I think as you’ve all come to know, there were a lot of movies in my life this year. 175 to be exact, though unlike other years, there were several repeat viewings this time around! I was also so lucky to take part in so many film festivals this year, both in person and virtually, and I hope the trend continues next year! Here are my favorite films of the year (and see the rest at the bottom!).
The Childe – I can’t imagine this comes as any surprise given how many times it showed up on my weekly movie review (eight!), but this South Korean film is my official comfort movie. A Kopino kid is requested home to meet his father, but there are far more complicated matters afoot, including several people out to kill him! Loaded with action and comedy, this movie is perfect.
Anora – Sean Baker continues to deliver hit after hit, and this comedy-drama is no different. After a few encounters, stripper Anora marries the son of Russian criminals in Vegas. Their honeymoon is short lived when a horde of Russian underlings work their asses off to get the marriage annulled before said parents arrive in New York. This was a comedy goldmine and everyone should check this out.
Dead Talents Society – I don’t know if this had to do with the fact that it was midnight at TIFF and the director and star were there, but I had so much fun watching this Taiwanese horror comedy. Think more comedy, but with blood and guts. A rookie ghost only has 30 days left among the land of the living unless she’s granted a working certificate. To prove her worth she teams up with some odd friends and a once renowned queen of scares. I really hope this finds a wide release in the US someday.
Marry My Dead Body – Another Taiwanese film that blends both comedy, mystery, and a little bit of horror! It’s kind of funny that one of the leads in this film was also the lead of Dead Talents Society, so I’m convinced all of her work is top-tier. Wu Ming-han, a talented if troublesome police detective, has to face both his homophobia and ghost-phobia after he picks up a red wedding envelope and gets married to a dead young man. The two then team up to discover who killed him. Hilarious and heartwarming. And there’s a spinoff series now, too!
Monster – Watching this for the first time was an amazing experience. A story told from three different perspectives means you don’t really know the whole truth until it’s main characters, two ten year old boys, finally get to show off their piece. It all starts when Minato starts acting strangely and his mother thinks a school teacher is to blame. The extremes that unfold in this story are strongly rooted in reality and the ending is so powerful. I cannot recommend this enough.
Femme – Sadly my friend and I missed seeing this at a film festival in Melbourne last February, but I was pleased to get the chance to see it later in the year back home. It’s a thriller film focused on Jules, a drag performer who one night gets brutally attacked after a performance. Not long after, Jules encounters the homophobic attacker at a gay sauna. The two start a relationship that feels like it’s made of glass, but it was so tense trying to learn what Jules was going to do next or if his plot for revenge would backfire.
Strange Darling – One of the most unique horror films I’ve ever seen. Though somewhat simple in it’s premise and filming style, it’s presented to the audience in chapters out of order. We meet a woman running for her life from a man with a gun, but the people she encounters along the way play important and gruesome roles. The plot twist certainly had me fooled! Definitely worth it for the uniqueness alone.
Relay – Another TIFF pick, the final film my friend and I chose for the long weekend was a doozy. Tom works as a fixer who brokers payoffs from corrupt corporations. His latest client, Sarah, starts melting his carefully constructed life, which ultimately just leads to trouble. I really liked how the relay system, something I’d never heard of before, plays into a large part of this film, but the twist at the end of this had my friend and I flabbergasted. I can’t wait for Bleeker Street to release it this year!
A Real Pain – One of three excellent films I got the chance to watch at Sundance in 2024 is on a hot streak right now. Especially for Kieran Culkin who is getting tons of Oscar buzz for his supporting performance as cousin to Jesse Eisenberg’s character as the two head to Poland to find their grandmother’s old home. The two couldn’t be more different, so it was interesting to see them interact with both each other, but also their small tour group. It’s awkward, hilarious, and very somber at times. Excellent drama.
The Substance – Though I haven’t seen too many body horror films over the years, this one might be seared into my brain forever. Elisabeth Sparkle is a star whose power is fading now that she’s older. She knows she’s going to get replaced soon, so she takes it upon herself to replace herself with a younger version of herself. The shine of this wears off quickly as her younger self, going by Sue, starts abusing her time in the world. Elisabeth pays the price for a problem of her own making, but this film was great at holding a magnifying glass up to Hollywood beauty and aging standards. Not for the faint of heart, though.
Other films worth checking out from the year include Ezra, Blink Twice, Thelma, Good One, Suncoast, Brief History of a Family, Origin, Conclave, Trap, and Longlegs. The first five minutes will stay with you, I promise.
Now, not all films can be good, so some that just made me sad that I spent time watching them include Kraven the Hunter, Brothers, Killer Heat, Coup!, Janet Planet, The Crow, Club Zero, La Chimera, Little Death, and He Went That Way. For more details on why they were so bad please go check out my reviews for them on the site!
