2024 does not seem to have shaped out to be a particularly great year in film. To be fair, the deck was not stacked in its favor. Last year’s (quite necessary) strikes affected many productions and not a whole lot got out. However, that does not mean that there were not great films this year.
2024 Releases
Anora is on a lot of best of lists, so you don’t need me to tell you it is one of the best, but you can read my review HERE. but here are a couple more from this year I enjoyed.
I Saw the TV Glow
This might be my favorite film of the year. A creepy coming of age drama about two teens and their love of a TV show, albeit with deeper subtexts. I reviewed this when it came out (read HERE), and it became the movie that I kept thinking about. Though trans members of the audience will likely get more out of it, I think it can resonate with many. The performances add to the eeriness and Schoenbrun nails the vibe of all the 90s TV influences. I can tell you right now that I did not expect Fred Durst to be in one of the best films of the year.
The Substance
Hollywood satire-horror that is the most bizarre look at self-hatred in some time. Demi Moore stars as an fitness star who is cast aside for someone younger. Not to be deterred she finds out about the titular substance that creates a younger pseudo-clone. Margaret Qualley plays the other self, and we’ll just say there are side effects. It isn’t exactly Sunset Blvd. meets Society, but that kind of gives you an idea.
There are other films from this year that I am looking forward to seeing. Having read Colson Whitehead’s book, I am most excited to see Nickel Boys. The Brutalist, with its built-in intermission, is a close second. And being a big Pedro Almodovar fan, I am looking forward to his first English language feature, The Room Next Door.
New Discoveries
Repeat Performance
A woman murders her husband just as the new year is being rung in. She goes to speak with a friend about what she has done and then finds out that she is now reliving the whole year again. Meaning her husband is still alive. Not exactly a film noir Groundhog Day, but she does try to better her year in hopes of avoiding the turn of events that caused her to shoot her husband.
Dinner in America
No idea how I missed this. Probably the pandemic. A punk rock anti-rom-com. An on the lam punk rocker stows away with one of his fans, but she doesn’t know he is the lead singer of her favorite band. When I heard 90s throwback, I did not expect this to be a mix of Greg Araki and Todd Solondz, with a splash of Harmony Korine. Had this existed when I was in college it would have been one of my favorites.
Skeletons
Movies I somehow had not yet gotten around to watching and feel a little bad about it.
Dirty Harry
Pauline Keel has some points about this that are right, but I got to admit it’s quite the ride. Eastwood at is anti-hero best. Don Siegel uses San Francisco amazingly. The politics have not aged well, but it is easy to see why this is a classic.
Beverly Hills Cop
A much different kind of cop. We covered this in the podcast (listen HERE), and I am a little surprised I’d never gotten around to seeing more than just a couple of scenes. You can really see how Eddie Murphy was so huge here. Even though there was a legacy sequel that came out this year, one adventure is enough. Why spoil a good thing?
Vampire’s Kiss
Being a bit of a cult film aficionado, it’s strange I hadn’t gotten around to this meme-worthy performance of Cage’s. Demented is possibly the best word to describe it. If it isn’t Moonstruck, then this is the beginning of that Nic Cage. He plays a yuppie who goes on a date with a vampire, Flashdance’s Jennifer Beals, and things start to get weird. It isn’t exactly what I would call a good movie, but it is fun and weird.
Final Thoughts
This may not have been the best year, but there was still a lot of interesting films to seek out. It does look like I’ll be spending much of the next couple of months catching up though.
~Andrew