Matt at the Movies: Top 24 of ‘24
Which A24 production was Matt's favorite film of the year? Read up before tonight's Golden Globes.
Programming Note: Tonight, January 5th, at 8PM on CBS/Paramount+ you can watch the Golden Globe Awards to see who takes home the hardware.
This past week, while visiting friends in Brooklyn, I had an epiphany: I could see one of the year’s most anticipated films, The Brutalist, on one of the few 70mm screens in the entire country. I bought my 10PM ticket, left my wife (with full permission) at the hotel, and took the Q train from the Barclays Center to Union Square.
Twenty minutes into the four hour affair, a camera was fixed to the front bumper of a vehicle traveling from Philadelphia to a rural Pennsylvania estate. The road was under our feet as the car charged forward through the sleepy countryside as part of director Brady Corbet’s masterful vision. The score crescendoed to a thunderous chorus of horns as the title card hit the screen … and chills ran up both my arms.
This is what film can do to us; what no other medium can conjure, if only for a few hours at a time.
As of this publication, I’ve watched a mere seventy-two new films with number seventy-three, Nightbitch, streaming on my television as I write. I barely scratched the surface of new releases, especially this year’s foreign films, but a healthy life balance is important (so they say). There are many more praiseworthy films coming out in the next few weeks including Nickel Boys, September 5, and The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
Of my mid-year top ten, only five made it to the end of the year as the awards contenders - right on schedule - have flourished in the final months of the year. This year we’ll salute a top 24 to celebrate the end of 2024. Prior to the top 10, slots 24 through 11 are unranked in alphabetical order. We’ll finish with our annual top ten list to usher in the new year.
First off, some honorable mentions that were excellent but didn’t make the final cut.
Honorable Mentions:
Dìdi, The First Omen, Snack Shack, Alien:Romulus, Rebel Ridge, The Order, Love Lies Bleeding, Oddity, A Quiet Place Day One
Matt at the Movies Top 24 of ‘24
24-11 (in alphabetical order)
A Complete Unknown (Currently playing at the Independent Picture House)
Timothée Chalamet has been on a media blitz as of late, appearing on College Gameday and several offbeat podcasts to promote his excellent portrayal of Bob Dylan in this musical biopic. The young actor said he’s been practicing instruments, voice modulation, and mannerisms of the folk/rock icon for over five years to prepare for the role, and he did not disappoint.
At a packed house for a matinee showing at the Independent, we were treated to the best musical biopic since Todd Haynes’ 2007 Bob Dylan flick I’m Not Here. Chalamet did all the singing in what felt like a two hour musical montage showcasing the early years of Dylan’s career from his arrival to New York City from Minnesota through his shift to electric in 1965.
While we see a love triangle play out with Joan Baez and Sylvie Russo, the bigger focus is Dylan’s transformation from folk guitarist to contemporary musician. Pulling at his sides are traditionalists like his mentor Pete Seeger, played with folksy charm by an excellent Edward Norton.
There are some goosebump-inducing scenes, like his performance of “The Times They Are A-Changin'” at the Newport Folk Festival, that make it clear Chalamet is a frontrunner for Best Actor at this year’s Academy Awards.
All We Imagine As Light (Now Playing at the Independent Picture House)
One of the biggest tragedies of this film is the politics behind the scenes, with the The Film Federation of India not selecting it as their official selection to the Oscars. They felt it was a French production more than an Indian one, but it feels like the subject matter - a subtle shot at Indian Prime Minister and Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi - was a key factor in the snub.
All We Imagine As Light follows three women, Prabha, Anu, and Parvaty, as they make their way through life as working class nurses in Mumbai. This slice of life story shows the hardships of loneliness, forbidden love, and living in a city in transition that is quickly leaving its denizens behind. You feel their struggles and connect with their hope to push forward in an ever changing society.
Director Payal Kapadia portrays a piece of India that I’ve never had the chance to see on screen. Watching this film made me take a deep breath and be thankful to have connections like these women have with each other.
Fun fact: this was IPH Executive Director Brad Ritter’s favorite film of the year.
Dune: Part Two (Streaming on MAX)
Chalamet makes his second entrance on the list in a film that many felt eclipsed its predecessor in both scope and grandeur. The second Dune film from acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve grossed over $700 million worldwide as it continued the story of Paul Atreides and his quest to avenge his house from near extinction at the hands of the Harkonnens and Corrino Empire on planet Arrakis.
Paul falls in love with Fremen warrior Chani, played by Zendaya, and transforms into a leader for the Fremen people. The hero's journey includes many spectacular battles, dramatic oration, and cult of personality that follow Atreides on his way toward The Golden Path. Fanaticism and religion play key roles in Paul’s rise and set up a climatic third film to complete the trilogy.
The visual effects are masterful and feature spectacular individual performances by Rebecca Ferguson and Austin Butler in this 166 minute adaptation of Frank Hebert’s sci-fi epic. We’ll see if Villeneuve and company get their flowers this award season, or if the series gets the Lord of the Rings treatment with the final installment of the trilogy receiving accolades.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Streaming on MAX)
My only criticism of this prequel to Fury Road is that it seems impossible to eclipse the original as a spectacle.
This year’s film follows the rise of Imperator Furiosa from small child to her tutelage under the psychotic desert warlord Dementus to war rig driver with Praetorian Jack at Immortan Joe’s Citadel. The action is as legendary as director George Miller’s previous entries, and Chris Hemsworth - finding life after Marvel - puts on a show throughout.
Read more about this film in our review. Witness me into the depths of Valhalla!!
Gladiator II (Playing in theaters)
There was plenty of consternation after the trailer for this film dropped. Ridley Scott’s late period has had its detractors, and many feel his desire for spectacle over subtlety in recent years has led to subpar on-screen products.
I never bought into that theory, and this movie was a great opportunity to shut my brain off and have a great time at the theater. Paul Mescal is no Russell Crowe, but the script isn’t asking him to be. His role serves to move along the story, tie up loose ends of plot, and let Denzel Washington cook as Macrinus, the power hungry gladiator/weapons dealer on a quest to take over the emperor's throne. We are treated to ridiculous gladiator battles, a psychotic tetrarchy of sibling rulers, and Denzel chewing up every scene he’s in plotting his ascent to power.
In the case of this film and similar fare, my best advice is to trade the critic’s lens for a bucket of popcorn and enjoy the ride.
Green Border (Streaming on V.O.D.)
I have many more films to see, but as of this moment Green Border is the best foreign film I’ve seen this year. Made in Poland, it chronicles the lives of Syrian refugees caught up in the politics of war as they make their way through the “green border” between Belarus and Poland to gain access to the European Union.
In the film, we see a large traveling group struggle to survive as they are torn apart through deception and the violence of the geopolitical machine. We also watch from the other side of the fence as soldiers, activists, and common people must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice to help out their foreign neighbors.
This was a powerful story and one I have thought about often after seven months especially with our current political landscape.
Kneecap (Streaming on Netflix)
The most incredible part of this wild ride of a movie is that the actual members of the Irish-speaking hip-hop trio play themselves in the story … and they are excellent!
The trio of lifelong friends deal drugs, party, and inevitably get arrested. It seems as if their lives are aimless until a chance meetup with a school teacher named JJ. The three set off on an all-time drug binge recording session to create a native Irish sound that promotes debauchery and their heritage. As they work their way from pubs to clubs, rapping their new tracks and giving away free drugs to boost attendance, they hit a few snags from local thumpers and the authorities. As their music and legend grows, they have to choose to disband or make a statement.
It was extremely well paced, funny, and off the wall crazy. Enjoy an adult beverage while viewing for the ultimate experience.
Nosferatu (Now Playing at the Independent Picture House)
Director Robert Eggers, more than any other working director, evokes a particular mood in all his films. Folklore, mysticism, and a healthy dose of horror themes create a vibe that I personally love. Eggers is the current title belt holder in engrossing you to a specific era, and his attention to detail should be lauded for its technical achievement. When I found out he was going to remake the classic 1922 silent film Nosferatu, I handed over my money toot sweet.
You can draw many lines to Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula in terms of storylines, but Eggers’ aesthetic is unparalleled. His most traditional film to date features excellent performances from Nicholas Hoult (on a tear this year), Lily Rose-Depp, and Willem Dafoe. The portrayal of Count Orlock, played by Hollywood’s premier boogeyman Bill Skarsgård, was both gross and unnervingly imposing.
After its first days of release it has brought in over 40 million in sales making it his highest grossing film in North America. If you are still intrigued, I highly recommend reading my favorite film critic Wesley Morris’ review over at The New York Times.
Queer (Playing in theaters)
No current director pulls my heartstrings more than Luca Guadagnino. His newest film, Queer, is an adaptation of a William S. Burroughs novella of the same name. Daniel Craig plays William Lee, a middle aged, gay, expatriate meandering his way through Mexico City life, always with a drink in hand and some cruising in his near future. A drug addict and drunkard, he can still turn on the charm, and becomes infatuated with a younger American former service member named Allerton posting up in his many haunts.
The short-lived tryst spurs a loneliness in the main character who, at the end of the day, just wants someone to care for. Allerton does not see himself defined sexually as Lee does, but knows he can fill the role he covets. They travel to South America to try and discover a mind bending drug (ayahuasca) so Lee can explore telepathy. Things go quite askew from this point, but tenderness and want from Craig’s character is absolutely heartbreaking in a performance that has earned him many acting nominations this season.
Red Rooms (Streaming on V.O.D.)
I had not heard of Red Rooms until listening to a podcast where critic and film professor Adam Nayman of Toronto University placed it at the top of his year end list. The joke’s on me as this was easily the best thriller I’ve seen all year.
The French-Canadian film is set in Montreal on the eve of the murder trial of a man who slaughters young girls on dark web streaming sites. Main character Kelly-Anne is a model and online savant who can navigate the seedier underside of the internet. She has a keen interest in this trial, and her motives are sketchy at best for reasons unbeknownst to viewers. As the trial moves along her quiet, intrinsic demeanor becomes more brazen and seemingly connected to the killer as she goes down the rabbit hole of obsession. It’s a disturbing film without the gore that keeps you on your toes the entire runtime.
Sing Sing (Streaming on V.O.D. and re-release in theaters)
A24 has not hyped up this film enough since its release, which is a shame as we are given two world class performances by Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin.
Set in Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Domingo’s character Divine G has successfully implemented a theater rehabilitation program for the prison as a creative outlet for the inmates. He sees something in Divine Eye (Maclin) and asks him to join the program.
The two men are battling their real world issues of incarceration throughout, but it doesn’t feel like a typical prison movie. A vast majority of the cast are former inmates, and to see the love and joy they create for one another in their productions was a beautiful thing to watch.
Strange Darling (Streaming on V.O.D.)
Strange Darling came out early in the summer, and I missed it due to traveling and too many Charlotte FC matches. I fired it up last week and the one thing I was told is to not look up any aspects of the plot, and go in blind.
With all respect to Oddity and The First Omen, this was the best horror movie I watched all year. It is a wild ride set up into six chapters that come at you out of order. You don’t know what story to believe or who is the evil serial killer but damn this was fun. Willa Fitzgerald plays The Lady and Kyle Gallner delights as The Demon in this bloody, high octane film.
The Substance (Streaming on MUBI with a free 7 day trial)
Demi Moore hasn’t been the lead in a mainstream film since 1997’s G.I. Jane. She comes back full force in this gorey body horror sci-fi movie directed by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat.
Moore plays an ex-Hollywood star turned fitness guru Elisabeth Sparkle (think Jane Fonda) who is approached by a mysterious company that offers her the opportunity to maintain her youth through the use of “the substance.” There are strict rules that accompany the mystery serum, with extreme consequences for not adhering. Things start out well and then fall apart as the lure of the life she once lived has unintended results.
Margaret Qualley co-stars as Sue and the two women battle for relevance in the unforgiving world of entertainment where youth and sex appeal outshine talent. The third act will make you laugh uncontrollably or throw up, so be forewarned.
The Wild Robot (Streaming on V.O.D.)
I don’t often take time out to watch animated films, but the story of a shipwrecked helper robot named Roz (voiced by Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong'o) was too heartwarming to ignore.
Roz must learn to recalibrate her preprogramming to care for a young goose so it can be ready to fly with its gaggle during their annual migration. The Dreamworks team’s animation is incredible and felt very fresh compared to the standard Pixar and Illumination CGI fare we have become accustomed to.
I left watching this film feeling good and knowing there are still new types of technology that can bring children’s stories to life.
Matt at the Movies’ Top 10 of 2024
#10 - Babygirl (Playing in theaters)
I can’t remember the last erotic thriller to make my year end list. This is a playful and kink-forward blast as Nicole Kidman plays a driven, successful tech CEO who has every aspect of her work and family life under control. In steps the younger, sexy, alluring intern (Harris Dickinson), who puts his boss under his spell by simply allowing her to switch power dynamics and take orders.
Watching Kidman process this new type of taboo was a joy as she struggles to manage infidelity, consent, and lust with her high strung life managing a successful company as well as her duties as wife and mother. The deeper we peel back the layers, the more we see Kidman’s character trying to fill a void that neither her loving husband (Antonio Banderas) nor corporate success can fill.
You can’t help but watch this film with a wry smile and let the chaotic energy of the two leads wonder where it will all lead. An excellent watch that could prove to be a lovely date night out.
#9 - Flow (Now Playing at IPH)
After hearing some rumblings, then the eventual shortlisting to the best international film, I was more than curious to catch this Latvian feature at the Independent with my wife. It features no dialogue, an incredible mixture of hand drawn and CGI animation, and the best depiction of animals I’ve ever watched. The realistic movements, behaviors, and sounds we absorb while surrounded by amazing fauna kept me engaged from the first frame.
As we follow a scared cat after a biblical flood, we see it partner on a ship with a capybara, lemur, labrador retriever, and secretary bird as they navigate the ecological anomaly. They manage to learn each other's habits and form an animal fellowship that takes them to strange new lands. Heroic deeds, acts of kindness, and natural kinship develop to form a beautiful whole. While it may not be nominated for Best International Film, it is a strong dark horse to take home the statue for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.
Even if you aren’t an animation fan, you’ll be glad to sit down and get lost in the world created by director Gints Zilbalodis.
#8 - Anora (Click to read review)
Mikey Madison put on a star performance as Ani, the titular character in this film. Her character's use of sex opened doors to a short-lived fairytale life and a comedic fall back to reality.
Director Sean Baker brought us the highs and lows of life in Brighton Beach with a lot of laughs in between. Madison has been a media darling since its release, and has earned the status as frontrunner for Best Actress at this year's Academy Awards.
#7 - Civil War (Click to read our review)
Writer/Director Alex Garland has a glossy grit, similar to a matte finish on his films. It makes me feel like I’m watching a Tony Scott movie but with a subdued bravado and deeper themes.
I’ve covered this movie, sang its praises, and was surprised how many individual scenes held up on rewatch. Watching this team of war journalists make their way through different phases of a war-torn United States doesn’t have you picking sides. Instead, Civil War has you thinking about your hometown, your neighbors, and how you would handle a bloody conflict on your doorstep.
The film made the shortlist for Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards, but it was a cinematic travesty it will not be nominated for its sound, which conveyed the chaos of gunfire as well as Michael Mann’s Heat in 1995.
#6 - Emilia Pérez (Streaming on Netflix)
Did it have the best musical numbers of the year? No, I'd give that to A Complete Unknown (sorry Wicked fans). Was it the most fun musical? Again no, I’d hand that to Kneecap. Was it the most successful? Definitely not, as Moana 2 is closing in on $900 million worldwide.
So what about this opera libretto created by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard made it sixth on my end of the year list? It was a breath of fresh air!
Zoe Saldaña is the glue that holds the film together as a bright lawyer who takes a big risk to work with a drug lord on a very unique task. She sees the despair and bloodshed in her everyday life in Mexico City and wants a way out. She uses the blood money of the cartel to take her out of the hellscape and make a new life for herself until the ghosts from her past come calling.
Karla Sofía Gascón is ruthless and striking as the kingpin turned businesswoman that earned her Best Actress at this year's Cannes Film Festival (she is also the first transgender actor to achieve the feat). The musical pieces are shot incredibly well, with wonderful set design and choreography. Emilia was touted by critics as a new type of musical that didn’t adhere to traditional story framing, and they were correct. I hope for more efforts in this vein with original stories instead of fanfic IP (sorry again Wicked fans).
#5 - Kinds of Kindness (Streaming on Hulu)
Jesse Plemons is a national treasure. I feel he picked up some of the pieces left behind after Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s death ten years ago. He’s a steadying presence. He can play it straight, dry, comedic, or be downright evil as you’ve seen in Breaking Bad or this year’s Civil War.
I like it most when he gets to be weird. Yorgos Lanthimos’s follow up from last year's multiple-Oscar-winning Poor Things really allowed Plemons to shine. The story features three non-connected acts that feature the same actors taking on different roles. Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, and two-time Oscar-winner Emma Stone pull off an insane series of plots that range from cannibalism to the occult to giving up the agency of daily life decisions. It was strange, fascinating, at times disgusting, and darkly humorous. Lanthimos is not for everyone, but his abnormal fucked up takes on society are right up my alley.
Bowie was right … “Time to face the strange.”
#4 - Conclave (Click to read review)
Upon a rewatch, I simply cannot overstate how much fun cardinal logistics are. Sprinter van transport, meals, voting, casually walking in the rain with umbrellas are all a delight.
The story adaptation by Oscar winning director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) did an excellent job of building energy as well as doubt throughout its runtime. Ralph Fiennes led an amazing ensemble and one could think that the Academy may reward him this year as a makeup for overlooking his stellar-still-somehow-award-less career (Fiennes refuses to campaign).
Given the chance, please watch with older family members. If they practice Catholicism you’ll love their reactions.
#3 - A Real Pain (Click to read our review)
The chemistry between Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin as cousins heading to their grandmother's homeland in Poland was off the charts. Not in a Blues Brothers kind of way, but more like a John Candy/Steve Martin Planes, Trains, and Automobiles vibe.
Eisenberg’s character is reminiscent of Woody Allen’s Jewish neuroticism and Culkin has the charming, unfiltered brashness of that guy who never left his mom’s house but has lots of ideas about global capitalism. As they move through the Polish landscapes from cities, to rural towns, to concentration camps with their small tour group, the two hit familiar beats of when they grew up together essentially as brothers. They each deeply love and care for one another, yet envy each other’s most endearing traits. Eisenberg is successful, has a loving family, and has made his family proud while also being incredibly plain and boring. Culkin’s character is a failure at growing up, but has the charisma and charm to light up any room he walks into. The two fight, bond, and experience genuine catharsis over the passing of time.
It was a triumph for Eisenberg who wrote, directed, and starred, playing the straight man to Culkin’s very showy performance that will most likely have him add an Oscar next to his two Emmys from Succession.
#2 - Challengers (Click to read our review)
We’re bringing sexy back. This movie rules and was the most fun I had at the theater this year. I am not ashamed nor am I embarrassed by this #basic pick.
Director Luca Guadagnino makes his second appearance on this list as well as Zendaya (Dune: Part Two). Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor are a fantastic balance to Zendaya’s powerful lead energy. O’Connor was my favorite supporting actor performance of the year, though he won’t be acknowledged. Guadagnino chose three insanely fit, gorgeous, and talented actors to pull off an emotional menage-a-trois where comfort plays up against lust that plays against friendship.
Sweaty bodies and pulsing music from Atticus Finch and Trent Reznor make me feel like I’m at Trio nightclub in south Charlotte instead of a tennis tournament. Bravo Luca, you bring the passion that few films dare to engage with in today’s cinematic landscape.
#1 - The Brutalist (wide release January 10th)
In my introduction to today’s article, I laid out a scene from this film. You wait for these types of stories and visionaries to bring a five star film to life. Whether you feel it's Singing in the Rain or The Godfather or There Will Be Blood or Barbie, you have that realization of “absolute cinema” (memed to death by legend Martin Scorcese).
Hungarian Holocaust survivor László Tóth (Adrien Brody) is a formerly successful architect trained by Bauhaus who makes his way to the US to live with his cousin in Philadelphia. His wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) is too unwell to accompany him and stays behind as he ventures out to carve a niche for himself in the post WWII boom. László is commissioned to renovate a personal library for a wealthy industrialist Harrison Van Buren (Guy Pearce), and his work fascinates the magnate so much that he hires Tóth to construct a massive community center in his rural Pennsylvania town in honor of his late mother.
One uses wealth to pursue an intellectual relevance befitting of his empire and taps into an artist whose brilliance must be exploited to achieve the task. These two men battle inner demons of pain, addiction, sexual repression, and their grasp on their individual legacies. Their type of symbiotic (parasitic?) relationship is both fascinating and nuanced, driving the story.
With his new powerful friends and influence László can get his wife and niece to America and begin work on this monumental project. Here, we are given a built-in 15-minute intermission before the beginning of act two of this four hour affair.
There are many bumps and mishaps along the way as construction begins. You never doubt for a second that Tóth and his family know they are second class citizens due to class, wealth, immigrant status, and religious backgrounds. They are tolerated but never fully welcome especially when push comes to shove. It made me think of my wife and my families who chose to emigrate from the Philippines and Germany during the 1950s, and the choices they had to make to assimilate and become part of the American fabric. Writer and director Brady Corbet builds a mid-century epic that showcases the ferocious inner animal of post WWII industrial America. The world is your oyster if you are willing to take it.
I’m not sure how The Brutalist will hold up on a larger screen with digital projection, but in 70mm the cinematography was epic. The movie felt like an exercise in grandeur. Brody and Pearce’s performances were spellbinding, and Jones helps carry the second half of the film, giving the finest performance in her career. The score is powerful and heightens the drama to level that gave me chills at my viewing. The sheer amount of praise and nominations so far this awards season have given credence to Corbet’s amazing filmmaking. Some will argue that the film knows what is and is trying to beat its own drum of Oscar bait exuberance, but this film will be remembered for years to come.
Another year down, and we thank you for reading here at Y’all Weekly. Many films are now playing right down the road at the Independent Picture House, so catch them while you can. Don’t forget that tonight, January 5th, at 8PM on CBS/Paramount+ you can watch the Golden Globe Awards to see who takes home the hardware.
We’ll get a better glimpse in the upcoming weeks as to who is making the Oscar push and I’ll be back as always to have my annual conversation with guest contributor Dana Gillis on the Academy Awards.
Pop a bottle of champagne for the New Year and we’ll see you next time at Matt at the Movies.