Movies I watched in 2024
(1) garbage, (2) horrible, (3) bad, (4) meh, (5) average, (6) fine, (7) good, (8) very good, (9) excellent, (10) masterpiece
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45 titles
- DirectorJustine TrietStarsSandra HüllerSwann ArlaudMilo Machado-GranerA woman is suspected of murder after her husband's death; their half-blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.Truly exceptional French courtroom/crime drama. French court is MAD. Great actors, great script. A must-see.
- DirectorKristoffer BorgliStarsLily BirdNicolas CageJulianne NicholsonAn ordinary family man finds his life turned upside down when strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams.Starts off strong, but the tone changes too much towards the end. Still a pretty solid drama with poignant social commentary and hysterical scenes.
- DirectorOriol PauloStarsMario CasasAna WagenerJose CoronadoA successful entrepreneur accused of murder and a witness preparation expert have less than three hours to come up with an impregnable defense.This was fun! Very different story and much darker, but it still reminded me of Knives Out. A modern who-dunnit that keeps you guessing until the end.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsKeith CarradineHarvey KeitelAlbert FinneyFrance, 1801. Due to a minor perceived slight, mild-mannered Lieutenant d'Hubert is forced into a duel with hot-headed irrational Lieutenant Feraud. The disagreement ultimately results in scores of duels spanning several years.Scott's better Napoleon era film. Keitel's character is such an ass in this film it's comical. Crazy to think you could actually challenge someone to a duel of life and death.
- DirectorPaolo GenoveseStarsGiuseppe BattistonAnna FogliettaMarco GialliniSeven long-time friends meet for dinner. They decide to share their text messages, emails and phone calls. Secrets are unveiled. Harmony trembles.Boomer-drama with many unlikeable characters. Forgettable, but watchable. Such a simple premise. Fun fact: Has been remade in more than 20 countries (wtf).
- DirectorOriol PauloStarsJose CoronadoHugo SilvaBelén RuedaA detective searches for the body of a femme fatale which has gone missing from a morgue.Pretty silly at times, but still entertaining. Leaky script and overall B-tier feel to it, but it's not terrible.
- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsMark RuffaloAnne HathawayTim RobbinsA corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.Another proof that money is everything in America. What are "a few" unfortunate deaths if you can make cash out of it? Would recommend, especially for those who enjoyed Dopesick and the Dropout.
- DirectorShane CarruthStarsShane CarruthDavid SullivanCasey GoodenFour friends/fledgling entrepreneurs, knowing that there's something bigger and more innovative than the different error-checking devices they've built, wrestle over their new invention.Why was this so hard to follow?! There's an interesting idea buried here somewhere, but f*ck me if I'm going to waste any more time on this mess.
- DirectorJessica SwaleStarsGemma ArtertonGugu Mbatha-RawPenelope WiltonDuring World War II, an Englishwoman opens her heart to an evacuee after initially resolving to be rid of him in this moving journey of womanhood, love and friendship.Alright British drama. Has a very light feel to it despite the heavy context (war).
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsDaniel CraigEva GreenJudi DenchAfter earning 00 status and a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, Montenegro.I need more Eva Green in my life.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigJavier BardemNaomie HarrisJames Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.Possibly the best Bond film ever. Great villain!
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsBradley CooperJennifer LawrenceRobert De NiroAfter a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.More toxic than I remembered. Kind of exhausting to watch since everyone's shouting all the time. Still alright and pretty funny.
- DirectorKen LoachStarsDavid BradleyBrian GloverFreddie FletcherA working-class English boy spends his free time caring for and training his pet kestrel.Why does Loach make all his films so depressing? Kes is one of the best films I've no urge to ever see again unless there's a "happy ending cut" available.
- DirectorZach CreggerStarsGeorgina CampbellBill SkarsgårdJustin LongA woman staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she has rented is not what it seems.Ermm, this must be comedy, right? Strong and creepy start, then goes downhill fast. There's so much potential for a great horror film, but the second half is plain ridiculous. Might've been worth a watch if super high with friends. But the tone shift didn't work for me.
- DirectorCharles CrichtonJohn CleeseStarsJohn CleeseJamie Lee CurtisKevin KlineIn London, four very different people team up on a jewel heist, then try to double-cross one another for the loot, complicated by their efforts to fool a very proper barrister.This hasn't aged very well, or maybe I'm just really picky when it comes to screwball comedies. Moments of brilliance here and there, but overall it drags on. Mostly boring and unfunny.
- DirectorMichael ChavesStarsPatrick WilsonVera FarmigaRuairi O'ConnorArne Cheyenne Johnson stabs and murders his landlord, claiming to be under demonic possession while Ed and Lorraine Warren investigate the case and try to prove his innocence.While the first to movies aren't cinematic masterpieces by any means, this one was just terrible all over. One of the worst horror films I've ever watched. Like laughably bad.
- DirectorDavy ChouStarsPark Ji-minOh Gwang-RokGuka HanA twenty-five-year-old French woman returns to Korea, the country she was born in before being adopted by a French couple, for the very first time. She decides to track down her biological parents, but her journey takes a surprising turn.Great French/Korean drama! Appt portrayal of a deep identity crisis and how it can poison one's relationships with those closest to them.
- DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsEnzo VogrincicAgustín PardellaMatías RecaltThe flight of a rugby team crashes on a glacier in the Andes. The few passengers who survive the crash find themselves in one of the world's toughest environments to survive.Holy shit...
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsPark Hae-ilTang WeiLee Jung-hyunA detective investigating a man's death in the mountains meets the dead man's mysterious wife in the course of his dogged sleuthing.A bit confusing at first. Couldn't grasp what I was watching. A comedy? A crime film? Romance? Beautifully shot and edited. Marry me, Tang Wei?
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsTimothée ChalametZendayaRebecca FergusonPaul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.The book puts me to sleep, but these movies entertain the everloving fuck out of me.
- DirectorMark MylodStarsRalph FiennesAnya Taylor-JoyNicholas HoultA young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.I think the trailer pretty much spoiled the "twist", but I still liked The Menu.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsKoji YakushoTokio EmotoArisa NakanoHirayama cleans public toilets in Tokyo, lives his life in simplicity and daily tranquility. Some encounters also lead him to reflect on himself.Why is it so hard to accept some people want less? At first, I was unsure whether Hirayama was just coping with his unambitious life choices. In the end, I felt he had made his life exactly as he needed it to be.
- DirectorIlya NaishullerStarsBob OdenkirkAleksey SerebryakovConnie NielsenA docile family man slowly reveals his true character after his house gets burgled by two petty thieves, which, coincidentally, leads him into a bloody war with a Russian crime boss.Entertaining action nonsense. The bus scene is brutal af, but I still feel a bit dirty after all these revenge porn flicks.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsNicolas CageAlison LohmanSam RockwellA phobic con artist and his protégé are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the former's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly.The twist is pretty devastating but somehow the movie manages to end up on a positive note. Pretty good and very untypical for Scott.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsNoomi RapaceLogan Marshall-GreenMichael FassbenderFollowing clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.Rewatched. Worse than I remembered. Cool, memorable visuals, a very MEH script. This could've been so good, but it's neither a great standalone nor a great Alien movie.
- DirectorYoshimitsu MoritaStarsYûsaku MatsudaJûzô ItamiSaori YukiJapanese parents hire a tutor for their foolish son and get a critic of their lifestyle.I usually don't like Japanese comedies that much, but this was a pretty funny satire / coming-of-age story about family dynamics during important entrance exams.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodBee VangChristopher CarleyAfter a Hmong teenager tries to steal his prized 1972 Gran Torino, a disgruntled, prejudiced Korean War veteran seeks to redeem both the boy and himself.Great drama from start to finish. My only problem was how the blatant racism was almost played off as humour, or at the very least it could easily be misunderstood.
- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinBérénice BejoJohn GoodmanWhen George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.I wonder if this would've been a hit in the '30s. Liked it very much. The nightmare scene was brilliant.
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsDenzel WashingtonClive OwenJodie FosterA police detective, a bank robber, and a high-power broker enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal's brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation.Entertaining heist film. I kept rooting for both the criminals and the detective. Way better twist/ending than what I expected.
- DirectorMarcel CamusStarsBreno MelloMarpessa DawnLourdes de OliveiraA retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, set during the time of the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.Colourfully chaotic, feel-good yet tragic. I'm very familiar with the story of Orpheus and I liked how it was reconstructed here. Marpessa Dawn is a total babe in this.
- DirectorTaylor SheridanStarsElizabeth OlsenJeremy RennerGraham GreeneA wildlife officer, who is haunted by a tragedy that happened because of him, teams up with an FBI agent in solving a murder of a young woman on a Wyoming Native American reservation and hopes to get redemption from his past regrets.So close to being very good. It's more drama than mystery. Some characters (especially mom and son) were poorly developed. Solid performances and a few great scenes.
- DirectorPedro CristianiStarsPablo RagoniGastón RicaudSabrina MacchiJavier stares at a crucifix and his expressions and hands suggest that nerves are consuming him. A flashback reveals that a priest devotes his life to visiting families and cleansing their homes from the demons that try to possess them.I hate to bash on indie film-makers, but this one was a letdown. Confusing and plain boring. Good actors, cool special effects and some nice imagery here and there. Terribly edited.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsPaul GiamattiDa'Vine Joy RandolphDominic SessaA cranky history teacher at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a grieving cook and a troubled student who has no place to go.Payne is so good with ordinary characters that have been disappointed by their own lives. Excellent drama with a great cast.
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsPatrick SwayzeKeanu ReevesGary BuseyAn F.B.I. Agent goes undercover to catch a gang of surfers who may be bank robbers.Took me this long to watch Point Break. '90s testosterone bro-action flick. Pretty entertaining "extravagunza".
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsMatthew BroderickReese WitherspoonLoren NelsonA high school teacher meets his match in an over-achieving student politician.Another fun dark(ish) comedy directed by Payne. Very character-driver story, great cringe-humour and funny-yet-sad protagonist.
- DirectorCéline SciammaStarsJoséphine SanzGabrielle SanzNina MeurisseNelly has just lost her grandmother and is helping her parents clean out her mother's childhood home. She explores the house and the surrounding woods. One day she meets a girl her age building a tree-house.Petite Maman was a pleasant surprise. Explores grief with magical realism. Good child actors too. I should keep a close eye on the director Céline Sciamma.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsEwan McGregorPierce BrosnanOlivia WilliamsA ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.The pieces for a great Hitchcockian thriller are there, but it turns out The Ghost Writer was just kind of ridiculous, and the silly ending only lacked a laugh track.
- DirectorGavin HoodStarsKeira KnightleyMatt SmithMatthew GoodeThe true story of a British whistleblower who leaked information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation designed to push the UN Security Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.Very good whistleblower biopic/drama. I remember how these events strongly shaped me as anti-US when growing up.
- DirectorAndrew HaighStarsAndrew ScottPaul MescalCarter John GroutA screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with his downstairs neighbor while discovering a mysterious new way to heal from losing his parents 30 years ago.Heartbreaking ghost story. Very dreamlike. Has anyone ever needed a hug more than the protagonist? Why are these ghosts so drawn to him?
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsJack NicholsonHope DavisDermot MulroneyA recently retired man embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding, only to discover more about himself and life than he ever expected.Yet another Payne drama. I might want to rewatch this in my 60s. Funny but also sad (like all of Payne's films?). Also great casting.
- DirectorSamuel ArmstrongNorman FergusonWilfred JacksonStarsSterling HollowayEdward BrophyHerman BingRidiculed because of his enormous ears, a young circus elephant is assisted by a mouse to achieve his full potential.Always great.
- DirectorLukas MoodyssonStarsAlexandra DahlströmRebecka LiljebergErica CarlsonTwo teenage girls in small-town Sweden. Elin is beautiful, popular, and bored with life. Agnes is friendless, sad, and secretly in love with Elin.It's not easy being a teenager. In love. In fucking Åmål. What happened to Rebecka Liljeberg? She was great in this (and apparently she quit acting and became a doctor).
- DirectorTakashi YamazakiStarsMinami HamabeRyunosuke KamikiSakura AndôPost war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.Overall entertaining and stands out from the rest of the "series" (or monster movies in general), but I have a bit of mixed feelings about this. Maybe you need to be a fan to appreciate Gojira-1.0, or maybe it's the overacting (typical for Japanese dramas) that bothers me...
- DirectorPawo Choyning DorjiStarsSherab DorjiUgyen Norbu LhendupKelden Lhamo GurungAn aspiring singer living with his grandmother in the capital of Bhutan dreams of getting a visa to move to Australia.
- DirectorAlejandro RojasJuan Sebastián VasquezStarsAlberto AmmannBruna CusíBen TempleA couple is flagged by a border agent and forced to endure an invasive probe into their lives.