On a personal note, this year was extremely hard for me. I went through a lot of things mentally and physically and at times it got in the way of my review writing. That being said, I would always find my way back to cinema; films have a way of transporting us away or to inspire us when we need it the most. When times got tough, I knew I could come back and lose myself in an incredible story and then to share my thoughts with all of you.
There have been some outstanding films this year. Incidentally my top five all came out towards the end of the year. There were also some that I wish I could forget.
Without further ado, here are my top five best and worst films of 2024. I look forward to seeing what 2025 will bring!
Based upon the book by Rachel Yoder, Nightbitch follows an unnamed mother (Amy Adams) who stays at home with her son (Arleigh and Emmett Snowden) day in and day out while her husband (Scoot McNairy) goes to work. Fed up with the monotony, she can’t help but think that she might be turning into a dog.
There’s no denying the strange premise of the film. A woman changing into a dog is not entirely realistic, but there is something interesting about it all the same. Adams, who has been in a variety of different roles throughout her career, gives an outstanding performance as our protagonist. She wasn’t afraid to bare it all and really go there to get the point across and her Golden Globe nomination is certainly warranted. You feel for her character throughout the film as she struggles to keep it all together.
With that being said, McNairy also gave a commendable performance as the husband. At times you want to dislike him for what he puts Adams’ character through, but then you start to feel for him too. The two had a great and real chemistry together. Zoë Chao, Mary Holland and Archana Rajan who play the mother’s eventual friends were a lovely addition and helped liven things up a bit.
The actual transformation from woman to dog was not what I was expecting. Part of me wishes they had taken it even further than they did, showcasing some more of those pivotal moments than just the sprouting of a tail and growing body hair. I did enjoy the magical realism and the depiction of motherhood, however. It was a different approach and it did seem to hit the nail on the head.
Nightbitch is a film unlike any that I have ever seen before. The premise is wild, but I felt like it worked. Thanks to some incredible performances by Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy, it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but there was something entrancing about it that I can’t stop thinking about it twenty four hours later.
The Lion King is a classic beloved by many. In 2019 it was given the real life remake treatment. Now, five years later, the universe is expanding with a prequel story. Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) suddenly finds himself orphaned after a flash flood. He meets Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and the two form a brotherhood. As they embark on a journey through the Pridelands, their relationship is tested.
I was really torn on this film because I wasn’t fond of the 2019 version. I don’t understand why Disney feels the need to remake every single one of our childhood favorites in live action. While the CGI effects are impressive, particularly for the sweeping landscapes, I have to say that I can’t really take the animals seriously. They aren’t quite real and they aren’t quite computerized. It takes me out of the experience.
The story this time around felt convoluted. It was clunky to get going though I did enjoy seeing how Mufasa and Taka met and how they eventually run into Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), assistant Zazu (Preston Nyman) and Rafiki (John Kani). The second half was infinitely more exciting and I found myself getting into things more. It did seem like they were trying too hard to make call backs to the original. In some ways this was good, like the beautiful score and other Easter eggs, but after a while, I felt like I was just watching the same story over again.
The voice acting was good enough with many new additions joining the cast of the remake. Mads Mikkelsen portrays villain Kiros and he definitely fit the bill. Blue Ivy Carter is adorable as Kiara, Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala’s (Beyonce) daughter who we see in the future. Some of the songs were catchy though they were nowhere near as epic as the original. Nothing against Lin Manuel Miranda whatsoever, but I kept expecting to hear The Circle of Life.
Overall, Mufasa: The Lion King was a conundrum for me. There were some positives, but mostly it fell flat. While I understand that this is a cash cow for the company, I would have been more interested in seeing a remake of The Lion King 2 instead of a prequel story, but maybe that’s just me.
Having coasted through life the past couple of years, Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) feels the pressure to step up after his longtime girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson) becomes pregnant. On Christmas Eve, the busiest day of the year for airports, Ethan is put on the x-ray machine. When a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) blackmails him into playing along with his terrorist attack, Ethan must go along with the plan while also figuring out a way to save not only Nora, but thousands of other passengers too.
What initially attracted me to this film was the cast. Egerton has always been enjoyable and it was fun seeing him back in an action flick again. He plays the hero well and kept the film grounded. Though Bateman was only really present in the film throughout the second half, he carried an ominous presence from the moment you hear his voice through the earpiece. The way in which those two worked off each other was like watching a delicious game of cat and mouse. The supporting cast members elevated the story too. Carson had a sweet romance with Egerton’s character while Danielle Deadwyler was kick ass as LAPD officer Elena Cole.
As far as action goes, this certainly delivered. After a small introduction, it didn’t waste any time to get going. The airport setting really made it that locked room vibe which I liked and it added to the chaos as well. There was so much tension, like Ethan was running against a clock. I also never in a million years thought that I would watch a fight sequence set to Wham’s Last Christmas, but I wasn’t mad about it.
I didn’t have high hopes for Carry-On at first. It was much better than I thought it was going to be! Not only did it grip my attention from the very beginning, it had enough twists and turns throughout that kept me on the edge of my seat. It may not have been very realistic, but I didn’t care. I had a great time with it.
Credits Rolling 