The first half of my 2024 was spent at the movie theater with the same snacks: a medium popcorn with a Cherry or Blue Raspberry slushy (I can never pick a favorite).
This year, I’ve only watched 14 movies; it doesn’t seem like a lot, but it felt like a lot: A Quiet Place: Day One, Despicable Me 4, Deadpool & Wolverine, The Wild Robot, Inside Out 2, I Am: Celine Dion, The Greatest Night in Pop, Longlegs, Maxxxine, Borderlands, Under Paris, Civil War, Kung Fu Panda 3, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
I’ve decided to review these films from least favorite to favorite based on my opinion and not from the perspective of a movie critic.
14: Borderland – Directed by Eli Roth – ★★☆☆☆
“A ragtag team of misfits embark on a mission to save a missing girl who holds the key to unimaginable power.” (LetterBoxd)
Ranking movies is never easy, but placing this one at the bottom was a no-brainer. Let’s be clear: it wasn’t terrible; it just felt… redundant. Based on the sentence summary above, the plot is very generic. There was nothing particularly fresh or groundbreaking about the plot, and the dialogue? Yikes. Listening to it felt like sitting through an AI-generated script inspired by 2010s Disney Channel scripts, full of cringe one-liners. For instance, when Krieg, Tina’s bodyguard and a ‘psycho’ played by Florian Munteanu, said, “Nobody kills me but me!” or when one of the prisoners said, “It’s time to go insane!”. I see what they were attempting to do with Krieg’s line because he’s a buff guy and wanted to show off his power; however, for the prisoner’s line, I think it would have been better if he simply went insane without announcing it. Since this movie is an adaptation of the game Borderland, “It’s time to go insane!” could be one of the catchphrases; in that case, it makes sense to include it.
The cast, though! Kevin Hart (Roland), Ariana Greenblatt (Tina), Cate Blanchett (Tiny Tina), and Jamie Lee Curtis (Tannis)—such a talented lineup wasted on a painfully mediocre movie—tragic. I feel as though they don’t fit well together for this movie, but I can’t put my finger on why that is; unfortunately, a cast of top actors doesn’t automatically equal a great movie.
That said, I generously gave it two stars, thanks to the CGI throughout the movie. The visual effects were terrific. One of the best CGI works I’ve ever seen, making it seem real life, but it still has the video game feel to it, so I can tell they spent a lot of time perfecting the visual aspects of the movie! My favorite scene was towards the end when Lilith, a treasure hunter who returns to Pandora to find Tina (the Tycoon’s missing daughter), unleashed her Firehawk wings; just her floating with the purple, pink, and orange wings made of fire was a sight to see!
13: Under Paris – Directed by Xavier Genes – ★★★☆☆
Am I allowed to dislike a movie because of a specific character? I’m talking about Mika, one of the environmentalists played by Léa Léviant, for whom I think the idea of saving Lilith, the shark roaming in The Seine, got way into her head. She was too focused on getting the shark back to the ocean (a goal she didn’t plan for) and opposed having authorities take care of it. I can in some way understand her need to save the shark’s life; however, the fact that there wasn’t any concrete plan only allowed for the news of a shark in the catacombs of France to propagate, which led to the death of many, including hers.
Overall, this movie felt short, which is weird considering that it’s 1h44mins long, but the pacing wasn’t the “deal-breaker” for me.
I’ll admit, the ocean and sea creatures aren’t exactly my thing (they’re just really scary), so the movie did not help me. Although I know the chances of sharks finding their way into a pool or a river are low, a part of me will imagine the worst-case scenarios if I ever find myself in a pool, a river, or any body of water.
Another thing I found interesting and questionable was the timing of its release. Under Paris was released a little more than a month before the Paris Olympics, where athletes had to swim in the very river the movie centered around…creepy but smart. In my opinion, the movie criticizes the French government and the Olympic organizers’ ignorance regarding the conditions in which the swimmers would compete. Right before the event, there was a lot of discourse about the unsanitary state of the Seine and why athletes shouldn’t swim in the river; still, the swimming competition’s location did not change. And it all comes back to the movie, in which the government refused to postpone the triathlon competition although the athletes’ lives were on the line. In my opinion, the message of this movie was more important than the cast or the script.
12: Civil War – Alex Garland ★★★☆☆
I saw the vision with the plot, but it felt too slow in scenes that didn’t matter and too fast in scenes that did. For example, a big part of the movie centered around the group of journalists driving from New York to D.C.; throughout their journey to D.C., there was some action, but considering the main message of the movie, I felt as if they should’ve focused more on the scenes in D.C. because those scenes were very short. The idea was amazing, and considering recent events, it’s starting to feel too real….When they said “near” future, they meant it. Every once in a while, I think of this movie, particularly the horrific and violent ending; the fear of Washington, D.C., turning into what the movie portrayed is terrifying, especially because I go to school there.
Once again, the message speaks louder than the script: bad political decisions and government affect us all, and until the consequences are playing out in real-time, some will continue to be ignorant of current issues even after many warnings (this movie, for example).
11: Bad Boys: Ride or Die – Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah – ★★★☆☆
This movie is the fourth of a sequel. Before watching this one, I wasn’t aware of the first three movies, so my knowledge of the story is limited.
It felt like they dusted off the most overused action formula and said, “This’ll do”; however, they managed to differentiate it from other movies with a similar plot by focusing on family. What I found most interesting was how Detective Mike, played by Will Smith, dealt with the dilemma of having to hold his son, Armando, accountable (for being involved in the murder of the late Captain Howard, accused of being involved with the cartel) and protecting him from assassins attempting to silence him because he has classified information on the corruption within the cartel. Compared to Borderland, this had me invested in finding out how the plot unfolds, and the bits of comedy made the plot more diverse. For example, when Mike said, “How Long You Think Your Brain Went Without Oxygen?” in response to Marcus, played by Martin Lawrence, and his spiritual talks.
10: Kung Fu Panda 4 – Directed by Mike Mitchell ★★★☆☆
As a self-proclaimed Kung Fu Panda super-fan, this one hurt. What’s Kung Fu Panda without Tigress, Mantis, Master Crane, Master Monkey, and Viper? (Answer: it’s NOT Kung Fu Panda). DreamWorks fumbled the bag on this one big time.
Sure, Po’s journey is always fun, and he’s the main character, so the movie should be centered around him, but deep down, we all know that the heart of the stories has always been the teamwork and the energy of the full pack. I just kept wondering what the others were doing while Po, voiced by Jack Black, was on his adventure; it would’ve been nice to see the others at least once throughout the movie. It’s like making a Shrek movie… without Donkey! The potential was there, but the creative choices weren’t, unfortunately.
I became a fan of this sequel because of the story’s creativity and passion. Unsurprisingly, when you build a strong fanbase for a movie, they will always expect the sequels to be at the same level of creativity and genuine passion; therefore, when a sequel shows a lack of motivation to satisfy their audience, you lose more and more fans, which, I think, is worse than not having a fourth movie at all. I’ve seen this happen often within Hollywood; sequels are produced solely for profit, and it makes me wonder how movie quality will evolve in the next couple of years if this trend of making sequels for profit continues.
9: Inside Out 2 – Directed by Kelsey Mann – ★★★★☆
Inside Out 2 felt very nostalgic because the movie was released almost 10 years after the first; however, it’s not better than the 1st movie. There’s something so revolutionary about the concept that when Inside Out was released, the quality and creativity stuck with me, and the second movie did not produce the same feeling I felt. What made my experience better was that I watched Inside Out 2 with friends; it made it a lot more fun and memorable. I might have teared up a bit, but that’s typical. I was annoyed sometimes with Riley and her choices, but that was probably the writer’s intention. They seemed to have wanted the audience to experience a full range of emotions (frustration, joy, and nostalgia) to mirror the complexity of the main character’s journey with her emotions through adolescence. If that was their goal, then bravo to them for pulling it off…with me, at least.
8: I Am: Celine Dion – Directed by Irene Taylor – ★★★★★
I can’t even begin to explain my reaction to this documentary: sadness, happiness, pity, and hopeful. This was so hard to watch, and I’m not talking about whether it was well produced, BUT it was painful watching one of my favorite singers be in so much pain. It makes you wonder how someone like Céline can be hit with such heavy hardships. Imagine being sick, and your illness prevents you from doing your job and a job that you LOVE to do….I cannot imagine how that must feel. For those who do not know, Céline Dion has Stiff Person Syndrome, a super rare neurological disease that causes one to have spasms and muscles to go stiff; unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease.
Céline is beautiful, talented, and kind and deserves to live a happy life. I have so much respect for her for being so brave and optimistic, which allowed them to perform at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics; when I found out that she sang “Hymne à l’amour,” I was in shock because I would’ve never expected for her to perform. I am so glad that I was able to discover her music from my mother, and I will make sure that my children also get to know about her, her music, and how amazing she is. I remember back then, my mother had the CD of the “A New Day Has Come” album and would always play the songs when she was cooking or on Saturday mornings when she was cleaning; ‘To this day, I listen to the album, and it’s always so nostalgic!
Overall, this documentary was very touching. Suppose you make a documentary about a celebrity and how they have dealt with difficult hardships. In that case, I expect it to leave me speechless, and that’s exactly what this documentary did to me. The directors did a very good job of bringing out the right emotions in me (empathy, sadness, etc.….) with the music, the different shots, the lighting, just everything.
7: The Greatest Night in Pop – Directed by Nao Nguyen – ★★★★★
I love Michael Jackson, and I love this song. As a Haitian who experienced the January 12th earthquake, the version of “We Are the World” for Haiti brings back so many flashbacks, and this eerie nostalgia, and I’ve grown an emotional attachment to both versions. Whenever I hear this version of the song or the original, I never experience a flashback of a specific moment but rather the fact that it was ALWAYS playing on the radio. Watching a documentary on how this song came together brought me lots of joy, as I enjoy the process of making a song AND the song itself. I find it fascinating seeing how producers break down how they made a song and seeing how every piece of the song, from instrumentals to the a cappella to the harmonies, fit together like a puzzle; it feels like magic, how one can figure out what melody will go well with the vocals? I don’t think I’ll ever get it.
6: Longlegs – Directed by Osgood Parkins ★★★★☆
This one had me gripping my seat the entire time! The eerie background music and the color grading created such a chilling atmosphere. I’ll admit that horror/thriller isn’t my thing, but this movie caught me off guard in the best way. It had just the right mix of suspense and the fact that I was constantly awaiting a jump scare that never came kept me hooked. And honestly, it was funny, too; every time Longlegs showed up, I couldn’t help but laugh a little. Something about him was ridiculous: the pure white face paired with the white hair, and finding out that Nicolas Cage played him was the cherry on top because I would’ve never imagined. Overall, it’s not perfect, but it’s worth the watch!
With that being said, the best quote of the movie was when Longlegs went inside the gas station store and randomly started singing to the cashier: “Let me in nowwwww and it can be niiiiiiice, make me goo noooooow and ill have to come baaaaack not OOOOONCE not TWIIIIIICE but as many times as I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE!” It was the funniest part of the movie, and the cashier’s unbothered face made it even better.
5: Maxxxine – Directed by Ti West – ★★☆☆☆
Now, you’re probably wondering… why this is ranked higher than the previous movies, even though I gave it fewer stars. Well, here’s the thing: I made the rookie mistake of diving into the third movie in a trilogy without watching the first two (classic Ahn). No surprise, I was completely lost. But once I finally watched X and Pearl, everything clicked, and I became an instant fan of this trilogy! Ti West’s storytelling truly shines when you experience it in the full context. So, while my original two-star rating reflected my confusion, Maxxxine is a whole different experience when you’re not going in blind. Trust me, this trilogy deserves your time—just watch them in order! Fair warning: it’s very graphic, and I did not know that….in fact, I did not know what the movie was about. I can also say that after watching the prequels, Maxxxine is my least favorite of the trilogy simply because of the ending. I can’t spoil it, but I was expecting a bit more in the plot twist; it was a good plot twist but could’ve been more shocking.
4: A Quiet Place: Day One – Directed by Michael Sarnoski – ★★★★☆
“As New York City is invaded by alien creatures who hunt by sound, a woman named Sam fights to survive with her cat.” (LetterBoxd)
This movie was just so good! (I didn’t watch the prequels, but please, no judgment!) If a movie can make me tear up, you best believe it’s getting a solid rating and A Quiet Place: Day One got me in my feels. The final scene made it so emotional for me: Samira’s decision to sacrifice herself and save Eric, played by Joseph Quinn, and her cat was so incredibly brave of Samira, played by Lupita Nyong’o.
After watching this movie and discovering a prequel I hadn’t watched, I realized that I should research a movie before watching it because I’m sure the previous movies were just as good or even better than A Quite Place: Day One. I was also fascinated by how the film made silence feel so powerful and made you scared of making a sound even though you’re not in the movie or even close to experiencing this plot.
Taking a look at the script (https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/movies/a-quiet-place-day-one-transcript/), most lines indicate noises or one-word sentences, which shows how facial expressions and sound can also tell a story, possibly even better than words.
3: Despicable Me 4 – Directed by Chris Renaud – ★★★★★
“I KNOW YOU HEARD THE RUMORS” (Double Life – Pharrell Williams)
This movie was like a burst of sunshine straight into the heart, the feeling of good energy you need after a long week. It was a total refresher, like that first sip of perfect-temperature Yellow Gatorade when you’re thirsty (now I want one)!
My favorite part was that moment towards the end when Gru Jr. got emotional about his dad. Yep, it hit me right in the feels because his personality is based on tormenting his father, but as soon as he sees him in danger, that ‘character’ turns off, and it was just adorable!
And we can’t talk about the Despicable Me series without the soundtrack! The genius Pharrell Williams! How does he manage to create these insanely catchy soundtracks every single time??? That’s real magic, and the fact that all of the Despicable Me main soundtracks always go viral and are always up to standards tells you a lot about how passionate he is about these projects: Despicable Me (from Despicable Me), Happy (from Despicable Me 2), Just a Cloud Away (from Despicable Me 2), There’s Something Special (from Despicable Me 4) to name a few!
2: Deadpool & Wolverine – Directed by Shawn Levy – ★★★★★
I’m currently staring at my Deadpool & Wolverine poster on my wall!
This movie made me realize how handsome and talented Hugh Jackman is! I went full-on fangirl mode with this movie; I watched every single promotional interview and behind-the-scenes video I could find about it. It got to the point where I was watching Hugh Jackman in everything. I recommend Les Miserables with Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. I’m not the biggest fan of musicals, but Les Miserables made me reconsider my opinion.
About the movie, though, it was genuinely really good. I’m not a Marvel super-fan, but this movie made me hesitate to start the MCU (I did not). The comedy was good, but I did not get most of the jokes because they referenced previous Wolverine, Deadpool, and MCU prequels I haven’t seen. But if you’re not an MCU fan like me, you’ll still get plenty of hidden jokes and puns, although most of them are inappropriate. My favorite joke was Deadpool’s response to Gambit, played by Channing Tatum, and his accent: “Who is your dialect coach?! The minions?!”. And speaking of Gambit, he might be my favorite character solely because of his Cajun accent; it was great how they made him according to the comic book, considering he’s of Cajun descent.
Lastly, I can’t talk about this movie without mentioning the soundtrack! The use of classics, from upbeat songs like “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC to slower songs like the choir version of Maradona’s “Like a Prayer”!!
1: The Wild Robot – Directed by Chris Sanders – ★★★★★
I wish I could give this more stars because it deserves all the stars in the universe!
DreamWorks strikes again! After all these years, they still got it, and I’m willing to forgive them for the disastrous Kung Fu Panda 4. The Wild Robot is enough to make a grown man cry because my brother teared up (and that’s very rare), and I might’ve had a tear or two in my eye (which isn’t so rare). If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a movie worth watching. I can’t recommend it enough! It’s one of those films that makes you feel like a kid again because the animation style felt like reading a book from childhood. For me personally, the animation style and Finx, the red fox played by Pedro Pascal, reminds me of this specific book I loved to read titled “Le problème quand vous êtes un renard” (translation: “The Problem When You’re a Fox”) about a mischievous fox with a similar personality to that of Finx.
What made it so touching was how emotionally aware the robot became and how it gradually took on the role of a parent, slowly learning how to act on that role. Roz, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, was never meant to become a mother; that wasn’t her purpose; however, the specific scene where you realize that Roz had successfully taken on that role of a mother was when Brightbill, the Canada goose voiced by Kit Connor, was finally able to fly for the winter migration. Roz’s look when Brightbill flew away was so impactful because you could tell she was holding in tears even though she’s a robot and can’t cry.
End Credits
And there you have it—my rundown of the best (and not-so-best) movies of 2024, from the ones that made me tear up and laugh out loud to the ones that had me questioning my life choices. Overall, I recommend all of the movies mentioned above because, you might have a completely different opinion than me.
2024 is coming to an end, and 2025 is approaching soon, and movies continue to be announced and released. I am SO looking forward to 3 movies in particular.
After watching the trailer for Minecraft, which will be released in April 2025, I wasn’t as excited as I was before. However, because I grew up with the game, I still have this excitement and anticipation; I can’t wait to see if they make it for Minecraft fans or if this becomes another unnecessary movie adaptation of a game.
In 2019 I watched The Lion King, and now Mufasa: The Lion King is coming out in December 2024. I am very excited to watch the movie because I’m so sure that it’ll be just as good as the 2019 one, especially because this is a new story and not an adaptation of an animation.
Finally, I’ve always loved biopics, Bohemian Rhapsody (2019), I Am Celine Dion (2024), Elvis (2023), and The King’s Speech (2010), just to name a few. Michael, a biopic about Michael Jackson, is coming out in 2025. I can’t express my excitement enough because it might be the most accurate and realistic depiction of Michael’s life yet. MJ’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will play him!! There couldn’t have been a better actor for this role because I’ve heard some of Jaafar’s songs, and his voice is identical to Michael’s, so this might be the movie I’m most excited about.