1. Rebel Ridge
2. Nosferatu
3. The Apprentice
4. Nightb itch
5. Conclave
6. Hundred of Beavers
7. The Coffee Table
8. In A Violent Nature
9. Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
10. A Different Man
11. The Fall Guy
12. Small Things Like These
13. Immaculate
14. Heretic
15. A Quiet Place: Day One
16. Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim
17. Casa Bonita Mi Amor
18. The Order
19. Love Lies Bleeding
20. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
21. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
22. Never Let Go
23. Moana 2
24. MoviePass, MovieCrash
25. From Darkness to Light
***Wallace and Gromit did have a theatrical release in the US in December, and it was wider than just LA and NY.
1. Nosferatu (2024; Eggers) 1/2: Enveloped by the darkness of Jarin Blaschke's masterful cinematography, Nosferatu is an illuminating gothic fable of the inextinguishable desires which reside within us and the sacrifices we must make on their behalf. This year’s most fully realized film, Eggers has accomplished the once unthinkable – he has redefined the vampire in cinema by exposing 100 years of Hollywood tropes and pop culture diminishment to a sanctifying light, returning one of cinema’s most enduring depictions of evil to its rightful historical and literary origin.
cgpublic's Most Thrilling Theatrical Experience and Best Picture Runner-up of 2024:
Quote:
2. Dune Part 2 (2024; Villeneuve) 1/2: There's a very fundamental difference between Dune, the literary source, and the cinematic expressions which have followed in its wake and use the book as direct inspiration, e.g., Star Wars. Dune isn't about the hero's journey. It's about the anti-hero's journey. The many protagonists of the hero's journey, with whom we self-identify and aspire to emulate, represent the fantasy we love to embrace, with countless examples which litter the cinematic landscape. The narrative arc of Paul Atreides, however, represents the solitary and sober adult reality of who we are destined to become, the world which we occupy and the universe we cannot escape. Villeneuve understands the simple yet challenging conceit of Dune in this glorious adaptation, and it is present within every frame of 2024’s most thrilling theatrical experience (especially in 15/70 IMAX). Although the emotional core of this film is far closer to the heart of Lawrence of Arabia than Luke Skywalker navigating the sands of Tatoonie, the result is nevertheless centered under two suns and the best of both worlds.
cgpublic's Most Dangerous Film of 2024:
Quote:
3. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024; Rasoulof) : Filmed in secret, a Cannes nomination awarded director Mohammad Rasoulof a sentence of flogging and eight years in prison from the Iranian government, who subsequently fled Iran and now lives in exile. The protagonists of the film, a family of four whose patriarch is elevated to an investigating judge, serves as a parable for an Iran under the yoke of theocracy. Events lead to intra-family suspicion and distrust, their home from refuge to prison. As the film expertly weaves powerful documentary footage of the recent protests in Tehran, the proceedings are elevated in step to incredibly tense heights, as a cinematic thriller and a real-life testament of consequence.
cgpublic's Most Visionary Film of 2024:
Quote:
4. Nickel Boys (2024; Ross) : An adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the novel is “…a spare and devastating exploration of abuse at a reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida that is ultimately a powerful tale of human perseverance, dignity and redemption.” The film is shot in a innovative first-person POV of the two protagonists, and the effect is a transcendent interpretation which never resorts to formula yet honors the original source, the truth to be uncovered, the hope for justice and a better future.
cgpublic's Most Poignant Cut to Black of 2024:
Quote:
5. Anora (2024; Baker) : Made you feel it, did he?
cgpublic's Best Under The Radar Film of 2024:
Quote:
10. The Order (2024; Kurzel) 1/2: A taut, topical true-crime thriller set in the 1980’s about the rise of a right-wing group dedicated to the overthrow of the United States, The Order is Kurzel's most accomplished original work since Snowtown. Law and Hoult are both terrific as the two opposing protagonists, as are the brief but memorable appearances by Marc Maron as Berg and Victor Slezak as Richard Butler. The rest of the cast is solid but not spectacular, and while the same can be said for the efficient screenplay, the technicals are superb – the cinematography by Kurzel's long-time lenser Adam Arkapaw hand in hand with another smashing soundtrack by brother Jed both go a long way. A few minor quibbles here and there, but for a low-budget film that was shot in less than a month it nevertheless provides one of 2024's most intense and entertaining rides, the type of under-the-radar slow burn from previous decades that over time would attain greater appreciation and cult status.
cgpublic's Bleakest Film of 2024:
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11. The Girl with the Needle ‘Pigen med nålen’ (2024; von Horn) 1/2: Also underseen here in the US (although nominated for a number of awards including the Oscar for Best Foreign Film and Best Non-English Film for the Globes), The Girl with the Needle introduces the first of the two female protagonists during the final days of WW1, and follows her struggle to survive in the aftermath of a morally bankrupt and physically broken Europe. At her moment of surrender, in a film that serves as an allegory of war and its aftermath, she meets a captivating older woman who offers her assistance, sympathy and an address. Based on a notorious true crime, the offered path descends into the darkest depths of deprivation, a deep psychological dive into despair rather than the typical genre horror. Mining the exceptional performances from the two female leads, Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm, and framed by the evocative cinematography of Michał Dymek (EO and A Real Pain), this sordid cinematic needle injects a numbing dose of degeneracy that a long, hot shower can only begin to diminish as you wash away the grime.
cgpublic 2024 x Top 25 & Cutting Room Floor Text List:
[Show spoiler]
Nosferatu
Dune Part 2
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Nickel Boys
Anora
Sing Sing
Civil War
The Brutalist
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Order
The Girl with the Needle
I Saw The TV Glow
Flow
Kneecap
A Complete Unknown
Hit Man
Challengers
Gladiator II
Conclave
A Real Pain
Longlegs
The Bikeriders
The Apprentice
Saturday Night
Heretic
Alien Romulus
Twisters
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
The Substance
Love Lies Bleeding
The Wild Robot
The Crow
Last edited by cgpublic; 03-18-2025 at 01:50 AM.
Reason: Ranking(s) unchanged; added The Order and The Girl with the Needle abstract(s).
Still not seen quite a few so I'll add as appropriate:
1. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
2. Late Night with the Devil
3. Oddity
4. Thelma
5. Beezel
6. Gladiator 2
7. The Substance
8. Alien: Romulus
9. Monkey Man
10. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
11. In Violent Nature
12. Longlegs
13. The Fall Guy
14. Founders Day
15. Immaculate
16. Strange Darling
17. The First Omen
18. Terrifier 3
19. Tarot
20. Twisters
21. Dune part two
22. Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver
23. One More Shot
24. Never Let Go
25. Cuckoo
There may be one or two more 2024 films to be screened before the deadline, A Real Pain is at the top of my watch list, but otherwise this Oscars Edition posting is pretty close to complete, with only the individual blurbs remaining to be finalized:
Quote:
Originally Posted by cgpublic
...let them be savored, let them be ranked, and soon to be tallied – the Oscars Edition:
Well, I'm done and managed to add two abstracts by the deadline. Nice job everyone and hats off to thewerepuppygrr in advance of the big tally to follow!
1. The Substance
2. The Wild Robot
3. Nosferatu
4. Longlegs
5. Challengers
6. The Idea of You
7. Alien Romulus
8. Caddo Lake
9. Conclave
10. Tuesday
11. Azrael
12. Small Things Like These
13. Wicked
14. Thelma
15. September 5
16. Juror #2
17. Moana 2
18. Civil War
19. The Last Showgirl
20. Hard Truths
21. A Real Pain
22. Queer
23. Love Lies Bleeding
24. The Fall Guy
25. Abigail
Deadline for your votes is set for:
Monday March 10th at noon eastern time (9 am pacific).
Classic films that were re-released ARE NOT ELIGIBLE! Please do not include them on your list, you'll be asked to change it and if you haven't changed before the deadline, the films on your list will get 1 point each.
What about classic films that are released in a new format not seen before, as in professional 3D conversions of 2D films.
What about classic films that are released in a new format not seen before, as in professional 3D conversions of 2D films.
Nope, not that kind of list I'm afraid. The only exception is if it's a vastly different cut of the movie (as it was with Snyder's Justice League). Otherwise we'll just have a bunch of classic movies muddying the results.
Theatrical 2024: 25 2024 Movies in theaters:
Ranked Favorite to Least Favorite: (Only one I didn't see in theaters was The Substance; on blu ray)
Furiosa Mad Max Story: 4/5 Great action and good story about Furiosa's life and seething path of revenge. Some CGI green screen seams are showing.
Dune Part 2: 4/5 Paul Atreides vs Austin Butler with giant sand worms in epic themed film about a destined hero. Some slow parts but really good sequel.
War of Rohirrim: LOTR Anime: 4/5 A heart-felt story of a hero woman warrior trying to keep her King father and brothers united in the turmoil of war. Great.
Long Legs: 4/5 Creepy investigative horror movie with over the top Nic Cage villain lunatic.
Nosferatu: 4/5 A very good, creepy remake with a speaking main powerful but foolishly obsessed in love decaying vampire villain.
Terrifier 3: 4/5 Art the Clown's reason for his supernatural powers are finally given a clear reason, and part of the mystery with Sienna's father is revealed too, in the strongest story so far. Bar scene was the most humorous.
Deadpool & Wolverine 3D: 4/5 Medium to some strong 3D, and generally entertaining action adventure film with a very welcome Snipes Blade appearance and fight team scene. Wolverine is the star as Deadpool is an acquired taste with his constant joking.
Cuckoo: 4/5 Tense, creepy horror set at a mountain resort with demonic stalkers and the rebellious girl who doesn't want to be there.
Mufasa: 4/5 Better than expected story of Mufasa's early life, befriending someone soon to be named Scar. Good.
The Substance: 4/5 Gains more purpose when things go very wrong for the star at the halfway mark. A lot of blood and gore in the final act surprisingly. Good theme to the film about accepting aging.
Joker 2: 4/5 Departs from DC Comic Book Joker & Batman expectations, and tells the tragic musical comedy story of Arthur Fleck, sent to jail and facing a potential Death Penalty.
Smile 2: 3.5/5 a very good sequel to Smile 1, about a curse they can't escape, this time starring a popstar, Skye Riley. A lot of Popstar themes more than horror at times, but a grisly horror final act redeems it.
Godzilla x Kong New Empire 3D: 3/5 Kong has most of the screen time for a change, great action.
Sonic 3: 3/5 Much improved sequel and stayed on track with the story. Carrey's Laser Dance scene was entertaining. 2nd best in the series.
Beetlejuice 2: 3/5. Slowly paced, but a stronger story than the first with real stakes to their lives, and Keaton is good as usual.
Alien Romulus: 3/5. Good Alien film that continues the expected formula, but adds a new moment dealing with Alien Acid Blood. More of the same though.
Transformers One 3D: 3/5 The story improved by the 2nd half, and has some decent action and reveals to it.
Ghostbusters Frozen Empire: 3/5 Good but a bit drawn out at 2 hours.
Venom 3 3D: 3/5. An okay 3rd story with some big flaws in the logic, like when Venom starts dancing, knowing he's going to invite serious danger. Good action.
Kraven the Hunter: 3/5 A decent action adventure of Kraven fighting corruption.
The First Omen: 3/5 Jump scares but not scary. Thin on story. Good lead.
Kung Fu Panda 4 3D: 3/5 Po and Fox movie, Chameleon villain underplayed.
Beekeeper: 3/5 Statham kicks butt, but not enough screentime. The villain is the main focus in this movie sadly.
Quiet Place 3 Day 1: 3/5 Improvement over part 2, but a small scale isolated survival film that barely shows anything. Not much action. Mostly dialog.
Heretic: 3/5 An okay film about a foolish, arrogant and hateful man luring in unsuspecting victims so he can reveal his evil intent while enlightening them at the same time.
1. Civil War
2. The Brutalist
3. Sing Sing
4. The Substance
5. Anora
6. Deadpool and Wolverine
7. Wicked
8. Conclave
9. A Real Pain
10. Nickel Boys
11. September 5
12. Monkey Man
13. Dune: Part II
14. Alien: Romulus
15. I Saw the TV Glow
16. Hundreds of Beavers
17. Boy Kills World
18. Y2K
19. My Old Ass
20. Problemista
appreciated the 1st post incorporating 2024 movie titles into the intro, OP should write copy for the Oscar ceremony!
haven't seen everything, of course, but feeling solid about this list -
1. The Brutalist - Visionary and forward-thinking, yet an old-fashioned epic in the true sense of the word. Confident, hypnotic and soulful, this stayed with me long after I saw it. And that's a good thing.
2. Love Lies Bleeding - "Neo-noir" really doesn't do this justice, it's a bold examination of obsessions about power vs. hopelessness & how people accept violence as a viable path/lifestyle. Katy O'Brian & Ed Harris are fantastic and it's time to accept that Kristen Stewart is among our finest actresses.
3. Hard Truths - One of our very best living directors, Mike Leigh, comes back w/ the amazing Marianne Jean-Baptiste with a great balance of black comedy and family pathos.
4. MaXXXine - clever and satisfying end to this somewhat unlikely trilogy. Unsure why this didn't connect with people as much as the others, but couldn't get enough of the giallo vibe, references, and, of course, the awesome 80s tunes. Elizabeth Debicki and Kevin Bacon are impressive, and now we can say Mia Goth is a national treasure.
5. Santosh - one of the best Indian crime films in years, technically a co-production with the UK, in the Hindi language. Blistering cross between police procedural and psychological drama, w/ an All-World perfromance by Shahana Goswami.
6. Green Border - The Polish government's mean & negative response to this deeply moving migrant saga tells you all you need to know. Agnieszka Holland’s best since Europa Europa.
7. I'm Still Here - Scorching, profound memoir of life under cruel dictatorship coming right into the family home. Fernando Torres gives a towering, all-time performance as a Brazilian woman trying to keep her family together & help the greater good against impossible circumstances. Well-photographed and intelligently written, this fits in well with other classics of this sad South American tyranny genre, like Eternal Memory, The Official Story and Argentina 1985.
8. Janet Planet - Melancholy but sweet dissection of the mother-daughter dynamic with stunning acting by Julianne Nicholson and Zoe Ziegler. Annie Baker's sophisticated direction really lets this breathe.
9. Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat - Colonialism, political intrigue, the CIA, Nina Simone and classic jazz, this amazing doc has it all. 2½ hours went by super-fast, could've watched this all day and all night.
10. All We Imagine as Light - this romantic and warm slice of magical realism is more of a vibe than a narrative, but
it absolutely sucked me in. It made me want to visit Mumbai, and soon.
11. Babes - I'm surprising myself by placing this here, but it was cool to see an unapologetically raunchy comedy tackling pregnancy, dealing with all that the subject implies. Didn't expect for the jokes to land with such a good success rate, and Michelle Buteau is a revelation.
12. Sing Sing - Compelling look at acting, live theatre and art and how it enriches our lives, through the lens of a prison. Refreshing how it (mostly) avoids all the cliches and tropes w/ great work by Colman Domingo & Paul Raci.
13. The Apprentice - Yes, this would be a tough sit for many for obvious reasons. Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong and Maria Bakalova made it worthwhile, at least for me. There's a certain momentum seeing a morally bankrupt man go from bad to infinitely worse - kind of like Tony Montana in Scarface without the blood and cursing. I'm guessing this'll be looked at more favorably some years from now.
14. Between the Temples - known as a cringe comedy, but actually sweet and touching. Knowingly riffs on Elaine May and The Heartbreak Kid, but this is a richer film. So awesome to see Carol Kane do great work here.
15. The First Omen - a prequel way better than it has any right to be, with a terrific turn by Nell Tiger Free. There's a really nice nod to 1981's Possession.
16. Problemista - infectious, fun, surreal comedy comments on our soul-sucking technological modern world, but feels more Bugs Bunny than Charlie (or Andy) Kaufman. And that's OK with me. Who knew Tilda Swinton would look so good in a red wig?
17. Conclave - as an ex-Catholic myself, was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to connect with this. Felt like the movie could've easily been about Roman, British or American senators from any era, and perhaps that was the point. Ralph Fiennes & Stanley Tucci elevate the material.
18. The Beast - Director Bertrand Bonello really digs David Lynch. And probably The French Lieutenant's Woman, too. Lea Seydoux makes this work, being sexy, sad and funny, often at the same time.
19. A Complete Unknown - After 5 minutes, was able to buy Timothee C. as good old Bob, and it's a fun ride with good music and surprisingly credible singing. We don't learn a whole lot of new stuff, but we get Monica Barbaro doing an inspired Joan Baez, Boyd Holbrook playing a loose, mellow Johnny Cash, and Edward Norton committing as Pete Seeger.
20. The Crime is Mine - goofy French riff on Bob Fosse's Chicago, but it's not a musical - it's a broad romp reminiscent of Warner Bros' crime comedies of the 30s, like A Slight Case of Murder or The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse. Nice to see Isabelle Huppert in this kind of movie.
21. Strange Darling - Turns out there's still room for a Tarantino knockoff - and a serial killer movie - after all these years. Willa Fitzgerald is superb, and Giovanni Ribisi is actually a good cinematographer. Who knew?
22. The People's Joker - Wow, writer/director Vera Drew really hates Lorne Michaels and Saturday Night Live! That's OK, I was never crazy about the show either. She won me over quickly as "Joker the Harlequin", and so did the lo-fi guerilla style of the movie. Just really glad this exists.
23. Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger - Mileage may vary on listening to Martin Scorsese talk for 2 hours, but I love the subject, so it was pure catnip for me.
24. Juror #2 - Didn't particularly want to check out Clint Eastwood's latest exercise in non-style and stilted acting, but they turn out to be features here and not bugs. Nicolas Hoult, Toni Collette and J.K. Simmons keep this lo-fi legal thriller from veering into parody. Don't know if I'd actually recommend this, but I was interested and entertained. Don't even know what I'd compare it with, except for Eastwood's own later works and maybe DTV movies.
25. Thelma - yeah, it's twee and more than a little bit manipulative, but worth it for good work from June Squibb, Fred Hechinger and the legendary Parker Posey.
Just Missing the List: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, I Saw the TV Glow, Cuckoo
Need to See: Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World, A Real Pain, Nickel Boys, Queer, Nosferatu
here's hoping 2025 is an even better film year - Cheers!
Last edited by SelwynMcGinty; 02-28-2025 at 08:37 PM.
1. The Wild Robot
2. Deadpool & Wolverine
3. Arthur the King
4. Strange Darling
5. Inside Out 2
6. The Fall Guy
7. The Beekeeper
8. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
9. Abigail
10. Ordinary Angels
11. Land of Bad
12. Bad Boys: Ride or Die
13. Blink Twice
14. Sonic 3
15. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
16. Twisters
17. Oddity
18. Longlegs
19. The Instigators
20. The Bikeriders
21. Juror #2
22. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
23. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
24. Gladiator 2
25. Smile 2
I still want to see Nosferatu, Transformers One & Heretic. List will be updated if I have a chance to watch any of those.
Last edited by Troll2fan; 02-12-2025 at 02:05 PM.
Reason: Added Juror #2, Smile 2 & Sonic 3 after watching
1. Dune Part Two
2. The Substance
3. Deadpool & Wolverine
4. Strange Darling
5. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
7. The Fall Guy
8. Beekeeper
9. Godzilla x Kong New Empire
10. The Wild Robot
11. Alien: Romulus
12. Wicked
13. Moana 2
14. Inside Out 2
15. Flow
16. MaXXXine
17. Transformers One
18. Hit Man
19. Juror #2
20. A Quiet Place Day One
21. Nosferatu
22. Twisters
23. Gladiator II
24. Rebel Ridge
25. Sonic 3
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