2024: The best things I've watched
I got a cinema membership this year, and between that and the various streaming subscriptions I’ve not yet cancelled, I’ve watched a bunch of movies and some interesting TV. Here are my top, no, scratch that, memorable picks:
- Civil War
- Love Lies Bleeding
- The Substance
- Conclave
- Heretic
- Alien: Romulus
- Scavenger’s Reign
- The Bear
- X-Men ‘97
Civil War
I feel like Civil War had a mixed reception on release. Some criticised the film’s reluctance to directly address the politics of division. I think that’s maybe a little harsh. For me, Civil War captured the ludicrous or irrational nature of such conflicts; a sense of “we can’t remember why we’re fighting anymore, but they’re shooting at us, so we’re shooting back” runs right through each of the interactions in the film.
The cinematography and set pieces that director Alex Garland puts together seem elevated from previous works. Jesse Plemons’ scene, teased in trailers at the time, where has asks, but “what kind of American are you?” is a tense, gripping high point. The slightly contrived destiny of Kirsten Dunst’s Lee in a penultimate scene was less believable.
Love Lies Bleeding
Sweaty, neon, mullets, eighties. There’s an aesthetic to Love Lies Bleeding that may have the feel of some sweltering summer night, but the style never seems to get in the way of this engaging, romantic-crime-drama-thriller-neo-noir. It’s about a body-builder, Jackie, (Katy O’Brian) who becomes entangled, romantically and perilously, with the manager, Lou, (Kristen Stewart) of south-western US gym.
Steroid fuelled, rage induced violent action ensues. There’s more body horror on show (not quite to The Substance levels) and a truly wild ending that stomps head-first into the surreal.
Lou and Jackie’s passionate, co-dependant relationship make the engaging focal point of the story, but the hair-do Lou Sr. (Ed Harris) also wows. Another excellent friday night viewing.
The Substance
I’m not massively into body horror, and I’m still a little disturbed from my uninitiated viewing of Midsommar a few years back. At least this time a had a little warning about The Substance’s more graphic elements.
It’s a story about beauty and age, and societies’ sickness of disavowing anyone with not enough of the former and too much of the latter.
Demi Moore gives a full on performance and the movie doesn’t seem to pull a single punch. It’s as engaging as it is gross.
Conclave
From the trailers I’d assumed this was going to be a fairly run of the mill costume drama fare. I’m glad I was wrong. Conclave has an unexpected depth, cinematic beauty and a provocative denouement that made this a standout for me in 2024.
I hadn’t read Robert Harris’ novel, so went into the theatre cold for Conclave. Ralph Fiennes lends his typical subtletly to scenes with an excellent supporting cast (who doesn’t love John Lithgow and Stanley Tucci?).
Heretic
Friday night popcorn light horror - and that’s not meant to sound derogatory. It feels like films such as Heretic are few and far between these days. A simple premise delivers tension almost immediately - two mormon missionaries visit the home of Hugh Grant’s Mr. Reed, and they don’t leave.
The dialog, particularly in later scenes, gets a little trite, but Heretic is never boring. I left the screening satisfied, not wanting any more, and again, that’s a compliment.
Alien: Romulus
Hmmm. Credit where it’s due, Alien: Romulus doesn’t repeat a lot of the same missteps as the high-falutin’ and boorish Prometheus and Covenant prequels, but it does this by trying to recapture what made the 1979’s seminal Alien so enduring.
Romulus has it’s moments. The drudgery of the low-classed workers, trying to escape their circumstances plays out with plenty of room to create a bit of suspense. And the visual style, whilst doing nothing to mimic the claustrophobic corridors and the shaky, nervous camerawork of the original, at least tries to ground itself in some real environments.
Alien: Romulus really disappointed when that grounding was completely lost with an unnecessary and clumsily executed character return. The film’s plot unspools itself from there, even crudely shoe-horning references to the aforementioned sequels, but it was a good ride for a while. And the final scenes involving a large space station collision felt genuinely original.
Scavenger’s Reign
One of the best sci-fi TV shows, one of the best animated series, and possibly just flat out one of the best series I’ve watched in a long time. Scavenger’s Reign follows the remaining survivors of the space ship Demeter, who have crash landed on a strange, luscious, alien planet.
It’s visually arresting, and a show that could only be achieved in an animated medium. The creatures and landscapes are original, beautiful, dangerous and definitely otherwordly.
Scavenger’s Reign regularly transcends pretty sci-fi concept art though. There’s one particular scene in an early episode, depicting the entire life cycle of one the planet’s inhabitants, was thoroughly moving.
Sadly, it seems like this isn’t being picked up for a second season.
The Bear
“Behind, BEHIND!” … I was a little late to the pass with The Bear, but got to tuck into the first two seasons before having the season three was served. It’s a super amped-up drama, with literal and metophorical pots boiling over in pretty much every episode.
Season three opens with a beautifully realised montage of chef Carmy’s career to date. It’s moody, reflective, and deeply reverent of the kitchen. That kind of sums up the vibe of The Bear. It’s an examination of some flawed and frustrating characters who somehow come together over this thing they love.
There’s been some controversy about this winning Emmy Awards for comedy series and I think that’s justified. The Bear is funny at times, but more often that not, humour is simply the outlet the chefs need to survive. Season three’s comedic elements, as well as it’s meandering plot, seemed to lead a few to say that The Bear has gone off the boil. I don’t necessarily disagree, but this is still one of the most engaging shows to stream on any platform.
X-Men ‘97
X-Men ‘97 won’t be for everyone, but it did transport me right back to a Saturday morning in the 90’s, with that intro score…
This new series picks up where the last show ended, with the same art style (albeit now in 4k) and same characters. What I don’t remember from the original show was some genuinely moving episodes, “Remember It” being particularly striking. Season two is planned for 2026.