Greetings patrons. If you know me at all, you know that I love movies. I saw quite a few this year, so let’s talk about them.

 Short explanation: below, you’ll find a brief list of categories for films. These are my categories and represent how I feel about them, and how I’d recommend them for any friend of mine. Art is subjective, and you may feel differently about these films, and that is just fine with me. Having said that, this is my list, so my rankings are how I feel about them.

Avoided: These are films I did not watch, and I did not watch them because they looked awful. If you saw one of these films, and think I should change my mind, please let me know.

Bad: These are movies that I consider a waste of time to watch.

Disappointing: For various reasons, I liked this film, and wanted to love this film, but I can’t actually say I really enjoyed watching it.

Good: Most movies I watch tend to fall into this category. I consider most good films to be worth your time to watch.

Great: Great movies are something I’d highly recommend for others. Great movies are ones I usually watch multiple times or would love to watch again.

Special: Some films are truly outstanding in their field, and I reserve this one for the very best of the year.

I’m also adding two more categories this year:

Notes for (Year): This is where I discuss any overall trends or interesting moments in film for that year (such as “Barbenheimer” from 2023)

Wish I Had Seen: This is a category for films I would have like to have seen but did not/could not view for whatever reason. These are “the ones that got away” from the year. This is not a judgement of quality, but rather a wistful “that looked interesting” from me.

Ross’s Films of 2024

Notes for 2024

This was an interesting year in movies. We had only one Marvel film, and it was a banger! We had zero DCU films, but we had three (which is a LOT) Sony “spider-man adjacent” films, all of which were bad. There were quite a few surprises in this year’s lineup, both good and bad.

Avoided

• Night Swim

• I.S.S.

• Madame Web

• Challengers

• The Strangers: Chapter 1

• Bad Boys: Ride or Die

• The Bikeriders

• A Quiet Place: Day One

• Harold and the Purple Crayon

• It Ends with Us

• Blink Twice

• The Crow

• Joker: Folie a Deux

• Venom: The Last Dance

• Moana 2

• Kraven the Hunter

• Mufasa: The Lion King

Bad

Argylle: I wanted to love this movie. The concept was great. The first half of the film was really good. Then, there’s the mid-film twist, and everything after that is god-awful. Avoid.

Borderlands: I love Borderlands 2, it is one of my all-time favorite video games. As a fan of the franchise, I was excited to see this translated into live action. However, this film just ain’t it, chief. Garbage plot, badly-shot action scenes, and lazy directing and performances… frankly, the only good thing I can say is that the costume and set designers were on point.

Megalopolis: What a freakin’ hot mess this film is. A vanity project that cost the director $120 million of his own cash, this is a cinematic train wreck. Aubrey Plaza’s character is named Wow Platinum, as one sign of what you’re getting into. Not even Adam Driver giving it his all could save this thing… it’s got huge plot holes, a nonsense story, and wildly uneven special effects. Avoid!

Disappointing

Lisa Frankenstein: This is another film that I desperately wanted to love. It wasn’t absolutely terrible, but it wasn’t particularly good, either. What should have been a fun, campy horror-comedy turned into some really unfunny jokes and awkward scenes. What a crying shame this film is.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: I enjoyed the Ghostbusters reboot, but this follow-up is only kind of “mid.” It’s got some good action scenes and I enjoyed seeing Janine Melnitz suiting up, but it wastes the original cast. While everyone actually did put some effort into this film, in the end it is one that I have no real desire to revisit.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: Second film with “Empire” in the title, and second film with a cold theme. This entry in the “monster-verse” of Kong and Godzilla wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly good, either. The action scenes were fun and my popcorn tasted quite yummy, but I won’t be revisiting this one anytime soon. Just fails to stand out in any way.

Abigail: Man, another movie I wanted to love. The trailers spoil everything for this film, which sucks, because I imagine going into this one knowing nothing at all about it would’ve made for a far superior experience. This movie is one of those that absolutely falls apart in the third act, despite some good performances and interesting scenes.

Trap: I should’ve known better. The set-up for this film is awesome, and the first two acts are quite good at building tension. I was really into this movie until the third act… where everything falls apart. A common refrain with disappointing films. M. Night Shymalan really, really wanted this movie to launch his daughter’s singing career, and you can tell. Shame he sacrificed a banger of a concept for it.

Gladiator II: Oh man. Remember the first Gladiator film? This movie does. It’s a theme park, showcasing all the characters, story beats, and moments from the first film, but sacrifices anything interesting to do or say for THIS movie in the process. A saving grace is that the action scenes are awesome, but I am always disappointed when a sequel exists merely to remind you of a much better film.

Good

The Beekeeper: 2024 started off strong with this one! It’s a heck of a thrill-ride action film, and I will always enjoy seeing arrogant tech-bros getting their asses kicked. This one’s been greenlit for a sequel, and I am so there, man. I love Jason Statham action films in general, and this is one of the better examples of that.

Mean Girls (The Musical): I am a fan of the original film, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with this one. Let me tell you, it’s a good time. It is the same story, to be sure, but the songs are quite good and the re-telling is executed well. I probably won’t rush out to re-watch it, but I’ll jam with it if it’s on in the room.

The American Society of Magical Negroes: Don’t @ me, that’s the title of the film. A fun story with some seriously good social commentary, this film was a great time at the movies. I particularly enjoy the final scene where we find out there’s another society out there!

Road House (2024): I love the original, but now I have two films to enjoy. This was a shock, honestly, since I expect remakes to be bad, and I particularly expect any remake sent straight to streaming to be very bad. However, this film bucks the trend. It’s good… damn good, actually. The action scenes are fantastic and the story is quite enjoyable.

Immaculate: This film surprised me in some very good ways! Sydney Sweeney proved she can carry a dramatic film — and is one hell of an actress. This movie and The First Omen would make a great double-feature, since they share a lot of tropes and plot elements, but they are both distinctly different films. The ending of this movie is flat-out shocking, with a third act that just leaves you saying “Whoa, holy crap!”

The First Omen: I was not expecting a lot out of this one. Horror prequels are rarely good (with some exceptions like Ouija: Origin of Evil), but this one really nailed the atmosphere it was going for. I would say that horror fans will get a real kick out of this one and it has some genuine scares. Well worth your time.

Monkey Man: I did not know I needed “Indian John Wick” until I got it. This film is pure action adrenaline, with a side order of delicious social commentary about India’s government and marginalized groups. The star (Dev Patel) is also the director, and I hope to see more from him soon.

Civil War: Alex Garland’s big movie of the year, this is a really good look at some very dark corners of American life. Especially relevant for 2024, I was only frustrated a little by the director’s decision to largely veer away from taking a side and sticking with it. The movie has something to say about photographers and history, but that pales to the commentary on American culture when it is turned against itself.

Boy Kills World: Surprisingly fun, surprisingly funny, this is one of those times when I had no idea what to expect from the movie. What I got was a really good action movie with a heck of a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. Famke Jansen turns in a great performance here as one of the villains. Highly recommend.

The Fall Guy: Dang, another banger that I was not expecting. 2024 had a lot of surprises in store for me in terms of films, and this is one of the most surprising ones. I was not figuring this would be anything more than a nostalgia-baiting romp, but it was really, really fun. Ryan Gosling absolutely nails his role and it has some really fun cameos on top of that. I love the deep cut to the Miami Vice stunt team! I also very much enjoy how this movie is a love letter to stuntmen in general.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: I’ve never seen any of the planet of the apes films from the current crop, but this one was quite fun. It makes me want to see more set in this universe. The human characters were fun to follow and I liked the action scenes, plus the plot actually made sense.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1: This is a very “Kevin Costner” film, meaning it is beautiful, excellently shot and acted, and a bloated mess all at the same time. I really enjoyed the set-ups this film introduced, but it did not quite achieve greatness because very little was resolved. This film would work better as part of a tv series, frankly, but what was on the screen was quite good. I really hope the second part gets to come out in theaters.

Fly Me to the Moon: A fun, funny, and lovely little rom-com, this is one of those films that no one goes to see but shows up a lot in rotation on streaming services. Scarlett Johanssen and Channing Tatum have some great chemistry and the story is quite entertaining. First of two Channing Tatum films on this list!

Twisters: A forgettable plot and a plodding second act keep this film from being great, but Glenn Powell has a star-making turn in this film. Watch it for him and the tornado stuff, frankly. (This was one on the border between “Good” and “Disappointing,” but I ultimately decided to bump it up since I wouldn’t mind seeing it again someday)

Alien: Romulus: This is more like it! Alien: Romulus feels like a theme park showcasing elements from across the franchise, but it doesn’t feel tacked-on or stapled-together. The third act suffers in comparison to the first two, and there’s moments that just don’t work, keeping it from being great. But there’s some oh-so-delicious social commentary on capitalism that I eat up with a spoon.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: Tim Burton returns to give us another dose of Beetlejuice. It’s good, but not great — Monica Belluci’s character is utterly wasted — but it’s a heck of a fun time nevertheless.

Here: Robert Zemeckis loves his nostalgia, for sure, and Here has quite a bit of that. However, it’s got a hell of a performance from Paul Bettany in it, and Tom Hanks + Robin Wright is well worth watching. I enjoyed it a lot.

Red One: What if a christmas movie, but superhero film tropes? Chris Evans and the Rock have great chemistry, plus the story is quite good. I enjoyed this one from start to finish and I look forward to seeing it again next year.

Y2K: What if Superbad and Maximum Overdrive had a baby? This film is chock-full of lowbrow humor, but it manages to make it all work with an absolutely absurd premise. I enjoyed it a lot.

Werewolves: This is a B-movie monster flick. I’m serious. This is absolutely the kind of thing you’d find on the TV late-night back in the 80’s and 90’s, and I’m here for it. Plenty of (sometimes questionable) practical effects, it has a great lead in Frank Grillo and the plot is nuts in a really good way.

Great

Dune: Part Two: My god, I love the Dune movies in this series. Stunning cinematography and some excellent dialogue serves this film well. This is how I like my sci-fi adaptations; meaty and lovingly crafted.

Late Night with the Devil: A friend of mine asked me what I thought about this movie, and my response was “Scary as hell.” I’m not ashamed to say this movie creeped me out in the best way. There are some plot holes, but David Dastmalchian’s lead performance more than makes up for it. If you do watch it, make sure you keep an eye on the mirrors in the background!

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: Holy moly, I loved this movie. I went out and bought the DVD as soon as I could. This is an absolute gem of an action film, with strong performances from Alan Ritchson, Til Schweiger, and many others (Henry Golding!). This is a “punch the air” war film, and I am looking forward to another viewing soon.

IF: What a diamond in the rough! I’ve long felt that Ryan Reynolds can elevate damn near anything he’s in, and he proves that here. This is a heart-felt film that can make you cry a few tears as well. Great family movie.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: Woo, George Miller gave us a gift with this one. Not quite as good as Fury Road, but not far below it, this movie is stacked with great action scenes, tight editing, and that patented Mad Max atmosphere.

Hit Man: Glen Powell strikes again, this time as a cop posing as a hit man who gets drawn into some truly fascinating situations. This movie also sexy as hell, which I can appreciate when you have two leads who are sexy as hell. Strongly Recommended.

The Killer’s Game: This film was shockingly good. My expectations were low, but the premise was irresistible — a professional assassin is diagnosed with a brain disease and hires hitmen to kill him rather than die in a hospital bed. This is an action movie that is a delight from start to finish.

The Substance: A Cronenberg-esque body horror, this is a great film with a lot to say about celebrity, aging (particularly for women), and the lengths we’ll go to if we want to remain youthful and popular. Don’t eat before you go see this, but go see this if you like horror movies with a message.

Saturday Night: Damn, this was good! Basically, this movie covers the 90 minutes before the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live, and it is a joy to watch. I loved seeing all the people playing actual comedians and how the film handles some characters from the time (Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, and Chevy Chase to name a few) is fascinating.

The Apprentice: The origin story of Donald Trump, this film is a look at greed and ambition. Sebastian Stan nails it in the lead role, and the music is pure 80’s nostalgia. Loved it, and loved even more that this film made it to release despite heavy pressure from the real-life Trump.

Special

Deadpool & Wolverine: Only one movie had a grin on my face from start to finish, and this year, it’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Saw this one twice in the theater, because it was just so god-damned FUN. An absolute tour de force of R-rated superhero action, I loved this movie.

Rebel Ridge: How about some more delicious social commentary? Would you like to see “Rambo,” but more about race and policing than Vietnam? This is the film for you. It’s on Netflix, so go see it. The performances are A++, the action is good, the story will fire you up.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim: Saw this one twice as well. Combine great voice acting, mesmerizing animation, and some high-quality Tolkein storytelling (based on essentially a half-page of text from the Appendices), and you get this movie. Just so, so good.

Nosferatu: Holy shit. This movie is frightening and fascinating in equal measure. The cinematography rivals Dune Part Two, and the performances are epic. Willem Dafoe steals the movie again, but you don’t mind. One HELL of a vampire film.

Wished I had Seen

• Role Play

• Miller’s Girl

• Hundreds of Beavers

• Lights Out

• Parallel

• Problemista

• Ricky Stanicky

• Arthur the King

• Sleeping Dogs

• I Saw the TV Glow

• The Watchers

• Inside Out 2

• MaXXXine

• Longlegs

• Sing Sing

• The Inheritance

• Oddity

• Afraid

• My Old Ass

• Subservience

• Transformers One

• Wolfs

• Azrael

• Brothers

• Anora

• Conclave

• Juror #2

• Absolution

• Hot Frosty

• Wicked

• Armor

• The Order

• Carry-On

• The Brutalist

• Babygirl

And That’s 2024 in Film!

Please let me know if you’ve seen any of the films on this list, and let me know if you liked them, hated them, or think I should have seen it myself.