25: The Bikeriders
Dis here’s a solid flick, ya know? A straight-up tale 'bout bike lovers and da crazy friendships they build. Ain't much of a story, but it paints a real nice picture of a certain scene, ya dig? Da movie looks sharp, da acting's top-notch, and don’t get me started on dem accents, they're one for da books.
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24: Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Fourth in the series, and I learned from the beginning not to expect too much from this crass, tasteless, ultraviolent series. The first two films are still strangely charming thanks to Michael Bay's sheer lack of subtlety. But hot diggity, this entry is packed with spectacular surprises that makes this one of the better films of the series. I did not expect the action scenes to hit as hard as they do–they are easily some of the best of the year. I did not expect Reggie's character to kick as much butt as he did. I did not expect the father/son dynamics to work that well, but they actually do. I did not expect Marcus' near-death experience to have much of a bearing on this story, but they managed to make it jokey and make it count in the end. I did not expect the more inventive camera angles being used, or for the film to look as good as it does. Above all though, I didn't expect the film to be as fun and fresh as it is.
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23: Civil War
I'm sure the temptation is so strong for many filmmakers to use the premise of a new American civil war to harp on modern political divides and issues. Those looking for a reflection on modern politics will be let down, because Alex Garland resists the temptation and keeps the lore of his Civil War vague. He is only interested in reflecting the horrors of bigger issues: of war itself. In its own way, the film leverages the same pattern of
Annihilation as it showcases an odyssey across an altered America. Through the perspective of wartime journalists, there is always a humanitarian eye on the events, and it serves to highlight the horrors of violence and human cruelty. It's as if a speculative premise like
Red Dawn was married with the themes and tone of
Come and See–it's a surprisingly tense experience that will leave you shell-shocked.
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22: Here
A big part of cinema is the photography, and I always welcome new ways for filmmakers to leverage the camera. With
Here, there is a simple gimmick: to keep the camera in one fixed place and show how one location can change over the ages. It starts off with the classic eye-popping Zemeckis spectacle, showing the age of dinosaurs and the passing of eons, before a house is built and the film settles into the simple, human dramas that inhabit it. One camera captures several generations of families, with an occasional peek at other pieces of history, to reveal the highs and lows of humanity. It's like the broad themes of
Tree of Life but with the ambient approach of
24 Frames.
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XXI: Gladiator II
Ridley Scott gives the film his signature texture and verisimilitude, thanks largely to the expensive production and quality cinematography. It's hard to top the talent from the 2000 film, but Denzel Washington easily steals the show, and I've grown a soft spot for Pedro Pascal. Arena fights are as eye-popping as ever. If there is any really strong, relevant scene to this film, it's got to be the ending with the characters fighting on a bridge–not only because it looks cool, but because it's the crossroads of history.
Anybody looking for good, bloody, historic-themed action could do worse.
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20: Monkey Man
Amidst the wealth of revenge thrillers on the market these days (thanks
John Wick),
Monkey Man bears the distinction of showcasing a man who regularly dresses up as a monkey in a boxing ring. Interesting flex, but the heart of the film digs into deeper issues concerning social class disparity. The elements of a good revenge story are there, from the injustices the lead suffers to the heart-pounding fight-scene choreography. Action fans will find plenty to admire in Dev Patel's debut film.
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19: A Quiet Place: Day One
Shut up, it's time for
A Quiet Place again! Although this would have been a bigger slam-dunk if it continued the story from the last two films, this prequel delivers the eye-popping, ear-ringing, bone-rattling set-pieces that make these films unique and entertaining. The story being told is fine–won't hit as hard as the predecessors, but there is an attempt to make it relevant and different. For the most part, it's worth seeing for the experience.
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18: Twisters
You're kidding me, another
Twister movie after all these years? It seems ridiculous considering that it's been 28 years, and for all its strengths as a popcorn disaster flick, it's not like
Twister has a ravenous fanbase begging for a sequel. But the original film did have enough heart to give its technical wizardry some weight as a story experience, so I guess the nostalgia was always there.
You know what though? The second film managed to also have enough heart to give its story some weight. Going for the same-but-different approach, one can't help but to notice the rehashed parts of the plot. You might even be able to predict the twists. But the film won me over from frame one with its focus on the character. With the plucky characters and the rural vibes of the plains states, the film achieves enough heart and character to make it worth the time. It even bears a simple but inspiring message about overcoming fear. It's much more than I expected for this kind of sequel.
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17: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Caesar's story may be over, but a world occupied by talking apes persists. Franchise fans will be pleased that the quality and talents behind
Kingdom of the POTA remain on-par with its predecessors. I'm pleased that the film's focus on technology and societal advancement gives the story some relevancy and will stimulate some interesting thoughts. I'm even happy that there's some attempt to make the new characters relatable. It never quite surpasses the highs of the Caesar saga, but there aren't any lows to speak of, and it remains an interesting addition to the universe of apes.
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16: Deadpool & Wolverine
Behold, the coming of Marvel Jesus! See it in a theater packed wall-to-wall with a bunch of comic-book nerds, and you're guaranteed a good time. The movie is blatantly designed to deliver cheer-worthy moments every so-many minutes, with numerous surprise cameos, callbacks, nostalgia baiting, and needle drops. But it's still true to the Deadpool name with the constant fourth-wall breaks, crude R-rated humor, subversive jokes, and an absolute lack of good taste. You'll laugh, you'll cheer, you might even throw up. Bring your friends, and maybe your family if they're cool and mature enough to watch [CENSORED]. It's easily the most crowd-pleasing slam-dunk of a film I've experienced.
It's just a question of, what else is there? Will it even have the same impact without a crowd? Can I still cheer when [CENSORED] saunters on the screen? Will I still find the [CENSORED] scene funny? Will the plot hold water, especially with [CENSORED]? Who knows? It might be a one-and-done for me in spite of this. The first
Deadpool held up okay on its merits as a [CENSORED].
Deadpool 2 is just [CENSORED]. This one, though? [CENSORED]
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15: Trap
I know it might be stupid–it's an M Night Shyamalan thriller, and his bar was already set way too high 25 years ago. I gotta say though, I'd rather watch a twisty plotline like this unfold rather than to sit around and wait for a twist ending (although there are twists in the end that try to give
Trap some more oomph). Running down this plotline is an experience that elicits thrills and interest, and even though folks might not like the shifts in the final acts, I enjoy the unpredictability of it. It helps that Josh Hartnett is freakishly good in the role. His performance galvanizes the twisty plot by nature of the sheer charisma his character exudes (which tracks along the idea that serial killers will leverage their heightened charisma). In the end, the film's biggest scare is the mere idea that a guy like this could be anyone, anywhere, and could even appear as a good-natured father figure.
And what the heck, I didn't even mind Shyamalan's daughter starring as Lady Raven and doing all the music for the whole runtime. Hot contender for best original movie songs of the year.
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14: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Christopher Reeve made us believe that a man could fly once. His tragic accident and its aftermath may be well-known, but this documentary paints a broad portrait of Reeve's life as a young man struggling to gain his family's approval, an aspiring actor with an active lifestyle, an airplane pilot, and ultimately as a man who would never give up. There is little said about his iconic role as Superman (which is just as well, that's been covered to death in other media), but the film has a warm and inspiring focus on Reeve being a super human being.
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13: Nosferatu
Orlock could never please me as Dracula could. Among the three
Dracula knock-offs we have now, I prefer Robert Eggers' version the most by nature of its sheer production quality. The film oozes a bleak gothic style that befits its Victorian aesthetic, but there are still bursts of subversive shock and terror that push the experience into deeper levels of horror and suspense. With his role as Count Orlock, Bill Skarsgård continues his run of embodying the creepiest horror icons of the last decade (and that 'stache is to die for). Of all the things I'll remember the most out of
Nosferatu '24, it might be the grotesquely deep and fluid sound of Orlock sucking the blood out of his victims. It's never been more ghastly, but it underscores the nature of the monster, and demonstrates how sound design alone can impact the experience. Even when the story seems empty and aimless, the music, the visuals, the brooding pace, and the understated script elevates the tension and delivers a truly unsettling experience.
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12: The Wild Robot
On the surface, it's a cute cartoon about a robot that can walk with the animals and talk with the animals. Like the best of the animated genre though, the film reaches for an emotional core through the magical combination of good storytelling and a strong visual punch. It also helps that
The Wild Robot opens with plenty of hilarity. Its emotional goals are achieved though by focusing on the unique bond between machine and nature, thanks to the charming banter and growth of key characters. It all comes together to deliver the simple, universal message that you can be more than what you were programmed for.
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11: The Contestant
Japan, WTF?
Nasubi's story is one that deserves to be told, and even though it's been documented in places like YouTube,
The Contestant is a legitimate documentary that presents the story as-is with little fluff and plenty of creditability. The film exposes the horrific experience that Nasubi endured, and the corporate greed that prompted it. While his time on the
Susunu! Denpa Shōnen show commands the most attention–drawing us in with the misery and humiliation that was suffered–the last portion of the film cuts deeper into the heart of the contestant himself. One can admire Mr. Tomoaki's resilience and enduring optimism through his ordeal, but you can still see the pain even through his smiles.
There does come a point where laughing at another man's misfortune is not funny anymore. This gentleman went on to climb Everest. When an earthquake struck the expedition, he stuck around to help the rescue efforts. He deserves all the respect. TV producers like Tsuchiya should be dragged in the mud for a year–maybe they'll learn ethics and human decency for a change. Seriously...
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10: Challengers
The hottest tennis you'll ever see. The film will certainly stick out for its steamy love triangle, but it also rides high on pure style. Between Trent Reznor's high-tempo score (my favorite soundtrack of the year) and the crazy ways the camera captures each tennis match (including insane shots where the camera IS THE BALL), there is a heated energy to the film even when nothing is really happening. There are stretches where it feels empty, but the film is rarely a bore. It helps that the cast is excellent, the script is pointed, and the camera work is always interesting.
This is also probably my favorite movie poster of the year.
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9: The First Omen
If you've seen the 1976 original, then you know how this story goes. It's not pretty. Dear God, is it ever not pretty...
With so many
Omen films come and gone over the years, the formula has been well-worn, with the expectations for more freak accidents and dire warnings about the inevitable Antichrist. You'd think a prequel would be pretty mundane, following the same formula and running down the checklist that the original film left behind. But with
The First Omen, there is a clear effort to deviate from those expectations, including a subversive opener where a freak accident happens but it's not quite the same. There are a few predictable callbacks, sure, but the real meat of the film focuses on one sister's horrific discoveries as she journeys into the dark heart of a corrupted order. The real shocks come not in the form of fated accidents, but in the more visceral terrors of the body becoming a vessel for evil. Even though we all know that this has to end where the original film began, it stands out as its own unique story and experience, which is far more than can be said about every other
Omen sequel.
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8: Robot Dreams
No electric sheep here, but if robots could dream about us, it might be the most flattering thing.
Pablo Berger brings Sara Varon's comic to life with an aesthetic that's simple, but lively and full of personality. It becomes a captivating canvas to show the heart-warming friendship between a dog and a robot, followed by their heart-breaking separation. Friendship is the dream in the end. Who knows if a robot can really dream of reuniting with its owner, or if people will really grow this fond of their fellow robots, but like an animated
Past Lives, it's the yearning that directs the characters and drives the plotline. There's a surprising amount of heart that emerges from this simple, wordless cartoon, making it one of the most moving animations I've seen this year.
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7: Alien: Romulus
What a misleading title–there are no Romulans!
Considering everything that we had before, I still hold that
Romulus outclasses most of its predecessors by default. If nothing else, the production is phenomenal, matching up with the previous movies accurately while bringing amazing new visual setpieces to the table. Even though the facehuggers and xenomorphs are nothing new, the film finds awesome new ways to leverage their familiar features and abilities, and even goes so far as staging thrilling setpieces around unique situations (such as acid blood in zero-G, who would have thought?). There are some surprising twists towards the end, which might elicit more cringe and laughs than scares, but I appreciate how the film tries to connect some of the loose ends in this messy franchise.
What ultimately sells me on the film is the central character and her story. It won me over in the opening act as it sufficiently raises the stakes and got me invested in the characters' struggles. Story is still king, and the focus on character is what I care about more than the things that others complain about. Between the story, the amazing production design, eye-popping effects, and some of the most unsettling alien encounters of the series, the experience in the Romulus station is unforgettable and terrifying.
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6: The Fall Guy
It's easy to take some things for granted, including people. A single film leverages the talents of many people–anywhere from dozens to thousands–to make on-screen magic happen. It's especially easy to take stuntmen for granted, since they stand in the shadow of their respective big-shot stars. They take the falls that the stars can't afford to take, contributing another level of spectacle to the grand vision of a single film.
In this respect,
The Fall Guy is a big huzzah to the stuntman profession, just as much as it's also a Hollywood love story, a gritty neo-noir mystery, and a thrilling action/thriller. It's one of those films that has it all, but there's a clever zing to the picture that keeps it engaging and fun. Above all though, the film wears its heart on its sleeve the whole time, granting enough emotional weight to make the characters endearing. I even love how complete the plotline feels, given how the twists are foreshadowed and how every element connects in an organic manner. I even love how the opener shows the guy literally falling, giving the title its clever double-meaning.
Give your stuntman a big thumbs-up! You never really know how much they go through.
Also, why the f**k isn't
Metalstorm a real movie?
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5: The Brutalist
(to the melody of NIN's "Survivalism")
I should have listened to her, but I had to board the boat
I kept on writing her, but she's still waiting at the port
We broke ground for some building, but timelines shifted back some more
Just when it seems completed, my boss is calling me a wh*re.
I got my marble in stock, Jim's got revisionism
I got my scars from the days living with fascism
Just to live in this great nation
I got my grift, I got my plan, I build in brutalism.
It's more than architecture–the film's dialogue underscores brutalism as a parallel to endurance. A huge monolith of concrete will stand against the elements and outlast the waves of petty human turmoil. It does so because it's blank, devoid of any specific political statement and expression.
Or is it? All art is political in the end, and by
The Brutalist's finale, the big twist is that there was a message this whole time. But it still points to resilience as the recurring theme, and from the opening act onward, I couldn't help but to respect László Tóth as the hard-working Hungarian-Jewish immigrant who suffers just to get on his feet, only to find his success being exploited by a capitalist industrialist. There's a lot to unpack just in the premise, but it keeps the drama stimulating throughout its huge 215-minute runtime. It helps that Adrien Brody delivers a performance of a lifetime (for a second time, considering
The Pianist), as does Guy Pearce. The cast overall delivers the right verisimilitude, granting a humanist quality to each character. Photography is often spectacular, the music score is nice, and the overall experience is reminiscent of the days of big, epic storytelling.
The ending became a little head-scratching, since the film refuses to show the fate of a certain character, and then it indulges in a jarring epilogue that presents more questions than answers. I understand what it's going for though, and it's possible that a neatly-tied-up ending would have been more disappointing. Life is weird and messy, and the film shows it that way. The final dialogue tells us that the destination is worthwhile, but you don't have to dig deep to see that it's a lie. The journey matters, and this film is quite the interesting odyssey. Not bad for a film about architecture–this will mop the floor with
The Fountainhead.
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4: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nine years after riding historic on the
Fury Road, George Miller indulges us in one of the many backstories he penned for his iconic characters. A prequel movie covering the origins of Furiosa might not be the follow-up
Mad Max fans would have expected or even wanted, although this has been in the cards for a long time, with
Furiosa and
Fury Road planned as back-to-back shoots to begin with.
While
Fury Road roared out the gate first and delivered a rip-roaring action experience, Furiosa takes a road less travelled, presenting the post-apocalyptic wasteland as a sprawling epic. There is a mythic quality to the film, not only in its vivid Snyder-esque visual presentation, but also with the way the story showcases feuding wasteland gangs as grand power struggles with long-running histories of battles, deceptions, and power plays. Given the chapter-by-chapter chronicle of these events, witnessed through the eyes of a scorned woman, it plays out like an Old Testament story for the new world. Back-to-back with
Fury Road, it becomes a sobering saga that shows a paradise lost.
It may be hard to reconcile the overabundance of CGI, which is more notable in this entry, and Charlize Theron's presence is sorely missed despite Ana Taylor-Joy's best efforts. Chris Hemsworth is an absolute mad lad as Dementus though. The involving and dynamic War Rig battles stand out as some of the best of the series. The production remains attentive to showcasing incredible details behind this mad future. No matter how mundane this release seems, or how poor its box office returns are, the film presents an imaginative fable that perhaps best realizes George Miller's intention with the series to begin with: to create an apocalyptic legend.
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3: Inside Out 2
Well, I may not be a teenage girl in San Francisco, but somehow Pixar was able to make me relate to this character successfully across two films now. The sequel carries over much from its predecessor–in fact, it's almost the same, as it propels the iconic emotion characters on another adventure through the brain. There are some smart additions to the world-building, introducing new dynamics to the film's inventive take on how the mind works. Obviously, the new emotion characters are the main draw, especially since they're the ones that enable the plot in the first place. But while it'd be simple-minded to treat a character like Anxiety as an enemy or a threat, the film takes the stance of addressing the complexity of growth and personality, pushing self-forgiveness and acceptance as the final solution rather than repression. Hot dang, even if I'm way outside the target audience, it still resonates because I have felt the same effects of anxiety and negative thought patterns just like Riley did. And while the film tracks on the usual trajectory of coming-of-age films, where teenagers putting on airs is a common problem, the emotional journey is something we all experience and can relate to.
It also helps that the film looks fabulous and it's probably the funniest film of the year. Seriously, this makes me laugh and smile more than actual comedy films lately. Comedy is dead–long live Pixar!
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2: The Substance
There are two sides to everything. With the star of
The Substance split into two distinct characters, the film takes the unique stance of exploring all sides of show business. There is the fame, and there is the loneliness. There is beauty, and there is ugliness. Pleasure and pain. Youth and old age. Love and hate.
And all of these things aren't just in Elisabeth Sparkle–they're in all of us. Balance is needed. Without it, one side dominates over another, and we start to loathe ourselves. We might become monstrous, or we might even become self-destructive. Remember: you are the matrix, and you are one. We all activate once, when we are born. We all stabilize every day, through our health choices. Switching might be necessary to maintain balance.
In context of Elisabeth's story though, we are given a film that embodies both style and substance. The visuals and the sound–both are perfectly balanced as a mesmerizing experience, boasting a smooth and clean aesthetics thanks to its superb cinematography and nuanced sound design. The art and the entertainment–we are given a high-brow approach to low-brow body-horror (complete with a Grand Guignol finale with the most blood I've seen since
Evil Dead II). The things said and the things unsaid will demonstrate the nuances of the script and performances (with exceptional complements to Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley). Story and experience stand out through its singular focus on the characters and the unique premise. As it roasts Hollywood's toxic landscape and our culture's absurd beauty standards, it stands as a warning for how much mutation and destruction can occur when things fall out of balance.
The solution? Just remember: take care of yourself. *blows a kiss*
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1: Dune Part Two
Love it or hate it, Part One was always designed as the appetizer. Covering only the first act of Herbert's classic novel, with such a slow pace and meditative tone, of course it feels a little boring and might lose some people. But now the stage is set, and now is the time for all the story's conflicts to come to a head. Now is the time for love to be found and lost. Now is the time for family secrets to be exposed and reconciled. Now is the time for prophecy to be fulfilled, or perhaps exploited. Now is the time for war.
This is the main event, and Part Two wastes no time getting to the excitement with its stunning chase scene, set against a blood-red eclipse, showcasing troopers that can fly! The combat scenes continue frequently, with a consistent eye-popping quality and plenty of spectacle and thrills. However, the film takes care to run with the existing loose threads and weave the story it needs to in between the battles, staying approximate to Herbert's original themes and world-building, despite deviating on certain other matters. The film might lose some fans with its narrative choices, but it does lead to a more uncertain ending that not only sets up a potential lead-in for
Dune: Messiah, but also emphasizes the key point that there is a fine line between a charismatic leader and a tyrant.
As expected, the talent behind this chapter of
Dune is as dedicated as ever. Every aspect–the performances, the costumes, the cinematography, set design, effects, the script, Hans Zimmer's music–is spectacular, with few sequences that will stand out for their amazing inventiveness (most especially the Harkonen arena fight, shot in infrared). With all the ground covered behind the courtly intrigue, ancient prophecies, and even some slice-of-life scenes, the film presents itself as a grand epic that befits the
Dune universe. If Part One was just an appetizer, like some kind of salad, then Part Two was a thick, juicy steak with just the right amount of doneness and seasoning. Here's hoping that the next courses of this amazing meal will be equally amazing.
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