This 1993 version of Shakespeare’s epic comedy comes with a cast you know and love. Directed by & featuring the Bard’s biggest fan, Sir Kenneth Branagh, as Benedick, Much Ado stars Keanu Reeves as Don John, the deeply jealous half-brother of Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), Emma Thompson as the gorgeous Beatrice, and Kate Beckinsale in her first feature film as Hero, the woman who steals the heart of Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and then nearly loses him to lies. This must watch will have you laughing, gasping, and getting as much joy out of watching Branagh dance in a fountain as he seems to have doing it. Much Ado is 111 minutes you won’t regret.

Melissa Boles is a writer, storyteller, and impatient optimist from the Pacific Northwest who believes art can heal all things. Melissa launched The Story Art Tells in May 2020, and has recently been published in Emerge Literary Journal and Sexology. You can find more of her writing at melissaboles.org and follow her on social media at @melloftheball.