Movies seen in 2024#
(Not really *all* the movies, though, because I didn't take notes throughout the whole year.)
Beware: There are a couple of spoilers ahead as those are predominantly notes for myself. Nothing all too serious but one or two twists are revealed.
Late Night#
I saw Mindy Kaling's "Late Night" yesterday. The idea was to see a comedy and the bit on Netflix suggested as much, but it turned out to rather be a drama about comedians, hence, there were funny bits there. It's not a bad thing, just the genre surprised me. It was an interesting story about communication and getting old.
Angst#
I saw "Angst" from 1983 yesterday. A movie that ended its director's career because it was too brutal, too unhinged for its time. A lot has been said about the camera work, which I found to be very much like from a TPP game. It's coincidental because games in the early 1980s were not even close to what we have now, but it shows how surprisingly well some things get old and for unexpected reasons. Also, the house had a certain liminal vibe due to its empty rooms.
Halloween franchise#
There was enough to earn its own article.
Linoleum#
I saw "Linoleum" (2022) on Friday. It would be a shame to spoil it with any plot-related information, but in its vibe, it felt like what "Donnie Darko" was supposed to be but couldn't get there. There is certain eeriness of the late 1980s (or early 1990s) that reminds me of the visual side of "It Follows." And the music, albeit cheery, could actually be used in Halloween movies. So yeah. The movie has my recommendation.
Friday the 13th#
The signs were clear. After all the 13 Halloweens, I found myself on a Friday. So, I went for the "Friday the 13th" reboot from 2009 that remakes movies 1-4 (which tells us how much plot was in them). Technically, this is a very good movie. The creators had permission to use whatever they wanted (mask, soundtrack) and gave us leaner Jason with better reasons to kill, but in general, this movie was completely unnecessary. It was nice to see Amanda Righetti outside of "The Mentalist," though.
Threads#
I finally saw "Threads" (1984). From what I heard about it, I imagined "Mad Max," just with added splatterpunk. But no. It is truly very drastic depiction of nuclear winter but in a different way, more surgical. "Threads" are more chilling than Cormac McCarthy's "The Road." It resembles a lot of an educational movie that they show in schools, which works very well here. It seems at first there was no main character, but she emerged over time. Overall, I recommend it, but it's not an easy watch.
Cam#
"Cam" (2018), on the other hand, is a lightweight, albeit quite erotic, techno-horror. Janine from "The Handmaid's Tale" is a cam girl here whose streaming is stolen by... something and she has to fight for it. The writer, a former cam girl herself, wanted to create a documentary about her experience but decided that horror would work better. So, these aspects are depicted faithfully, which is a nice thing. The horror part also carries a lot of modern fears (stealing somebody's identity, etc.).
Doom: Annihilation#
"Doom: Annihilation" (2019) is another attempt at adapting the most important game in the history into a movie. Plot-wise, there is more elements from the game ("Doom" from 2005 was a rewrite from an unrelated story, actually), but with low budget, etc., this is closer to a fan movie. There is a Doomguy-based character, but he's not the hero(ine) here. As much as it pains me to type it right now, it's totally skippable. The only fun here was fishing out a few Easter eggs.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga / Mad Max: Fury Road#
After over 80 hours and 100% achievements in "Mad Max," I was very curious about how "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" will fall into my liking. It worked extremely well. At times, it's so over the top that it's almost mythological. And the visuals are impeccable. And I like Anya Taylor-Joy with her calm and reserved demeanour.
I started reading about "Mad Max: Fury Road" after watching "Furiosa," and it turned out to be much closer connected than I remembered, so I went with it the next day. It's amazing how seamlessly it clicks in. I know George Miller was planning to shoot both movies back-to-back, but it didn't panned out. But you can see how all the elements were thought through. It actually watches as one long story, which is funny given that "Fury Road" takes like 48 hours after years of plot in "Furiosa."
Too bad there were no Buzzards in "Furiosa." It was my favourite fraction in the game. Maybe "Mad Max: The Wasteland" will give us more of them. If they ever make the movie, which is not a given at this point in time.
And one more thing, which I think was a nice move and probably a bit bold, "Furiosa" plus "Fury Road" make more of a Furiosa story with a guest arrival of Mad Max in the second part. You could probably even remove him and still have valid movies. Furiosa, on the other hand, was indispensable. As a long-time fan of deuteragonists, I approve of this.
The Batman#
I started watching "The Penguin" and realised it's set immediately after "The Batman," so I rewatched it. I forgot how well done it is. It's a mix of the Zodiac Killer story and "Seven" visuals ("Seven" might have been set in Gotham City for all we know). My favourite part was that Batman has primarily been a detective here. Also, the plot is quite complex.
Hardcore#
I added "Hardcore" from 1979 to my watchlist after learning it was an inspiration for "X" with Mia Goth, but I was postponing it and postponing. The wait is finally over. It's like reversed "X," with the girl's father being the main character here. I was half-expecting an outdated cringe, but the result turned out to be solid. A journey-like narrative with a nice soundtrack. "8MM" had to be inspired by this movie too.
L.A. Without a Map#
I wanted to see something with Vincent Gallo, so I reached for "L.A. Without a Map." Despite action being set in USA (Los Angeles and briefly Las Vegas), the movie is European AF, which must be due to the Finnish director, Mika Kaurismäki. Pacing and colour palette remind me heavily of *his younger brother's* Finland trilogy. The music and laid-back atmosphere of Wim Wenders' movies. And Vincent Gallo delivers, albeit he's a secondary character here.
Under the Shadow#
"Under the Shadow" (2016) is balancing a thing line with its setting in my view. Horrors happening during the war are not my favourite ones because the war increases the horror part, but the horror diminishes the war part. War is horrible on its own and it doesn't need any horror added. And yet, here, Tehran in the 1980s is more of a background for the actual story that mostly plays on adult fears (parenthood, etc.).
Versus#
The director of "Versus" (2000) didn't know if he'd get a chance to make another movie, so he put all he could have into his feature debut: samurais, gangsters, zombies, wizards, magic forests, and some more. The plot was, conveniently, omitted. I'm kidding, but I would say there is no real plot until 40 to 60 minutes into the movie. Earlier it's just action. Probably a thing for connoisseurs. The soundtrack, which is instrumental hip-hop, is very good, though, and it's on Spotify.
Kitchen Stories#
I had "Kitchen Stories" (2003) on my list for very long. But finally, I saw it. The only thing I knew about it was that it's a Norwegian movie. It's a mix of drama and comedy, with drama being the main flavour. A slow-burning story about friendship and loneliness. After the movie, I learned that the director (Bent Hamer) did one of my favourite movies two years later, "Factotum." And then I saw how un-American movie that was.
Call Me By Your Name#
I saw "Call Me By Your Name" (2017) because I was curious about the whole predatory-gap controversy. It's a generally pleasant story, set in a pleasant setting, and only the conversation with father at the end seems a bit off or even cringy. As if they gave away their son to an adult man? What the hell. Then, I learned that 17-year-old and 24-year-old characters from the book were played by 22-year-old and 29-year-old actors. The same difference in age, yet, changing a lot in their dynamics.
Too Late to Die Young#
I was reading about "Too Old To Die Young" on Wiki, and there was warning to not mistake it with "Too Late To Die Young" (2018), so I decided to clear out the confusion. It's an Argentinian movie telling a coming-out-of-age story set in eco commune back in 1990 near Santiago in Argentina. Nice music from the epoch. But what I liked the most is a slow beginning where I almost thought it's gonna be plotless. It wasn't. Vaguely reminding me style of Jim Jarmusch, Harmony Korine, and Werner Herzog.
Heaven's Gate#
"Heaven's Gate" from 1980 was a nail to Michael Cimino's commercial career (he made only 4 movies after it). And I wanted to see it for myself. The movie aged quite well, and looking back it's probably hard to point out what was so different from other movies at the time. An epic Western story (with some Polish Easter Eggs). The final battle was nothing short of epic. Generally, there are tonnes of people in so many scenes. Might not be for everyone, but it's not a bad movie.
El Príncipe#
"El Príncipe" is a Spanish show with action set in Ceuta, a place that was somewhat fascinating me ever since I learned about it. The quality is quite good as for a Spanish show (it's always a gamble), and there are so many twists in each episode that we were very grateful for summaries of the previous ones. There is love, terrorism, and José Coronado. And Ceuta. Although, my reason to see was to train my Spanish. I still got season 2 to see.
Longlegs#
"Longlegs" (2024) is a horror which falls, like many contemporary films, somewhere in between. The story, reminding me of "Silence of the Lambs," starts as a procedural with a sparse actors and visually stylised for a late 1980s or early 1990s film. There is a strong liminal vibe due to these choices. I really liked the movie, despite not being a usual fan of the twist they used. Nicholas Cage as a titular Longlegs, who reminds Marilyn Manson a lot, is definitely a strong point of the show.
Alien: Romulus#
"Alien: Romulus" (2024) is a movie that is honest with itself. After the last two slightly more ambitious takes, we're back to a space horror. And done really well. The director, Fede Álvarez, gave us "Evil Dead" in 2013, where he showed he can do right by an established franchise. The pacing is good, the aliens don't show too early, and there are at least two visually-stunning scenes that made me wonder why nobody came up with them earlier. I was not hyped about another Alien, but it was fun.
Don't Tell a Soul#
"Don't Tell a Soul" (2020) is a thriller with a minimal cast telling a story of two brothers in the middle of nowhere and a security guard. As for only 80 minutes plus, there are some surprising twists there. But the reason why I reached out for this position was Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute in "The Office." I was curious how would he look as another character. It was like Dark Dwight here, but he generally made it work. Though, the story is about the brothers. "Gummo"-like sad.
Kinds of Kindness#
"Kinds of Kindness" is an absurdist anthology from Yorgos Lanthimos, one of my favourite directors recently. The movie shows three totally unpredictable stories with the same cast each (but different characters). I loved how it was hard to guess what might happen next. Ever since I saw "The Killing of a Sacred Deer," I wanted to see from Lanthimos something that would impress me as much, and this movie did it. Also, nice soundtrack.
Asteroid City#
I picked up Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City" to match "Kinds of Kindness" for the weekend, and it worked well. The criticism I heard of this movie was that "there was too much Wes Anderson in Wes Anderson," and I can see where it came from, but eventually, the movie won my heart. Visually, it's stunning as ever, but the winning point was layered narrative with not one but two framing devices. I liked how Augie's conversation with his wife was arranged.
My Best Friend#
"My Best Friend" from 2001 is the actual Yorgos Lanthimos directorial debut (but it was co-directer, in opposition to 2005's "Kinetta," which was the full debut). Very un-Lanthimos film. It reminds me of video clips from that time, especially that also some hits are used in it. An erotic comedy, actually, about two life-long friends. I liked various background events of groups of people doing exactly the same thing. And the Kansas-City-shuffle plot twist genuinely surprised me.
Tristana#
"Tristana" is Luis Buñuel's movie which is an adaptation of a book, but it's not relevant. It tells a story of a titular girl who ends up in an abusive relationship with a much older man. Some see there a nod to how Spaniards felt about Franco at the end of his life. For me, it was also interesting to see older Spain. And it was surprising to learn that Catherine Denevue speaks Spanish. What caught my attention was complete lack of music, which I suspect was unusual in 1970?
Vesper#
"Vesper" from 2022 is a science-fiction movie with action set sometime in a future and told from a point of view of a 14-year-old girl who lives with her paralysed father in remnants of an old civilisation (all the wealth is locked in so-called citadelas, which is believed to be our future as well, BTW). Very bleak and with Eastern-European flavour (it was shot in Lithuania). What stands out the most is omnipresent David-Cronenberg-like biotechnology (think of "eXistenZ").
Enough Said#
"Enough Said" from 2013 is the last movie to star James Gandolfini, who is so different here than I remembered him from "The Sopranos." He even speaks differently. It was also nice to see him paired up with Julia Louis-Dreyfus of "Seinfeld." I don't normally watch this drama-like movies, even if this one is half a comedy, but it was pleasure. I realised that romantic movies about young people don't resonate with me any more. But this movie did.
Viridiana#
"Viridiana" is the second movie from Luis Buñuel which I've seen. I wanted to compare it against "Tristana" as it was supposed to be more surreal. It's definitely a unique experience, but mostly due to the fact it's from 1961 and the mental models from then were just completely different. I had no idea where the plot was heading. I read a quote from a review back then that the movie had too obvious symbols. I can certainly say they're not obvious any more.
Brothers#
This year's "Brothers" with Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage (and Glenn Close) is a typical action-packed comedy about criminals. There is really nothing more to it, but it's an okay position for a undemanding watch that catches us every now and then. I liked the finale in the abandoned shopping mall, which reminded me of my fairly recent fascination of liminal spaces.
Rebel Moon: Part One: Chalice of Blood#
"Rebel Moon: Part One: Chalice of Blood" is a director's cut of Zack Snyder's movie (which premiered on Netflix, so I don't get why this wasn't the first cut, anyway), and it watches weirdly because the plot is like for teenagers while visually it's 18+ (sex and violence). It reminds me of "Little Prince" a bit in that manner. A lot of references to 10,000 things and strong Star Wars vibe mixed with Boris Vallejo art style. Not a bad thing if you're willingly going into 6/10 experience.
Le Samuraï#
"Le Samuraï" from 1967 is a classic that inspired a lot of other stories like that, including "The Killer," which I saw this year and later even read the script. Alain Delon plays a role of a hitman who leads a very spartan life. There is no deepened psychology of the character or any explanation for why he's the way he is. Pure action where he does the job, plays cat-and-mouse with the police, and a person who contracted him. Raw and harsh visual style appealed to me heavily.
Map of the sounds of Tokyo#
"Map of the sounds of Tokyo" from 2009 is one of my favourite slow burners, and it was my second watch. It's a Spanish movie, but the action is set in Japan. A story of a contract killer told from a perspective of her friend who's a sound engineer for movies and somehow, he has a lot of recordings of her conversations. This narrative device is my favourite part here. The writer from "Until the End of the World" strongly resembled me this solution here.
Brain Dead#
"Brain Dead" from 1990 is a definitely strange movie. The resolution explains why, and it makes sense, but before that it's hard to realise what's real and what's not, which I can appreciate. I suspected that in the beginning it was real and then, at some point, it took a divorce from reality, but when exactly, that's the riddle here. It's what I liked in Netflix's "Ragnarok." It's also funny that Bill Pullman played such a similar role to the one from "Lost Highway" before.
Speaking of "Lost Highway," for years, I thought that this was a movie one of it's kind, but when I rewatched "Naked Lunch" (after reading the book), I realised that they basically tell the same story. And now "Brain Dead."
Joker: Folie à Deux#
I was very curious of this year's "Joker: Folie à Deux" because it got mixed reviews (if you ever follow any cult classic to its premiere, they all started with mixed reviews), but I like Lady Gaga and was interested in the musical part. On paper, it can't work. However, people exaggerated the musical part. It's there, but in my opinion, it doesn't change the genre of the movie. It's a solid closure to the story from the first movie.
It's a really big "fuck you" to misaimed fandom of the Joker, who idolised him. Well, guess what, the director has a word for you. :D
Sweetie#
"Sweetie" from 1989 is a feature debut from Jane Campion. It's probably one of the stranger movies I've seen, at least in the beginning, when it's not really clear what the story is. It gets much better after this introduction, and by the end, it's a touching family drama. It is also interesting because it shows everyday Australia of the late 1980s. I always like to see other places, and low budget productions capture that by shooting in real locations with little to no staging.
Dave Made a Maze#
I must have found "Dave Made a Maze" from 2017 when I was reading about "House of Leaves" on TV Tropes. The book is not really adaptable into a movie, but a similar story can be done for a movie. And that's what "Dave Made a Maze" is. A story of the titular Dave who built a card-box fort, which somehow turned out to be a living and deadly maze. There even is a documentary crew here. The movie is interesting because it uses horror tropes but nullifies the outcome with cardboard special effects.
Vincent doit mourir#
"Vincent doit mourir" from 2023 starts as an intimate horror that does not explain what is happening, which is a staple of my favourite horror movies. Without an explanation, you cannot guess what will happen next. Just what I like: a movie which I cannot predict. A story of Vincent who gets viscously attacked by random people and who escapes to a country side to deal with it. Musically and visually and in the vibe, it seems to be close to "It Follows" (2014), but it has its own essence.
Die Hard#
Christmas Eve in Poland means watching one of 2 movies: "Home Alone" or "Die Hard." A secular tradition. Anyway, this year, I finally saw "Die Hard." Yes, that's right, I haven't seen it before. The thing is so known that I'll go straight to my impressions. So, the movie got old with dignity. Bruce Willis as a regular person who's forced to heroism by circumstances works much better than initial ideas of hiring Arnold Schwarzenegger. But now I need to see other parts to observe the progression.
Juror #2#
"Juror #2" is 2024 movie from [Clint Eastwood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood. As a huge fan of "Runaway Jury" (2003) I had different expectations from the movie, which turned out to be more of a drama than thriller. There is actually no thriller here. The movie was a bit under-delivering, but I have to admit that the last scene is really strong and well done in the context of all that was before it. However, it's interesting that a 93-year old director is still making movies. Maybe I'll appreciate it more when I'm his age.
Highway#
"Highway" (2002) is a bit like MTV road/coming-out-of-age movie with the likes of young Jared Leto and Jake Gyllenhaal. Jared plays Jack, the God of Fuck (because he hasn't ejaculated in the last 5 years), and Jake plays Pilot (because, well, you'll learn from the movie). Action is set in 1994, during the week that Kurt Cobain killed himself, but it plays a little role in the movie. The vibe is nothing like 1994, though, it's pure 2002. I was 19 then, so the movie resonated with me.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice#
2025-01-01
For the New Year's Eve, I finally managed to get our family to see "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (2024), one of many late sequels that we had in recent years. In short, it's good, managing to pick up the original weirdness and most of the actors reprised their roles (with addition of Jenna Ortega and Willem Defoe, among others). The funny thing is that due to Betelgeuse looks, aged Michael Keaton doesn't look much different. I really liked the selection of the songs.
The Mask#
2025-01-01
Then we saw "The Mask" (1994), which I must have seen 30 years ago in cinema and never rewatched. I remembered it as a bit goofy and wasn't keen on seeing it again, but to my surprise, the movie has gotten old quite decently. It is goofy, but maybe movies went this direction and "The Mask" fits now more? Who knows. It's funny. It's strange, though, to see all these actors so young, kids, really.
The funny things about watching "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" and "The Mask" back-to-back, which was not intended when we were starting watching the former, was to notice how similar the characters of Betelgeuse and The Mask are: the same type of gags, all the singing, even the scene in the church ("BB") and the ambush outside the park ("TM") are very similar. The thought wouldn't cross my mind before.