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Films Watched in 2024 - (59/???)

The Blackening (2023) Tim Story – (3.5/5)

The $5 million budget is seen onscreen to the last dollar, and a relatively unknown cast makes the most out of a solidly funny script skewering a significant element of the genre, and if the desired sequel materializes, hopefully it'll have a few more twists and turns (or delve deeper into whatever field it explores).

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Films Watched in 2024 - (58/???)

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) Michael Sarnoski – (3.5/5)

It's no Pig (or the first Quiet Place), and while Nyong'o never quite seems to have the full terminally ill affectation until the controversial final moments (or a realistically noisy cat), but this prequel manages to hit some points unable to be addressed in the two prior entries and that Quinn guy has some solid moments to show his talent in advance of being our new Johnny Storm.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (57/???)

IF (2024) John Krasinski – (3/5)

The plot's a little predictable (especially compared to how deep the voice cast ended up, particularly when they mostly have minimal screentime) and some more detail would have been appreciated, but the final five minutes (which make it blatant Krasinski loves Rushmore) totally save the movie, for better or for worse.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (56/???)

The 4:30 Movie (2024) Kevin Smith – (3.5/5)

You could do a lot worse than spending 90 minutes with Kevin Smith's usual crowd of day players (minus Ben and Matt) along with some new faces used to tell a tale of his childhood, let by Austin Zajur (his daughter's boyfriend who manages a pleasantly surprising emotional catharsis at the film's climax. Definitely deserved a PG-13 rating, though.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (55/???)

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Shawn Levy – (4/5)

It's hard to know the stunt-heavy hands of David Leitch have been replaced with Reynold's Adam Project and Free Guy collaborator, as the five-screenwriter-credits laden D&W is still chock full of action, but while it falls a bit short of the high bar that Logan and Endgame set for it, it's ultimately undeniably impressive and makes a fine endcap to the pre-MCU mutant era, particularly in the spellbinding performance of Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova. Would have been nice if Reynolds hadn't spoiled the bulk of it on social media after opening weekend, but I guess that's how you give the impression that you don't want your tentpole movies to make too much money.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (54/???)

'Salem's Lot (2024) Gary Dauberman – (2/5)

It's not scary, moves too fast, and has an overstuffed ensemble (some of whom are legitimately big names!) to the point where you can't care about anyone dropping off as the body count increases. For some reason, the "head" vampire we don't see until there's 30 minutes to go looks markedly different than everyone who gets turned over the course of the film as well. It's a shock this comes from the same guy who wrote the two-part It films from a few years back.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (53/???)

Lisa Frankenstein (2024) Zelda Williams – (3/5)

Sprouse makes a feast out of a mute role while surrounded by people who get to have dialogue, Newton continues to impress with at least her fifth big movie role, and Williams has an undoubtedly positive outcome with her debut feature. It's not quite the movie it was advertised to be and it certainly leaves a few questions unanswered, but they can't all be perfect.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (52/???)

Civil War (2024) Alex Garland – (4.5/5)

Could have used a bit more exposition here and there (and a bit less vomiting), but Garland almost always triumphs as an auteur, and it was great seeing most of the cast of Devs put to much better use in this exploration of shooting the shooters that had a legimitately anxiety-inducing third act.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (51/???)

Challengers (2024) Luca Guadagnino – (2.5/5)

I honestly thought the movie was a little pretentious, not as tennis-centric as it could have been (particularly given the context of the scene the marketing was centered around), and I'm hard pressed to pick a movie that's improved with the plot not being told chronologically.

Also, no points for ambigous endings and having the same actors try to pass off 18-ish and 30-ish. Hope the victims of "rat boy summer" fare better long-term than those associated with the peach movie.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (50/???)

Jackpot! (2024) Paul Feig – (2/5)

Just goes to show how important a decent script is, regardless of the director (when they're not an auteur). Now the man who made Bridesmaids (which seems odd, but it's true) is also responsible for a movie that probably won't make you laugh out loud until the credits roll, just about the time one of its leads leans so hard on the fourth wall they abruptly tumble out of the screen.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (49/???)

Longlegs (2024) Osgood Perkins – (3/5)

Price of admission is worth it for Nicolas Cage's performance alone, but the film is a little overlong and waits until nearly the last possible moments for the many questions raised by the plot to get remotely answered.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (48/???)

Babes (2024) Pamela Adlon – (3.5/5)

There are worse things than a 105-minute comedy that acknowledges the bad side of things that most people will never stop talking about, and most films are definitely improved by Hasan Minhaj (however briefly). Unfortunately, the script makes it clear that Glazer still yearns for the days of Broad City (to the point of making of us all think she and Buteau could be the same age) and she doesn't ultimately have a character arc. Enjoy the laughs!

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Films Watched in 2024 - (47/???)

The Bikeriders (2024) Jeff Nichols – (4/5)

The cast is full of chameleons (though like most Nichols films, it could use more Michael Shannon); if nothing else, it's great to hear Butler has finally shaken the Elvis voice. There's some funny stuff going on with the timeline (Comer tells most of the story to someone interviewing her that was also there for the bulk of the events) and I think we should be able to get motorcycle content without bringing in Norman Reedus, but I was never not along for the ride.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (46/???)

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) Rose Glass – (2/5)

I don't know what Glass and Tofilska were thinking with this script, but A24 marketed a lesbian romance in the world of bodybuilding and instead we got a crime drama with a soupçon of body horror. Some wild stuff going on in the background of this plot that could have made a much better story; luckily, Stewart's still giving her all and O'Brian shows that she deserves a fast track to play a superheroine that actually looks ready to physically tumble with a villain (as long as she doesn't take any roles reminiscent of the ridiculous finale we got with this).

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Films Watched in 2024 - (45/???)

Abigail (2024) Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett -- (3.5/5)

Would have loved if the trailers didn't seem to come from the back half of this exclusively, and Cloud wasn't great (much as I hate to speak ill of the prematurely passed), but Alisha Weir absolutely wipes the floor with her acting seniors. Totally forgot she was British Matilda and can't wait to see what she has coming down the road.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (44/???)

The Fall Guy (2024) David Leitch -- (4/5)

It was only a matter of time before a stuntman-turned-director turned a forgotten property from four decades ago into the paean to the stunt industry (including a well-deserved knock on the Academy's lack of recognition). The trailers were a little deceptive in terms of plot, but the final product is fun as hell, the leads have great chemistry, and getting peeks into the movie-within-a-movie was the icing on the cake.

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Films Watched in 2024 - (43/???)

Sometimes I Think About Dying (2024) Rachel Lambert -- (2.5/5)

It's not exactly the examination of mental health issues that Turtles All the Way Down was, focusing on mood over plot...but Ridley's doing a good job biding her time between Star Wars entries, so there's that.