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Best (and Worst) Films I've Seen This Last Year

Well, I'm late. I was looking for something interesting to do, so I thought I'd talk about the movies I watched last year, either to help people expand their watchlists, or just to chronicle my life via movies. What follows is my own little Oscars (except better, obviously).

WORST OF THE YEAR

Oh, you already know it's Lords of Chaos (2018).

(Dis)honorable mention: Argylle (2024) was just terrible. I understand what they were going for, but it didn’t work for me at all. I spent the whole movie wishing I was somewhere else.

Argylle poster portion via FlixChatter.

MOST DISAPPOINTING

My most disappointing film of the year was The Substance (2024). There was so much hype online for this movie (and there still is), but I didn’t like it! Some of the narrative decisions were not very well thought through, the soundtrack was really boring, and the cinematography started out kind of interesting and devolved into a pastiche of somewhat interesting framing/lighting/colours in isolation now and again. It’s as if at some points during the making of the film, they remembered they wanted it to look cool, and then they forgot about it again.

(Dis)honorable mention: I also watched The Most Dangerous Game (1932). Racist and sexist, even more than you might expect from context. Well, that’s what I get for watching random films from the 1930s.

Poster of The Substance.

MOST SURPRISING

This year, I was pleasantly surprised by One-Eyed Jacks (1961), a western starring Marlon Brando. It was the oldest and most interesting-looking of a DVD value compilation of several westerns that I bought. I still haven’t watched the rest, but this one was kind of compelling!

Honorable mention: Sitcom (1998). Woah, when I say it surprised me! I don’t really know what else to say. I’ll keep it spoiler-free here, but have a look at a plot outline or the Does the Dog Die page if you want to see what I mean.

Promo/still from Sitcom.

MOST FUN

This was a tough choice, but I think I've got to go with Hackers (1995). It's an awesome film - great cinematography, wild plot, cool soundtrack, but most importantly, stupid hacker names. Highly recommend, especially if you're looking for something to hit all your favourite 90s Y2K mania notes.

Honorable mention: This is a wild one, but I watched Hello Dankness (2022) with a group of friends this year, and none of us really knew what we were walking into. Great decision! The movie is constructed from edited, mashed-up, absolutely decimated footage from other films, presumably protected by fair-use, and chronicles Donald Trump’s (first…) election in the US.

A shot from Hello Dankness, via ABC News.

BEST REWATCH

I didn't rewatch as many movies as I thought last year. One that stands out is Donnie Darko (2001), which is obviously a brilliant movie. Very atmospheric, very edgy, totally awesome. Watched it with the polycule in bed!

Honorable mention: Shin Godzilla (2016). I had forgotten how great of a movie this is. A great examination of Japanese bureaucracy in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, and drawing a direct comparison to WWII… topped only by the original and Godzilla Minus One.

Still/photo from Donnie Darko, via IndieWire.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Really tough competition once again, but I've got to hand it to I Saw the TV Glow (2024). This nearly made it to film of the year for me. I’ve seen it three times already, and it’s so heart-wrenchingly sad and beautiful. For everyone who ‘doesn’t get it’, well, I guess you just don’t get it. The colours in this really make it top of this category for me, but also the aspect ratio (and particularly the change in aspect ratio).

Honorable mention: To pivot, Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) is a black and white film. However, it was shot on colour film stock, on a greyscale set, and then colour-corrected. Or at least, according to this post. Not sure how accurate that source is, but it sure would be an interesting lie to make up.

An important shot from I Saw the TV Glow, via FilmGrab.

BEST SOUNDTRACK

This year was a year of brilliant soundtracks in the movies I watched. In the end, I settled on Challengers (2024), because it seems to fit the film with such intent. Fast-paced, and it has a thrilling energy to it that somehow made me interested in tennis! Thanks, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Honorable mentions: Other great soundtracks from this year’s movie diary include: Shallow Grave (1994), Electric Dreams (1984), I Saw the TV Glow (2024), Human Traffic (1999), and Hackers (1995).

A shot from Challengers.

OTHER HONORABLE MENTIONS

This is quite a list... First of all, The Arrival (1980). This was a cult film (as in, literally made by a cult), and I watched it with a live soundtrack by Drab Majesty, one of my favourite goth bands this side of 2000. Need I say more?

I've got to mention He Who Gets Slapped (1924). My favourite silent film (so far), based on a Russian play, about a man who becomes a clown after his inventions (and wife) get stolen. Scary, sad, with really cool imagery - I highly recommend. You can watch it with an instrumental backing here on the Internet Archive.

A shot from He Who Gets Slapped.

Next up is Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005). A documentary about the downfall of Enron, and what caused it. It's got a shockingly good soundtrack, plenty of information that I didn’t have any idea about, and it's an expectedly depressing indictment of capitalism.

Finally, even though it didn't top the list, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention The Taste of Tea (2004). A surreal dreamscape of a summer with a Japanese family, exploring childhood, grief, and family through mundane and spectacular moments. Two and a half hours, so it’s a time commitment, but I think about it a lot. Specifically, I think about the feeling that it evoked in me. It’s a really beautiful film. Please watch it if you have the time.

A shot from Ghost in the Shell.

RUNNERS UP

It was so difficult to choose one, I had to list these two movies in direct competition with my final pick.

Casablanca (1942) - The most romantic, tragic, wonderful movie I think I’ve ever seen. The fact that it was released before anyone knew what the outcome of WWII would be breaks my heart and inspires me at the same time. The genesis of iconic lines like “we’ll always have Paris”. Came close to winning, but not quite, possibly because I just wanted to recommend something a little less... obvious.

Monkey Man (2024) - I was ready to declare this my favourite movie of the year as soon as I walked out of the cinema, and I was almost right! Great action, acting, soundtrack, and themes. I really loved this, and reading production details has made me love it even more.

If it wasn’t already in Best Cinematography, I Saw the TV Glow would go in here as well.

BEST OF THE YEAR

What a tight competition! My final pick ended up being The People’s Joker (2024). I can’t help it, it made me laugh, it made me sad, it had wild and wonderful editing and animation and a brilliant soundtrack. I had a really great time. Transgender people everywhere, please keep making movies!

A shot from the original Candyman film.

Well, that's it: my top picks for the year. Hopefully I'll do this again in a more timely fashion!

P.S.: You can follow me on Letterboxd here, if you'd like.

That's all I have to say, I think.