The Best of 2024 (1-3)

 And away we go.  What you've been waiting for.  The three best movies of 2024.  Let me say this wasn't easy.  Not much separated these three in my mind.  Without further ado, let's get at it.

3.  Deadpool & Wolverine

The MCU needed a win desperately.  And that's exactly what this film gave the franchise.  These two newcomers to the MCU were breaths of fresh air needed.  Disney made the wise decisions of bringing in the actors that made both characters famous and doing something uncharacteristic for the House of Mouse.  They greenlit an R rating.  The movie was a ton of fan service.  But in was in a good "ooh" and "aah" way.  Most of all, this madcap tale was just fun.  Who cares if it didn't always make sense?

2.  Transformers One

The cinematic Transformers franchise has been a bust for me for several films now.  It's been very disappointing for me considering what a staple the cartoon was for me growing up.  So when I first saw trailers for this and realized the powers that be were now turning my beloved "Robots in disguise" into a buddy comedy, I wasn't overly thrilled at the concept.  But trailers did have a couple of amusing sequences.  So, I was going to reluctantly give it a go.  This movie was fire.  It did everything right.  It struck every chord.  It's an origin story that expands the mythology in the best way I've seen regardless of the medium.  As far as the buddy comedy angle, it is that.  Until it isn't.  When it jumps dark, it takes a mighty leap and doesn't look back.  I was in awe of this movie.  So, "Bad-ass-i-tron."  Sorry.  Just had to say that once.

So we've finally come to it.  The top gun.  The big cheese.  The best of 2024.  What could it possibly be?  

What indeed?

1.  Smile 2

It's rare to find a sequel that outshines an original.  Even more so in the horror genre.  There's plenty a sequel that falls flat on its face.  Not this time.  Smile was my #1 movie of 2022.  Smile 2 takes the honor in 2024.  To say the dread of the first is amped in part 2 is an understatement.  The dread doesn't let go of you from the opening sequence to the end.  And, oh the ending.  If there is a Smile 3, I have no idea where it's going but it's going to be wild as all get out.  Take your bow again Smile franchise.  You're doing everything right.

That's all folks!  Until next time.

The Best of 2024 (4-10)

 I guess this is what they call the nitty gritty.  Let's get to it.

10.  Abigail

The child ballerina of a wealthy businessman is kidnapped by a motley band of professionals who each have their own reasons for participation.  Then things go horribly astray.  Blood, guts, and everything in between laid out before you.  A very wild night.  A very wild movie.  Darkly comic.  Ample bloodletting.  Gotta love it.  At least I did.

9.  Juror #2

This Clint Eastwood-directed court drama does something I like a great deal.  It makes you think.  You're presented a dilemma where there is no clear correct path.  Every point of view is valid to some degree.  What is your choice?  It can be right and wrong at the same time.  I love movies that do that.

8.  Inside Out 2

The continuing story of what's in the head of Riley Andersen.  Now 13, she has a new array of issues along with a new array of emotions that have some difficulty interacting with her old ones.  It's a delightful and sometimes intense romp through the tribulations of a teenage girl brought to you by Pixar.  

7.  The Wild Robot

DreamWorks punches into this year's list with a film that shocked me with how fun it actually was.  Nothing in any trailer I saw made me remotely interested in this.  I almost let this one pass.  I'm so glad I didn't.  Heartfelt, amusing, and relatively fast paced, who knew a tale of a robot becoming the de facto mom of a gosling could be this entertaining?  

6.  Alien:  Romulus

The ninth installment of the sci-fi horror franchise is one of the better ones.  In that tier just after the classics that are Alien and Aliens.  The story?  Well, why fix what isn't broken?  Taking place sometime between those two classic films, it's the story of another hapless band of humans that have the unfortunate circumstance of encountering the meanest killing machines ever conceived on the big screen on an abandoned space station.  Director Fede Alvarez has a knack for getting down to the visceral core of what terrifies you (see his remake of Evil Dead).  And believe it or not, he actually makes the facehuggers more terrifying than the fully developed Xenomorphs.  This may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you felt about Alien Resurrection, but he does borrow a concept from it.  You'll know it.  This franchise still has juice.  

5.  The Substance

Without a doubt, this was the strangest movie of 2024.  A darkly comic body horror film that was as gross as it was captivating.  Or maybe it was captivating because it was gross.  Whatever the case, the movie has a lot to say about the trappings of being an aging celebrity.  Particularly if you're female.  Fighting your inner demons has never been so peculiar.  Neither is the ultimate price you can pay for vanity.  Two very solid performances from both female leads.  

4.  Nosferatu

I lost count of how many remakes there have been of the 1920s silent movie.  This one was expertly done by Robert Eggers who has become one of the younger guns in the horror genre.  The story is pretty much a loose adaptation of Bram Stoker's vampire classic with Count Orlok replacing Dracula.  But where Dracula could be elegant, Orlok is a straight up monster.  Someone you would cross the road to avoid.  While not a true splatterfest, the kills are brutal, and the mood is chilling.  This is gothic horror done well.  

The Honorable Mentions 0f 2024

 Hello, and...WEEEEEEEE'RE BACK!!!

After a year's hiatus, this stupendous listing of the year's best lives again.  Sorry it's been so long but, I'm a working man you know.  Hard enough just to see as many movies as I do.  Speaking of which, let me once again make the disclaimer.  I haven't seen everything so I please ask you don't stick pins in my voodoo doll if something isn't here.  But, if you follow my other blog, sithlordreviews.blogspot.com, you'll have a good sense of what I have seen which is quite a bit for a guy who works 40+ hours every week.  How do I do it?   A lot of sleepless nights.  But enough about me.  Let's get to a few that didn't quite make the cut into my top 10 of 2024.

Knox Goes Away 

A movie starring and directed by Michael Keaton, this obscure little gem should have gotten more attention than it did.  The story of a contract killer suffering from dementia trying to do one good thing in his life before his mind is lost is one of the most unique ideas I've come across in a good while.  And Keaton has a chance to show off his dramatic chops which he's always been somewhat underrated for in my opinion.

The Fall Guy

Loosely based on the 80s TV series, this action comedy is most notable for the incredible chemistry between its two leads.  They're fabulous together as a romantic couple and a comedy duo.  Add in a conspiracy and a few stellar action sequences and you have a film that pleasantly surprised me.  

Strange Darling

At times a darkly comic thriller, Strange Darling is, well, very strange indeed.  Again, it's a movie mostly carried by its two leads.  The story is presented in a nonlinear fashion which was actually easy to follow.  I appreciated that it didn't become too clever for its own good.  But it's a wild story that's very well acted.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

The return of the "Ghost with the Most."  Michael Keaton's second entry on this list sees him return to form as the vulgar poltergeist attempting to get a permanent foothold in the land of the living.  Keaton steals the scenein s he's in.  There's also a notable chew-the-scenery performance from Willem Dafoe as well.  Is it as memorable as the original?  Maybe not.  It's still solid entertainment.

Terrifier 3

Oh, Art the Clown, I do believe you became a horror movie icon in 2024.  At least for one week you hacked your competition to become the #1 movie in the country.  Not bad for essentially being relegated to the B-list since your debut.  And it was well deserved as part three recovered from the disjointed and overlong second part of the series.  Let me warn everyone again who might have interest in this series.  Terrifier is a true splatterfest.  Part 3 is no different.  It will go out of its way with the greatest of glee to gross you out.  That's part of the fun.  Terrifier is not for everyone.  If blood by the buckets bothers you, it would be best to stay away.  If you need to get your groove on with bloodletting mayhem, Terrifier 3 is your utopia.  

Heretic

Arguably the most unique film I saw this year.  About half of this movie is spent in a deep philosophical religious conversation between three people.  While it's mostly civil in the beginning, the tension is palpable.  You know something is happening here, you're just not sure what exactly.  That's the beauty of Heretic, and, particularly the performance of Hugh Grant.  It goes to a weird place and the ending is very ambiguous.  However, the buildup is a thing of beauty.