Another year come and gone. 2024 was a very strange year for movies. Blockbusters have been the name of the game since COVID, but this year, a bunch of those big blockbusters absolutely failed. I saw a lot of smaller films this year, and I am excited to talk about them. There were some big surprises and big disappointments. It'll be interesting to hear what other people think of this year in movies. That said, here is every new release I saw this year, ranked.
24. Road House
Road House was terrible. I have never seen the original, so maybe that informs my opinion a little bit, but even if you are a fan of that film, I do not see how someone could like this thing. Jake Gyllenhaal is it's only saving grace, because everything else, from the story to the action to the acting, is just dreadful. It feels like a publicity stunt to cast Conor McGregor and Post Malone in the same movie. How can you remake a cult classic from the 80s and use CGI punches? I just don't get it. This was absolutely awful.
23. Bob Marley: One Love
I'm starting to get a little bit tired of these music biopics, because very few of them are actually good. Bob Marley feels like just a generic, uninspired telling of the world's most famous reggae musician. Kingsley Ben-Adir gives it his best, but this film suffers from a non-cohesive plot that just wants to recap Marley's entire life without actually diving deep into who he was and how his music really did change the world. It's so surface-level and forgettable. If you are going to make biopics of these music icons, do it well or don't do it at all.
22. The Idea of You
Speaking of generic, The Idea of You is basically the definition of that word. This is just a basic by-the-numbers romance film that tries to throw in a little bit of a comedy and a different type of relationship to spice things up...and finds middling results. Is this a terrible movie? No. Is it good? No. It's so incredibly mid. Anne Hathaway is mid. The relationship between this ridiculously stereotypical boy band star and a 40-year-old woman is mid. This script has no life. It feels like they had a checklist with, like, five items while making this movie, and once it checked off those boxes, they stopped really caring about it. Just a generic, bad romance film with some strange attempts at comedy.
21. Joker: Folie á Deux
Speaking of generic...Joker: Folie á Deux is definitely not that. And that's part of the reason that it's a bit higher than those other movies. It's kind of fun that a sequel to a billion-dollar Best Picture-nominated blockbuster can be as weird as this movie is. However...it's weirdness is unfortunately not a good thing. This movie has been described as a two-hour troll movie that just takes everything good about Joker and subverts it. The first one was a Scorsese-inspired psychological thriller? Let's do a courtroom drama with musical numbers in it. The first one claims to be about the Joker that Batman will fight? No, Arthur Fleck dies. He's not the Joker. Every plot decision made in this movie is just so weird in all the wrong ways. On top of that, this movie is surprisingly boring. It feels like nothing really happens for the whole film. I never really knew why we needed a sequel to Joker, and, after seeing the sequel, I still don't really know why we needed one.
20. Hit Man
This is a Netflix genre-blender starring Glen Powell that got absolutely rave reviews, so I was very interested to check it out. However, I was surprisingly disappointed. This movie, to me, was just a complete mess. I thought it started out with an interesting premise, but the film has multiple twists and turns that I felt like derailed the film further every single time. Glen Powell is charming as always, but the romance here leaves something to be desired. What really kills this movie, however, is the ending. I hated the note that we ended on, and it really left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
19. Mean Girls
Upon initial watch, I actually really enjoyed this film. However, I rewatched the original soon after and realized that this is not a very good movie. This version feels like a really good TV film...but it doesn't really work as an actual movie. It feels very cheap and overproduced. The songs are transformed drastically from the musical. The film reuses all of the jokes in the original, which aren't funny, because we already know all of them. Reneé Rapp is a good version of Regina, but Angourie Rice is atrocious in the lead role. She cannot sing for her life and her acting was subpar. The original Mean Girls is one of my favorite movies, so I found this to be entertaining enough, but definitely not that good.
18. Bad Boys: Ride or Die
These next two movies are right in the middle of the road for me and for very different reasons. I have never seen any of the Bad Boys movies, but I got a screener to this one and decided to go. My expectations were basically at the ground because these dumb action movies have never really appealed to me...and I actually found myself enjoying this one a lot more than I expected. It's definitely not great by any means, but it's a solidly entertaining action film. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have great chemistry. It's pretty funny. The story is cliché as can be, but who cares? I come to a movie like this to laugh and watch fun action. And I did that.
17. A Quiet Place: Day One
I went into this film with weird feelings, because I didn't really know what a Quiet Place spin-off would look like. I think this is definitely the weakest entry in the franchise. It doesn't have the emotion, stakes, or excitement of the main films. But I do think it's a decent one-off story that has it's own set of emotions. I was not on board for this film at all in the first half, but once you kind of adjust to what it is, this movie can really work. It does feel like it repeats a lot of the beats of the main films when it comes to the intense scenes and running from the creatures, so that took away from it a bit. It's definitely a weird one, but it's not that bad.
16. Argylle
I enjoyed Argylle a lot more than most people. It is a ridiculous movie, of course, but I found the characters to be charming and the twists and turns to be very fun. This movie is not at all what it presents as on the surface, and I really enjoyed that. Every ten or twenty minutes, there would be some big reveal that would change the entire narrative, and I thought that just made for a really exciting, fun spy film. Now, as soon as you apply any logic whatsoever to this movie, it falls to pieces, so I can definitely see that turning some people off of it. It's a very entertaining film that does not rely on story or sense to create its entertainment.
15. The Fall Guy
This is such an interesting year, because we have a few of these non-franchise action movies that are all notable for different reasons. The Fall Guy is worth watching just to see Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt at their most charming. Gosling is arguably at the height of his career after La La Land, Blade Runner 2049, and, of course, Barbie, and he just oozes movie star charisma here. Blunt is also great, and they have a very fun relationship in this movie. This film is directed by a former stuntman, so a bunch of the action sequences and stunts are really awesome. But, as many of these action movies do, this movie suffers from ridiculous logic and a pretty weak story. This was probably the movie where those things bothered me the least, which is why it's the highest of these action films.
14. The Substance
I don't even know what to say about The Substance. This movie was bonkers. I absolutely loved the social commentary and how it portrayed its message through story rather than just monologuing at the audience. I thought Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley were great. This film made me incredibly uncomfortable and disgusted, which I mean in the best way possible. I think it falls apart a bit in the ending and goes a bit too far with the body horror and shock value, but this is a very, very solid horror-comedy with a great social commentary at the core.
13. It Ends with Us
Very similar to Argylle and Mean Girls, this is another movie that has fallen off the more I think about it. I adored It Ends with Us upon first viewing, but as I've let it resonate, this movie has so many problems. On the one hand, I do think it's a good commentary on abuse and really shows the complex emotions that can be brought about in an abusive relationship. On the other hand, this does have a lot of Hollywood romantic sap that probably should not be in a movie about abuse. Blake Lively has also accused the director/actor who played her abusive boyfriend of sexual harassment on the set, which just turns me off of this movie even more. I still think it's good, but I have a lot of mixed and conflicting emotions when I think about it.
12. Challengers
This was another very strange one. Challengers is this love triangle tennis film that is very stylized and unique. For that, I automatically liked it. Director Luca Guadagnino found a super interesting way to tell this story that made it more engaging than it would've been otherwise. Zendaya is great as this manipulative woman between two men who are obsessed with her. It uses tennis as a metaphor for this love triangle, and I really enjoyed that. It's kind of hard to root for anyone here, so that made it a bit of a tougher watch, but otherwise, Challengers was a very solid film.
11. Smile 2
Smile 2 was frickin' terrifying. The first Smile was also scary, but this was on another level. Director Parker Finn turned it up a notch and gave us this scarier, crazier sequel that is very different because of our main character. It's very interesting to see a pop star be stalked by this smile entity, and it just makes for a more uncomfortable, dread-inducing experience. I actively dislike the ending, but it doesn't really take away from the entire film. This movie is a horrifying meditation on trauma and loss, and it just feels like another really solid outing from this franchise and this director. Also, Naomi Scott should be in the Oscar conversation. She's not going to be, because horror is rarely recognized when awards season comes around, but she should be because she is incredible.
10. Inside Out 2
I wasn't as crazy about Inside Out 2 as a lot of people were, but I still enjoyed it. Both the first and second film work really well as a highly entertaining, funny, and emotional way to show puberty and how emotions change as you grow older. I think the biggest thing that this movie struggles with is distinguishing itself from the first one. The new emotions are fun, but the story hits a lot of the same beats as Inside Out. Now, Inside Out is one of the best animated movies ever made, so if you are going to borrow beats from a film, that's not the worst one to choose. But I do think that this movie would've been better if they had been able to do something truly different rather than re-skinning the plot of the first one. That said, I still think it's a really good movie that (hopefully) puts Pixar back on track.
9. Carry-On
This movie came out of nowhere. On Christmas, my cousin told me he wanted to watch this movie, so we sat down and watched it despite my having no idea what it was. And I was very surprised. This was a great little thriller that feels like a bit of a throwback to the 80s/90s. It has a classic feel to it with a tense atmosphere and a really good villain. Taron Egerton is great as this TSA agent thrust into a horrible situation, but the star of the show is Jason Bateman as the mysterious villain who needs to get a bag of luggage onto a plane. It's a simple thriller, really, but it is tense, exciting, and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I think it gets a little overblown and convoluted in the third act, but otherwise, a really solid throwback thriller.
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Like most people, I love Mad Max: Fury Road, so I was very interested to see what Furiosa would be. Now, it's definitely not even close to the level of Fury Road, but this is a great addition to the Mad Max franchise that recaptures the insanity and uniqueness of the Wasteland. George Miller knows this franchise so well, and he is just really good at making enthralling action with these crazy vehicles in this beautiful desert wasteland. Chris Hemsworth is tons of fun. It's obviously great to see Furiosa again. I think this movie is a bit too overstuffed and I was disappointed with the use of some CGI where there could've been practical effects, but I had tons of fun with it.
7. Civil War
Civil War was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Director Alex Garland caught my attention with Ex Machina, so his name combined with the awesome trailer got me very excited for this film. It takes a bit to get going, but once it does, Civil War is an awesome, thrilling, horrifying ride that shows the horrors and dangers of a divided America. I think it was a great decision to not tell us how this war started or which sides are fighting for what. It felt like this snapshot of a terrifying time in America that was pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat exciting.
6. Deadpool & Wolverine
The only MCU movie released this year, Deadpool & Wolverine was basically everything I wanted it to be. This movie is an absolute blast. If you are a Marvel fan (and especially an X-Men fan), you cannot dislike this movie. Watching Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on screen together for the first time (I'm not counting you, X-Men Origins) is just as fantastic as you want it to be. The action is great, the cameos are tons of fun, and it actually has a solid bit of emotion at the core. I can't say it's a great movie, because the story is a complete mess and doesn't really make any sense, but this is absolutely the most fun I had at the movie theater this year.
5. Gladiator II
This movie was a pleasant surprise. I love Gladiator, and I was excited for Gladiator II, but I was also very hesitant. I thought the movie did a great job of being a sequel to the original while also doing its own thing. This is not nearly on the same level as the first Gladiator, but Gladiator II still has that awesome, epic historical action feel to it that the original had. They change up some character dynamics here to make the story feel different and have different stakes. Ridley Scott still knows how to deliver an experience that feels massive. The cinematography is gorgeous. The production design is immaculate. I really feel like this is the best sequel they could've made. Following up Gladiator is a tall order, and I think Gladiator II did a serviceable job.
4. Longlegs
Longlegs was another one of my most anticipated movies purely due to the marketing. This film had one of the best marketing campaigns I have ever seen. It got me very interested, and the movie did not disappoint. It feels like a throwback serial killer movie with this very creepy mystery at the core. Director Oz Perkins crafts an incredibly unsettling atmosphere that feels like something could be lurking around every corner. Maika Monroe is great as this odd FBI agent with a supernatural talent. The star of the show, however, is Nicolas Cage. Mr. Longlegs himself. His insanely creepy antagonist feels like a new icon in horror with his freaky makeup and terrifying performance. This was a great, tense serial killer film, and I cannot wait to see what Oz Perkins does next.
3. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
This was, by far, my biggest surprise of the year. Going into this movie, I had not seen any of the Planet of the Apes movies. This movie had surprising depth and complex characters, as well as a layered story that really keeps you engaged. I enjoyed this film so much that I watched the rest of the Planet of the Apes Caesar trilogy and can officially call myself a fan of this franchise. This was a great continuation of a great trilogy, and I cannot wait to see where this franchise goes next.
2. Dune: Part Two
I thought that the first Dune was good, but I found it to be pretty slow and confusing. Dune: Part Two is still a bit confusing...but it is frickin' awesome. Denis Villeneuve brings this world to life with gorgeous cinematography, fantastic production design, and deep, complicated characters. This movie feels epic in every sense of the word. The story takes the classic template of the hero's journey and turns it entirely on its head. Paul Atreides is not this perfect protagonist. He is flawed. He is selfish. He puts his goals ahead of the right thing to do. This movie feels like the first Dune on steroids. There's so much more action and excitement and greatness. I loved this movie. Dune is not really my thing, but how can you not admire this as a true masterpiece?
1. Wicked
It has been three years since my most anticipated movie of the year was my favorite movie of the year, and it is always a great experience when that happens. My expectations for Wicked were sky high. The Broadway show is one of my favorites, and I have been waiting for a film adaptation for basically my entire life. And, despite those lofty expectations, Wicked still managed to blow me out of the water. This is everything I could've hoped for and more. Jon M. Chu brings Oz to life in this colorful, gorgeous fashion with incredible musical numbers and fantastic characters. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were perfect. I was shaking with adrenaline the first time I saw Defying Gravity in the theater. This movie is on the level of, like, Top Gun: Maverick and Avengers: Endgame for me. I just cannot rave about it enough. I cannot wait for Wicked: For Good, because if it's anywhere close to this movie, we are in for another special film.
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