25: Eternals
Despite an underwhelming reception and lack of iconography, Chloé Zhao shows impressive ambition as she grants a level of gravitas and worldly aesthetic to the MCU.
Eternals presents itself with a fair level of maturity, but it also strives for balance between its high concept and granting personality to its ensemble cast. The film achieves an impressive amount with what it's given, weaving just enough arcs and pulling interesting twists that deepen the story in surprising ways. It's not the disastrous flop I expected—on the contrary, I find these Eternals fascinating and I'm intrigued to see where they're going with this.
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24: Mitchells vs the Machines
A fun movie that tells its story well. The film starts off hard and fast and remains colorful, funny, and engaging all the way to its humorous finale. While it is amusing to watch a cartoon family outrun a robot apocalypse, the film achieves a level of heart thanks to its focus on the conflicts around the main character's dreams (as a filmmaker nonetheless). There is a cute and warm quality to the drama, which elevates the film well above the standard kid's fare.
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23: Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
While the film can't help but to indulge in quippy banter and over-the-top heroics, it is surprisingly satisfying thanks to its earnest focus on characters and themes of family. Fights are cool and all, and it is surprising that the film evolves into a full-blown wuxia epic by the finale (incorporating some rather odd creatures and mythology as it does so). The reveal of the villain's tragic motivation gives the conflict weight against such an exotic backdrop, and I wound up admiring the film by its end.
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22: Free Guy
Is it strange that I enjoyed this goofy Shawn Levy film more than this year's official
Matrix sequel?
In this gamer-themed comedy, Ryan Reynolds inhabits the naïve shoes of an NPC with lovable charm and heart—so much heart that it elevates the film's ambitions beyond mere slapstick and pop culture spoofs (all of which are in abundance, and many jokes are genuinely funny). It's notable how the film contrasts its bloodless, video-game violence with tone and romance, permitting ample spectacle while eliciting chuckles. Through all the absurdities, the film wears its heart on its sleeve, striving for a level of compassion and relatability that reminds me of a modernized
Truman Show.
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21: Saint Maud
In what might be the most unsettling film of the year, Rose Glass makes her directorial debut exuding nothing but dark vibes and shocking revelations. Morfydd Clark offers a fairly compelling portrait of a troubled soul, whose experiences in darkness and light lead to conclusions that are both gut-wrenching and intellectually challenging. In an understated manner, the film demands compelling questions on faith and martyrdom with only a few choice cuts that suggest a deeper correlation between reality and perception. It amounts to a challenging experience that won't be forgotten.
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20: Raya and the Last Dragon
This film delivers the usual offering of whimsy and cute comedy we come to expect from Disney, but it's also a swift-moving adventure with plenty of sword-fighting and dazzling effects. The story covers interesting ground that challenges the notions of good and evil and delivers a concise message about trust. It is not particularly consistent, but I found myself utterly charmed by its heart-warming finale.
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19: Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
A different brand of comedy that banks on quirky characters and outlandish gags presented in a low-key manner. The outlandish storyline is set against an exotic backdrop, but it also clashes against the mundane misadventures of the two leads, who remain watchable thanks to the performers' confidence and devotion. It's ultimately quite silly and irreverent, but it's also the kind of comedy I feel was more common twenty or so years ago and I'm glad to see it bubble up again.
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18: Ghostbusters: Afterlife
New life is breathed into
Ghostbusters after a tumultuous history of failed sequels and reboots. This effort is all the more touching with Ivan Reitman's son in the director's chair, and the story is bittersweet thanks to its focus on paying tribute to the late Harold Ramis. It is a film built on spectacle and nostalgia (maybe too much of the latter, especially since so much of this story rehashes the original film), but it is crafted with firm, polished quality and good intentions. I wouldn't say it delivers much in laughter, but there is a lot of heart oozing off the screen and one can't help but to feel touched.
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17: Godzilla vs Kong
Seven years after Godzilla's resurgence, the payoff of three previous films finally emerges. Far more polished and involving than the goofy 1962 mash-up,
Godzilla vs Kong delivers its epic over-the-top monster battles with a highly entertaining level of color and camp. Even with its lackluster characters, the film is rarely dull thanks to its more adventurous aspects (including a silly "journey to the center of the Earth" subplot). It definitely invests more into the audio/visual experience than substance, but it's hella fun.
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16: Luca
I feared this would be too cute for my tastes, but I have to admit that this was quite the charming tall tale. The Italian-ish backdrop might not be consistent, but it oozes personality and charm, and it's crafted with sharp, detailed quality. Characters are quite the lovable bunch, and their antics between sea and land become quite funny. Through the madcap adventure, themes of achieving dreams and self-realization emerge to give the film a heartfelt spirit.
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15: No Time To Die
Daniel Craig goes on one final mission as James Bond, and it's not nearly as dour and saggy as
SPECTRE. The film indeed brings back some color and flair thanks to its sumptuous cinematography, fabulous locations, and a wittier script. Action scenes are as thrilling as ever. The story takes the time to grab some threads from previous films and wrap them up, providing both backstories and forward momentum. The film succeeds at sending Craig's Bond off with a sense of stoic heroism, while also leaving the door open for the next generation of 007. It may just be a number in the end, but Craig's take on the character left a decent impression all the way to the end.
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14: The Last Duel
Ridley Scott takes up the sword again, delivering another slick historic epic. The film presents itself creditably through its rich and detailed production design, and the performances exude quality. What makes this stand out is its narrative approach, which makes the interesting choice to cut up the events and present some scenes from multiple angles. It goes far to show different sides of the conflict and characters, which build subtly up to its gut-wrenching last duel. Despite the length and dryness of it, the film does achieve a strong point and leaves as much of an impression as a jousting lance.
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13: Wrath of Man
Guy Ritchie's latest crime thriller is both simple and complex. A straightforward story is cut up and remixed in strange and interesting ways, to the point of repeating scenes with different angles. The effect is surprisingly compelling as it builds up characters with convincing motivations and backstories, which ultimately grants weight and gravitas to its wealth of bloody gunfights and heists. It's not as energetic as the director's previous works, but the inventiveness and attention to detail is admirable enough to make this a satisfying watch.
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12: A Quiet Place Part II
In terms of quality, this is on-par with the last
A Quiet Place, reuniting the cast and director to achieve a synchronous unity between the two films (although I don't think this sequel is necessary, unless another one is in the making). It remains thrilling to watch the characters try and outrun the monsters, which are now given ample screen time to emphasize their sheer speed and strength—holy crap, that opening scene is crazy. The film engages and thrills, but still offers characters worth caring about and slick cinematography.
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11: Malignant
This one is all kinds of crazy. I don't even think its central premise makes that much sense or substantiates the kind of chaos we see, but I remain awed by the chaos nonetheless. James Wan retains his signature focus on malevolence and gore, but filtered through bizarrely contorted plotline, it becomes a bit of a puzzle loaded with jaw-dropping revelations. The film achieves a high level of manic energy and stylistic gloss—so much so that it's hard to tell if it should be taken seriously or not. Regardless , I found the premise fascinating, the plot engaging, and the setpieces brutal.
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10: Nobody
probably won't seem like anybody when guys like
John Wick exists, but it is a grade more thrilling than the average somebody. It tells its story well with energy and style, and one can't help but to root for the main character through every punchy fight scene. It's not afraid to drag the audience through grit and blood, with drab colors accentuating the painful violence. It amounts to quite a formidable experience, and it's endearing through its relatable characters—a decent treat for action-movie fans.
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9: Encanto
is genuinely charming, with lush scenes that burst with color and culture and unshakably catchy music. Beyond its visual and audio spectacle, the film puts a firm focus in family—not only the connection, but in the troubling ways it falls apart (in the context of gifted children nonetheless). Themes of forgiveness resonate universally through the story, and it gives the film a refreshingly deep and relatable message behind its enchanting whimsy.
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8: Spider-Man: No Way Home
Tom Holland's third Spider-Man film swings for the fences with its ambitious, over-arching multiverse angle, and it hits a home run both financially and with its storytelling. The film consistently dazzles with its big-scale action set-pieces, pitting the titular hero against five iconic villains plucked from other movies. This alone feels like a magical powerhouse collaboration. It is great pleasure to see legacy actors step into familiar roles again, and the script delicately balances pre-existing story threads to round off unfinished arcs, and still find room to evolve Holland's character. It seemed ridiculous once that we had so many
Spider-Man properties in such close proximity, but this film manages to grant relevancy and weight to stories of the past while cementing an identity for the current incarnation.
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7: Awaken
This film tries hard to reach the pantheon of beauty established by films like
Baraka,
Samsara, and the Qatsi trilogy, but it falls short because it's hard to distinguish the meaning out of
Awaken. That being said, this is some of the most sublime cinematography I've seen all year, and the entire film is a beautiful exhibition with a lovely soundtrack designed to evoke stirring emotions.
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6: The Green Knight
David Lowery retells a classic medieval ballad with the polish of modern arthouse cinema. While it remains a fantastic adventure by definition, with elements of magic, peril, and imagination, it is also a slow-burning journey offering room for meditation and study. While most fantasy films would be content to conform to traditional conventions and clichés, this tale is spun as a subversive odyssey where the notions of heroism and chivalry are challenged and romanticism is eschewed. Dev Patel offers a nuanced and memorable performance, captured in a world rendered with gritty and detailed production design and mesmerizing cinematography. This is not a film all will appreciate, but I love how it presents an age-old tale in a different way.
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5: Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time
Third ending might be the charm. And man, what an experience. While the film delivers the usual offering of big-scale action and gratuitous fan service, there is also enough weighty philosophical subtext and compelling emotional arcs to propel the ongoing story into its bizarre, eye-popping conclusion. I can't say I even understand what goes on in this movie, but I have nothing but admiration over the complex lore and worldbuilding of the series. I appreciate that the rebuild films expand the existing storylines into new directions. This new ending erases the bleak nihilism of its predecessors with heart and earnestness, and I find it as endearing as it is epic.
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4: Last Night In Soho
Edgar Wright invites us into London, both past and present, to explore a world of ghosts and solve a murder mystery with style. Mirroring the gloss of 1960s music and fashion and the macabre, colorful indulgences of 1970s giallo cinema, the film exudes both charm and terror. The narrative maintains its momentum through mystery and suspense, and it's all brought to life admirably by the cast. There are interesting twists that emerge, with themes that underscore the dangers of nostalgia. And yet, it is the self discovery of the main character that keeps the story deep and compelling. It is a fair amount of substance beneath the incredible style, and it amounts to a seriously swinging and satisfying experience.
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3: The Suicide Squad
Oh look, they put "THE" in the title. That makes everything better, right? RIGHT?
Righting the wrongs of 2016's
Suicide Squad involves more than adding a single definite article to the title. Putting James Gunn in charge of the semi-sequel semi-reboot is a transparent move that betrays Warner Brothers' interest in pumping some life into this dead corpse of a franchise. It's clear they coveted the success of
Guardians of the Galaxy and invited Gunn's comedic (and perhaps juvenile) sensibilities to the DCEU.
You magnificent bastards—it worked.
Under Gunn's direction, the members of the Suicide Squad are given depth and backstories that make me genuinely care for these expendable a-holes. All these unusual characters are given a chance to shine, and it goes a long way to make their adventure relevant. Even in the middle acts, the film maintains its snap through the quick-witted dialogue, characterization, and eye-popping direction. The gleeful, colorful tone clashes with the nihilistic violence and gore in a pungent way that'll disgust and turn many viewers away. They're not wrong I guess, but this is what the comics were too, soooo...eff it, I love the film even if it's a little too long in the tooth. It nails the subversive and absurd nature of the brand, and it's exactly the kind of R-rated romp I wanted out of this franchise.
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2: Zack Snyder's Justice League
Now that's more like it Mr. Snyder.
I'm grateful that this version of
Justice League saw the light of day, because I see nothing but improvements. Even with its bloated runtime, excess of slow-motion, and a number of extraneous scenes, the film plays so well that it's rarely a bore. Characters are vastly more interesting thanks to the added story beats in between the action, all of which gives said action substantial more weight. It's especially compelling through Cyborg's character, who was previously reduced to a bland nobody in the former cut. The mythology is tweaked just enough and seems deeper and much more interesting. Gone is the doofy tone, replaced by gravitas and visual grandeur. The plot is familiar, but it doesn't feel rushed or shallow—under Zack Snyder's supervision, this story comes off as complete, satisfying, and immensely epic.
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1: Dune
After many decades,
Dune captured the imaginations of countless readers, but making a good big-screen adaptation had been elusive. Jodorowsky had big plans, Lynch presented a vision with his own flourishes, and the Sy-Fy channel produced a faithful adaptation hamstrung only by limited budget—after all this, Denis Villeneuve may have struck the perfect balance between adaptation and cinematic vision.
Eschewing storytelling shortcuts, the understated script lets the on-screen action and imagery reveal the story and characters. By nature of this method, the film assumes a comfortable pace and uses all of its expansive runtime to step us through the first half of Frank Herbert's epic tale. Action scenes and effects are eye-popping, but hardly overblown. Spectacle hardly even feels like a focus. It's the cast that becomes the centerpiece, and each player commits to their roles skillfully. Their adventure is framed with elegance, showing off both natural beauty and brutalist symmetry as it cycles through a fantastic universe of unique worlds. Hans Zimmer's music score, so fantastic and uncanny, is a work of art in itself that accentuates the film with emotion and timbre.
All these qualities makes it a grand and pleasant viewing experience, but the story remains familiar and timeless. It is a pleasure to see Frank Herbert's classic story told faithfully, with justice done to the characters and worldbuilding. It is a compelling tale that brings focus on a broad array of topics, from the political to the humanist. The only disappointment is that we'll have to wait another couple of years to see Paul Atreides' continuing journey towards destiny.
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