2024 Favorite Things: Movies
All of these were on Netflix except three: Over the Garden Wall on Cartoon Network, John Wick 4 on Prime, and Beetlejuice2 in the theater.
Top favorites are in bold.
| Title | Key People | Notes |
| Aquaman | Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, (James Wan) | I’m enamored by the costuming. |
| Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (theater) | Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Michael Keaton | I got to see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in comfortable theater with very few people in the audience (it was playing on several screens). I loved the costumes (naturally). The music wasn’t as good as the first one. The score was again composed by Danny Elfman so that was on par; but the songs for the soundtrack — despite being ones I liked — didn’t fit the theme. I think the reasons had a lot to do with a character who is into the late 1990’s. But I missed the upbeat and fun songs of the original. I had that soundtrack on cassette tape.
The new cast additions, especially Jenna Ortega, are well-suited for their roles. She’s simply incredible. She’s that kind of young actor who can have the staying power of Drew Barrymoore and Julia Roberts, if she chooses it. |
| Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F | So good! The actors clearly remembered their characters’ unique personalities. The new additions of Jane and Abbott are half of the heart of the plot. The other half being Jane and Axel. Original fans will appreciate the opening edited much like the original and the snappy soundtrack. “Axel F,” the song didn’t need the update it got but it’s nice to hear again. Kevin Bacon is excellent at being the villain. Luis Gúzman has only one scene but he kills it with a surprising role. | |
| Black Adam | The Rock, Sarah Shahi, Aldis Hodge | I liked it but I seem to be the only one. |
| Gran Turismo | Archie Madekwe, David Harbour, Orlando Bloom | Phenomenal production for an inspirational story |
| John Wick 3 & 4 | Netflix and Prime | The franchise was worth the watch. I liked the secondary characters in #4 but still can’t figure out why one of them existed. He didn’t add anything to the movie at all. |
| Man of Steel | Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane | Some unusual choices for rebooting like having all the DNA of Krypton inside Clark. |
| Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon Network) | Elijah Wood, Collin Dean | What a fucking weird cartoon that must terrify children. |
| Pacific Rim | Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam | Fun watch. Recommend. |
| The Meg 2: The Trench | Jason Statham | Add it to your “so terrible I can’t stop watching” list. |
| Thunder Force | Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer | I expected this to be unimaginative going in, but the superhero story is only the pastiche; it’s a story about how two best friends can have a falling out, live polar opposite lives, and then reunite. |
| Under Paris | Bérénice Bejo, Nassim Lyes | A fun and entertaining shark monster movie (in French) in the pastiche of The Meg and Deep Blue Sea. The ending is incredibly not an end. American viewers typically hate unfinished endings. |
| Woman of the Hour | Anna Kendrick (stars & directed), Daniel Zovatto | Constant suspense about the “Dating Game Killer,” Rodney Alcala.I just watched Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour about the Dating Game Serial Killer. It was a quiet movie where the suspense never ended. There aren’t any jump-scares. Alcala was insidious. I’ve seen documentaries and never remembered that a teen girl outsmarted him after multiple police failures. If you’re prone to having panic attacks, maybe skip it. Watching it, I felt like anxiety had to come out at some time plus one character goes through a trauma induced panic attack and no over takes her seriously. |
Related 2024 Faves:
Books, Comics, Picture Books
Audio & Video Podcats/Vloggers
TV& Stand-Up Comedy
Documentaries
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.