The Year That Was – AKA – My Best of 2024

First and foremost, let me make it clear that I am a guy that watches what I feel drawn to watch. 

I watch movies for me so there is a LOT that I don’t see. 

Second, I have a family and don’t have the time to really GO to the movies very often so I have to rent, stream, or buy. 

I say all that to point out that there are a LOT of movies I am passing by, ignoring, or just didn’t get around to seeing yet. See: first point. 

I miss out on a lot of movies, a lot of great movies, I am sure, so this is not the sort of list you will care about if you want some deep insight into anything. 

This is just what I have seen and what got at least four stars from me. 

I know for a fact I will see movies that are from 2024 in the coming months that will blow my wig back and if I think of it I will update this list but for now, here we go. 

The Four Star Movies and Above of 2024

Saint Nick of Bethlehem – 4 out of 5

A very sweet and sincere Christmas movie about a good man looking for himself in his hometown. We turn our noses up at movies like this but when done well and with good intentions they can be just what you need. 

Broken Bird – 4 out of 5

A slow-burn creeper about a woman with a secret. Phew. Shiver. 

ALIEN: ROMULUS – 4

Sure, sure, it’s almost a greatest hits of the best parts of the franchise but that’s sorta what we needed to get the ship righted. If they can evolve the series beyond the greatest hits then it’ll be really fun to see what’s next. 

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE – 4

What the MCU needed – a movie that reminded us that the stakes don’t have to be planetary, the baddie doesn’t have to be intergalactic, and that it’s about the characters and how they interact, not how many of them interact. 

MAXXINE – 4 out of 5

Bump the haters. This was a great capper to a fun series. A giallo-tinged stalker movie and a fine end, if the end it be, to the trilogy. 

DESPICABLE ME – 4 out of 5

I had zero expectations for the movie but enjoyed the heck out of it. It’s fun, silly, and still heartfelt and I dug the heck out of it. 

THE DAMNED – 4 out of 5

Brr. A chilly thriller set during a brutal winter amidst a strained fishing village where the shadow of an awful act is moving ever closer. 

FURIOSA: A Mad Max Saga – 4 out of 5

How this didn’t get more love than it did is beyond me. It’s a great addition to the series and while not as legendary as FURY ROAD, it’s a fun movie with some great performances. 

GHOSTBUSTERS: Frozen Empire – 4 out of 5

Pure, popcorn fun. It has the essence of the heart of the series and gets a little weird. It’s not perfect but it’s still worlds better than the second entry in the series. Shiver. 

THE FALL GUY  – 4 out of 5

One of the most fun movies I saw all year. Great action, a really fun lead performance by Gosling, and a perfect summer movie, even at home. 

MONKEY MAN – 4 out of 5

One of the best action movies of the year. Brutal beat-em-up with a lot on its mind. 

INSIDE OUT 2 – 4 out of 5

Phew. And this is a kid’s movie. Really good, heartbreaking, touching, and really interesting that it made so much money.

THE SUBSTANCE – 4 out of 5

I don’t even know what to say. It gets as weird as people say it does. Seeing an absolutely gonzo movie get this sort of publicity and love is crazy. It earns it, though, because it’s bonkers and beautiful.

NOSFERATU – 4 out of 5

The best horror movie I saw from 2024. Creepy, swxy, and doomed. Bound to become a new genre classic.

It was a weird year for me movie-wise. I didn’t see a horror movie that rocked my socks off – thus far. I didn’t see any big old prestige movies – at least any that stuck with me. I love a lot of movies, and liked a heck of a lot of them, but I can’t say that it was an epic year from my perspective. Decent stuff. Nothing timeless that I saw. 

Take it all with ten pounds of salt. 

(PS – I watched about 200+ movies over the year, and over 30 from this year (which isn’t that many, I suppose). Again, it’s more of a look into my viewing habits than anything else. There are still a lot of movies from 2024 I need to see and have on my radar so we’ll see what shakes out but for now, here’s my year in review for the higher ranked films. 

(Check the reviews page for some of my reviews). 

…c…