Ranking the Hits and Misses: The Top 5 Best and Worst Movies of 2024!
Calling all movie buffs, film geeks, popcorn critics, and people who still whisper, "The book was better." Grab your favorite snack and settle in, because I’m diving headfirst into the cinematic roller coaster that was 2024. The year that gave us everything: laugh-out-loud comedies, pulse-pounding thrillers, heartfelt dramas...and a few films that made us wonder if someone accidentally approved the first draft of the script. Some movies were good, while others crashed harder than a low-budget CGI spaceship. But here's the question: Which of these films will still be talked about years from now—and which ones are destined for the bargain bin of movie history? Here are my Top 5 Best and Worst Movies of 2024!
The mysterious Marsten house that sits up on the hill of Jerusalem’s Lot has been the talk of the town for decades and is the focus of the disappearance of local townspeople. In the opening scene Ben (Lewis Pullman) has just arrived in Jerusalem’s Lot, the small town where he spent his childhood. The author’s return to his childhood home is due to the recent deaths of his beloved parents. He is also hoping to rediscover himself. While Ben is driving into town, the scene provides a clue that most viewers may have missed. Like most horror or mystery films, the background music often provides subtle hints for the audience about what is to come (turn on the Closed Captioning option) to get a clear understanding of the lyrics. What sets everything in motion is when Straker (Pilou Asbaek) kidnaps Ralphie as a sacrifice to his master Barlow (Alexander Ward). Ralphie’s sacrifice serves its purpose to consecrate the grounds for Barlow’s arrival — setting off the transformation in Salem. Danny (Nicholas Crovetti) who happens to be the older brother of Ralphie is also sacrificed, his purpose serves as the beginning of turning residents into night creatures, Mike (Spencer Trent Clark) being his first victim. Like most vampire films, a vampire can only gain access to a person’s home if he is invited to enter. But unlike other vampire films, when a cross is presented to a vampire the cross illuminates (as a holy beacon) of some sorts, when the person who is holding the cross has faith in its divine authority — only then does the cross have the power to physically cast the night creature out. We see an example of this when Matt (Bill Camp) casts out Mike from his home. This concept of the storyline gives the film a more spiritual element, and although it is a pleasant surprise, the divine intervention gives it unfamiliarity when compared to other vampire movies, this may or may not be one of the few reasons why the film received mixed reviews. There are certain scenes that did not make sense, for example at the morgue… Why didn’t Dr. Cody (Alfre Woodard), Susan (Makenzie Leigh) and Ben better prepared themselves for the possibility that Marjorie could rise from the dead? All three had already witnessed the transformation of when a vampire bites a victim. It is worth taking note of the youngest survivor Mark (Jordan Preston Carter), “He is one brave-ass kid.” Despite his youthfulness, he is fully aware of the dire situation that surrounds him and has no hesitation to kill when need be. Besides, how awesome it is to see those who are considered the most vulnerable in society, kicking the butt of bad guys left and right. In conclusion, there are few similarities between the 1975 book ‘Salem’s Lot’ written by Stephen King and the 2024 film, examples being… the townspeople going missing one after the other, the overwhelming sense of evil that radiates from the Marsten house, Jerusalem’s Lot is symbolic of small town corruption, and the only two survivors left (Spoiler alert): Mark and Ben. Salem’s Lot may not be the best vampire film, but it is still worth the watch!
#5: Worst Film
“Beetlejuice” (comedy/horror)
When referring to a good classic movie, there is an old saying that goes, “Nothing is better than the original” … same goes for the (2024 film, “Beetlejuice”). The film Beetlejuice was originally released in 1988 — with all its original bizarreness, strangeness, quirkiness, humor and other worldly characters. Beetlejuice was a ‘stand-alone film’ that could not be compared to any other movie of its era. Fast forward to 36 years later and the film’s sequel follows up on the very adult Lydia, as she navigates life being a widowed mother, a clairvoyant talk show host, a love interest to a man whose motives are questionable, a daughter who resents her for being able to communicate with the dead — all except for her loving father who died unexpectedly. Lydia (Winona Ryder) is as timid as before, the years have expanded her ability to see ghosts, but her naivety prevents her from seeing those who are alive for who they truly are. Rory (Justin Theroux) is the ultimate opportunist, he slivered his way into Lydia life, preaching his new-age philosophy and half confessing his love to Lydia without having meaning behind it. Delia (Catherine O’Hara) is as self-absorbed as usual, even when her husband lies dead in the casket, the funeral becomes an ‘All about Delia’ event. Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) has problems of his own when he learns that his soul-sucking ex-wife pulls herself back together in order to hunt him down and absorb his soul. The plot thickens when Astrid (Jenna Ortega) meets Jeremy (Arthur Conti), who has ulterior motives. He tricks her into signing a document that would trade her soul for his in the afterlife. At first, Astrid has no idea that Jeremy is a ghost who murdered his parents 23 years ago and has died because of being chased by police officers and falling out of his treehouse. Being able to see Jeremy from the start reveals that Astrid herself has inherited her mother’s ability to see the dead. A few things about the sequel will have viewers appreciate the 1988 original. First, the existence of Beetlejuice’s ex-wife Delores LaFerve, played by Monica Bellucci has no weight to the actual storyline. Her character is so irrelevant to the plot, that it would not have made any difference if the film did not include her at all… and what was the point of Delores LaFerve killing “Bob” the most beloved side character in the film’s franchise? Also, what did not make sense was how easy it was for Astrid to find a loophole when concerning her mother’s marriage to Beetlejuice, this loophole provides an annulment between Beetlejuice and Lydia. Albeit Lydia’s decision to marry Beetlejuice was out of pure desperation to save her daughter from spending eternity in the afterlife after being tricked by Jeremy. But one would think that such an annulment would be extremely hard to achieve considering how complicated the rules are in the afterlife. The title character Beetlejuice was dull and lifeless compared to his over-the-top performance in the original. There are a few good things about the sequel, for example: The film’s satire shines when social media influencers attending Beetlejuice’s wedding get sucked into their own iPhones, the most lively scene comes in the form of the “Soul Train” choreography, and as always the over-the-top comedic performance by Catherine O’Hara… besides the previous mentioned, this movie is not worth the watch!
#4: Best Film
“NightBitch” (comedy/horror)
A modern-day feminist statement. “NightBitch” is not a ‘Laugh out Loud’ comedy, instead it delivers subtle humor and overall relatability to the ins and outs of parenthood. The heart of the film focuses on the difficulties of motherhood; the grand expectations placed on mothers by society, and preconceived notions of what a woman should be. The most profound aspect of the film is when Mother recites within herself a self-monologue about the unrealistic pressures of womanhood. This monologue is reminiscent of the more in-depth speech given by Gloria played by actress America Ferrera in the (2023 film, “Barbie”). Mother (Amy Adams) begins to feel anger and resentment for leaving her career as an artist to settle into life as a housewife and mother, her resentment is mostly expressed in her comedic inner thoughts. Viewers will realize from the beginning, Mother does not have an actual name… instead, she is solely defined by her role as a mother, her own identity no longer matters. Falling deep into her despair, mother embraces her primal instincts and soon realizes her ability to transform into a K9. When she fully accepts the ‘dog within’ subsequently it helps her cope with motherhood and empowers her to take control of her life. (Spoiler alert): Mother does not actually turn into a dog, in fact her K9 abilities are a metaphor for her newfound self-awareness, leadership and the confidence boost she so desperately craves. The unimportance of Mother not having a name, Husband not having a name, Husband’s car does not have the name of the state shown on the license plate… because it is all irrelevant. The characters of Mother, Husband and the location of where they live are meant to be universal, to allow the audience to see themselves within the characters. “NightBitch” may not be the type of horror/comedy that suits everyone’s liking, but it delivers true complexities of being a mother when society has lofty expectations from mothers compared to that of fathers.
#4: Worst Film
“Sting” (horror/thriller)
This film is best described as if it was written by an amateur film student; from the inaccuracies of how a spider the size of a quarter can grow into the size of a compact car just by over feeding it, or how mothballs can be used as an absolute repellent against a supersized man-killing spider. It all begins when Charlotte (Alyla Browne) keeps a deadly spider as a pet hidden in her room. At first, the girl is enamored by the spider and its ability to mimic sounds, she has no idea of how dangerous the spider will become. Ethan (Ryan Corr) is desperate to connect to his stepdaughter, her distance from him is the result of her heroic ideals about her deadbeat dad. Charlotte lives in a run-down Brooklyn apartment building with her mother, stepfather and brother. The building is managed by the mother’s aunt Gunter (Robyn Nevin), who is often hostile towards Ethan because in her mind Ethan will eventually abandon his family, just like what Charlotte’s father did. Charlotte is prompted to get rid of her precious pet spider, so she opts to hand over the spider to her eccentric next-door neighbor Erik, who can be described as the 'mad scientist' type. In no time, the spider begins to grow tremendously in size, and as a result, Erik begins to feed the gluttonous spider larger animals. The poor conditions of the apartment building and the extremely enormous air ducts proves to be the perfect killing grounds for the oversized alien-like spider, whose thirst for human blood only grows more insatiable. Helga (Noni Hazlehurst) calls an exterminator when she hears loud sounds coming from the air ducts, Frank (Jermaine Fowler) responds to the call and acts as if he is the only one who can save the day. Frank is also annoying, his loudmouth gives him the false impression that he is the bravest person in the room, however it only hides his true fear of the arachnid. (Spoiler alert): In the end Gunter dies, Frank dies, Maria dies, Erik…” hmmm, it’s not clear if he survived,” and the exterminator from the very beginning he was in the air ducts paralyzed and unable to move, did he survive? Charlotte, her mom, her stepdad and her baby brother all survived, Charlotte ends up saving the day by killing the giant arachnid. If this were real life, Charlotte being the hero and her family surviving in the end would be highly unlikely!
#3: Best Film
“The Union” (action/thriller)
An action-packed film with crazy car chasing scenes, ass kicking, guns blazing, served with a side order of comedy. Such a film is reminiscent of ‘Budding Cop’ movies like “Lethal Weapon,” starring Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. The Union: an undercover operation whose objective is to retrieve data that could compromise home security. This data has been stolen by similar underground agencies occupied by dangerous spies and well-trained assassins. Roxanne (Halle Berry) was given the task of secretly recruiting potential members for the Union. She settles on recruiting Mike (Mark Wahlberg) a man she has known since childhood and dated when the two were young adults — only to have severed their contact with each other due to family indifferences. Mike’s indoctrination into The Union begins when he and Roxanne cross paths at a local bar, the two continue a conversation while walking in the park when suddenly Roxanne drug Mike and transport him halfway across the world. Mike eventually settles in his role as part of The Union. Nick (Mike Colter) who was believed to have been killed early on during a mission, had faked his own death only to come back and double-cross The Union. In the end, it is up to the dynamic duo Mike and Roxanne to take down Nick. One of the best scenes in the movie is when Roxanne nonchalantly walks up to an unsuspecting civilian while he is sitting in his car, she opens the driver’s side door and gently grab his arm while saying “Let me help you out.” The man complies without any resistance and Roxanne drives off with his car, while the man stands there completely oblivious to the fact that he has just been carjacked in the most bizarre way. As predicted in most ‘Budding cop’ films, the good guys win; Roxanne and Mike were able to take care of the bad guys while protecting sensitive data, weeding out traitors, and of course dealing with a few losses along the way. Overall, The Union may not be the best action-thriller of all time, but at least it should be considered one of the best action films of 2024!
#3: Worst Film
“Night Swim” (horror/suspense)
To be direct from the start, “Night Swim” is a boring A** movie! But it does not necessarily mean that it is unwatchable. The movie possesses an interesting enough plot that will keep audiences wanting to know what will happen next, all the while predicting what will happen next, “It’s just that type of film.” The script’s authenticity is questionable, does it come from the mind of an original thinker? Or was it simply produced by artificial intelligence? The storyline is somewhat beyond basic… a cursed springs that sprouted from the grounds many years ago, and with its mythical properties, the water has the power to grant one’s deepest desires, but in return it requires a human sacrifice (that sacrifice ends up being a loved one of the person whose wish was granted). We learn that in 1992 the drowning of a young girl named Rebecca Summers (Ayazhan Dalabayeva) was because her mother Lucy Summers (Jodi Long) had given her up as a sacrifice to save the life of her dying son. Rebecca’s restless spirit would reappear years later when the Waller family moved into the home once occupied by the Summers. Although, Eve Waller (Kerry Condon) was the first member of the Waller family to have a strange encounter with the haunted pool, it was Eve’s son Elliot (Gavin Warren) who first encountered the trapped soul of young Rebecca Summers — this would play a key role as to why the cursed water chose Elliot as its sacrifice when Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) inadvertently wished to be physically healed by the pool in order to revitalize his baseball career. Because Ray was the one who cast the wish, the supernatural property of the pool possesses Ray, and he attempts to go all “Amityville Horror” on his family except without the thrills. Izzy Waller (Amelie Hoeferie) fights for her life when she realizes that something is wrong with her dad as he attempts to kill her. Izzy survives the ordeal, and her father reverts to his former self. In the end, Ray decides to trade places with his son Elliot and allows himself to be sacrificed by the cursed pool. Despite the underwhelming performance given by Wyatt Russell and the predictability of cheap jump scares, “Night Swim” is not a bad movie, but do not be surprised if it is not on anyone’s top ten favorite list either!
#2: Best Film
“Inside Out 2” (comedy/family)
A beautiful ‘Coming of Age’ story follows the life of teenage Riley as she enters high school. “Inside Out 2” gives audiences a visual of the physical representation of emotions that adolescents experience while growing up. As a freshman Riley is determined to be the best hockey player. Her need to fit in corresponds with her need to impress Val (the varsity captain of the school’s hockey team). While making nice with Val, Riley begins to desert the friends she has known since middle school, Grace and Bree. One of the best parts of the film is when the ‘Puberty Alarm’ goes off, the current emotions are scrambling to get rid of the alarm — only to be overwhelmed when the demolition team barges in to take over and make room for new emotions. Due to puberty, the audience is introduced to Riley’s new emotions: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Boredom. Anxiety (being the most intense emotion) takes over Riley’s decision-making process. Anxiety also takes over headquarters and bottles up the old emotions sending them to the part of Riley’s mind where childhood memories are banished, this is the catalyst at which Riley begins to do whatever it takes to be the best on the hockey team, including breaking into the coach’s office, and the abandonment of her closest friends. A Homage to old kid shows: while the old emotions are sent to childhood memories, the audience is introduced to zany new characters like Bloofy. From Riley’s preschool years, Bloofy is the main character of a popular kiddie tv show; with his quirky personality, weird laughter and often breaking the fourth wall, Bloofy is reminiscent of real-life popular kid shows like “Dora the Explorer” and “Blue’s Clues.” Anxiety uses Riley’s imagination against her, in the short term it creates a complex result due to overwhelming emotions, we see this unfold when Riley experiences for the first time a full-on panic attack when she feels like she is not good enough. Thankfully, Joy steps up and saves the day by rallying all of Riley’s emotions — to work together for Riley to stay calm and clearheaded. Joy makes it a point that one emotion does not get to choose who Riley is as a person. A perfect message to relay to kids who are coming of age!
#2: Worst Film
“Madame Web” (sci-fi/action)
“Madame Web” had always been considered a tertiary character, a film depicting the character’s life is so unnecessary that it would be like administering oxygen to a corpse. The opening introduces us to Cassie (Dakota Johnson) an EMT with a heart of gold, determined to save a man’s life whose car flipped over on the edge of a bridge, Cassie frees the man and while doing so she gets trapped inside the car and the car falls over the bridge. Facing the uncertainty of death, a vision is revealed to Cassie, it is in fact the ‘Web of Life & Destiny.’ After her near-death experience, Cassie is constantly experiencing ‘time repeats’ or best explained as an overwhelming feeling of Deja Vu, her clairvoyance is in its infancy, and she has yet to grasp what it all means. Eventually we see Cassie beginning to understand her clairvoyant powers, she realizes that she can prevent a tragedy before it happens in real time, the perfect example of this is when she crosses paths with the three potential spider-women of the future. While on the train, Cassie has a premonition of the attack on all three girls — who are all conveniently seating close by each other, she intervenes by disrupting the cruel fate that awaits the girls and ends up saving their lives, this heroic act sets a path for the girls to follow the teachings of Cassie or who is better known as Madame Web. The film leaves audiences with a great number of unanswered questions, for example; How was Amaria (Zosia Mamet) able to generate computer images of the three future spider-women based on a dream that has plagued Ezekiel (Tahar Rahim) for many years? Not only were the computer-generated images accurate but it was also used to effectively track down the girls via CCTV. Also, if Cassie is a wanted person for the alleged kidnapping of the girls, why was she able to leave the country by airplane? Another unanswered question; Ezekiel is barefoot in the comics; he is also barefoot in the film… But why? Ezekiel’s reasons for walking around barefooted could have been explained in the film but it was not… a missed opportunity no doubt! Why did the film make it a point to remind audiences that the events take place in the year 2003? For example; the dance-off the girls have at the diner is to the Britney Spears song “Toxic”, Beyoncé album cover “Dangerously in Love” is plastered on the wall, Cassie drives pass a “Blockbuster Video” store, and one of the girls mentioned how she had to make it back home at a certain time to catch “American Idol” on tv. Furthermore, there are things about the movie that do not make sense, for example; Cassie hits Ezekiel mid-air while driving an emergency vehicle shooting out of a billboard. Ezekiel has an underlying hatred towards women — during fight scenes when Ezekiel is on the attack, he has a habit of punching men in the face, but opts to choke-slam the women… is this some sort of homage to domestic violence? In the end scene, while fighting for her life Cassie is seen numerous times looking up at the letter “S” from the neon (Pepsi Cola) sign… but Ezekiel is killed when the letter “P” lands on him, what was that about? A movie that is best described leaving audiences with more questions than answers. The film would have been more interesting if it had not focused on Madame Web but instead shifted its focus on any one of the three future spider-women.
#1: Best Film of 2024
“Hot Frosty” (comedy/romance)
A live-action modern day spin on the classic animated movie “Frosty the Snowman,” about a charming snowman who comes to life when a magical scarf is placed on him. This snowman brings nothing but happiness and joy to the lives of those around him. Kathy (Lacey Chabert) is feeling the blues after losing her husband tragically, she neglects simple house repairs and has no prospects of finding love again. But, everything changes when she is gifted a magical scarf by shop owner Mel (Sherry Miller). Without having knowledge of its mythical properties, Kathy places the scarf on a chiseled-out snowman. Jack the snowman (Dustin Milligan) soon comes to life and makes it his mission to find the woman who brought him to life and confess his love to her. Jack ‘chiseled’ his way into Kathy’s life, proving to be an absolute asset to her, when she realizes that whatever he watches on television — he quickly masters the art of the craft, like effectively performing home repairs and baking. Best scene: Jack fixes the roof with his shirt off, the neighbor drives by and gets distracted causing her car to get stuck in a ditch. Jack asked her “You want me to get behind you and push?” Jack runs behind the car and then says… “Are you ready for me?” The neighbor replies, “Oh yeah, I’m ready.” Followed by grunts and moans, Jack then runs back to the front of the car and says, “Whoo, I am out of breath.” The neighbor replies, “Me too” (this scene is played out for jokes only adults would understand). “Hot Frosty” has a few movie and tv show references that makes it even more relatable. When Kathy walks in the living room to see Jack watching a movie starring Lindsay Lohan, she says… “That is so funny. That looks like a girl I went to high school with” (this is no doubt, a “Mean Girls” reference). On more than one occasion, when sharing information about the break-in case sheriff Nate would slowly put on his sunglasses only to swiftly take them off while staring in the distance (the same as detective Horatio Caine in “CSI: Miami”). The most notable reference is played out when Jack reaches for the jewelry inside the jewelry box, Kathy quickly closes the box before he can touch it (a homage to the 1990 film, “Pretty Woman”). Overall, Hot Frosty is the perfect holiday film, filled with magic, love, charm and laughter along the way!
#1: Worst Film of 2024
“Incoming” (teen/comedy)
Gone were the days of teen raunchy comedies, the late 1990s popular hit movies like; “Can’t Hardly Wait” and a cult favorite “American Pie”. Fast forward to 2024 and we as the audience are introduced to a new teen comedy in the form of “Incoming.” Unlike “American Pie” … “Incoming” is a completely forgettable movie. It lacks any scenes that are memorable, that can hold up on its own and constantly ‘replay’ in the American consciousness, for example: in “American Pie” when Jim (Jason Biggs) is caught with his ummm ‘manhood’ inside of a baked pie — this standalone scene will forever be associated as one of the funniest and unforgettable scenes in the film. “Incoming” is about Benj (Mason Thames) and his fellow 9th grade friends making their so-called mark on high school as incoming freshmen. The idea is to throw the biggest and best party of the year to score with girls and be in good graces with upperclassmen. Benj uses the party as an opportunity to make a move on the girl he has been crushing on, his sister’s best friend Bailey (Isabella Ferreira). The film is a typical teen raunchy comedy, except without the comedy — unless one would consider; the overuse of profanity, an over-the-hill chemistry teacher showing his underage students how to properly smoke out of a handmade bong, a party girl who defecates on herself while in a drunken stupor to be actual comedy. The ‘raunchy parts’ of the film is in its plenty, we see a random guy and girl running naked across the lawn, two students having sex in the closet, the defecation and vomit outpouring from Katrina (Loren Gray), and of course with movies like this there’s always that one guy who has the most vulgar mouth of all and that would be Ruby (Thomas Barbusca). In the end, while the entire school gathers in the auditorium, Benj dedicates and sings a song to Bailey. He asks her to be his girlfriend, but she turns him down, embarrassing him in front of the whole school. She does not want anyone to know that she has feelings for a freshman. But, as she leaves the auditorium she turns around and winks at Benj, indicating that in secret she is more than likely willing to be his girlfriend as long as no one else knows about it, and all is right with the world… whatever!
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