Thankyou for this review of your top 10-ish of 2024. Hadn't seen Civil War. Watched it last night. Really enjoyed it. While dark and depressing on many levels-and too close for comfort in some respects-it was wonderfully acted and skillfully shot.
I haven't seen and probably will not see most of these, largely because I have kind of stopped watching movies for the most part, along with having basically stopped watching TV.
Mostly because, other than some visuals, they have been boring me to tears for the most part the last few years. The "big" films have turned into visual spectaculars that are often lacking in everything else. The small films have been... small, often focused on things or on narratives that, frankly, I don't care about.
I might watch Nosferatu, always liked vampire stories if they were well done. Might watch Beekeeper just for shits and grins, that's about it.
Over the last few years, the film that made the biggest impression on me was The Menu. Great cast, great performances, off-the-wall narrative that somehow reached me (having watchged a lot of cooking competition shoes).
Nothing else, frankly, was particularly memorable for me.
Hey man, compliments, this looks like a top ten list I would actually watch (key word "would"). A couple of Slate.com movie club members went ALL the way off the rails this year. And now I'm going to prank people with "Hundreds of Beavers." (really, I'm going to bet a guy $25 dollars he can't make it to the end, I didn't).
But ... um... er... almost NONE your list are on streamers I subscribe to because a) I'm common. And 2) I'm just not signing up for MAAAAx or Apple. Period. End of story. I have too many streamers, I would like less...
Mixed reaction to Perkins' *Longlegs* here. Over-all, it's worth the price of admission, but it has some irredeemable flaws.
I liked all of Perkins' allusions to previous films and tropes: Easter egg hunts are always fun. Am I seeing another Clarice at work? On the other hand, a new Zodiac leading her on?
And Nicholas Cage's performance has to be the most disturbing serial killer performance (even if it has echoes of Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb in *Silence of the Lambs*) of this year -- or *any* year.
The cinematography is starkly breathtaking.
The atmosphere is spine and soul chilling.
(Spoiler alert!
Stop here if you do not wish to know more than you already do about the film.)
And it certainly is a film that rewards a second viewing. In fact, once the final "reveal" is understood, the earlier scenes open to a remarkably different interpretation. What seemed innocent acts in the beginning can now be seen to have sinister intentions.
However, I was disappointed that the plot pulls a "bait and switch." It lured me in with a promise of realism, of naturalism, of recognizably real-world (well, almost real-world) psychological portraits of good and evil doing battle, trying to outwit one another in the real world (well, the author/director's *imagined* real world).
But then the plot says, in effect, "Ha-ha! I was just gaslighting you." It leaps into the paranormal, the supernatural, to explain the all too real crimes of mass murders. We aren't watching *human* nature being portrayed here after all.
So, Mr. Perkins, thanks for the effort, but you and I both know the plot really is a half-assed effort. We really don't need yet another deceptive explanation for real crimes -- that, really, it's those "devil made me do it" supernatural forces that explain the evil in the world.
That's just lazy religiosity taking the place of truly creative narrative writing.
Now, if I want a good horror movie about demonic possession, I'll go with *Late Night with the Devil*, a film that is upfront with its narrative ploy, not a bait and switch. (Glad it made your list, Sonny, even if just as an honorable mention.)
Sonny - It's a dangerous declaration that GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is the best film of the decade. Clearly, you did not see Alejandro Iñárritu's film a year later BIRDMAN. It advanced the art of film while it fully enlarged the possibilities of narrative story telling that hadn't been explored since Terrence Malick's THIN RED LINE. While 1917 one-shot camera work was really noticeable (and a VFX gimmick looking for a way to announce itself), the one-shot design of BIRDMAN was mandatory.
Pleased to see I’m not the only person who liked Horizon and good to see a mention for The Order which I saw a couple of days ago. But Civil War was disappointing. It said nothing about politics (which I guess is the critique being criticised). As a war film it was grimly compelling in its portrayal of the brutality of people who do not expect to be held accountable for their crimes, but ithe central characters were so unconvincing
Haven't see many of the movies you mentioned. Different age and aversion to horror, but Civil War would be my #1 choice, too. Each viewing provides another place to see something different. I would add Lee to the list, but as a woman, I would. :)
Civil War was dreadful, Sonny. It could just as easily been Chicago or Portland, I never got the sense that the USA was REALLY in a civil war. Also, it was BORING.
As long as the media adores violent movies, then we can expect violence in our society. If the media wants change, uplift culture and the arts that reflect the values you claim to adhere to.
I liked Civil War quite a bit. I'd have found a place for a double slotted Flow/Wild Robot because animation took a big leap forward this year thanks to this pair.
Thankyou for this review of your top 10-ish of 2024. Hadn't seen Civil War. Watched it last night. Really enjoyed it. While dark and depressing on many levels-and too close for comfort in some respects-it was wonderfully acted and skillfully shot.
I haven't seen and probably will not see most of these, largely because I have kind of stopped watching movies for the most part, along with having basically stopped watching TV.
Mostly because, other than some visuals, they have been boring me to tears for the most part the last few years. The "big" films have turned into visual spectaculars that are often lacking in everything else. The small films have been... small, often focused on things or on narratives that, frankly, I don't care about.
I might watch Nosferatu, always liked vampire stories if they were well done. Might watch Beekeeper just for shits and grins, that's about it.
Over the last few years, the film that made the biggest impression on me was The Menu. Great cast, great performances, off-the-wall narrative that somehow reached me (having watchged a lot of cooking competition shoes).
Nothing else, frankly, was particularly memorable for me.
The Beekeeper was maybe the best movie I saw last year. Great list, Sonny.
Strange Darling - what a kick in the head!
Went to see Nosferatu yesterday. I am going to need to see it at least twice more to catch everything.
Good to see Civil War on this list.
Hey man, compliments, this looks like a top ten list I would actually watch (key word "would"). A couple of Slate.com movie club members went ALL the way off the rails this year. And now I'm going to prank people with "Hundreds of Beavers." (really, I'm going to bet a guy $25 dollars he can't make it to the end, I didn't).
But ... um... er... almost NONE your list are on streamers I subscribe to because a) I'm common. And 2) I'm just not signing up for MAAAAx or Apple. Period. End of story. I have too many streamers, I would like less...
Mixed reaction to Perkins' *Longlegs* here. Over-all, it's worth the price of admission, but it has some irredeemable flaws.
I liked all of Perkins' allusions to previous films and tropes: Easter egg hunts are always fun. Am I seeing another Clarice at work? On the other hand, a new Zodiac leading her on?
And Nicholas Cage's performance has to be the most disturbing serial killer performance (even if it has echoes of Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb in *Silence of the Lambs*) of this year -- or *any* year.
The cinematography is starkly breathtaking.
The atmosphere is spine and soul chilling.
(Spoiler alert!
Stop here if you do not wish to know more than you already do about the film.)
And it certainly is a film that rewards a second viewing. In fact, once the final "reveal" is understood, the earlier scenes open to a remarkably different interpretation. What seemed innocent acts in the beginning can now be seen to have sinister intentions.
However, I was disappointed that the plot pulls a "bait and switch." It lured me in with a promise of realism, of naturalism, of recognizably real-world (well, almost real-world) psychological portraits of good and evil doing battle, trying to outwit one another in the real world (well, the author/director's *imagined* real world).
But then the plot says, in effect, "Ha-ha! I was just gaslighting you." It leaps into the paranormal, the supernatural, to explain the all too real crimes of mass murders. We aren't watching *human* nature being portrayed here after all.
So, Mr. Perkins, thanks for the effort, but you and I both know the plot really is a half-assed effort. We really don't need yet another deceptive explanation for real crimes -- that, really, it's those "devil made me do it" supernatural forces that explain the evil in the world.
That's just lazy religiosity taking the place of truly creative narrative writing.
Now, if I want a good horror movie about demonic possession, I'll go with *Late Night with the Devil*, a film that is upfront with its narrative ploy, not a bait and switch. (Glad it made your list, Sonny, even if just as an honorable mention.)
Sonny - It's a dangerous declaration that GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is the best film of the decade. Clearly, you did not see Alejandro Iñárritu's film a year later BIRDMAN. It advanced the art of film while it fully enlarged the possibilities of narrative story telling that hadn't been explored since Terrence Malick's THIN RED LINE. While 1917 one-shot camera work was really noticeable (and a VFX gimmick looking for a way to announce itself), the one-shot design of BIRDMAN was mandatory.
BIRDMAN was a 2014 release. It was fine.
Pleased to see I’m not the only person who liked Horizon and good to see a mention for The Order which I saw a couple of days ago. But Civil War was disappointing. It said nothing about politics (which I guess is the critique being criticised). As a war film it was grimly compelling in its portrayal of the brutality of people who do not expect to be held accountable for their crimes, but ithe central characters were so unconvincing
Haven't see many of the movies you mentioned. Different age and aversion to horror, but Civil War would be my #1 choice, too. Each viewing provides another place to see something different. I would add Lee to the list, but as a woman, I would. :)
Civil War was dreadful, Sonny. It could just as easily been Chicago or Portland, I never got the sense that the USA was REALLY in a civil war. Also, it was BORING.
As long as the media adores violent movies, then we can expect violence in our society. If the media wants change, uplift culture and the arts that reflect the values you claim to adhere to.
Such a cheeky man in the foot notes!
I liked Civil War quite a bit. I'd have found a place for a double slotted Flow/Wild Robot because animation took a big leap forward this year thanks to this pair.
Excellent 2024 review. Some I've seen, some I'll be sure to watch this weekend!