2024 at the Movies
Click to view2024 was a fantastic year of movies. The art films were good and the mainstream films were good. Even the nostalgia bait reboots and sequels were good. Of all the movies I saw last year, I can honestly say there was only one I genuinely disliked, and that was The Substance. And even in that case, I respected the film's artistic integrity even if I was put off by its misanthropy. So I can't really make a "worst of the year" list. Which is a good thing, I think.
First, the runners up. I thought Dune Part 2 had nice cinematography and good performances but I still find Villeneuve's adaptations to be too sterile. Carry-On was a perfectly competent little Christmas action movie. The First Omen was an entertaining prequel with a terrific lead performance by Nell Tiger Free.
10. His Three Daughters ( my review, Wikipedia entry)
This low budget Netflix film is essentially an opportunity for three talented actresses to bounce off each other. It's an engrossing experience.
9. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ( my review, Wikipedia entry)
It's a little more cartoonish than I'd hoped for and really does feel like a two hour episode of the animated series. But, hey, I watched that animated series as a kid and, while I never thought it matched the tone or equaled the heights of the first film, I did find it to be an entertaining pulp adventure.
8. Late Night with the Devil (Wikipedia entry)
David Dastmalchian finally got the lead role he longed for in this depiction of a '70s late night talk show being slowly conquered by Satan. It's more fun than scary but there are a few genuinely spooky moments.
7. Inside Out 2 (Wikipedia entry)
A little more literal minded than the first film, this one had a lot of moments where the characters feel compelled to explain the metaphors to each other. However, it's still a solid story with a good ensemble joined by equally effective new characters.
6. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ( my review, Wikipedia entry)
It's a welcome return to that lovely New England town and of the foul bio-exorcist who haunts it. It was genuinely nice catching up with the old characters and while Jenna Ortega is never as impressive as she is on Wednesday, she still wasn't bad.
5. Deadpool and Wolverine ( my review, Wikipedia entry)
They made the right decision desecrating Logan--repeatedly--since Logan, while being a good superhero movie, didn't deserve the holy status its director sought for it. Thank god Hugh Jackman listened to Ryan Reynolds and we, the audience, benefited. It's a delightful interdimensional buddy comedy with ultraviolence and, surprisingly, one of the best MCU villains to date.
4. Oddity ( my review, Wikipedia entry)
This ghost revenge story set in the Irish countryside on the darkest of nights is loaded with atmosphere and brilliantly calculated suspense. It reminded me a lot of great haunting films from the '40s like The Uninvited and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir except its brilliant jump scares might give you a heart attack.
3. Joker: Folie a Deux ( my review, Wikipedia entry)
You're not supposed to like this movie, which is all the more reason to watch it. I'm glad I did. It is the DC version of Natural Born Killers as Quentin Tarantino observed and, honestly, a better version of the story.
2. Megalopolis ( my review, Wikipedia entry)
This is another one authorities have instructed us not to like but, while it's not as great as its director might have hoped it would be, it's still a wondrous piece of visual and intellectual stimuli. Anyone seriously interested in movie making must see this movie and for anyone else . . . Megalopolis is a unique marvel of the cinematic world. Why not partake of it?
1.Anora (Wikipedia entry)
Yes, Cannes was right. The Oscar buzz is right, for once, this movie really is that good. Some people praise it for the fact that it's not a "prostitute with a heart of gold" story but that's baloney. It is definitely a prostitute with a heart of gold story. But there's a reason such stories are so popular and you can see it in the comments section of star Mikey Madison's Criterion Closet video. Yeah, the simps are lining up but it couldn't have happened to a sweeter character. I suspect she'll probably end up like Marisa Tomei but Marisa Tomei's not a bad actress, either. What makes Anora work is pure, cinematic storytelling instinct on the part of its director Sean Baker. An old fashioned story of the gold-hearted prostitute--inspired by Fellini's Nights of Cabiria according to the director--always has potential to be satisfying but the history of cinema is littered with failed or mediocre attempts. From scene to scene, Baker just knows how to cook it to perfection. This is the best movie of the year because it's an example of storytelling excellence.