Director: Mike Leigh Starring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, Tuwaine Barrett, Ani Nelson, Sophia Brown, Jonathan Livingstone Certificate: 12A Run Time: 97 mins
Hard Truths is the new film by Mike Leigh film, who returns to the trademark kitchen sink improvised drama he’s most notable for. Leigh’s last two films – Mr Turner and Peterloo were historical dramas and while I loved the former, the latter was underwhelming. In Hard Truths, Leigh reunites with Secrets and Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who plays Pansy Deacon, a woman with a short temper who criticises anything and everything. She lives with her quiet plumber husband, Curtley (David Webber) and overweight and jobless but kind-hearted adult son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett). It quickly becomes apparent, though, that Pansy is a deeply troubled woman battling severe anxiety and depression and her sister Chantelle (Michele Austin) tries to ease her out of it.
Hard Truths is another striking addition in Leigh’s filmography and is often very funny but simultaneously devastating. An early scene in a supermarket is particularly rib-tickling as Pansy comes to blows with fellow customers. That devastation slowly invades the humour, though, as the film progresses, and the result is one of Leigh’s most crushing works.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste is phenomenal as Pansy, but her performance is matched by both Webber and Barrett as her husband and son and the dynamic between the three of them is perfectly judged. I really felt for all of them and could understand their perspectives on the simmering situation. In what’s sadly his last film, the late Dick Pope shoots the film beautifully and it’s complimented by a prickly score by Leigh-regular Gary Yershon.
But I wanted more. Aside from Career Girls, Hard Truths is Leigh’s shortest film. The film ends on an affecting dilemma, leaving how the scenario is going to play out to the audience’s imagination. While that’s an effective technique and leaves one wanting more, the lack of development towards this crescendo (compared to his other films where he tends to take his time) felt uncharacteristically slight. Ultimately, it’s testament to the powerful and vivid characters Leigh’s created that meant I wanted more. Still, Hard Truths is a very powerful piece of work that goes straight up into his top tier of work.
Director: Brady Corbet Starring: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankolé, Alessandro Nivola Certificate: 18 Run Time: 215 mins
The Brutalist is an epic period drama directed by Brady Corbet, who last made the excellent Vox Lux. Undeniably more ambitious in scope, Corbet’s latest spans over thirty years and a three and a half hour run time. Adrien Brody plays László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor and Bauhaus-trained architect who immigrates to America. He stays with his cousin, Attila (Alessandro Nivola) and wife Audrey (Emma Laird), while László’s wife, Erszébet (Felicity Jones) stays behind in Europe due to her weak health. László is soon commissioned to renovate the library of the wealthy Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) at the behest of his son, Harry (Joe Alwyn) as he tries to integrate into American culture.
The Brutalist has received quite the critical acclaim and it’s up for ten Oscars – does it live up to the hype? It does. The film isn’t perfect but The Brutalist is directed with real bravura and has a lot to say – although it’s about Tóth’s architectural career on the surface, there are plenty of parallels with the idea of how someone suffers for their art and how they are the person remembered rather than the entity throwing money at a project. Of course, that means there’s themes of compromise and interference and although its last 30 minutes may seem to take a different, seemingly incomprehensible tone, I found it very thought-provoking.
Adrien Brody turns in a career-best performance as the suffering artist, nailing the Slavic accent and mannerisms – he’s fully deserving of his Best Actor nomination and he’s the clear winner. Guy Pearce is also a standout as the slimy financier in a very multi-faceted performance. Pearce is no stranger to playing villains – his deliciously evil turn in Lawless is evidence of that – but this is a complex individual with all the qualities of someone who has too much money. The smaller, supporting roles that stand out the most beyond Brody and Pearce are Raffey Cassidy as Tóth’s niece , Alessandro Nivola, Isaach de Bankolé as a single father he befriends and Jonathan Hyde as one of Harrison’s builders.
I was less taken with Felicity Jones’ turn as Erszébet, who doesn’t feel as authentic as Brody or Pearce. But I don’t think all of the blame should be placed on Jones because her relationship with László is underdeveloped and in my opinion, that’s the film’s main flaw. That said, Jones absolutely nails her final scene in a shouty and intense feud which reminded me of Daniel Day-Lewis’ “I drink your milkshake” speech in There Will Be Blood.
Daniel Blumberg’s prickly score is wonderful, lending the film a simmering intensity and he crafts many memorable themes that develop throughout the film. The Brutalist is also beautifully shot by Lol Crawley, resurrecting the VistaVision process to authentically portray the period. It’s staggering how good the film looks, considering its modest $9.6 million budget and bearing in mind its epic run time. I also loved the intended intermission – the two halves of the film feel distinct and it comes in a natural place. It really helped create an authenticity to this type of epic filmmaking that once soared and isn’t made anymore.
While not perfect, I loved The Brutalist and it’s fully deserving of its Awards praise. It’s teeming with brilliant performances, a sharp script and endlessly striking visuals. Granted, some elements are underdeveloped but this is a film that earns its lengthy runtime and I was engrossed from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what Brady Corbet does next.
Director: Steven Soderbergh Starring: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Muholland Certificate: 15 Run Time: 85 mins
Presence is the new film by Steven Soderbergh, perhaps the most versatile director of his generation. Written by David Koepp, who previously wrote Soderbergh’s Kimi, Presence follows a family of four who move into a house inhabited by a poltergeist. The family includes mother Rebecca (Lucy Liu), father Chris (Chris Sullivan), bratty elder brother Tyler (Eddy Maday) and troubled younger sister Chloe (Callina Liang). They’re all suffering from various problems – Rebecca clearly prefers her son and has been committing financial fraud, Chris suffers from depression and is considering separation from Rebecca and Chloe is grieving the death of her best friend, Nadia, who recently died in her sleep. Almost immediately after moving in, Chloe starts to complain of a supernatural presence.
The film is presented in a series of long takes rom the poltergeist’s point of view – an interesting creative decision. As such, the camera never leaves the house, for example whenever the family go onto the decking, instead peering from the window. A similar technique is also used in Nickel Boys, one of this year’s Best Picture hopefuls. While it received near unanimous praise, the film really didn’t work for me precisely for this filming technique, primarily because the first person point of view detracted from the important story being told.
Fortunately, Soderbergh is a far more competent director and I really enjoyed Presence. The film does a really good job of slowly building a sense of unease with a tinge of sadness and there’s some excellent character development among the family. You can really see the cracks start to grow, particularly as the strained marriage falls apart. Chris Sullivan stands out as the father in a very understated performance who generates a lot of empathy. Calling Liang also impresses as the developing but vulnerable daughter who hasn’t quite worked out her purpose yet. Lucy Liu’s mother isn’t particularly likeable, but that’s the point and her performance satisfies the brief.
The first person point of view also works here, even if it occasionally falters under scrutiny. It compliments the narrative and the dream-like images of the wide lens (Soderbergh is on cinematographer duties, too), forcing us to question what the spirit’s intentions are and if it’s malicious by the way the camera studies its subjects. There’s a melodically moody score too from Zack Ryan and 85 minutes, the film is lean and doesn’t outstay its welcome. If anything, I wish it were a bit more substantial.
Presence is proof that Soderbergh can effortlessly fit into any genre and although it’s flawed, this is an intriguing film that builds to a memorable conclusion, which stays with you long after the credits roll. Move over Nosferatu – this is a great note for the horror genre to start on this year.
Director: Mel Gibson Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, Topher Grace Certificate: 15 Run Time: 91 mins
Flight Risk is the new Mel Gibson film, and his first since 2016’s Best Picture-nominated Hacksaw Ridge. Gibson’s proven a skilled hand behind the camera, with Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto, all proving visceral experiences. It seems rather uncharacteristic for Gibson to pick a 90-minute action thriller chamber piece as his latest project. This film follows Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery), a U.S. Marshal who is transporting fugitive Winston (Topher Grace) from Alaska to testify against a crime family. The plane is piloted by Daryl Booth (Mark Wahlberg), who might not be as innocent as he seems with an ulterior motive.
Even if it’s his weakest effort to date in its slightness, Flight Risk delivers and is big, dumb fun. It’s always entertaining and there’s a palpable tension in how things are going to play out and Gibson gets more than enough mileage out of the largely single location. It’s satisfyingly bloody too, with some crunchy fight and smatterings of gory injuries. The film’s visually interesting too, bolstered by a fitting Antonio Pinto score.
Although there isn’t much meat to the bone, Dockery and Grace both turn in committed performances and share a decent chemistry. Wahlberg, on the other hand, is quite something – he really chews the scenery as the completely nuts pilot with an outrageous bald patch. The actor reportedly shaved his head every day during filming instead of wearing a bald cap, but the effort is so distracting that it looks more like a wig. He’s entrusted with some truly despicable dialogue and I hated the character but I suppose that means Wahlberg satisfies the brief.
Flight Risk is undeniably trashy but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. Casting a wider context as a Mel Gibson film, it’s undoubtedly not up to the rest of his work and I’m not sure what he saw when decided to take on this project. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Flight Risk become a future so-bad-it’s-good classic for its outrageous Mark Wahlberg performance.
Director: Leigh Whannell Starring: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, Matilda Firth Certificate: 15 Run Time: 103 mins
Wolf Man is the new film by Leigh Whannell, a modernised reboot of the 1941 original with a relatively modest $25 million budget. Of course, there’s been no shortage of other attempts at remaking the gothic horror Universal monster and although it was negatively received, I loved Joe Johnston’s 2010 Benicio Del Toro-starring effort. Whannell knows a thing or two about making intelligent horror films on a relative budget, being best known for his writing collaborations with director James Wan with films such as Saw and Insidious. He’s also proven an adept director, making Insidious: Chapter 3 (which I consider to be the best sequel in the series), Upgrade and The Invisible Man.
Like The Invisible Man, Whannell updates the creature feature for modern times. Gone is the quintessential British setting, stately estates and a stage actor. Instead, we follow a young family man, Blake Lovell (Christopher Abbott) who lives with his workaholic wife, Charlotte (Julia Garner), and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). Blake had had a rough childhood in the remote Oregon mountains with his father and decides that that the best way to rekindle his relationship with his wife is to return to his childhood home on holiday. However, a creature drives them off the road as soon as they arrive and… you know the rest.
Unfortunately, Wolf Man is a complete and utter misfire – a surprise for this otherwise reliable director. The idea of lycanthropy being a metaphor for toxic masculinity and family trauma is very heavy-handedly done and the script, which Whannell co-wrote with Corbett Tuck is a rewrite away from being reasonable. It’s poorly paced –the film would have benefitted from another 15 minutes to flesh out its characters and not just throw them into a new setting almost immediately. Characters make stupid decisions and I didn’t find either Blake or Charlotte to be likeable, despite both Abbott and Garner trying their best. The characters simply aren’t developed enough and the film lack the grand scale of its predecessors in that it largely confines itself to a single location. The lower budget isn’t a problem in itself but Whannell doesn’t do anything interesting with it.
On the plus side, the film’s lusciously shot by Whannell-regular Stefan Duscio, who captures the isolated and solemn nature of the forest, lending the film a sporadically claustrophobic quality. There’s also a couple of ambitious attempts at body horror but the lack of budget is painfully apparent. I think Wolf Man would have fared better if it had divorced itself from the Universal original and been an original horror – the result feels much closer to It Comes At Night, even if it’s nowhere near as competent. It’s a shame Whannell wasn’t able to crack this one and Wolf Man proves that some stories are best left in the past.
Director: James Mangold Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Scoot McNairy Certificate: 15 Run Time: 140 mins
A Complete Unknown is the latest by James Mangold after the disappointingIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The director returns to the music biopic, a genre he’s proven influential in with the Oscar-winning Walk the Line. Here, Mangold tells the story of Bob Dylan, adapting a 2015 book by Elijah Wald called Dylan Goes Electric! which covers his earliest folk music success to his controversial use of electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Mangold co-writes the script with Jay Cocks, his first since Martin Scorsese’s Silence.
I must confess my knowledge of Dylan’s discography is very elementary. But perhaps that’s a positive because I really enjoyed A Complete Unknown, even if it succumbs to convention, the very antithesis of Dylan’s persona. But straight from the opening scene, Mangold directs the film with a real warmth and energy and I loved the film’s tone. I especially liked its commentary on how genres evolve and how fellow artists support each other, even if that example isn’t followed by the public. It also has plenty to say on what it’s like to meet your idols. The film’s lusciously shot by Phedon Papamichael, and the production design of the 1960s is brilliantly captured.
Timothée Chalamet is magnetic as Dylan, proving himself ever the versatile actor, with leading roles in Call Me By Your Name, Dune and Wonka. Chalamet completely sells himself as Dylan, balancing his sheer talent while being somewhat impenetrable and unlikeable at times. The actor’s fully deserving of Awards attention. I’d have like to have seen even more development about his earlier life to make him less of a mystery.
Chalamet’s bolstered by some terrific supporting performances. The standout’s Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, who brings a real warmth to the singer and like Chalamet, also does all her own singing. This is a star-making turn and I hope she gets Oscar recognition. Edward Norton’s great too as the caring and gentle Pete Seeger and Mangold-regular Boyd Holbrook’s unrecognisable as Johnny Cash.
It may follow a conventional biopic structure, but I still found A Complete Unknown gripping from start to finish, with Mangold at the top of his game paired with many impressive performances. Sometimes, convention is what’s required, if the subject matter and talent behind the screen can make an engaging experience of it, and Mangold certainly does that.
This is the second of two posts detailing my top 20 films of 2024. I previously ran you through my best films of 2024 (20-11) and here, I’ll unveil my top ten. I find it rather interesting that all bar one of these films came out in the first half of the year (according to the UK release calendar).
10) The Zone of Interest
The Zone of Interest is a fiercely original work from Jonathan Glazer, his first film in eleven years. It tells the story of Rudolf Höss, the longest-serving commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he lived with his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) in what they perceived as their idyllic home. Small catch – the garden wall with barbed wire atop it is shared with Auschwitz.
The result is an uncomfortable viewing and a film that really gets under your skin. The Zone of Interest represents the most important use of sound I can think of in quite some time – the sound of the droning concentration camp with its whirring machinery is ever-present during mundane conversation and day-to-day life. Glazer never shows us the atrocities inside the camp and what we hear beyond the frame is another film in itself. I loved the surreal elements too, particularly a storyline shot with thermal cameras. The Zone of Interest is a fascinating work in Glazer’s career, despite its cold and intentionally bad taste that will leave you thinking long after the credits have rolled.
Longlegs is a horror thriller written and directed by Osgood Perkins, his fourth film but by far his highest profile effort. The film follows Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), an FBI agent assigned to investigate a decades-spanning case of a series of brutal murder-suicides. Although Longlegs isn’t as outright scary as some have made it out to be and is more of a crime thriller, this is still a barnstorming original effort from Perkins. He maintains a real sense of dread and tension throughout and the film is relentlessly bleak with some a terrific central performance by Maika Monroe. The film’s beautifully shot by Andrés Arochi, favouring close-ups of characters but keeping the background in shot – an early scene where Harker reads a letter following a home invasion is brilliantly shot as we’re constantly peering at the edge of the kitchen door frame. I also loved the muted, grey colour palette and the dreary, dilapidated homes many of the characters live in that portray the Oregonian setting is not particularly affluent. It’s also complemented by an excellent, rather minimalist score by Zilgi (who is actually the director’s’ brother, Elvis Perkins) but there are equally many scenes of silence which really contributes to the dread. While perhaps a little too neatly crafted in its narrative, Longlegs is a fiersomely original horror directed with real skill and flair.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is an uncommonly intelligent sequel and is another strong entry in the series. With Andy Serkis’ Caesar kicking the bucket at the end of War for the Planet of the Apes, this film picks up ‘many generations’ after War’s conclusion with a new set of characters. The underlying social subtext is what really allows thePlanet of the Apes films to excel, and the lack of it is what lets down its two weakest instalments – Tim Burton’s misguided Planet of the Apes remake and Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The idea of exploring how a key figure’s teachings have been twisted after a period of time is a genius move, reflecting the intrigue and conflict brought by religion in our world. I loved how director Wes Ball advances the aesthetic and tone of the series – gone are the predominantly forested surroundings of Dawn and War and its road movie influence feels closer to earlier entries of the original pentology. The abandoned human world is fascinating to pick apart, from rusted escalators to buildings covered in overgrown fauna. There’s some great set-pieces too, with fast-paced and memorable action sequences, the highlight being one on a bridge. The film is lusciously shot by Gyula Pados and John Paesano does a great job with the score, no mean feat coming off of Michael Giacchino’s work. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes does an excellent job of advancing the reboot series, while brimming with potent social subtext and respecting what made the original pentology work.
Those wanting a rehash of Mad Max: Fury Road should rethink their expectations because Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga plays out very differently – a mature and slow-burn revenge thriller split into five chapters. Except for perhaps ten minutes when the characters reach The Green Place in Fury Road, that film was effectively a non-stop car chase whereas there’s plenty of room to breathe this time around. Considering he’s almost eighty years old, Miller’s film is brimming with the same passionate energy with some truly breathtaking action sequences, the highlight an extended chase aboard the War Rig. There’s plenty of meat to the bone to all the characters too, with an excellent script Miller co-wrote with Nico Lathouris, and it’s expectedly beautifully shot by Simon Duggan. Although she doesn’t show up until the third chapter, Anya Taylor-Joy stuns as the titular character. Not only is her performance magnetic, but she also embodies Charlize Theron’s (who played the character in Fury Road) sounds and mannerisms.
Civil War is a brilliant film and director Alex Garland’s best work to date – it’s well-paced and sustains its unnerving tension throughout. I really connected with the characters and the film looks more expensive than its $50 million budget suggests. I loved its depiction of journalism in how there is the dedication, thrill, rush and joy of creating content. The idea of one photo in every 100 being perfect is also true, but the lengths in which Garland depicts journalists in capturing even a single photo (for example, by jumping into enemy gunfire) is chilling. I also loved how photojournalism was edited into the film and Civil War is about how a story becomes an image. Sound is also used to brilliant effect, with the lack of sound in key sequences very effective in increasing tension and portraying how used to violence these characters have become. While the performance are uniformly excellent, it’s Jesse Plemons that stands out as a racist militant.
Io Capitano is a terrific and thought-provoking piece from Italian director Matteo Garrone about two teenage cousins who decide to leave their native Senegal for a more prosperous future in Italy. While its first twenty minutes are quite atypical of Garrone’s usual directorial style, once the boys leave home, this is an immersive experience through and through. A scene with a desperate woman falling behind as a group walk through a desert is particularly affecting, especially with how Garrone plays with time and hallucinations. The ending is also bleak and hard-hitting yet simultaneously joyous. An extended sequence set in a prison is also typical of Garrone and I really brought the relationship between Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Martin (Issaka Sawagodo), a man he’s imprisoned with. Garrone masterfully often shows but doesn’t tell and I always respect it when a filmmaker treats their audience as intelligent.
American Fiction is a highly entertaining literary comedy with a blisteringly sharp script that in some ways, feels like a film a more muted Spike Lee would make. This is a tough genre to crack and there have been far more failures than hits but I genuinely laughed quite a few times at this. There’s also more than a few kernels of truth about the publishing industry and what it means to be a writer, exploring the highs and lows of both the creative process and critical reception. But Cord Jefferson (in his directorial debut) deftly balances his commentary on the media with a heartfelt treatment of the themes of loneliness and family. The family drama element of the film is equally riveting, with the treatment of Alzheimers touching and the mundane but necessary tasks of trying to get someone into a home. There’s some terrific performances here too, especially Jeffrey Wright who’s always been a reliable screen presence but doesn’t often take the lead role. Wright nails the prickly, depressing nature of his character as he struggles to fit in and open up to people but with an almost lovable quality. To think this is only the directorial debut of Cord Jefferson makes me excited to see where he goes next.
One of two Yorgos Lanthimos films to release this year, Kinds of Kindness sees the director reteam with Efthimis Filippou in their first writing collaboration since The Killing of a Sacred Deer (in my opinion, Lanthimos’ best film). An thrillingly cold-hearted abrudist triptych with a razor dry sense of humour, Kinds of Kindness represents the director at his most daring. It’s a fascinating film, where not everything in the three stories is meant to tie together, but it doesn’t stop one trying to piece the puzzle together. Jesse Plemons is sensational as the lead in the first two stories and Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe are also reliably excellent. Kinds of Kindness is a fascinating film in Lanthimos’ catalogue and while I expect he’ll be tempted to make more mainstream fare given The Favourite and Poor Things‘ reception, I love the eerie strangeness and uncomfortable feeling when he has a hand in the script.
The Holdovers is the new Alexander Payne film and his first since 2017’s Downsizing. Payne reunites with his Sideways lead Paul Giamatti who stars as Paul Hunham, a strict classics teacher at Barton Academy, a New England boarding school that he attended back in his youth. The Holdovers is Payne at his best and is a tender delight from start to finish, but it deftly balances its warmth with a bittersweet tone. The performances are terrific all around, especially Giamatti, and the film perfectly evokes classic 1970’s cinema with its intentionally rustic aesthetic – it looks and feels like a work made at the time. It’s beautifully shot by In Bruges cinematographer Eigil Bryld, especially the wintry landscapes during the opening credits and some disorienting frames that feature late into the film. Paul Giamatti turns in what I’d probably consider a career-best performance as Hunham. Hunham is both lovable and loathsome and an easy character to relate to with the hardships he’s faced in life. In fact, there are many similarities between Hunham and Miles Raymond, the character Giamatti plays in Sideways – both characters that have been hard done-by in life.
I absolutely loved The Holdovers and was completely swept up by the film throughout, with its intelligent script and committed performances. It’s Payne’s best film since Sideways and after only the best part of a year since its release, I predict it will become a Christmas classic. They certainly don’t make films like this anymore.
The first Yorgos Lanthimos film to release this year takes top honours. Poor Things is Lanthimos back on track (I thought The Favourite was flawed) with a brilliantly twisted, uncomfortable yet multi-layered triumph. A film that gets better on each viewing, Poor Things is narratively stuffed with thought-provoking themes, striking visuals and evocative production design. Robbie Ryan’s cinematography is a career-best, with every frame a painting worth pausing to analyse, which is interesting considering some of his work can be quite vanilla. The film boldly experiments with colour and perspectives are often shot through a fish-eye lens and it’s supported by the lavish production design. I also loved the retrofuturistic vision, with the Victorian London setting contrasting with succeeding elements.
Emma Stone turns in a career-best performance as the Frankenstein-like Bella Baxter, who opens the film as an inquisitive and brash child and ends as a self-made woman. I’ve sometimes struggled with her performances in the past and couldn’t believe she won the Best Actress Oscar for La La Land but not so here. Willem Dafoe is also reliably brilliant as the eccentric surgeon, who belches bubbles at the dinner table due to a health condition. Mark Ruffalo provides much of the comic relief as Wedderburn, who becomes increasingly child-like as the film progresses, although his British accent is rather wandery. Poor Things came out right at the very start of the year and nothing’s been able to dethrone it from the number one spot.
Director: RaMell Ross Starring: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Certificate: 12A Run Time: 140 mins
Nickel Boys is RaMell Ross’ narrative feature directorial debut, previously known for his 2018 Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening. An adaptation of the 2019 novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys tells the story story of Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse), a young African-American living in a segregated Tallahassee, Florida. He excels at school and is accepted into a tuition-free accelerated study program at a historically black school. Unfortunately, he accepts a lift from a man driving a stolen car while hitchhiking to campus and the police send him to Nickel Academy, a reform school notorious for its abusive treatment of students. There, he meets Turner (Brandon Wilson) and despite their initially opposite ideals, become friends.
The film is shot in a first-person point-of-view so we see the plot unfold through the eyes of Elwood (the perspective is then shared with Turner in the film’s second half). That’s certainly an unconventional way to tell a story and stands Nickel Boys apart from more conventional historical drama biopics.
Unfortunately, despite its novel filmmaking technique, I found Nickel Boys to be very dull and I think that first-person point-of-view decision is to blame. It detracts from the important story being told, which tackles some incredibly heavy themes, but the film never conveys its emotions. The stilted script doesn’t flow in a natural way and and I found it very difficult to connect with any of the characters. None of the performances worked for me, even Hamish Linklater who made such a powerful impression in Midnight Mass. The film is also drastically overlong at 140 minutes and a generic title card revealing some images of the true events feels emotionally manipulative – especially for a film that’s trying to defy convention. The only real plus side is Jomo Fray’s sporadically stirring cinematography, especially a scene of Elwood and Turner conversing underneath a window that’s featured in the theatrical release poster.
I really wanted to like Nickel Boys, especially considering the rapturous response it has received. But I found it to be an patience-testing exercise in style over substance and the novel filming style robbed the film of any emotional impact.
With 2024 now at a close, it’s time to reflect back on the year just gone and unveil my top film picks. 2024 was an interesting year in film – on the one hand, it had one of the strongest Awards seasons in many a year (many of which will be featuring in this list) and the films that delivered really hit the spot. But there were also a number of crushing disappointments, from sequels such as Alien: Romulus and Deadpool and Wolverine to career lows for directors like M. Night Shyamalan with Trap and J. C. Chandor with Kraven the Hunter.
In this first of two articles, I’ll rank numbers 20 to 11. Stay tuned for part two, where I’ll unveil my top ten films of the year. But first a few honourable mentions that didn’t quite make the top 20 – Red Rooms, Conclave, The Beekeeper and Salem’s Lot (yes, seriously for those final two).
20) The Iron Claw
Beginning proceedings is The Iron Claw and although it’s Sean Durkin’s weakest effort to date in that it’s far more conventional than Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Nest, this is still a largely gripping and grim recount of the Von Erich family, who were beset by premature tragedies. The film’s bolstered by some terrific performances, with Zac Efron reliably brilliant as Kevin, who has noble and instinctual family values but struggles to carve a life with his own ambitions. Efron has had a fascinating career after his High School Musical breakthrough, and like with his chilling portrayal of Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, proves he is a versatile actor with buckets of range. Holt McCallany, who is often lumped with supporting roles in action films such as Wrath of Man, gives a career-best performance as the patriarch, and Maura Tierney is also quietly brilliant as the quiet and sullen mother, who’s clearly faced her own despair.
The first half of the film is pretty standard wrestling fare, chock-full with the sub-genre’s generic constructs, until the darker elements are introduced at the half-way mark. There’s an excellent near-surreal ending sequence that won me over and the film’s handsomely shot with a smoky, grey quality by Hungarian cinematographer Mátyás Erdély.
Although this religious psychological horror starring Sydney Sweeney as a troubled young nun takes a while to get going, once it shifts into gear, Immaculate is a gonzo, gleefully blood-soaked riptide. The last forty-five minutes are particularly memorable, with a series of wild twists and turns, with more than a few influences from Dario Argento and Roman Polanski. Director Michael Mohan knows how to build suspense and pile on the dread and the wince-inducing gore in its final act more than earns it its 18-certificate. The film looks a lot more expensive than it is and it’s beautifully shot by DP Elisha Christian. You’ll be left gasping for breath in its closing moments.
Although it’s not as strong, The First Omen came out a few weeks later and follows eerily similar themes – it’s worth a watch too.
One of my most memorable cinema-going experiences of the year, Anora is the new Palme D’Or winning film by Sean Baker. Other than Mikey Madison’s hypnotic lead performance as the titular Brooklyn stripper, I hated the first 45 minutes of this film. But when two men knock on a mansion door after Anora’s drink and drug-fuelled journey with Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the 21-year-old-son of a Russian oligarch, the narrative takes a different direction and the rest of the 139 minute film had me grinning with its breathless fireball energy and wit. In retrospect, the first 45 minutes are needed to get you to despise the characters for the rest of it to work, so stay with it if you’re feeling the same way. It’s a film where characters are consistently pulled from pillar to post but there’s also a stark tenderness to its humanity and Baker portrays a vivid contrast between the rich and poor. It’s beautifully shot by Drew Daniels, who lends the film its disorientingly frenetic edge. Apart from Madison, Yura Borisov and Karen Karagulian are the other standouts of the cast, especially Borisov who makes such a strong impression despite not having many lines. Anora is ultimately an excellent film from Sean Baker and quite possibly his best work.
It’s a real shame that what is probably Clint Eastwood’s last film got bizarrely and unjustifiably buried by Warner Bros. It’s their loss because this legal thriller is an excellent effort from the nonagenarian filmmaker, which follows recovering alcoholic Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) who is summoned for jury service where he realises he may have been responsible for the death he’s adjudicating on. What initially seems like a fairly routine, low-profile case gradually turns into a crime with plenty of holes. A morally ambiguous film that asks its audience what they would do in the main character’s shoes, Jonathan Abrams’ script does a good job of messing with its audience’s minds in creating doubt of what’s being portrayed on-screen. The film also questions the imperfect nature of the justice system, even if it’s rather unsubtle. But Eastwood does a better job of analysing the biases that certain characters bring into the courtroom, from the lawyers defending and prosecuting the accused to the backstories of the jury members. Nicholas Hoult makes for an excellent lead and we’re never sure whether we can fully side with him or not, despite making a compelling case for the decisions he makes.
I never expected a John Green adaptation to rank among my best films of the year – Paper Towns and The Fault In Our Stars were both ghastly – but I loved this. Sensitively directed by Hannah Marks, the ever-reliable (well, apart from Alien: Romulus…) Isabela Merced is fantastic as Aza, a 16-year-old struggling with OCD who tries to reconnect with her childhood crush. The chemistry she shares with her best friend Daisy (Cree) is terrific and the script is sharp, deftly balancing humour, wit and heart. Marks deftly portrays what it’s like to experience this disorder and the sense of achievement when characters overcome their obstacles in this film is commendable. I was gripped from start to finish and although it’s a film you’ll need to seek out, I highly recommend it.
15) Gladiator II
I had low expectations for this long-awaited sequel, having thought the 2000 Best Picture winning original was merely good, and returning director Ridley Scott has a chequered record with historical epics. Fortunately, Gladiator II is an excellent sequel and although it shares some similar story beats to the original, it shakes things up more than enough to avoid it being a simple rehash. At its height, it almost has a soap opera quality (much in the same vein as House of Gucci and Napoleon) but in a good way. There’s an immense pleasure in anticipating how the different characters are going to eventually clash with their various motivations, and David Scarpa’s script sets them up well. Some of the characters are gleefully horrible and the cast are more than game for it. Scott’s also concocted some thrilling (if wildly historically inaccurate set-pieces with sharks and killer monkeys) that lean into the gore – this is very much a film about revenge and retribution. It’s also vividly shot by returning cinematographer John Mathieson, who lends the film a rich colour palette. That Ridley Scott can still be directing a sword-and-sandals sequel like this with so much energy in his late eighties is nothing short of miraculous.
Rebel Ridge is a crime thriller by Jeremy Saulnier, his first film in six years after Hold The Dark. Having proved quite the accomplished director, Rebel Ridge may be his best yet – a gripping thriller that examines police injustice with a deliciously mean streak about it, even if it’s slightly overlong and peaks in its first act. But I still had a grin plastered on my face throughout. Aaron Pierre is brilliant as Terry, an ex-Marine who’s intercepted by two corrupt policemen while cycling to Shelby Springs to post bail for his imprisoned cousin. Don Johnson is deliciously snarky as the crooked Chief of Police and there are some terrific chase sequences, cementing why Saulnier is one of the best in the revenge thriller genre.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a very pleasant surprise – an excellent legacy sequel that’s not far off the quality of the original, showcasing Tim Burton at his best. The script by Alfred Gough and Mark Millar is razor-sharp and full of charm, with lots of laughs to be had. Although some have criticised this sequel for being overstuffed, I thought the various elements really worked and there’s excitement in knowing that all of the different storylines are inevitably going to collide. The film’s visually arresting too, with lots of physical effects and I particularly admired an early body horror sequence where a character staples body parts together. Danny Elfman turns in a typically romping and swooning score that keeps the film fast-paced. Michael Keaton’s reliably excellent as the grotesque bio-exorcist, in the role that arguably launched his career. It’s also refreshing to see Winona Ryder, who hasn’t taken a leading role in a mainstream film in quite a while. Burton proves he’s still flowing with the creative juices that left such an impression on his early work and I hope the strong reception to this film inspires him to continue developing wholly original pieces.
MaXXXine is the third instalment in Ti West’s X series and a direct sequel to X. It’s surreal to think what was originally a relatively low-key release is now a full-blown film series, with West having originally shot X (which I loved) and Pearl (fine, but overrated) back-to-back. MaXXXine is a thoroughly enjoyable, if uneven third instalment. Like its predecessors, West experiments with exploring a different horror sub-genre – in this case, Giallo horror. It unexpectedly shares many of the story beats of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood but in a thrilling way that isn’t derivative. The energetic score by Tyler Bates is brilliant and is probably a career-best. The film’s also beautifully shot by Eliot Rocket, who really captures the neon, seedy 80’s Hollywood aesthetic. There’s some very entertaining performances across the board. Mia Goth is reliably strong but Kevin Bacon steals the show as a seedy private investigator, resplendent with gold teeth. Giancarlo Esposito is also a highlight as Maxine’s agent with an outrageous haircut. I really enjoyed MaXXXine and although it’s a little shambolically crafted, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had a big grin on my face throughout.
My expectations were very high after the 19 year wait since the masterpiece that was The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Vengeance Most Fowl is a more than worthy follow-up. This is an excellent sequel with plenty of laughs and a typically sharp and witty script. The rapport between Wallace and Gromit is as strong as ever and the film has a lot to say on the reliance of AI and automation, the resurgence of old technology and police incompetence. There’s some fabulous action sequences (especially a climactic boat chase) and the film’s typically brimming with small details to pick up on future rewatches. Returning villain Feathers McGraw steals the show with some delicious gags and Ben Whitehead (replacing the late Peter Sallis) fits in seamlessly as Wallace.
I don’t think it’s quite as strong as The Curse of the Were-Rabbit though – Vengeance Most Fowl is decidedly smaller-scale and there’s a surprising lack of cheese jokes (although the film makes up for it with plenty of other gags). Otherwise, this is yet another Wallace and Gromit adventure that’s impossible to resist and it does nothing to tarnish their revered reputation.
Director: Robert Eggers Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe Certificate: 15 Run Time: 132 mins
Nosferatu is the new Robert Eggers film, one of the most exciting auteurs working today whose made a name for himself with thoroughly well-researched, period-correct films, with authentic scripts and stunning visuals. I loved The Witch, his fearsomely original and unsettling folk horror debut. I admired but didn’t love his next films – The Lighthouse and The Northman. A remake of F. W. Murnau’s 1922 German Expressionist silent film, Eggers has long-publicised his adoration for the blood-thirsty vampire tale and was originally going to make it after The Witch before deciding to delay its production to get it right.
If you’re familiar with the original, or Bram Stoker’s Dracula, then there’s no surprises story-wise. Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp play the married Hutter couple, Thomas and Ellen, who live in Wisborg, Germany. Thomas is an aspiring estate agent, who is sent by Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) to travel to Transylvania’s Carpathian Mountains to sell a decrepit stately home to the reclusive Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). But Orlok has a more sinister motive.
It pains me to say that Nosferatu is unfortunately a crushing disappointment and a case of style over substance. The style is undoubtedly the biggest positive, with the film beautifully shot Eggers’ favoured cinematographer Jarin Blaschke. Many of the visually arresting images are akin to paintings, with my two standouts a shot of a horse and rider traipsing their way through a forest in the twinkling night and a crepuscular figure’s decaying body over a sea of blood in a bed. The creature design of Count Orlok is also striking and a construction that only Eggers could dream of. After dazzling as Pennywise in It, the unrecognisable Bill Skarsgård stuns as the parasitic Orlok, with an unsettling voice he worked to lower by an octave for the role. Robin Carolan’s swooning score is also brilliant, with recognisable and haunting themes developing as the film progresses.
Sadly, that’s where the positives end. Nosfetaru’s most significant problem is the utterly erratic pacing. Eggers races through the first hour and fails to establish the ensemble cast or convey how epic the journey is to Transylvania. This was something Werner Herzog excelled at in his Klaus Kinski-fronted 1979 remake, Nosferatu the Vampyre, with beautiful images of the dangerous, mountainous terrain the estate agent exhaustedly travels through to reach the isolated castle. The local Romani community who plead with Thomas not to continue with his quest are glossed over and there’s a real lack of tension between Thomas and Orlok, with Eggers impatient to bring the vampire back to Germany. The voyage back on the ghost ship is also rushed and once the film’s back on German soil, Orlok’s invasive hold over the town is protracted. What’s most peculiar is that Herzog’s 1979 remake also suffers from a languorous pace but Eggers’ film has the advantage of being half an hour longer but fails to develop a sense of dread or tension.
There’s also some seriously wonky performances amongst the star-studded cast. Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp have clearly put in a lot of effort, but they lack chemistry together and Hoult’s Thomas is particularly underdeveloped – I never felt pity for him once he’s under Orlok’s hold. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin are both terrible as the Harding’s, also lacking chemistry and being subject to some pretty perfunctory dialogue. Even Willem Dafoe fails to impress, content to simply repeat his Poor Things shtick as Albin Eberhart Von Franz (an Abraham Van Helsing equivalent), a controversial Swiss philosopher whom Eggers’ script resorts to him being an exposition device. Fortunately, Simon McBurney as the repulsive Herr Knock and Ralph Ineson as a well-meaning doctor fare well.
You’d think for all Eggers’ passion that he’d try and do something innovative and justify his vision. But instead, this is a film that simply retreads its forebears (there’s even heavy lifting from various Dracula adaptations, too). By the time we reach the signature sequence with Orlok’s shadow reaching out for his victim reflected on a wall, all I could stifle was a groan. I was never gripped by the film, nor did I find it frightening and Eggers’ script, while period-correct, is strangely wordy and leaves nothing to the imagination. Murnau’s 1922 original didn’t just impress as a standalone film but functions as one of the horror genre’s most important staples, its influence felt throughout the medium’s history. While Eggers has made a film that repeats its visuals and narrative beats, that’s all he’s managed to achieve – aside from a handful of impressive elements, there’s strangely little to justify or show for the filmmaker’s passion.
The Film Meister 
