Klarissa Beckstead

Film Studies and Analysis Expert

Klarissa Beckstead is a film studies and analysis expert and content creator. As a lifelong movie lover, Klarissa started sharing on the Instagram account @iveseenthatone in 2024. There she talks all things movies and shares her film analysis and reviews, fun movie facts, and more. Klarissa has a journal debuting in August of 2025 featuring the ultimate watchlist of 100 movie recommendations, and a podcast coming later in 2025 as well. She has also developed a 24-week film studies curriculum in her role at a residential treatment center for teens, combining her passion for education and film. She is currently attending Southern Utah University pursuing a degree in education, with a minor in film studies.

Education

  • Associates in English Education with a minor in Film Studies (BA will be completed Spring 2025)

Professional Achievements

  • Compiled and created a list of 100 movie classics for movie lovers and learners, published in the form of a journal for those who love movies and want to see more that they may have already heard of
  • Podcasts about each movie in the book in order, in partnership with her journal
  • Taught "Intro to Film Studies" to teenage girls

Favorite Piece of Advice

Keep a list. Be deeply connected to it and think of it always. If you see a clip of a movie that interests you, add the movie to the list. If you hear the name of a movie that you've never seen, add it. If you have movies that you've heard of a million times, but haven't gotten around to seeing, add them. Look at that list every day and prioritize it.

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Forum Comments (3)

What are your favorite film marathon ideas?
I really love going down an actor, actress, or director rabbit hole. For example, I watched 14 Anthony Hopkins movies because I got hooked after rewatching "The Silence of the Lambs" and had an absolute blast doing that! Some stars that I would recommend doing this for are Daniel Day-Lewis, Brad Pitt, Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, and Nicole Kidman (She's been in so many things!).

I also really love finding a genre, time period, or genre in a certain time period to delve into! For example, I watched the top 10 action movies for each decade starting in the 80s-present and ate it up! I loved seeing how the genre's plot/ script/ visual repetitions and variations evolved over time. You can do this with romantic comedies, historical dramas, action movies like I did, coming of age films, or sci-fi!

My last binge recommendation would be to watch a string of adaptations over time. With Guillermo Del Toro's recent release of "Frankenstein", it would be so fun to go all the way back to Karloff in 1931 and watch the adaptations up to today. Reach out if you are wanting any specific lists made and enjoy the binge!
Need Movie Recommendations for a Chill Weekend
This is a fantastic question! There are times that I really want to dive into new movies, but worry that if I go in blind, I might end up finding something emotional that might leave me ruminating for a long time. The cornerstone of my answer is to make sure there is a smidge of comedy in the slew of genres.

One of the genres that I feel opens the door to some lightheartedness is action movies that you don't have to take too seriously, and make you giggle. I absolutely love the first RED film with Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman as a lighthearted and silly watch. Similarly, I deeply enjoy Die Hard as an action film. It has wonderful one-liners, silliness, some heartfelt subject matter, and some iconic action. Here are a few other lighthearted action movies: Edge of Tomorrow, Ready Player One, The Italian Job, Get Smart, and of course the first Transformers movie starring Shia LeBeouf.

I also really enjoy leaning into romantic comedies from the 2000s, whether for a rewatch or a first-time watch. Go-to's for a lighthearted weekend watch would be 13 Going on 30, She's the Man, How to Lose a Guy in 10 days, Miss Congeniality, and Bridget Jones's Diary.

Let me know if you have any specific genres that you want more suggestions for, following this criteria!
Fave Movies! (and other stuff)
Here are my Letterboxd top four!

1: La La Land (2016): This nod to golden age musical magic is filled to the brim with passion, love, desire, drive, and color. I love the music and as a massive fan of the golden age, this movie felt like it was absolutely made for me. I sat in the auditorium watching this for the first time sobbing knowing that I was watching cinematic history being made and feeling so grateful that I was able to experience it.

2: Die Hard (1988): This CHRISTMAS MOVIE (yes, it is a Christmas movie) has a perfect cast, a perfect plot plan, and a perfect balance of action and story. How can John McClane jump down an air duct, dodge an explosion, run on glass, and make me feel warm and fuzzy about family? Because this movie is just that good. Also Alan Rickman is a perfect villain, watch this movie for his performance alone.

2: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947): This really is a favorite because the writing is so brilliant and fun. Like I said, I love golden age films with so much of my heart. This impossible romance is so very witty and romantic. I love that we live through an entire lifespan and it’s in my favorites because it really is just a comfort. Also Rex Harrison is adorable, what can I say?

4: The Silence of the Lambs (1991): This movie is nearly entirely self explanatory. This is one of the very best examples of prime filmmaking in the industry. Performances, music, lighting, camera techniques, this movie really does have it all. I could not agree more with the Academy wins with this film and Anthony Hopkins is beyond brilliant. If you enjoy cinema, this is am absolute MUST!

Q&A Comments (1)

Co-authored Articles (12)

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