I have only watched 1 movie this year, and it was possibly releases last year - and it was on my flight from Houston to Auckland yesterday - Garfield the Movie. Exactly the very light hearted entertainment I needed. I came here to say - I don't know how anyone can watch anything that Tom Cruise is involved in. He can't act, he's an awful human being, oh and did I say - he can't act.
Him being a Scientologist is pretty awful, but perhaps no more bad than Chris Pratt being a Hillsonger for so long.
But as for the acting... I would disagree there! Magnolia is one of my favourite films of all time, and it's just him doing some very good stuff. And his charm is pretty incredible when you get into stuff like Cocktail and Top Gun (propaganda yes, but amazing action filmmaking and great example of CG used mostly well).
Oh, now there’s a terrible actor-Chris Pratt. He was okay enough as a charming doofus in Parks and Rec, but outside of that terrible.
I can’t help but love Tom Cruise the actor because I was an obsessive Top Gun fan when it came out and still love it, and the OG mission impossible is great too. I hate to say I’ve never seen Magnolia, but will make a point of doing so.
I’m not as up to date on current movies as I’d like. And most of what I have seen are big budget blockbusters and/or horror. Some assorted thoughts, with spoilers:
Longlegs - I liked this at first, but as time has gone I’ve more and more come to agree with Dan. Oz Perkins definitely has talent, but more as a director than a writer. A film podcast I listen to pointed out that ascribing the actions of men who murder their families, a very real and tragic phenomenon, to satanic influence is a bit gross and I can’t help but agree. A+ marketing though.
The First Omen - Way better than an unnecessary prequel to a 50 year old film had any right to be. The cinematography was surprisingly gorgeous. There’s one scene in particular that I’ve never seen in another horror movie, and I’m absolutely shocked was included in a mainstream film.
Speak No Evil - It’s fine and well made, but once you get rid of the ending of the Danish original, what exactly is the point?
Trap - Absolutely ridiculous, though I’m not sure that M. Night is aware he made a comedy.
Heretic, The Substance, Dune Part 2 - All good! Not much to say that hasn’t been better said elsewhere.
And after Dan’s withering take on it, I’m a bit ashamed to say I really enjoyed Wicked. Great performances, great songs, and splitting it in two really allows the story to breathe in comparison to the stage show, which felt both rushed and bloated.
(And speaking of Oz, does anybody else remember the sequel “Return to Oz” from the 80s? Dorothy gets sent to a mental institution by Auntie Em because she won’t stop talking about Oz. They’re going to give her electro shock therapy, but then she ends up back in Oz, and encounters all kinds of terrifying creatures like the head swapping Princess Mombi. It terrified me as a kid, so after Wicked I went back and watched some clips, and it’s still terrifying.)
I haven’t seen many films this year. Alien Romulus was great, and that last 20 minutes was fantastically tense. The new Bad Boys bored me despite all the action. Fall Guy was fun. Civil War didn’t grab me. Inside Out 2 was a bit slow then better towards the end. That’s about it for me!
The Substance (disgusting, sometimes hilarious, sometimes surprisingly affecting, always very different from anything else released in 2024)
Love Lies Bleeding (it's a crying shame this full-tilt lesbian bodybuilding noir wasn't a hit)
Kneecap (best music biopic in years: high-energy, very funny, volatile and politically on point - who cares if most of it wasn't true, it's not like Ray or Walk The Line were faithful to life)
Good One (a small but very effective debut feature from writer/director India Donaldson with a low-key but shattering third-act turn)
Grand Theft Hamlet (funniest movie of the year: a documentary entirely made in GTA Online about two actors trying to put on a Shakespeare production inside the game during lockdown)
All Of Us Strangers (from way back in January, a must see)
The Sweet East (a dark and very funny throwback to the wild indie road movies of the early '90s but with a very 2024 attitude)
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (the most life-affirming movie about death I've seen lately)
I think I've seen other movies but the only one I can remember watching is Twisters. Having been such a fan of the original since I was a kid, I was delighted to see the new film in theaters. It's by no means perfect, but I had a hoot and a half watching it.
I've been shockingly out of the loop in the cinema world, this year. I went see to exactly one movie in 2024 - a friend suggested we check one out in early December, and we dropped in to see 'Heretic'. It was fine. Did well with a main cast of three and a miniscule setting. Very tense throughout. Hugh Grant seems to be having a ball in recent years and I'm all for it. I couldn't honestly say that what Dan has eloquently pointed out here is why I've not been to the movies much, but it certainly gave me plenty to ponder.
Listening to Hugh Grant’s character did feel a bit like a Reddit atheist cornering you at a party, but I felt like the movie also did a good job pointing out the shallowness of his arguments and how they were mostly a flimsy justification for his own sadism. I think it’s better on that front then a similar film like The Menu, which was more confused about how much we should sympathize with the Ralph Fiennes character.
No one has mentioned Conclave, which we watched recently. I'd seen a rave review from Guy Branum on After Midnight and then another positive review in the WSJ. I thought it was visually interesting, but we found the twists predictable and called two of them quite early. Others seem to really enjoy it so I don't want to dissuade people from watching it, but I was unable to suspend disbelief at the rules/policy they modified as part of the story. (I'm not Catholic, but I'm somewhat aware of the papal selection process.) I don't know the book so I can't compare to what was done there and if it is any different.
A last minute addition: I saw Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu last night, and surprisingly did not care for it as much as I thought I would. It’s gorgeous to look at, but incredibly slow paced which might not be a problem if it also weren’t 20 minutes too long. I really liked The Northman and The Witch, so this one was a bit of disappointment for me. I do seem to be in the minority on this one, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. There are cats in it though, always a plus.
I don't watch nearly as many new films as when I was a critic but this year my favorite was (perhaps inevitably) 'I Saw The TV Glow.'
Other notable viewings included the Pharrell Lego movie (I was high and absolutely could not believe what I was watching), Apple's two-part Steve Martin documentary, and 'Trap.' It's not a great movie but I LOVE Hartnett in it and believe that in a just world he'd be in awards contention. It's such a darkly funny, pitch perfect performance.
I have only watched 1 movie this year, and it was possibly releases last year - and it was on my flight from Houston to Auckland yesterday - Garfield the Movie. Exactly the very light hearted entertainment I needed. I came here to say - I don't know how anyone can watch anything that Tom Cruise is involved in. He can't act, he's an awful human being, oh and did I say - he can't act.
Him being a Scientologist is pretty awful, but perhaps no more bad than Chris Pratt being a Hillsonger for so long.
But as for the acting... I would disagree there! Magnolia is one of my favourite films of all time, and it's just him doing some very good stuff. And his charm is pretty incredible when you get into stuff like Cocktail and Top Gun (propaganda yes, but amazing action filmmaking and great example of CG used mostly well).
Oh, now there’s a terrible actor-Chris Pratt. He was okay enough as a charming doofus in Parks and Rec, but outside of that terrible.
I can’t help but love Tom Cruise the actor because I was an obsessive Top Gun fan when it came out and still love it, and the OG mission impossible is great too. I hate to say I’ve never seen Magnolia, but will make a point of doing so.
It's a heavy, intense watch - I always cry - so just make sure you're in the right mood!
Thanks for the heads up
I’m not as up to date on current movies as I’d like. And most of what I have seen are big budget blockbusters and/or horror. Some assorted thoughts, with spoilers:
Longlegs - I liked this at first, but as time has gone I’ve more and more come to agree with Dan. Oz Perkins definitely has talent, but more as a director than a writer. A film podcast I listen to pointed out that ascribing the actions of men who murder their families, a very real and tragic phenomenon, to satanic influence is a bit gross and I can’t help but agree. A+ marketing though.
The First Omen - Way better than an unnecessary prequel to a 50 year old film had any right to be. The cinematography was surprisingly gorgeous. There’s one scene in particular that I’ve never seen in another horror movie, and I’m absolutely shocked was included in a mainstream film.
Speak No Evil - It’s fine and well made, but once you get rid of the ending of the Danish original, what exactly is the point?
Trap - Absolutely ridiculous, though I’m not sure that M. Night is aware he made a comedy.
Heretic, The Substance, Dune Part 2 - All good! Not much to say that hasn’t been better said elsewhere.
And after Dan’s withering take on it, I’m a bit ashamed to say I really enjoyed Wicked. Great performances, great songs, and splitting it in two really allows the story to breathe in comparison to the stage show, which felt both rushed and bloated.
(And speaking of Oz, does anybody else remember the sequel “Return to Oz” from the 80s? Dorothy gets sent to a mental institution by Auntie Em because she won’t stop talking about Oz. They’re going to give her electro shock therapy, but then she ends up back in Oz, and encounters all kinds of terrifying creatures like the head swapping Princess Mombi. It terrified me as a kid, so after Wicked I went back and watched some clips, and it’s still terrifying.)
I haven’t seen many films this year. Alien Romulus was great, and that last 20 minutes was fantastically tense. The new Bad Boys bored me despite all the action. Fall Guy was fun. Civil War didn’t grab me. Inside Out 2 was a bit slow then better towards the end. That’s about it for me!
Like all the Alien films (minus v Predator) there are always some good takeaway scenes.
For me - the anti-gravity acid hallway, the slow walk past the facehuggers, and the x-ray chestburster! Fun!
I forgot the Wild Robot which was beautifully animated and made me cry more than once.
My movies of the year were:
The Substance (disgusting, sometimes hilarious, sometimes surprisingly affecting, always very different from anything else released in 2024)
Love Lies Bleeding (it's a crying shame this full-tilt lesbian bodybuilding noir wasn't a hit)
Kneecap (best music biopic in years: high-energy, very funny, volatile and politically on point - who cares if most of it wasn't true, it's not like Ray or Walk The Line were faithful to life)
Good One (a small but very effective debut feature from writer/director India Donaldson with a low-key but shattering third-act turn)
Grand Theft Hamlet (funniest movie of the year: a documentary entirely made in GTA Online about two actors trying to put on a Shakespeare production inside the game during lockdown)
All Of Us Strangers (from way back in January, a must see)
The Sweet East (a dark and very funny throwback to the wild indie road movies of the early '90s but with a very 2024 attitude)
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (the most life-affirming movie about death I've seen lately)
Longlegs (suck it, haters)
Evil Does Not Exist (a quietly devastating movie)
I think I've seen other movies but the only one I can remember watching is Twisters. Having been such a fan of the original since I was a kid, I was delighted to see the new film in theaters. It's by no means perfect, but I had a hoot and a half watching it.
I took my nieces and we had a blast. It was fun being in a theatre during that scene that saw a theatre get gutted!
I've been shockingly out of the loop in the cinema world, this year. I went see to exactly one movie in 2024 - a friend suggested we check one out in early December, and we dropped in to see 'Heretic'. It was fine. Did well with a main cast of three and a miniscule setting. Very tense throughout. Hugh Grant seems to be having a ball in recent years and I'm all for it. I couldn't honestly say that what Dan has eloquently pointed out here is why I've not been to the movies much, but it certainly gave me plenty to ponder.
Heretic was far from perfect - and a little smug in its speeches - but very, very fun. Agreed.
Listening to Hugh Grant’s character did feel a bit like a Reddit atheist cornering you at a party, but I felt like the movie also did a good job pointing out the shallowness of his arguments and how they were mostly a flimsy justification for his own sadism. I think it’s better on that front then a similar film like The Menu, which was more confused about how much we should sympathize with the Ralph Fiennes character.
No one has mentioned Conclave, which we watched recently. I'd seen a rave review from Guy Branum on After Midnight and then another positive review in the WSJ. I thought it was visually interesting, but we found the twists predictable and called two of them quite early. Others seem to really enjoy it so I don't want to dissuade people from watching it, but I was unable to suspend disbelief at the rules/policy they modified as part of the story. (I'm not Catholic, but I'm somewhat aware of the papal selection process.) I don't know the book so I can't compare to what was done there and if it is any different.
A last minute addition: I saw Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu last night, and surprisingly did not care for it as much as I thought I would. It’s gorgeous to look at, but incredibly slow paced which might not be a problem if it also weren’t 20 minutes too long. I really liked The Northman and The Witch, so this one was a bit of disappointment for me. I do seem to be in the minority on this one, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. There are cats in it though, always a plus.
I liked parts of this one but I don't really get why people are raving about it, to me it's weaker than the two movies it remakes.
I don't watch nearly as many new films as when I was a critic but this year my favorite was (perhaps inevitably) 'I Saw The TV Glow.'
Other notable viewings included the Pharrell Lego movie (I was high and absolutely could not believe what I was watching), Apple's two-part Steve Martin documentary, and 'Trap.' It's not a great movie but I LOVE Hartnett in it and believe that in a just world he'd be in awards contention. It's such a darkly funny, pitch perfect performance.