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By Mark Pukalo
Grief, terror, murder, scandal, PTSD, insurrection, depression and OCD.
Call me Debbie Downer. But many of the best films of 2024 featured stress, despair or pain in the plot. Some had happy resolutions. Some did not. All of them were compelling and thought provoking.
It's no surprise that these types of issues make for good drama. The fight to find a solution, to heal, to achieve happiness. It's never easy to make them work, though. The directors, the writers and the actors all did their part in making these films special.
This was not a year when I walked out of the theater saying "that is the best of 2024." I would say 11 movies stood out to me and all of them were worthy of the top spot in my rankings. Many were No. 1 in my mind at different points during the year.
I had the highest expectations for "A Real Pain" and it delivered. I went to see that one and the Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown" twice in the theater. Young Mikey Madison's amazing performance in "Anora" just blew me away.
I watched "Hit Man" and "Civil War" more times than any other film, while the ensemble cast of "Conclave" was spectacular. "I Used to be Funny" and "Ghostlight " are under-the-radar gems that you should make an effort to watch multiple times on your streaming services.
I could not decide which of those films to put No. 1, so I just decided to go way off the board. I may not have seen "Pure O" at all if not for the Intercut Podcast's "Best Movies of 2024 (so far)" show this summer, where Arturo Zurita included it in his top 10. I found a way to view it multiple times on my television. I hope, somehow, more can.
It is the story of Cooper, a young drug & alcohol counselor at a rehabilitation center who thinks he is going through clinical depression. But after meeting with a doctor, he is diagnosed with a sometimes debilitating form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder called "Pure O."
Cooper, played beautifully by Daniel Dorr (Bill & Ted Face the Music), must deal with his treatments and the drama within his relationships and work. The film is so natural it almost feels like a documentary. That is a credit to the actors and director/writer Dillon Tucker.
I have a very mild case of OCD, so I can identify with some of the things in the film But I truly believe it would have affected me anyway. I don't guarantee everyone will like it as much as me, but if you are truly a fan of movies that make you feel something, I can't imagine someone not liking it "I Used to be Funny" and "Ghostlight" are similar in that way.
It was a fantastic year for cinema. There are five or six men who deserve an Oscar for Best Actor. Kieran Culkin is dynamite in "A Real Pain" and should win "Best Supporting Actor." I am rooting for Madison to win Best Actress, but Demi Moore was also tremendous in a film I did not love (The Substance).
There were so many unforgettable moments. Ralph Fiennes' speech on certainty and doubt in "Conclave," the raucous home invasion scene in "Anora," Monica Barbaro and Tmothee' Chalamet performing "It Ain't Me Babe." in "A Complete Unknown," Jesse Plemons' chilling scene in "Civil War," the brilliant notes app scene in "Hit Man," Anne Hathaway's mistaken bathroom visit in "The Idea of You," Juliette Gariepy's creepy Kelly-Anne showing up in a schoolgirl outfit with braces for the big courtroom scene in "Red Rooms," the talks between heroin addict Rachel (Landry Bender) and Cooper in "Pure O" and that amazing cat in the animated "Flow." There are so many more.
No doubt, 21-25 are pretty interchangeable with 26-35 on my list. It's just one amateur critic's opinion. A special thank you to Zach and Arturo on the Intercut Podcast and the great Amanda the Jedi (find them on Youtube) for introducing me to so many under-the-radar gems. In addition, thanks to my brother Anthony for helping me see so many of these films.
I am at 349 for 2024, and not done. I take pride in being the last "critic" to post his or her Best Of list. I have not taken any film classes. I would like to. I don't see some of the technical things that other critics see and like. I enjoy movies that make me feel something or spend time in thought after I walk away from the screen. That's what's important to me.
My annual closing thought is a scene between Cooper and Rachel in "Pure O."
Cooper: "We can't control other people's emotions. We can try, but that's a quick path to depression."
Rachel: "Well, I'm already depressed, so fuck it, what's one more thing?"
Cooper: "You gotta fix yourself right now. All the demolition cleanup from your past is for later."
Rachel: "Yay. Can't wait."
So good.
Mark from Tampa's TOP 25 for 2024
25. The Brutalist - Probable Best Actor winner Adrien Brody is brilliant as a talented architect, who immigrates to the United States from Post-War Europe in the late 40s. He faces challenges along the way from the elites in this epic, 202-minute film. If it was edited better, it would be higher in my opinion.
24. The Greatest Hits - Following her boyfriend's death, Harriet (Lucy Boynton) is mentally transported to places she was with him when hearing a particular song. The plot is sort of illogical at times, but the story is entertaining before it all comes together for Harriet in a compelling and emotional way.
23. Saturday Night - A composite story of the chaotic buildup to the first SNL show. Gabriel LaBelle beautifully plays Lorne Michaels, who deals with diverse actors and issues with a great ensemble cast. It is shot much like "Birdman," and it all works in an entertaining and funny 109 minutes.
22. Hundreds of Beavers - An applejack salesman tries to succeed as a fur trapper, battling cheeky beavers, rabbits and a pesky woodpecker in the hilarious cartoonish film. You start chuckling at first and then the full body laughs follow. Perfect for slapstick fans.
21. Sing Sing - Based on a true story about the Rehabilitation through Arts group program at Sing Sing Prison, where acting gives inmates a free space. Colman Domingo is tremendous as the lead while former RTA member Clarence Maclin provides an outstanding performance in a supporting role.
20. Dune Part 2 - Paul Atreides (Timothee' Chalamet) unites the Fremen, rides a worm and leads a revolt against the conspirators who killed his father. The religious element clouds the story a bit, but it is a powerful, epic film that will set up the next chapter where he may or may not reunite with his disappointed love interest Chani (Zendaya).
19. His Three Daughters - Three women with different issues and personalities spend time together in their father's final days. Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon deal with obstacles in the process and their relationship in a compelling, well-written story.
18. Will & Harper - Will Ferrell takes a trip cross country with his friend and former SNL writer Harper Steele, who has transitioned to a woman as a 60-year-old in this unique and entertaining Netflix documentary. There is humor and heartwarming moments as the duo encounters the best and worst of America. Kristen Wig's wonderful song at the end should have been nominated for an Oscar.
17. My Old Ass - Free spirited teenager Elliott (Maisy Stella) meets her future self (Aubrey Plaza) after a hit of mushrooms with her friends on a camping trip. Stella is very appealing in her first major role in this funny, sweet and emotional film. Thank God it was not an unauthorized documentary about me.
16. I Saw the TV Glow - Two teenagers get lost in a TV show as they deal with uncertainties and confusion on who they should be. Justice Smith is terrific in a film that dabbles in gender identity crisis for young adults. It s filled to the brim with symbolism. You understand and appreciate the film more on second and third viewings.
15. Red Rooms - Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariepy), a Montreal model, becomes fascinated with the murder trial of a serial killer who sold videos of his gruesome crimes on the internet. Gariepy's character is a loner and a master on the internet, who dresses as one of the victims with braces in one of the most shocking and creepy scenes of the year. It can make you cringe, but, man, it is a wild ride.
14. Flow - One of the very best animated films ever made. A smart orphaned cat works to survive a flood along with different animals it meets along the dangerous journey. In a way, it is about how to work with opposites and find common ground to survive.
13. Better Man - The story of English superstar singer Robbie Williams is told in a unique way that some how, some way works with a monkey in the lead. Perhaps the primate makes you focus more on the compelling story rather than the actor playing Williams. It was the most surprising film of the year for me.
12. The Idea of You - Solene (Anne Hathaway) is a 40-year-old divorced mother of a teenager who meets cute with a boy band star at a concert she takes her daughter to. Probably the most appealing Hathaway character ever in my opinion deals with an unusual, complicated relationship.
11. I'm Still Here - Fernanda Torres fully deserved a Golden Globe for Best Actress as a mother trying to keep her family safe after a military dictatorship unjustly arrests her husband in 1971 Brazil. The film, based on a true story, is intense, entertaining and emotional. The best foreign movie of 2024.
10. September 5 - The tense, well-acted story of how ABC sports covered the first terrorist attack on national television at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. Peter Sarsgaard plays Roone Arledge, who bravely leads his team through the terrifying and unique drama without the tools we have today.
9. Ghostlight - A construction worker joins a local theater group by chance and is roped into playing a part in its production of "Romeo and Juliet," which mirrors the grief his family is going through. Katherine Mallen Kupferer, as the daughter, is the star of this sad, gripping and emotional film that has a happy and tearful ending.
8. Hit Man - Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) is a college professor who helps the local police arrest citizens trying to hire a hit man. He becomes good at the job after filling in for a suspended cop until falling for a beautiful perp (Adria Arjona). The film, based on a true story, has some of the best scenes of the year and is cheeky fun from start to surprising finish. There will be some turbulence, so strap in.
7. Civil War - The story of what a chaotic Civil War would look like on American soil if it played out like one in a a third-world country today, and how the media could cover it. Director Alex Garland (Ex Machina) creates a war-torn America, where no one is safe, in this gutting film. Jesse Plemons playing a militant xenophobe is the most shocking scene of the year.
6. Conclave - A few of my favorite podcasters mused that it could be renamed "Game of Papal Thrones" or "House of Cardinals." Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) attempts to bring together a Conclave to vote after the Pope dies suddenly. The ensemble cast, the writing, and the direction by Edward Berger is pitch perfect.
5. I Used to Be Funny - A part-time standup comedian and Au pair named Sam (Rachel Sennott) deals with PTSD after a traumatic incident in this compelling story, told in non-linear fashion. Sennott continues to make every movie she's in better, whether it is with laughs or drama.
4. Anora - A young sex worker (Mikey Madison) in New York City is drawn into the lavish life of the undisciplined son of a Russian Oligarch. An impulsive marriage leads to family drama and a wild ride filled with intrigue, humor and action. Madison provides an Oscar-worthy performance as Annie, who commands one of the best long scenes of the year during a home invasion.
3. A Complete Unknown - One of the best biopics ever made as Timothee' Chalamet plays the enigmatic genius Bob Dylan with aplomb. This could have been a 10-hour movie to show every shift turn in his life, but director James Mangold narrows it down to a critical time period. Monica Barbaro (Joan Baez) and Ed Norton (Pete Seeger) are impeccable in their supporting performances.
2. A Real Pain - Two cousins travel to Poland to tour the country and visit the place where their diseased grandmother survived the Holocaust. Kieran Culkin will likely win the Oscar as supporting actor for his role as a young man going through emotional issues while showing his engaging personality. His best line is "Money is like fucking heroin for boring people." Jesse Eisenberg, who wrote the film, plays his realist relative well. It is fun, thought-provoking and emotional.
1. Pure O - A simple and emotional film about a middle-aged counselor (Daniel Dorr) at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center who is diagnosed with Pure OCD. Cooper goes through the treatment while trying to navigate the drama around his life that includes his fiance, her parents and the patients at the center. Recovering heroin addict Rachel (Landry Bender) has some of the best scenes with Cooper. It is a film that deserves a chance for more people to see it. Find it if you can.
PREVIOUS PICKS FOR BEST OF THE YEAR
2023: Past Lives
2022: Cha Cha Real Smooth
2021: CODA
2020: Promising Young Woman
2019: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, JoJo Rabbit (tie)
2018: The Hate U Give
2017 - The Big Sick
2016 - Lion
2015 - Spotlight
2016 - Lion
2015 - Spotlight
2014 - Birdman
2013 - Nebraska
2012 - Silver Linings Playbook
2011 - The Descendants
2010 - The Social Network
2009 - Inglourious Basterds
2008 - Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler (tie)
2007 - Once
Best of All Time - Almost Famous
Joe Lunardi's First Six Out (Just missed the Top 25)
Babes - A hilarious, sometimes crude, and sweet comedy about a pair of long-time friends dealing with different child birth issues. Comedian Ilana Glazer is especially good in this under-rated film. John Carroll Lynch is also very funny as Glazer's baby doctor.
Challengers - Zendaya tries to navigate a Love triangle with two fellow tennis players, which takes you on a wild ride. I appreciated it more on second and third viewings after getting over the fact the Josh O'Connor character reminded me of college classmates.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - Another strong chapter in the series with a new hero standing up named Noa. It was more of a set up for the next film, but an entertaining journey. I hope Freya Allan reprises her role as the human spy in the next film.
Nickel Boys - Based on a true story, two friends try to survive an illegally-run reform school in Florida during the 1960s. It is uniquely shot and very affecting. I expect I will appreciate it even more on multiple viewings.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig - Powerful Iranian film about a family torn apart by local pressures and unrest, the father's new job, religion and generational differences in Tehran. One of the best scenes of the year happened at the family's dinner table. The two young girls were amazingly brave.
Wicked Little Letters - Rose (Jesse Buckley), an uninhibited Irish immigrant,, is accused by a prominent local woman (Olivia Colman) of sending crude letters to her. The cheeky, black comedy is based on a true story in Littlehampton, England and is loads of fun.
Still Have On List To Potentially See: All We Imagine As Light, Apolonia, Apolonia, The Beast, Bird, Christmas Eve at Miller's Point, Close Your Eyes, Dahomey, Disciples in the Moonlight, Eagle, East Bay, Evil Does Not Exist, Flipside, Free Time, Green Border, The Hypnosis, Inside the Yellow Cocoon, LaRoy, Texas, Milk & Serial, Mountains, No Other Land, No Promised Land, Notice to Quit, Porcelain War, Rap World, The Return, River, Secret Mall Apartment, Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat, Venom: The Last Dance, Veselka, 1992.
High Honorable Mention
A Different Man - A low-rent actor (Sebastian Stan) with a deformed face gets a special treatment that cures him and he decides to be a different person. It is a thought-provoking, dark film that is more interesting than entertaining
.Am I OK? - Dakota Johnson stars as a middle-aged woman dealing with the truth that she is a lesbian while going through tough times with her best friend. I enjoyed the unique story.
The Apprentice - The story of early Donald Trump and his relationship with shady lawyer Roy Cohn. Learned a lot from this accurate portrayal, which Trump tried to stop from getting to the screen. Jeremy Strong is outstanding as Cohn.
As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial - A fascinating and horrifying documentary about rappers being accused and convicted with no evidence other than their song lyrics.
Babygirl - Sexual thriller with Nicole Kidman as an executive of a major company drawn into her hidden desires by a young intern. Kidman is great. Wanted more from the ending.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die - Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back to try and figure out the mystery of their boss' murder. It's funny and thrill packed.
The Beekeeper - Jason Statham protects the hive after an older woman, who has allowed him to work with his bees on her land, kills herself because hackers steal all her money. It is filled with mindless violence, but also righteousness.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F - Eddie Murphy is back after many years and faces off against some evil people back in L.A. It is a fun watch on Netflix.
The Bikeriders - The motorcycle club saga is well worth a watch, but some of the characters don't have enough depth for me. It is still impeccably acted - especially Tom Hardy - and makes you want to find out what happens until the end.
Black Box Diaries - Interesting, emotional and maddening documentary about a young woman's journey after accusing a powerful man in Japan of rape. Shiori Ito is a very brave woman.
Blitz - The epic story of a young mixed-race boy who battles several obstacles to get home to his mother in London after escaping a train filled with children shipped away during Hitler's WW2 blitz.
Carry-On - Taron Egerton plays a blackmailed TSA agent fighting to keep a dangerous package from making its destination. The acting is excellent in this intense and entertaining Netflix film.
Daughters - Tear-jerking documentary about incarcerated men meeting with their daughters through a special program. It is sad, but enlightening. I wanted a little more depth about the inmates' stories.
Deadpool & Wolverine - Deadpool tries to save the world from extinction with the help of an edgy version of Wolverine from the multiverse. It is a laugh a minute.
Emilia Perez - A grand musical drama about a drug kingpin who hires a disgruntled prosecutor (Zoe Saldana) to help him transition to a woman and fake his death. They reunite many years later as she/he tries to help people. The music s over-rated, but it did not distract from a unique story. Should not be an award winner, though.
Exhibiting Forgiveness - A talented young artist (Andre Holland) must deal with old wounds when his healing father shows up. His mother tries to bring them together, but much more is going on in this intense, thoughtful film.
The Fall Guy - A stunt man (Ryan Gosling), injured in a bad fall, reunites with his former flame (Emily Blunt) on a movie set. It is predictable, but a very fun ride with action, love and humor in abundance.
Fancy Dance - Lily Gladstone stars as an Indian hustler, who tries to find her missing sister and take care of her maturing young niece. I was expecting just a little more depth, but it gets thumbs up.
The Fire Inside - The story of Claressa Shields, who fights her way out of Flint, Michigan to win Olympic Gold. The human story is much better than the boxing story, but it all comes together well.
Fly Me to the Moon - A marketing specialist (Scarlett Johannsen) joins NASA to try an sell the first moon landing to the public. It's a movie. Just let it entertain you.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - Great costumes, action and acting, but I just think the overall series is a bit over-rated. However, there is enough fun stuff in the epic tale.
Goodrich - Michael Keaton plays a gallery owner forced into sudden fatherhood after his young wife goes into rehab. In the meantime, he is reconnecting with his pregnant 27-year-old daughter (Mila Kunis). It's just a likable, simple story. Vivien Lyra Blair (young Princess Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi) is delightful as one of Keaton's 9-year-old twins.
The Greatest Night in Pop - An amazing documentary about the makings of "We are the World," when many artists stayed up all night after the American Music Awards to finish the historical project.
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person - A young vampire does not have the killer instinct, much to her family's chagrin. She forms a relationship with a suicidal young man that goes a unique direction. A very interesting concept for a vampire film.
Janet Planet - A young girl goes through life dependent on her single mother, who struggles through many different relationships in rural Massachusetts. It is simple, a little quirky and very thought-provoking.
Juror #2 - Clint Eastwood directs a film about a recovering alcoholic who is picked for a jury and realizes he could be the one guilty of the crime. It's a well crafted film that is intriguing from start to finish.
Inside Out 2 - The follow up to the delightful original as Riley reaches high school and tries out for the hockey team. It's just as fun and smart as the first one. Riley has great hockey sense. What a pass she made in one of the first scenes.
The Killer - Gorgeous Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) is an expert contract killer who changes stripes when her boss double crosses her. It's a solid, action-filled, crime drama.
Kinds of Kindness - Three separate oddball stories strung together in a Yorgos Lanthimos special. It is very high on the weirdness meter and hilarious at times with Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone playing big roles.
Kneecap - Two Irish hoodlums team with a local teacher to create rap music that helps a movement to save the country's native language. Better than expectations.
The Last Showgirl - Pamela Anderson is very good as an over-age showgirl, having a rough time with the end of her career. It's a decent film, but it needed way more depth from the ending.
The Last Stop in Yuma County - A simple day at a small diner next to an empty gas station ends in a massacre after bank robbers arrive. The series of events all kind of fall into place neatly by the end, all because the gas delivery was late.
Late Bloomers - Karen Gillan is great as a lost young woman who finds some purpose helping a cranky Polish old lady she meets at the hospital. It's offbeat and compelling.
Late Night With the Devil - A television host, whose ratings have taken a dive, watches his late-night show go off the rails when his evil past erupts on stage. It is devilishly fun.
Monkey Man - Dev Patel plays a young man bent on revenge against the criminal leaders who burned down his town and killed his mother. It is mystical and the fight scenes have great choreography.
Nosferatu - A creepy tale about the possession of a young woman by an evil vampire, Nicholas Hoult caps a great year as the husband of the haunted woman (Lilly-Rose Depp). Willem Dafoe shines in a supporting role. Much better than I hoped for.
The Order - Jude Law is a damaged FBI agent who investigates a splinter Nazi group in Idaho. The film, based on a true story in the early 1980s, has several strong performances led by cult leader Nicholas Hoult.
The Promised Land - A retired Danish soldier (Mads Mikkelsen) takes over some heath land that is difficult to cultivate and fights with the snobby local magistrate. It starts slow, but is a good story overall
A Quiet Place: Day One - The prequel to the series of movies about blind aliens attacking the world. Lupita Nyong'o is outstanding as the terminal woman surviving the creatures until the end.
Rebel Ridge - A former Marine (Aaron Pierre), biking to a small town with cash to bail out his brother, is accosted by crooked local police. He does not take it lightly, with help from a troubled young lawyer (AnaSophia Robb) in the town.
Snack Shack - Started out like it might be a wacky, nothing, high school comedy. But it turned out to be a decent coming of age story in the category of "The Way, Way Back," but not quite as good. Mika Abdalla is the pretty love interest in this one.
Sometimes I Think About Dying - Daisy Ridley is a quiet, depressed, young woman working in a small office who comes out of her shell a bit when a new co-worker arrives. It's dry and plodding, but Fran is likable.
Strange Darling - A one-night stand triggers a serial killer in this non-linear story where nothing is as it seems. Willa Fitzgerald is tremendous in the lead role.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story - A thoughtful, entertaining and emotional documentary on the man who played the Man of Steel, and how he changed the world.
Thelma - Senior-citizen June Squibb scoots away to try and recap the $10,000 that scammers took from her. It's a fun little jaunt.
Things Will Be Different - Two estranged siblings use a time portal in an old farmhouse to escape after a robbery and struggle to get back. It is a bit too vague at times, but it makes you think.
Twisters - A semi-retired storm chaser (Daisy Edgar-Jones) returns to Oklahoma to try and tame a busy tornado season. She teams with a wild tornado wrangler (Glen Powell) for an entertaining story.
Unstoppable - The amazing story of wrestler Anthony Robles, who won an NCAA championship despite having one leg. Jharrel Jerome does a nice job along with coaches Don Cheadle and Michael Pena, but J-Lo does did not quite work in this role. Overall, a good watch.
Wicked Part 1 - The first musical prequel to the Wizard of Oz is entertaining and filled with excellent performances, led by Ariana Grande. It is a grand show, but it fails to move along at times.
The Wild Robot - Wonderful animated film about a robot that gets discarded and lost, but finds its way by building relationships with the local wild animals. It is sweet and fun.
Woman of the Hour - Anna Kendrick stars in her directorial debut as an aspiring actress who takes a job as a contestant on a dating game. The film is based on a true story about a serial killer who gets a spot on the show and wins. It is creepy, smart and compelling.
Young Werther - Werther falls in love with the woman (Alison Pill) of his dreams, but finds out she is engaged to a really nice guy. It is a sweet rom-com - with the always adorable Pill - that is right on the border line of high and medium. A good watch.
The 4:30 Movie - Kevin Smith's film about a group of teens whose world revolves around the movie theater. Melody Barnegat (Siena Augodong) is absolutely delightful as the main character's sweet love interest. It's just a lot of fun.
Special Category
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - It can technically be called a movie, but the Boss deserves his own category for this Hulu special the gave you a great inside look at the maestro. Bruce is a hero and the greatest performer of my lifetime.
Medium Honorable Mention (* closest to High Honorable Mention)
Abigail - Better than expected. A group of fuck-ups take a job kidnapping a kid only to find out they have been set up by a demon. There's enough humor to make it different.
Alien: Romulus - Another in the series of stories about the gruesome monsters. A group of young people aim to take needed materials out of decommissioned space craft and, surprise, they should not have. Cailee Spaeny always makes movies better (see my top 10 later).
The American Society of Magical Negroes - A young man is recruited to work for a secret agency formed to make white people happy. It doesn't quite make the mark, but An-Li Bogan is very appealing and there is a really neat twist at the end.
Apollo 13 Survival - Documentary about the mission that was both a monumental failure and an amazing accomplishment for NASA.
Arthur The King - The heartwarming story of a street dog in Santo Domingo who is adopted by an adventure racing team. Arthur is cool, but the film lacks a little depth through the first half.
Bad Faith - Documentary about the scourge of Christian Nationalism, which is ruining the country that we all love. There is nothing more hateful than fake Christians.
The Beach Boys - Disney Channel documentary on the historic group. It was a good watch, but seemed a bit incomplete.
*Beatles 64 - Fascinating documentary with some unseen film of the Fab Four when they first visited America.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice - Long-awaited sequel to the charming original with Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton reprising their roles. It starts slow and gets more entertaining as it goes on. More Keaton would have been better, but you had to love the Bobs.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - Listen, I had a problem with the timeline of the pageant (did it start in the 20s?), but it was a nice story about the Christmas spirit.
*Between the Temples - A cantor going through depression after his wife's death reconnects with his boyhood music teacher, who wants to have a bat mitzvah. I was mildly disappointed.
Blue Angels - Some terrific visuals in this documentary about the amazing precision flying team. Informative, but not exciting enough.
Bob Marley: One Love - Disappointing film about the reggae legend. It is too intent on being stylish that it loses any story it could have had. Liked it a little more on second viewing.
Boy Kills World - Some humor in this revenge film for a deaf boy who trains with a Shaman to kill the evil ruling family. It was better than expected.
*Casa Bonita Mi Amor! - Documentary about South Park's Trey Parker and Matt Stone purchasing and restoring a beloved restaurant/theme park in Lakewood, Colorado.
*Cabrini - The true story of catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini, who fights to set up an orphanage for immigrant youths in New York. The amazing journey showed her incredible strength, and she will always be known as the Patron Saint of Immigrants. Some powerful lines in this one.
*Chasing Chasing Amy - An interesting documentary from a trans film maker who was influenced by Kevin Smith's classic film. The interviews are great.
Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing - Interesting documentary on the sometimes forgotten talent of the great singer. I was disappointed there wasn't anything about her role with USA for Africa.
*Dandelion - A down on her luck young black singer/songwriter (Kiki Layne) travels to a South Dakota bikers festival to perform and her talent emerges with the help of a Scottish man. The story and the acting are excellent, but the writing and directing came up a little short. A near miss.
Didi - A coming-of-age film for a young Asian boy as he tries to find his place while continually making poor decisions. It has a decent scene late, but was somewhat disappointing for me.
*Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World - Romanian black comedy about a woman traveling around Bucharest interviewing workers who have been injured on the job for a corporate video. It is ultimately a jab at mindless companies who treat workers horribly.
Drive-Away Dolls - Two friends needing a break from life take a road trip and run into several obstacles along the way. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan make a sometimes funny, but crude, script work. Few could.
Elton John: Never Too Late - Interesting documentary about the musical genius. As with most music docs, I just wanted a little more than it gave.
Elevation - Passable dystopian drama. A father journeys with two friends below a line where monsters lurk to get medication for his son. Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin star in the survival film.
Fanatical: The Catfishing of Teagan and Sara - Interesting documentary about the catfishing of the musical duo. The sisters never solve the fascinating mystery, which was a little disappointing.
The Feeling That The Time for Doing Something Has Passed - A quirky comedy about a woman who jumps from relationship to relationship, including BDSM. It has it's moments of ridiculous, funny stuff. Joanna Arnow is very good as the lead.
Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire - The new crew, joined by a few of the originals, encounters another sinister threat. Not as entertaining as the last one and devoid of much humor. Probably should be lower, but I'm giving the series a break.
Girl Haunts Boy - Likable Netflix love story between a depressed young man and a beautiful ghost from 100 years ago. Peyton List is sweet as the ghost.
*Girls State - The follow up to Boys State where kids travel for a summer camp to examine leadership issues and who they want to be. Some of the girls are very interesting case studies.
*Gladiator II - The long-awaited sequel to the original finds the young son of a former queen returning to Rome as a captured slave. There are some holes in the script, but Denzel Washington steals the movie as a conniving former slave thirsty for power.
God & Country - Another documentary about Christian Nationalism that is educational and chilling. Fake Christians may be the most dangerous people in the country right now.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - A decent story that gets a little muddled at the end. I didn't get why Kong and Godzilla were fighting for so long before joining forces.
*Good One - Lily Collias plays a teenager on a hiking trip with her dad and his recently-divorced friend. It is a film about relationships and how people interact in uncomfortable spaces. Collias is a very good young actress. She is the star of this story.
*The Gutter - Humorous film about a guy - who likes threesomes and does not like wearing shirts - finding out he is a championship-caliber bowler after getting a job at an alley. The modern day "Kingpin." Enough laughs to get recognition.
*Hard Truths - Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays a depressed older woman who takes out her frustrations on everyone with some comical consequences. Jean-Baptiste is tremendous in the role, but I had hopes for a little more closure to the story in some way - not necessarily a happy ending.
*Heretic - Hugh Grant lures two young Mormon girls to his home and tries to give them an evil education about religion. The first half is better than the second, which is more about horror.
Here - Director Robert Zemeckis brings Tom Hanks and Robin Wright together in a tale about the families that lived in a house that has been around for 100 years. Hanks and Wright's story is the centerpiece about dreams and life. It was fine, just not special.
Horizon: An American Saga Part 1 - Kevin Costner's first part of an epic series has some value, but it a little too long (3-plus hours) and bounces around a bit too much.
*Incoming - Four freshmen try to get used to high school life in this fun, adolescent jaunt. Young actors provide very believable characters.
Joker: Folie a' Deux - The sequel to "The Joker" finds Arthur in jail and going on trial for the murders he committed. Meanwhile, he has become a celebrity and Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) has professed her love for him. It is chaos and somewhat compelling, but the musical numbers were a mistake.
*Joy - The story of a journey that was taken by doctors to create the first test-tube baby. The Netflix film gets emotional at the end. Thomasin McKenzie is brilliant as usual, playing research scientist Jean Purdy.
Killer Heat - Joseph Gordon-Leavitt and Shailene Woodley in a murder mystery (on Prime) around a rich family in Greece. Those two make it work to barely make this list.
Lee - The story of model, turned war photographer Lee Miller. It is interesting and Kate Winslet provides her normal standout performance, but it is not moving enough for a higher level.
Longlegs - A sometimes fascinating, sometimes ordinary, horror film about a strange-looking man who wreaks havoc. The ending is predictable, but it works.
*Love Lies Bleeding - Kristen Stewart stars as a gym manager - with an estranged criminal father - who builds a relationship with a female bodybuilder. It is filled with action and is fine, but just didn't get to a higher level for me.
Lowlifes - A crazy, slasher, horror film that is so off the rails that it keeps your interest. Won't give away the plot, but it has a lot of blood and plenty of surprises.
*In a Violent Nature - I'm still not sure what value these movies have, but this one was constructed and shot extremely well. A locket unearths a marauding killer.
The Instigators - Matt Damon and Casey Afleck are two down-on-their luck local boys who try to pull off a robbery to make some cash and it goes wrong. There is some charm to it at times.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners - A retiring contract killer (Liam Neeson) tries to save his little Irish town from evil IRA scum hiding out there. It holds your interest, but is kind of thin.
It Ends With Us - Blake Lively plays a woman who falls for a seemingly normal man who ends up beating her. Her past love re-appears and complicates the story that is pretty average. The ending saves the movie a bit, but the controversy around it hurts.
It's Only Life After All, - Terrific documentary about the amazing Indigo Girls, who have provided so much great acoustic music as a lesbian duo. It's a real in-depth study.
*It's What's Inside - A group of friends gather before a wedding and play a sci-fi game that transports each into another's body. It is inventive, and somewhat intriguing, but got a bit too confusing for me.
The Killer's Game - An imperfect comedy-action-drama with Dave Bautista as a hitman who contracts a hit on himself after he finds out he's terminal. However, his tests were switched. Oops. It's entertaining enough and Sofia Boutella makes it look better.
*Kiss the Future - Documentary about U2's Zoo TV Tour and how it began the groundswell to help the Bosnian people in Sarajevo from ethnic cleansing. It all ended with an emotional concert in 1997.
Mary - The story of the birth of Jesus is told from the beginnings of heaven-sent Mary Magdalene. Noa Cohen is an absolutely gorgeous Mary and does an admirable job.
Megalopolis - Too much of a mess to be considered good, but there was an interesting story that could have been told. It was so grand and loud to be one of year's worst and Nathalie Emmanuel looks amazing. It was either here or on the worst of the year list.
*Memoir of a Snail - Well-made stop-motion animated film that is quite unique. The story of twins Grace and Gilbert, separated when their mother and father die. Very nice ending.
My Spy: The Eternal City - Follow up to the 2020 film My Spy with Dave Bautista as an undercover agent on a trip with his adopted daughter to Italy where chaos occurs. It's harmless fun with cute Chloe Coleman.
Nightbitch - Amy Adams plays a young woman trying to deal with motherhood after leaving the job she loved. Amy's performance is good, but the story is not very strong. The sing-along to a Weird Al Yankovic song in the car is very funny, though.
Omni Loop - Zoya (Mary-Louise Parker) is a former quantum physicist caught in a time loop where she lives the final days of her life over and over. She tries to figure out a way to change history, but it gets a little confusing with the help of a young science student (Ayo Edebiri).
*One Life - Anthony Hopkins stars as Sir Nicholas Winton, a broker who helped get 600 Jewish children out of Czechoslovakia. It is chilling at times, but a wonderful story of triumph and good citizenship that is lacking in this country.
Parachute - Riley (Courtney Eaton) is just out of rehab for several disorders when she meets Ethan (Thomas Mann) and the two have an on-again, off-again relationship. Riley can't beat her problems and Ethan has family issues. It's an interesting, unique story.
Piece by Piece - The bio story of Pharrell Williams' rise to stardom, told with Legos. It's kind of neat the way they did it. The Legos make you focus. Love the song "Happy."
*Queer - Daniel Craig provides a strong award-worthy performance as a gay man who lives in Mexico with drug addictions. It's high on the weird meter, but somewhat interesting, mysterious and stylish.
The Re-Education of Molly Singer - Britt Robertson can do no wrong for me. She goes back to school to help the son of her boss become cool.
*Ricky Stanicky - John Cena is hilarious as an actor who is hired by childhood friends to play the imaginary person they have told their parents and wives about throughout the years.
*Road House - The fight scenes were over the top, but Jake Gyllenhaal does a good job as a former UFC fighter starting over as a bouncer in Key West. Would have liked a little better ending.
*The Room Next Door - Martha (Tilda Swinton) has terminal cancer and asks an old friend (Julianne Moore) to be with her for the final days on a trip before taking a euthanasia pill. It is certainly unique and thought provoking, but does not reach a higher level.
Scoop - Decent retelling of the work the BBC did to get an interview with Prince Andrew about Jeffrey Epstein.
Scrambled - Leah McKendrick plays a 30-something woman who is at a crossroads after breaking up with the love of her life. It is a decent story with some laughs as she tries to grow eggs to be able to have a child.
The Shadow Strays - Action film about a young woman who is part of an assassination team, but is put on the shelf after a partially-botched job. She dives into protecting a boy, whose mother is murdered next door and it gets bloody. But the action and the lead character "13" (Aurora Ribero) are appealing.
Sleep - Interesting, unique South Korean film about a young couple dealing with a sleep disorder - or is it a ghost - during the night.
Slingshot - Sci-fi psychological thriller about a manned space flight to Saturn's moon Titan, but the lead character (Casey Afleck) experiences hallucinations before a twist at the end. Barely makes this level.
*Small Things Like These - Cillian Murphy stars as the hard-working father of several young daughters, who delivers goods to a convent and sees disturbing things. But his wife and the people in the small town are scared of the nuns. It is a bit too slow moving.
Someone Like You - God Squad film with the very likable Sara Fisher playing the roles of two twin sisters separated when they are embryos. One dies and the friend/lover goes out to try and find her sister.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3; The lovable and powerful Hedgehog saves the world again and teaches a lesson. Thought Jim Carrey might be a little more funny, but it was entertaining enough.
Stress Positions - This film is both high on the weirdness meter and strangely entertaining. A motley crew, including an estranged gay couple, a mouthy trans girl, his/her girlfriend and a young male model from Morocco hang out in early Covid times.
*The Substance - Demi Moore is a famous workout show celebrity who is pushed out when they deem her too old, and she tries an off-the-market substance to try to regain her youth. There is a good story there, but it devolves into gratuitous violence and over the top body horror.
*Sugarcane - Gripping, sad documentary about abuse by catholic priests and government indifference at a school for indigenous youths in Canada. Just horrible stuff.
Suncoast - The cute Nico Parker and Laura Linney star in this semi-autobiographical drama based in Florida around the Terri Schiavo debate. Parker is coming of age while her brother is dying.
Touch - An aging man in Iceland travels across continents to find his first love, who he lost as a young man going to school in London. It is emotional at the end.
Transformers One - A sort of prequel to the other Transformers movies which explores the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron. It is very good visually and holds your interest.
Trap - An M. Night Shyamalan film that starts slow and does not give you the normal big surprise at the end. A serial killer (Josh Hartnett) is "trapped" at a concert he is attending with his daughter.
Treasure - A young journalist (Lena Durham) travels to Poland with her Jewish father to see the place he grew up and visit Auschwitz, where he survived the Holocaust. It has a few heartwarming moments.
Turtles All The Way Down - High school drama about Aza (Isabela Merced), who is struggling with a form of OCD. It is a decent story and Merced is always good.
Under Paris - Crazy horror film about a shark community living under Paris. Some compelling stuff and real horror near the end. The final scene is one of the most stunning of the year.
War Game - Documentary follows the workings of government officials during a simulation of another coup after an election. In this one, the sitting President is the victor.
We Grown Now - Two young boys who are best friends live through the hardships and fun growing up in the infamous Cabrini-Green housing project in Chicago.
We Live In Time - Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh star in the tragic love story, which is told in a non-linear fashion. It pulls at the heartstrings and has some good moments, but is well short of the above category. However, I did learn the best way to crack an egg.
Which Brings Me To You - Rom-com with two likable actors (Nat Wolf and Lucy Hale), who meet at a wedding and tell their sad relationship stories. It gets a little complicated, but it's harmless fun.
White Bird - The story of a romance between a young Jewish girl and a disabled French boy who saves her during German occupation. Helen Mirren tells the tale to her grandson, named after her former love Julian. Ariella Glaser is adorable as the young Jewish girl.
Winner - Another film on the life of Reality Winner, who was jailed four years for outing a classified report on Russian hacking into the 2016 election. Emilia Jones (CODA) stars as Reality in a decent watch.
*Young Woman and the Sea - The story of Gertrude Eberle's quest to become the first woman to swim the English Channel. Thought it would be like "The Boys in the Boat" at first, but it had way, way more heart with Daisy Ridley in the lead role.
Your Monster - A down on her luck actress finds happiness again after meeting a charismatic monster from her youth, hiding in the apartment. Yeah, really.
Low Honorable Mention - Some Minor Value
A Family Affair - Famous movie star (Zac Efron) falls for his assistant's mom (Nicole Kidman) in your basic throw away Netflix rom-com. It's harmless and I always enjoy seeing Joey King, who plays Efron's assistant.
Amber Alert - Hayden Panettiere stars as a woman who teams with her lift driver (Tyler James Williams) to track down a kidnapped child.
Argylle - Sometimes confusing comedy/drama about a writer drawn into a spy story. It has its fun moments, but it did not even come close to living up to the hype despite Sam Rockwell's efforts. I must have seen the preview in the theater 50 times.
Atlas - A daring officer (Jennifer Lopez) travels into space to try to stop an AI developed by her mother that she unwittingly helped become dangerous to the Earth.
The Beautiful Game - Story of the English soccer team at the Homeless World Cup. It has its moments, but is a little too thin.
Back to Black - The Amy Winehouse story had some interesting elements and Marisa Abela did a really good job. It wasn't a great film and it kinda makes you mad. Amy was such an amazing talent with the worst taste in men.
Beautiful Wedding - The follow up to last year's "Beautiful Disaster" has a gorgeous Abby (Virginia Gardner) and bad-boy surprise husband Travis running off to Mexico and eventually fighting loan sharks. Both films have been mildly amusing.
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin - Based on the true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who risked everything to oppose Hitler and the Nazis. It's educational, but a little dull.
Brats - Andrew McCarthy's documentary about a group of talented young actors who were type-casted after some successful movies. I didn't see the real hardship.
The Bricklayer - Aaron Eckhart and the beautiful Nina Dobrev in a CIA spy drama that is - at times - corny, but holds your interest throughout.
Brothers - Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage play odd-couple brothers who try to pull one more heist as their estranged mother returns. Barely makes this category because of the acting.
Caddo Lake - Time portal story on Max that gets a bit confusing at times. The family involved makes it is interesting enough to keep out of the bottom category.
Canary Black - Illogical political/crime thriller with Kate Beckinsale as an unbeatable agent trying to save her husband and the world. Kate is fierce and gorgeous.
Chief of Station - Hulu movie with Aaron Eckhart as a retired CIA agent brought back into an investigation of his wife's death in a bombing. A little hard to follow at times.
*Close to You - Elliot Page plays a trans man who returns to his home town after spending several years away. He must deal with unwanted questions and encounters an old flame. It is interesting and unique at times, but nothing else.
Coup! - Peter Sarsgaard plays a mysterious cook who causes chaos for the snobby head of a manor during WW1. I expected better, but it is a good offbeat performance by Sarsgaard.
Cuckoo - Crazy things are happening at a resort in Germany and a young woman tries to survive. It is quite cuckoo and confusing.
Cult Killer - Thought it would be way worse. It's a strange thing when you are rooting for a brutal killer. But that's what you get as woman tries to bring down an evil cult.
Cunk on Life - Mockumentary from a British comedian explaining the world and how it works in a funny way. Philomena Cunk says ludicrous things with a straight face. It's mildly entertaining.
Damsel - A fierce Millie Bobby Brown fights to stay alive after the royal family she is marrying into wants to sacrifice her to a monster.
The Dead Don't Hurt - Viggo Mortensen stars as a Danish immigrant from Northern Nevada ,who meets a beautiful French immigrant and the two live outside a corrupt town during the Civil War in this Western-style drama.
Dear Santa - Kid miss spells his letter to Santa and it goes to Satan. Oops. Jack Black helps the kid as the evil guy. There's just enough laughs to make it passable.
Despicable Me 4 - A few laughs, but this series is a little over-rated in my opinion. If you've liked it, I'm not stopping you from watching another.
Don't Move - A serial killer tricks a grieving woman before she is about to kill herself . He kidnaps and drugs her. The series of events are preposterous. Hope Kelsey Asbille gets some better roles because she is appealing.
Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval: Mildly humorous standup from the renowned comedian, who has been trying for a comeback after setbacks.
*The End - A wealthy extended family, living in a luxurious bunker for many years, welcomes a surprise visitor that changes the group dynamic. I didn't mind the odd musical element, but I was waiting for much more to happen.
The End We Start From - Floodwaters have made London unlivable. A woman is forced to flee their country home outside the city with baby in tow, without her husband, on a strange dangerous journey. You stay to the end, but it drags a bit. Jodie Comer is terrific, though.
Find Me Falling - Harmless love story with Harry Connick Jr. as a washed-up rock star who meets an old flame in Cypress. Just needed a little more to it.
*Food Inc. 2 - Interesting sequel to the first documentary on how our food is processed and what can be done to improve the industry. Just not surprising.
Firebrand - Alicia Vikander stars as the sixth wife of King Henry VIII, who is wise beyond her years and it gets her in hot water. Alicia rocks.
Fresh Kills - This film examines the lives of two sisters who grow up in a crime family on Staten Island. The two girls are different and that makes it compelling at times.
Frida - Stylish documentary about the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Not interested enough to put it at a higher level.
*The Girl With the Needle - Dark, grimy Danish film about an evil woman dealing with unwanted pregnancies in a sinister way and the mother who is gets involved unwittingly. A strong film technically, but it just didn't affect me as much as it needed to.
Handling the Undead - Strange little Norwegian film on Hulu explores what could happen if a magnetic force somehow wakes up the recently dead. It's slow, but creepy.
Hard Miles - Matthew Modine takes four kids from a reform school on a bike ride to the Grand Canyon. It's not bad, it's just not super compelling.
Hitpig! - Likable animated film with Jason Sudekis voicing Hitpig, who grows a conscience after trying to capture a performing elephant for an evil man.
Hot Frosty - Another one of those harmless Christmas films streaming on Netflix. A snowman comes to life when a "magic" scarf is put on him and he helps a widow heal. A little too goofy at times, but it's ok.
How to Have Sex - Three British teenagers vacation in Greece looking to hookup with guys and stuff happens. Was disappointed there wasn't more to this, but Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce) was very hugable.
If - Odd little movie about kids and their imaginary friends. The cartoon characters are sort of funny, but it doesn't move the scale too high on comedy.
*Inside the Mind of a Dog - Educating documentary about how dogs form their intelligence and personality. Not deep enough to be higher.
In the Summers - Somewhat interesting look at two daughters who visit their divorced father in Las Cruces, New Mexico over the summer at different ages, as life changes for them. It's one of those movies that comes together at the end in some ways.
*Irish Wish - Lindsay Lohan makes a wish she realizes she wants to take back. They kind of steal the story line from Titanic a bit, but it's harmless.
*I.S.S. - Russian and American astronauts on a space station must decide and react to instructions from their governments after a Nuclear attack down on Earth.
Kung Fu Panda 4 - Another semi-cute cartoon from the series. It just doesn't distinguish itself as more than this average level.
Junction - Another film about the Opioid crisis from the perspective of the company, the doctor and the addicted. The characters have a little appeal, especially the doctor.
Land of Bad - Marines try to solve an issue in dangerous Southern Asia after a failed extraction attempt. The thrilling ending saved it from lower.
Lazareth - Ashley Judd plays the aunt of two young girls, who lost their mother in a pandemic. She protects them in a secluded place while the world recovers around them. It's a passable story and the girls do a decent job, especially pretty Katie Douglas (Imogen).
Lift - Great cast for a team of thieves who steal some valuable stuff, but it never really gets very fun despite the presence of Kevin Hart and Gugu Mbatha Raw.
Lonely Planet - Laura Dern plays a blocked author on a retreat, who bonds with a younger man (Liam Hemsworth) re-evaluating his life and marriage. It is harmless, but not very compelling and unique.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim - Passable cartoon with a family drama and battle. Hera is a very appealing character (voiced by Emma Thompson's daughter Gaia Wise).
Lousy Carter - Somewhat humorous, odd little movie about a disappointing college professor who is told he is dying. David Krumholtz holds your attention with his dry humor and young Luxy Banner has a future.
Love, Divided - Interesting concept for the Spanish drama as two single people meet through a wall and begin a relationship without meeting.
Love in Taipei - The stunningly beautiful Ashley Liao travels to Taipei for classes and develops some love interests. It's a decent watch, but nothing special.
Magpie - Daisy Ridley is struggling in a bad marriage and her husband becomes infatuated with the attractive star (Matilda Lutz) of a movie their daughter is filming. The drama barely gets it into this level.
*Maria - Tremendous performance by Angelina Jolie as the great opera singer Maria Callas in her final years. But overall the film is a little boring.
Marmalade - Crime drama about a small-town bank robber, which has quite a twist. It's not a bad movie, just doesn't quite rise to a higher level.
Martha - Documentary on Martha Stewart that is a little too long. The court case part is interesting, but the rest is average.
*MaXXXine - The sequel to X with Maxine facing off against a serial killer while preparing for her first feature film. Mia Goth is amazing and I liked it way more than "Pearl," the prequel to X.
Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken - The great singer, songwriter tours prisons to provide entertainment and hope for damaged women. It is interesting; not earth shattering.
The Merry Gentleman - It's a cliched, predictable, poorly-written love story about a city girl coming back to her country town and falling for the local guy. But, it's Britt Robertson. So it had me at hello.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare - It's got some style, there were a few good scenes and Eliza Gonzalez is solid as usual. But I was mostly bored. It was not even a poor man's Inglorious Bastards.
Moana 2 - Popular sequel did not move the needle for me, but it is a passable animated film. Moana goes on another adventure to try and save people connected to the ocean.
Mother of the Bride - Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt make it work as parents - with a history together - of newlyweds. Miranda Cosgrove (the bride) has sure grown up since School of Rock.
*Mufasa: The Lion King - A prequel to The Lion King introduces the grandfather and a young Scar to the series. It is uninspiring at times and does not deliver the emotion it needs.
The Neon Highway - A talented singer/songwriter/electrician meets an aging, forgotten Nashville star (Beau Bridges) and the two try to get a song recorded.
Nutcrackers - Ben Stiller is the estranged brother coming home to take care of his dead sister's wild children. It takes a while to settle in and the last 30 minutes saves it.
*Oddity - A blind shopkeeper tries to figure out how her sister died, haunting the husband in the process. Carolyn Bracken is very, very creepy in the lead role.
Oh, Canada - Richard Gere stars as a progressive icon film maker and draft dodger confessing his sins before he dies in a documentary. Jacob Elordi plays the younger version while Michael Imperioli and Uma Thurman also star in this rather stale film.
*Orion and the Dark - Cute cartoon about a kid who is afraid of the everything, but finds a comfort zone in the dark.
Our Little Secret - Lindsay Lohan comes home from England for Christmas to meet her boyfriend's parents, and of course her old flame is there with his girlfriend. It's okay, just doesn't rise above average.
*The Outrun - Saoirse Ronan plays a young woman struggling with alcoholism. It's well acted, technically solid, but lacks heart.
*The Piano Lesson - Denzel Washington produced the 1930 drama about a fight over the potential sale of a family heirloom. A ghost and an old piano make it stylish, but it is somewhat dull until the final 20-30 minutes.
Players - Ultimately satisfying jaunt about a group of people working at a newspaper who play games to pick up men and women. The ending is predictable, but works.
*Prom Dates - Two girls need prom dates after breaking up with their boyfriends and go on a funny journey to try and find another. It has enough good moments to be worthy of your time.
Rather - Documentary about one of the best journalists of our lifetimes. It still baffles me how he can basically get fired for telling a true story.
Red One - Santa Claus gets kidnapped? It was a better premise than a movie, but the opening 15-20 minutes and the last 10-15 were decent. I have it way higher than most. LOL.
Reverse the Curse - A son returns home to be with his dying father and uses a Red Sox winning streak to invigorate him. David Duchovny directs and plays the lead.
Rez Ball - Based on the story of Chuska High, which won the New Mexico state basketball championship after a tragedy before the season. The script is hokey at times, but it has enough heart to make it worth a watch.
Rob Peace - Based on a true story about a young man who works his whole life trying to prove his father's innocence after he is convicted of murder. The story is decent, nothing more.
The Roast of Tom Brady - Some very funny moments throughout, but it gets spoiled by all the unnecessary crude, sexual humor.
*Robot Dreams - Somewhat entertaining animated film about a dog that buys a robot. It just doesn't deliver as much as you anticipate after the first 10 minutes.
Sasquatch Sunset - I give them credit for inventiveness, but the Bigfoot family didn't really move the needle. Some will put it on their worst lists. I'll just say there is one hilarious scene that saves it.
*Self-Reliance - Funny concept that doesn't really deliver as a common guy is offered $1 million if he can stay alive from hunters for 30 days. Anna Kendrick adds a sprinkle of spark.
Shirley - Regina King is solid as the great Shirley Chisholm, who ran for President against impossible odds in 1971. Unfortunately, the story is more bland than it should be.
*The Six Triple Eight - The story of a battalion of black women stationed overseas during World War II to help deliver the mail. It's old school and Disney-like at times, but has strong performances from Kerry Washington and Ebony Obsidian.
Skincare - Hope (Elizabeth Banks) has successful facial care business until a new competing office opens across the street that sends her world into a spiral.
Spellbound - A sweet cartoon about a young princess trying to cure her parents, who have turned into monsters. Rachel Zegler's voice is good to hear for the main character. It is not annoying, but not enthralling.
Stopmotion - Psycho drama about a young stop-motion film maker going through mental issues while trying to create her own movie after being groomed by an overbearing mother.
Subservience - Megan Fox plays a super sexy robot who is bought to help with a family that has a mother dealing with health issues. Surprise, it was not a good idea for the mom and dad.
Summer Camp - Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfie Woodard return to the summer camp they went to as kids and rekindle a lost friendship between them and others. It's ok, but tries too hard.
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can Eat - Three long-time friends go trough trials and tribulations of life together in a small town. A decent one time watch. Nothing more.
Time Cut - Time travel movie with a twist. It's a little illogical the way it plays out, but the two lead girls (Madison Bailey and Antonia Gentry) are likable. An IVF girl goes back in time to save her sister from a murder.
*Tuesday - Emotional and offbeat story about a mother dealing with the impending death of her terminal daughter. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss provides a strong performance, but the movie veers a bit too much for me.
Uglies - I like Joey King, but this is not a good Sci-fi film about a futuristic society. It tries to be Divergent in some ways, but it is not nearly as compelling as that one. Maybe the sequel will be better.
The Union - Preposterous stunts and an illogical story, but it is entertaining enough as Halle Berry coaxes old flame Mark Wahlberg to turn from construction worker in New Jersey to undercover agent.
Unsung Hero - Based on a true story about the musical Smallbone family, who went through adversity in Australia and Nashville. It's a a nice story. Rebecca St. James became quite a star.
*Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl - Entertaining animated feature that was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe. Just not better than this level in my opinion.
The Watchers - Psychological thriller about a mystical power that imprisons a group of people in the forest. Wasn't good, but I still wanted to know what happens in the end.
Wolfs - George Clooney and Brad Pitt are fixers who are called in on the same job, which sounds like a good scenario. But it is confusing a times and not that much fun.
Wonderland - Korean Sci-fi film. A young woman uses an AI simulation to cope with the fact her boyfriend is comatose, but then he wakes up a different person.
You Gotta Believe - Based on a true story. Rag-tag little league team from Texas is inspired on the way to Williamsport after its coach is diagnosed with cancer. It pulls at the heart strings a little, but is a quite thin in the character area.
Y2K - High school kids try to save the world from robots that come alive around the turn of the century. There are a few laughs, some ridiculous situations and the cuteness of Rachel Zegler, but overall a big disappointment.
The Dis-Honorable Mention
Agent Recon - Sci-Fi drama about a recon team going to New Mexico to try and fight off a group of Aliens. Not much fun.
Apartment 7A - Julia Garner is a failed dancer who is brought in by a strange old couple and given the chance to be in a show. This Paramount-Plus original is confusing and weird. It is supposed to be a prequel to Rosemary's Baby. Julia can do better.
Arcadian - Nic Cage tries to take care of his two sons during dystopian times where monsters try to break in at night. Nothing really new. Uninspiring.
A Sacrifice - A socio-psychologist (Eric Bana) goes to Germany to study a cult and his beautiful daughter (Sadie Sink) gets drawn into it. Silly plot and an even less satisfying ending.
Bad Behaviour - Jennifer Connolly stars as a former child actor with problems who goes to a weird retreat that is led by a guru. I didn't get the black comedy.
Blackwater Lane - Strange thriller on Peacock about a mentally deranged woman who is convinced she will be a victim of a killer. There is a twist, but it's not all that compelling.
Blink Twice - Zoey Kravitz's first feature film as a director ultimately has an interesting premise, but I just didn't buy the story and two lead women characters are miss cast in my opinion. Zoey will do better.
Book of Clarence - A movie that is not sure what it wants to be and never really hits home. Clarence wants to be an apostle and sets out to accomplish his goal.
Breathe - Paramount Plus exclusive dystopian sci-fi about a family living in an underground bunker who must deal with desperate visitors.
Cellphone - A woman suffering PTSD from the death of her lover starts seeing her future on the screen of a cellphone. It's really not as interesting as it may sound.
City of Dreams - The story of as aspiring young soccer player from Mexico who is sold to a sweatshop in L.A. by smugglers. Premise is good. Execution is not.
Colors of Evil: Red - A girl's body is found on the beach in Poland and a prosecutor goes on a quest to solve the mystery.
The Contestant - A Japanese comedian agrees to a show where he is locked in a room for many months. It is funny at times and the ending is ok, but I was kind of bored overall.
Daddio - Two-person show. A broken, but strong girl (Dakota Johnson), takes a cab ride home with a talkative been-around-the-block driver (Sean Penn). Hard to really like either character.
The Deliverance - Horror film about an evil spirit that takes over a house and a broken family. It is confusing and more of the same.
Ezra - A forced story about a comedian and his estranged wife trying to deal with an autistic son. Robert DeNiro is the father's dad. It just doesn't pull you in, but it's not awful.
The Fabulous Four - Old friends meet again when one of them (Bette Midler) plans a wedding. Susan Sarandon also stars in a film that thinks it is funny, and it isn't.
Femme - A drag queen gets revenge on his attacker when the dude shows up at a gay hangout. It has a tiny bit of intrigue on how he gets its done in the end.
Ferry 2 - A former leader of a drug empire leaves his comfortable, hideaway life to help his niece against evil guys. It's on Netflix.
Fighter - Bollywood feature about a talented, but fated, pilot (Patty), who is suspended from the Indian Air Force team called the Air Dragons. It's way too long.
The First Omen - A young American woman travels to Rome to serve the church, but finds out about conspiracy to birth an evil child. It is probably good for those who like this kind of film.
Hold Your Breath - Strange psycho, horror drama about a woman who goes mad while trying to protect her daughters in 1930s Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl.
Homestead - An Apocalyptic event causes privileged people to gather at a rich man's estate along with hired ex-military for security. The message at the end is nice, but the characters are thin, the story is not anything special and the God squad stuff is kind of shoe-horned in at the end.
Hope Solo vs US Soccer - Documentary on he controversial soccer goalie. Did not change my opinion. Greg Ryan was wrong not to start her against Brazil, she is s jerk and U.S. soccer is corrupt. I side with the 99ers.
Immaculate - Sydney Sweeney stars as a young woman who devotes herself to the church as a nun and moves to a strange convent in Italy. It's just another one of those religious horror films with nothing particularly new.
The Imaginary - Inventive, but rather bland, cartoon about a little girl with a big imagination. Amonda and Rudger are cool kids, though.
The Inheritance - Horror chaos happens when estranged children of a rich man come home for his birthday to try to keep their father alive. (spoiler) However, the father has made a deal with the devil, you see. It's both cliched and uninteresting.
Jackpot! - It's "The Purge" as a comedy. Awkwafina and John Cena try hard with a really bad script.
Lisa Frankenstein - A strange introverted young high school girl finds a dead boyfriend and comes alive. Yeah, really. Not enough laughs.
Little Wing - A young girl, distraught by her parents' divorce, gets interested in raising racing pigeons. It never got very compelling for me.
The Long Game - Many of the good reviews over rate this golf movie about a group of Mexican Americans who win the Texas State High School championship in the 50s. Seems a bit thin to me.
Madame Web - Much like The Marvels and Morbius, another failure by Marvel. It seems like there was a decent movie in there to make, but it fails to grab you.
Meet Me Next Christmas - An incredibly contrived, illogical, dopey Christmas movie. A poor use of the pretty Christina Milian.
Miller's Girl - Your basic Nabokov story about a sexy teenager (Jenna Ortega) trying to seduce her teacher. Ortega is very convincing, but the story is a mess.
The Murder of Air McNair - Didn't know much about this case and I didn't learn enough from this rather short documentary. It certainly looks like it could have been someone else to me.
No Way Up - Plane dives into the ocean. Sharks look for food, a few passengers try to make it to the surface. There was one passenger I wanted to be eaten.
One More Shot - Shamed Navy Seal tries to save the country when a rogue military group plans to set off an explosion in D.C. as a diversion to steal government secrets. Crazy violence and a puzzling ending.
Out of Darkness - A group trying to survive in the stone age is horrified when they think they are being hunted by a mystical being who kidnapped a boy.
Parallel - A woman deals with grief after her son dies while living in a lake house that is close to parallel universes. I didn't really get it, but the performances are good.
The Platform 2 - Didn't much like the first one and this futuristic sequel about a platform prison is not any better. Not sure what the message is through the mess, but I'll say the concept is good.
Problemista - A young man from El Salvador travels to New York to try and get a job making toys. Instead, he encounters strange people. I just didn't get the point of this, even though Alejandro (Julio Torres) is somewhat likeable. Tilda Swinton character is one of the most annoying of the year.
Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver - Looks like it is trying to be a Star Wars type adventure with a harder edge. But the characters have little or no personality.
Red Right Hand - Orlando Bloom is forced to return to being an enforcer for a evil organized crime group in his home town. I have never seen Andie McDowell so evil. Chill Andie.
Seeking Mavis Beacon - Documentary about finding a Haitian model whose likeness was used on a program that taught kids how to type. No big reveals.
Sentinel - Three so-called heroes time travel to try to save survivors after an alien invasion. Couldn't really follow this and the characters were awful.
Sleeping Dogs - Russell Crowe plays a cop with memory issues who re-examines a murder case from many years before. It's confusing and uninteresting, but Crowe tries.
Smile 2 - Did not hate the first one and the concept of this second film seemed intriguing. I just thought it got way too hectic and it should have ended different. The chaos was too much for me at times.
Something in the Water - Girls try to get away to a remote island for a sort of bachelorette party, but the boat breaks down. Unfortunately, there is something mean in the water that is hungry.
Spaceman - Netflix film with Adam Sandler as a Czech astronaut going through depression and regret, while approaching a dust cloud behind Jupiter. It is slow and boring.
Storm Crashers - Kids try to save a town from a wicked storm in this forgettable animated film. Victoria is kinda ccol with that eye patch, though.
Tarot - College students rent a secluded cottage and find some tarot cards in a wooden box. They open it and use them. Surprise. Bad decision.
Tell Me That You Love Me - Odd documentary about a special education teacher's inappropriate relationship with a retarded man. Facilitated communication: Do you believe it or not?
Trigger Warning - Jessica Alba killing bad boys can be fun to watch, but this action thriller lacks much to a story.
Trouble - Strange Swedish film on Netflix about a hapless divorcee framed for murder after being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Unfrosted - Spoof about the beginning of Pop Tarts with Jerry Seinfeld in the lead. Had a few laughs, but is mostly low-level comedy. The evil milk men are very funny.
Vanished into the Night - Your basic drama about an estranged couple whose kids get kidnapped - or did they? Not much interesting here, but there is a bit of a twist.
What Jennifer Did - Documentary about Jennifer Pan, who was convicted of murdering her parents in Markham, Ontario. It's not a thrilling Netflix Doc.
The Worst of the Worst, The Dirty Dozen
12. After Everything - Finally the end of this bad series of movies. I have often said Hardin is one of my most hated characters and Josephine Langford (Tessa) plays one of the dumbest. Thank God it's over.
11. Rumours - Seven leaders of the wealthiest democracies meet to draft a statement about a world crisis and get lost in the woods. It is billed as a black comedy, but there was nothing funny about it.
10. Speak No Evil - James McAvoy and his wife coax a normal couple they meet on vacation to their secluded home and weird things start happening. Nothing really interesting, new or fun about this horror tale. McAvoy's sinister character is easy to figure out.
9. Poolman - Chris Pine stars as an annoying free spirit who wants to better his hometown, but bumbles his way through life. I had very little clue what was going on throughout.
8. Sting - A precocious 12-year-old girl raises an alien spider and must try to survive with her family after the big guy gets mean. Doesn't make you care about anything.
7. The Girl in the Pool - Paramount Plus original with Freddie Prinze Jr. frantically trying to cover up the murder of his mistress in the pool. It really is just a mess of a movie with a sexy girl (Gabrielle Haugh) as the backdrop.
6. Knox Goes Away - An aging contract killer (Michael Keaton) is diagnosed with Dementia and tries to help his estranged son while deteriorating. Keaton can't save this dark film.
5. Night Swim - A family, led by an injured professional baseball player, moves into a home with a special pool that gives and takes away. What the heck is Kerry Condon doing in this? Hope she got paid well.
4. The Front Room - The old, weird, religious zealot stepmom moves in with a young family and terrorizes it. It's as bad as expected. Zero value.
3. Mea Culpa - A defense lawyer in a bad marriage is seduced by her client. The story is not logical and the characters are all very unlikeable.
2. Divorce in the Black - Tyler Perry does not seem to be trying anymore. This film has a ridiculous plot line about stupid, evil people. The top three are in their own league of bad.
1. Mean Girls - I got about 10 minutes into this one and said "It's a freaking musical?" It's so bad. Isn't the hot girl supposed to be better looking than the average girl (Angourie Rice). She isn't. Hopefully, Rice will get some better roles down the road, because she is appealing. You never know why a particular movie makes you so angry. But this one did. Expectations probably played a part.
PREVIOUS WORST MOVIES OF THE YEAR
2023: Sweetwater
2022 - Dashcam
2021 - False Positive
2020 - Dolittle
2019 - Cold Pursuit
2018: Mile 22
2017 - Mother!
2016 - 13 Hours and Hail Caesar!
2015 - Chappie
2014 - The Monuments Men
2024 Films I'm Not Really Interested In (But May Still Watch at Some Point if available): Absolution, A Case for Love, Afraid, Altered Reality, Am I a Racist?, The Carpenter, The Critic, The Crow, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, Double Down South, The Exorcism, The Firing Squad, Fitting In, Founders Days, For Prophet, The Garfield Movie, Get Away, The Greatest of All Time, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Imaginary, Kraven the Hunter, Jungle Bunch: Labyrinth, The Last Front, Latency, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, The Man in the White Van, Monster Summer, National Anthem, Never Let Go, Not Another Church Movie, Operation Meltdown, Ordinary Angels, The People's Joker, Popular Theory, Reagan, The Relentless Patriot,, Sight, Sinister, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot, The Strangers Chapter One, Tokyo Cowboy, Villains Inc., Werewolves.
