Hard Truths (2024)

I have mixed feelings about Mike Leigh's film Hard Truths. To be honest I found the first half quite difficult to engage with. Jean-Baptiste plays an angry woman who lashes out at everyone around her from the people she encounters out in the world to her own family including her grown son, a man who has withdrawn into himself, the implication being due to his mother's abusive behavior. At first there is some humour in watching her berate everyone and scrunch her face into an angry mask of hate. But as it drew on it became sad and perhaps so over the top it was hard to take seriously.

The film starts out at this contrast between Jean-Baptiste's misanthrope and Austin's joyful character, her sister. But quickly this fades as it becomes more and more focused on how damaged and fragile she really is. The film begins to create a character arc for her as she falls apart in the arms of her sister when confronted with the legacy of her mother's death and the whole thing becomes heavy. But quite jarringly any progress made here is regressed by the end. 

Leigh's ending is one of the bleakest I've seen in a while. It is both unfinished and rather hopeless. The sister's story sort of gets shoved aside while our central character, who the film makes so hard to empathize with, falls completely apart. There is a lot of pathos here but there is also a lot that is just hard to muster even sympathy for. She is so unrealistically unpleasant that giving her the benefit of the doubt about how hard her life must have been to get her there while we watch her destroy the people around her... well the film just never quite gets us there. It's too short to explore some of the complexities it is asking us to consider so instead it's just a snapshot of someone so unpleasantly angry at everything and nothing. The audience walks out just as frustrated with having to tolerate her as those in her grocery line, the parking lot, the dentist... etc. 

Hard Truths

Starring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, Tuwaine Barrett, Ani Nelson, Sophia Brown, Jonathan Livingstone 

Writer/Director: Mike Leigh

You're Cordially Invited (2025)

Most movie stars have their low points in their filmographies and we're witnessing one of those for the truly funny actors Witherspoon and Ferrell. Everything about Invited is half assed and unfunny and it's mostly an exercise in how sad it can be to watch talented people do something so phoned in. You'll want to turn it off part way in and honestly, you're probably right to do so. 

Invited starts out with the tired and gross cliche of the father thinking no partner is good enough for his daughter and the film goes on to make tensions within a family fall along Red American vs. Blue American lines. Not one line in the film feels original or thought through. Eye rolling is the reaction most audiences would have to the jokes. I can't imagine laughing. 

I could get in to how badly the film is plotted with all of the conflict being derived from overly constructed circumstances that never feel organic. I could get in to how none of the characters feel more than two-dimensional or get any character arc that isn't a recycled rom com plot. I could get in to all sorts of problems with this badly made movie but mostly it was just infuriating to see such a strong cast wasted like this. 

It is not just Witherspoon and Ferrell who are slumming. There is a great cast here from the promising Vizwanathan to the veteran Weston. Truly funny people being unfunny while trying to be funny is just so depressing to watch. 

You're Cordially Invited

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Will Ferrell, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Celia Weston, Jack McBrayer 

Writer/Director: Nicholas Stoller

The Six Triple Eight (2024)

Tyler Perry's film about the only African American women's army corp to serve over seas in WWII is rather standard and predictable but the story of these real life women is compelling enough to overcome that so when we get to the end of this story, we are moved and inspired. I'll give Perry credit that despite framing his story in a rather paint by numbers sort of way, he does film it beautifully, often featuring stunning scenes. The Six Triple Eight ends up being rather enjoyable while giving us a peak into one of those historical moments that is often pushed to the side. 

Perry's film lacks in nuance and subtlety. Washington's performance brings strength but not a lot of dimension to the lead character. None of the characters get to be very complicated. They are all either completely good or completely bad and no one has a character arc. Instead we just follow through the steps of their story as they prove their worth and decades later get some of the recognition they deserve. 

And this is a very inspiring story and one that points to patterns of history and those who manage to overcome them. His transition at the end to take us into the real world as H.E.R.'s The Journey is playing is a powerful and satisfying conclusion that might juts give a bit of hope for us for the future. Despite being rather formulaic, The Six Triple Eight is not boring nor does it talk down to its audience and in the end I was happy I watched it. 

The Six Triple Eight

Starring: Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffrey, Dean Norris, Sam Waterston, Oprah Winfrey, Susan Sarandon, 

Writer/Director: Tyler Perry

 

Nickel Boys (2024)

Nickel Boys is notable for a few reasons. One of which is of coarse the unorthodox choice to film the movie in first person POV so that we, as the audience, are seeing what our central characters are seeing. This turns out to be not a gimmick but a brilliant means of bringing us into the story. Director Ross' brilliance here is two fold, centring his characters so flawlessly (including the narrative's bait and switch) and filming such a gorgeous movie. The POV never feels forced, never confusing. We are there in the Nickel "school" and their pain is real without devolving into graphic exploitation. 

Also notable is the cast. Herisse and Wilson are both marvellous even though we often aren't seeing their faces. The entire cast is with Ellis-Taylor truly standing out. A big part of what makes Nickel Boys work is  how the cast brings it to life. 

The importance of films like Nickel Boys which bring our recent "past" so vividly to life and force us to confront it, especially in such humanizing way, can't be overstated. This is a piece of America that many don't know about, don't want to know about, or don't want us to talk about. That makes this film even more relevant as it is released than ever. 

But Nickel Boys is truly a beautiful film that despite how harrowing its story often is, is also a story of survival and resilience, something truly needed right now. The story of this film is one that has taken place all over the US and in many other countries too and sharing it in the gorgeous way Ross and his co-writer Barnes have done is a gift to us. 

Nickel Boys

Starring: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor 

Director: RaMell Ross

Writers: Joslyn Barnes, RaMell Ross

September 5 (2024)

Sorkinesque remains a style that has traction even if Aaron's Sorkin's own star had faded a bit in Hollywood. We still see examples of TV and movies where characters, usually professionals, walk around furiously, spewing verbose dialogue at each other during some crisis debating the ethics of whatever issue is at hand with a cerebral humour and articulate cadence. There is a compelling energy to this style of storytelling and it generally requires its audience to pay attention. September 5 is another example of this, a concise and compelling rumination on journalistic responsibility and voyeurism related to tragedy. 

Set in the ABC sports newsroom during the 1972 Munich Olympics on the day when Israeli athletes were taken hostage, September 5 follows those sports reporters who were in the "right place at the right time" (a callous way to phrase it) to bring the story to the world. We see everything from their perspective so it is about how to react to events like this. The film focuses on people reacting, fumbling with an unexpected series of horrible events, and figuring out what to do as they juggle their professional, ethical, moral, and personal responsibilities. The film is fascinated with the fact this is Germany, 25 years after the concentration camps. It is centred around a mostly American crew, who are made up of a mix of Jews and non-Jews, and the false distance that their jobs are journalists is supposed to create but doesn't quite achieve. 

September 5 is rather short and doesn't always have time to get into much. It starts to float ideas and emotions but is fairly preoccupied with the urgency of what everyone is doing meaning there isn't a lot of time for reflection. The film occasionally takes a moment for pathos but not often and never quite wrestles with the political questions at heart of the events. Instead, and this is probably rather historically accurate, our subjects are simply dealing with something terrible unfolding in front of them and don't have time to weigh things with much depth. So by the end of the film's 94 minutes the characters are shaken as are we as the audience. 

September 5 handles its' visual storytelling very well. I appreciated how well the film's footage is mixed with the archival footage from the real events such as Jim McKay's and Peter Jennings' real reportings and interviews from that day. It all feels very cohesive which helps bring us into the moment. You'll feel something watching September 5 and the film doesn't want to give us answers or tell us how to feel which I appreciated. It also comes and goes and then its done, perhaps that says something too about how these events play out for those of us not directly effected. A lot of people lost their lives that day and a lot of other people continued on with theirs. There is a tension here that is interesting but also somewhat removed. It almost feels like driving by an accident, slowing down but not stopping, feeling moved but then continuing on. 

September 5

Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch

Director: Tim Fehlbaum

Writers: Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David

Nightbitch (2024)

I was a little worried about first about Nightbitch as it felt so heavy handed and on the nose during its first act. It almost felt a little too. easy to dismiss as we watch Adams' character extol the almost cliche tropes about how hard motherhood is and how misunderstood it is. But as the film drew on I came to see that was some of the point. Because we do dismiss the real pain and difficulties of how motherhood is both extremely challenging and exacerbated by our cultural norms and understandings of the way parenthood is gendered and both lauded yet devalued in so many ways. 

By the end of Nightbitch, I was finding myself quite moved by a film that while highly critical of western cultural assumptions was also lovingly optimistic about motherhood specifically. Nightbitch is unapologetically gendered, focusing on very binary critiques of how child bearing women are harmed by the western hegemony. Sure families are formed and grow into far more multitudinous variations, but this film is focused appropriately and squarely on the traditional western family make up, it sharpens its claws and after baring its soul, holds us close to remind us love is still possible on the other side of this deconstruction. 

Adams gives a great performances that moves past the film's first rather one note struggle to show something more complex in her character, who is capable of both loving her male child with all her heart but also acknowledging the ways his mere existence threatens hers as a human. And if there is anything more universal here as a message it is how much we own our children the modelling of how to be a human being, a full human being, and not just a servant to their growth. They need to see, and the film makes a point of gendering this specifically too without ruling out that it is relevant to all of us, our daughters need to see their mothers being whole human beings so they can learn to be that too. They need to see their fathers and the world around them celebrate their mothers being whole human beings. 

Nightbith might fumble a few times throughout but by the end it is remarkable how powerful its story is, even when it is being rather expected. The film's marketing and reputations makes a lot of its animal metaphor, an idea that becomes far more metaphor than literal by the end, and instead it becomes far more grounded than one would expect. A lot of this falls on Adams and how well she navigates her role and how beautifully she lives into it. 

Nightbitch

Starring: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Snowden, Emmett Snowden, Zoë Chao 

Writer/Director: Marielle Heller

Presence (2025)

This simmering slow burn is not horror as it was marketed. Instead its a meditation on purpose, being present, and being forgotten. It is the story of a "presence", perhaps a ghost, in a home with a family that has moved in. Unlike The Others this isn't about conflict between the living and the dead but the connections. 

Presence is a rather sleight story but its focus on what it is doing makes it effective. We, the audience, see things from its perspective, understand things as it does. It is figuring out what its purpose is as are we. It is striving for reasons for communications for understanding. This is very much what an audience does when watching a film. 

The film's crescendo happens rather quickly moving from comparative banality to some immediate emotional resonance. That was a bit jarring for me even if the film had built to the moment in subtle ways. The climax happens quickly, fitting with the film's general calm focus, but it is over a bit sooner than we'd expect. 

The final moments have the most resonance and will make for good after-movie conversation. This is the sort of story and film that asks us questions and gets us thinking which is always quite refreshing. 

Presence

Starring: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Lang, Eddie Maday, West Mullholland

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Writer: David Koepp

The Brutalist (2024)

Everything about The Brutalist is designed to be EPIC. The word "Overture" is drawn across the screen at the beginning while we listen to the score play out for us. Then we are struck with a visually stunning credit sequence that rivals classic movie credits. As the film proper plays out the scenes of Corbet's story are all shot with an eye to how to maximize visual impact and dramatic emphasis. The Brutalist is not made with realism in mind but with spectacle at the fore. The performances are dialed up and the plot points extreme. This is a 215 minute movie with an intermission and an epilogue, not a shrinking violet of a movie. Good on Corbet for being so ambitious and going for broke here. From the reaction of critics he has knocked it out of the park. 

And mostly it works. The Brutalist, for all its runtime, manages to be rather engaging all the way through.  For a film over three hours about an architect shot in cement inspired tones this film shockingly doesn't drag. Corbet not only takes the time he wants to tell this story, he finds ways to explore his story that keep us hooked into his narrative so even when little is happening we are watching. It is quite impressive the way he holds our focus. Part of this is just how big a swing most of this film is. He continually ups the ante, sometimes shockingly (a rape comes out of nowhere, as does a suicide). When the film takes a turn it takes a turn! This has the effect of keeping us hooked, but I'm not sure it has the effect of making it feel real. The Brutalist seems most interested in structure (perhaps appropriately), building the scaffolding of a great movie with big moments, acting set pieces, and high drama. Reality in how characters act or interact seemed irrelevant here. Despite how much I was into watching what was going on, I rarely found myself feeling anything for the characters or their situations. 

As the film's epilogue, a rather anti-climactic tag on which felt like a bit of a forced happy ending which doesn't resolve any of the drama that was introduced throughout the previous 3 hours, I found myself...well, not caring. I felt very little while watching The Brutalist. I enjoyed it intellectually in how it was shot, the rather over the top performances which played off each other so well, the incredible score which merged a nightmarish quality with some beauty, and the sheer audacity of the production. But what it never did was get me invested in the characters. I didn't care about László or Erzsébet. I couldn't muster hatred for the Van Burans. I just never felt connected to the emotions. Characters felt a little on the slim side, perhaps drawn too close to archetypes for my liking. Honestly I think all of this is a style choice that I can appreciate if not necessarily enjoy. 

I am not saying I didn't like it. I was never bored and The Brutalist is the sort of film I admire from an intellectual point of view. I would recommend people see it. But I know that emotionally the movie didn't resonate for me in the I need it to for me to fall in love with it. It is a very well made film, masterful even. It's just not something I expect to want to revisit anytime soon. For me, a film that touches my heart will draw me back into it again and again. Maybe it will for others. 

The Brutalist

Starring: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankolé, Alessandro Nivola

Director: Brady Corbet

Writers: Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet

The Room Next Door (2024)

It is remarkable that Almodóvar's first English language feature is a 2024 film. He has made such an indelible impact on cinema globally, and has made English short films, long before attempting a film in the English language, that one almost assumes that this couldn't be his first English feature. And he makes a credible go of it by casting two such incredible anglophone actors to head up this milestone. 

I went in a bit curious as I have always had a bit of a struggle with Almodóvar's films, finding them often to not have dialogue that feels natural. I wondered if that has to do with translation issues. But finally seeing him direct a narrative in my language I regret to say that his script feels as awkward and stunted regardless of the tongue. While there are moments of The Room Next Door that I appreciated, I often felt myself pulled from the story by how much of his dialogue, even when performed by these master actors, felt like a lecture and less like people talking. 

For me the film succeeds wildly for about 45 minutes in the middle. The lead into this was painfully cumbersome as the characters fumbled through backstory and set up in a way I felt was unrealistic. Then the ending came sort of crashing down from what was a lovely little moment in the middle where there felt like some human connection. Swinton plays two roles here and that didn't work for me, not on principle but in execution. I think the idea was brilliant but didn't pay off. 

Without spoiling it for those who haven't seen it but touching on points those who have will recognize, I wish the film had started with them arriving at the house and ended with Moore calling the ambulance. That section was so well done that it made the rough beginning and truly regrettable ending worth it for me. That and seeing Moore and Swinton work together which was a joy. There is a moment near the end that was used in marketing and even suggested in the film posters, a moment without dialogue where the two characters lay down together which is just exquisite. I wish much of the rest of the film held this sort of power. 

The Room Next Door

Starring: Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola 

Writer/Director: Pedro Almodóvar

The Last Showgirl (2024)

The Last Showgirl is remarkably sleight but very effective with what it does. It gives us a very brief and trim look into the life of an aging showgirl. It is sympathetic yet not overly flattering. Coppola keeps her narrative tight and short and leaves a lot for her audience to wrestle with on their own without inserting much judgment. 

Anderson's Shelley is not some tragic hero. She has made her choices and generally has lived he life she wanted, even if it didn't live up to her dreams. But it's unravelling as it was built on a rather shaky foundation and she's having to come to terms with that despite not really having any plan nor resilience. She is a reactionary figure who lashes out at those who care for her, but also manages to provide some support in isolated moments to an old friend whose life is as precarious as hers. This isn't a story about a woman beat down by an oppressive system. Shelley's journey is more complicated than that. Anderson does an admirable job bringing this flawed character to life, managing scenes with her strong supporting cast so naturally. While the casting may feel a bit "type" Anderson proves she has it in her to bring this character to life. 

I really appreciated Lourd, Bautista, Song, Shipka and Curtis who all gave restrained and rather subtle performances as the people around Shelley dealing with their own demons along with hers. None of them get to be too fleshed out but they all feel honest and real as they circle her. The final moments are powerful if a bit ambiguous and purposefully open ended. We don't know how Shelley will end up and the film doesn't attempt to wrap it all up nicely. Instead it just takes us through to this end of this one journey, giving us a glimpse into a life that has been lived, both well and often poorly. And it's beautiful in its way. 

The Last Showgirl

Starring: Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billie Lourd, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Gia Coppola

Writer: Kate Gersten

 

Back in Action (2025)

The title to Back in Action works as both a description of this light and rather disposable action comedy and an announcement that Cameron Diaz has returned to acting after a long hiatus. The film feels like a bit of a safe choice for the actor as she is mostly known for taking on rather standard popcorny material. I think Diaz is a good actor but rarely gets great roles that can show that off (I'd argue her turn as Miss Hannigan in 2014's Annie remake, one of her last roles, is one of her best). But Back in Action with all its cliches and rather rote plot/dialogue/characters feels like she's back sticking to what's safe. 

I'll admit I had some fun watching Back to Action. Yeah its script is banal and exactly what you would expect at every moment, and yeah the plot has absolutely zero surprises. But the action sequences are entertaining and Foxx and Cameron have good chemistry. But if anything saves this from being completely forgettable it's the cast. A movie like this should not feature Glenn Close and Andrew frickin Scott. But here we are. 

I'll give a shout out to Demetriou whose character is a bit of a typical comic relief yet he finds a way to infuse some originality into his performance so that you are happy whenever he's on the screen. 

Seriously though O'Brien and Gordon did you have to write a gay joke for Diaz to deliver while Scott is right there!?!

Honestly if you are looking for light escapism that you can watch while scrolling on your phone you could do worse. If you were hoping Diaz was going to have a glorious return to cinema... well this isn't it. 

Back in Action

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Jamie Demetriou, Kyle Chandler, McKenna Roberts, Rylan Jackson

Director: Seth Gordon

Writers: Brendan O'Brien, Seth Gordon

Wolf Man (2025)

The original The Wolf Man had themes of men's rage being a danger to their loved ones and Whannell has tapped into that, even more directly, to explore the idea through fantasy of how we can be the worst danger to our loved ones, and how this may be connected to our own family traumas. Whannell explored coercive control in his masterful remake of The Invisible Man and tackles more themes of abuse in his remake of Wolf Man, a film that may not be flawless but remains a tight thriller that has something powerful to say. 

I was struck by how many scenes felt like completely realistic depictions of dealing with domestic violence in families. There is a moment in the third act where Garner, who is the unspoken centrepiece of this film, stands her ground in a way I would expect in a domestic drama. Her performance is incredible, balancing complicated emotions and motivations and transcending the genre, helping to make Wolf Man about something other than lycanthropy. 

Perhaps those seeking a thrill ride might be disappointed. Whannell focuses instead of drama and relationships. The powerlessness in Abbott's performance as he hurts the ones he loves, the tensions he feels as his desire to be a better man are not met, even before any werewolf attack, are so wonderfully portrayed. The film has A Quiet Place vibes in how it both keeps the story narrowly focused and highlights the horrors of parenting in the real world while also managing to be about something fantastic. Wolf Man might be a bit too on the nose a couple of times, but I appreciated its effort so much I forgave it and allowed myself to be taken in by the tragedy. 

And I felt the film does a good job of getting "scary" when it goes for those moments. Whannell is quite good at building suspense and Wolf Man leans into that aspect of horror with less of a focus on gore or brutality. This is a calculated choice that I felt works well. If you are making a film deconstructing the impact of violence on families, having your film revel in violence is a bit of a contradiction. Instead the tension arises from all the conflicted emotions happening both by Abbott's character as well as Garner's and Jaeger's. The film even manages to have some underpinnings of the emotional labour women endure in response to male violence. 

Wolf Man is concise at only 103 minutes and I felt restrained in other ways as well. I liked how the film downplayed the transformation aspect because this isn't as much about transforming. The brutality isn't necessarily all foreign to our title character. There was something elegant in the film's economy, taking place pretty much all in one night allowing the relationships between the characters to be the focus. I'd be down for Whannell to continue taking these classic monster tropes and exploring modern violence if he's up for it. 

Wolf Man

Starring: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger 

Director: Leigh Whannell

Writers: Corbett Tuck, Leigh Whannell 

All We Imagine As Light (2024)

Kapadia's quiet yet subtly beautiful film that has garnered such international acclaim is well deserving. It's a lovely little rumination on the melancholy surrounding love. Kusruti's central character is painfully distant until her experience allows her to finally let go and Prabha's young nurse is desperate for passion and her pursuit of it is lovely and gorgeous. All We Imagine As Light is meditative but powerful and pays off with a climax filled with a delightful, peaceful, joy. 

Kapadia films her story in a verite style yet captures quite a bit of beauty in the real world she is filming. I loved how the film began, centring us in Mumbai while hearing the thoughts of random citizens as they make their way through the metropolis. We are introduced to our two protagonists and how the city is both surrounding them and alienating them. The two actors do such wonderful work, even if their characters both feel a bit stereotypical. Despite that, each is allowed to have strong moments where they break free from what we expect of them. 

For me it was the end scene that really made All We Imagine As Light so worthwhile. It first of all affirms what both the women we have followed have gone through, their passions, and their struggles. But it also gives them both some relief, perhaps not their wildest dreams come true, but they go into the future better off. 

All We Imagine As Light

Starring: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon

Writer/Director: Payal Kapadia

Universal Monsters - The Wolf Man (1941)

A decade after Dracula kicked off Universal's successful series of legendary monster movies, they released The Wolf Man, the character that has become one of the big three iconic classic monsters. Far more modern feeling than the other two (Frankenstein's monster being the other) The Wolf Man painted a sympathetic portrait of a monster with Lon Chaney Jr.'s  pathos filled performance at its centre. He would go on to play the world's most famous werewolf 3 more times in cross over films (featuring combinations of different famous monsters) which would begin one of the first examples of what today we would call a "shared universe". Like the other classic monsters, this film sets out much of what we as modern audiences think of when we think of were-wolf mythology. 

The Wolf Man is a simple yet compelling story about a man who returns to his ancestral home to reconcile with his father after his brother's death only to be bitten by a wolf and then tormented by his transformations into a dangerous half man/half beast creature. Like many films of the time there is a dash of xenophobia in how this appears to be a curse brought to the UK by the Romani. The story has been seen as an allegory for many things but for me it works mostly as a tale of a man specifically unable to control his own violent tendencies, perhaps due to some past trauma, family trauma. This may speak to why the film remains so enduring after all these decades. The fact it features the great Claude Rains adds a certain gravitas to it as well. 

The movie, despite some of it's flaws, remains a compelling and entertaining watch, especially with it's short run time. In many ways it found the perfect recipe for the were-wolf legend in modern times, as evidenced by how much all were-wolf stories pay homage to it in some way and use it's lore. Chaney is a bit part of this. His performance is touching. Surprisingly the full moon aspect wouldn't come along until a sequel but a lot of what we think of when we think of were-wolves is here. 

Earlier Universal had attempted to make another were-wolf story with Werewolf of London. However this film has eclipsed that one by far both at the time and in our ongoing public consciousness. The story for Werewolf of London is quite different although very much in the Universal Monster style. It's script is very funny but the plot drags a bit for me, even at only 75 minutes. 

Universal remade the film in 2010 and again in 2025. The former is underrated in my opinion. It takes the original film's story and sticks to it while altering it, including moving the story to the late 1800s, to make it more gothic feeling. It still follows Larry Talbot returning to his ancestral home after his brother's death to reconcile with his estranged father but focuses more explicitly on the family trauma and cycle of abuse aspects. Talbot drinks heavily throughout suggesting a parallel to alcoholism without directly drawing that metaphor. It also hints at connections to Jack the Ripper made possible through the time it is set in. 

For me, The Wolf Man is a story of losing oneself to one's worst impulses, whether through addiction or patterns of violence. For a modern audience we might be surprised to see that theme be woven so cleverly through this monster tale from nearly 100 years ago. But, like it's sister films Dracula and Frankenstein, it is also just such a well made pulpy film that can capture the imaginations of generations. 

The Wolf Man

Starring: Claude Rains, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Maria Ouspenskaya

Director: George Waggner

Writer: Curt Siodmak

 

Better Man (2024)

I struggle with biopics, especially those where the subject of the story is involved in the film's production, because there is a disingenuousness to them. There is A version of the story, usually one that is trying to make a certain perspective come through. Also I struggle cause most people's lives, even famous people's lives, are just not that interesting. That's why Better Man is such a breath of fresh air. It throws all pretence of being a "true story" out the window and just lets it be about Williams making his case for his journey. And despite the fact that most of his life story is a pop star cliche, the film is just damn well entertaining. 

Did we really need another movie about a pop star's rise to fame, being pulled into drug/alcohol addiction, and alienating themselves from their loved ones while wrestling with imposter syndrome. No we certainly didn't. There is little in Williams' story that isn't right out of every tabloid cliche you can imagine. Perhaps knowing this, Williams and director Gracey decided to do the absurd. This is about spectacle and its effects so lets tell the story in a spectacular way. 

The ape thing seems silly at first but very quickly the film proves its thesis. It takes the story out of the real and into something that allows Williams to express himself through this story. I honestly forgot at times I was watching an ape version of him instead of a real actor, but there were times I was pulled back into that when there would be less human and more animalistic behaviours, reminding me that I was watching and interpretation, a performance. And that frankness (no pun intended) was appreciated. In a way it made it all feel more human. The film's willingness to be unreal helped make it feel more real. It hard to get until you actually see it. 

Better Man is damn entertaining. Despite being rather predictable with most plot points being expected (even though I knew little about him or his life story before seeing this) the story grabs you and takes you along for the ride. The ape gives a pretty excellent performance. I don't know how Williams is as an actor but this monkey really knew how to make you believe in him. 

Better Man

Starring: Robbie Williams

Director: Michael Gracey

Writers: Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey 

Favourite Films of 2024

The love of film is subjective. There are no “best” and what might be meaningful and entertaining for one might not be for another. And that’s what makes it so wonderful. Those of us who love movies love all sorts and have our own particular tastes. 2024 brought me 182 new movies that I experienced, some of them I adored, many I enjoyed, and some were just not for me. I rewatched an additional 100 films meaning I spent a total of over 540 hours doing what I love, watching film. 

This past year was one where I saw many films I enjoyed and found it very hard this year to narrow my favourites down to only 10. This year I truly enjoyed a host of films including Alien: Romulus, The Apprentice, Babygirl, The Beautiful Game, Blink Twice, Blitz, Civil War, Close to You, Conclave, Cora Bora, Cuckoo, Didi, Dogman, Drive Away Dolls, Fancy Dance, Flow, Furiosa, Gladiator II, The Great Escaper, His Three Daughters, Hit Man, Housekeeping for Beginners, Humane, Hundreds of Beavers, I am Celine Dion, In a Violent Nature, Inside Out 2, It’s Only Life Afterall, It’s What’s Inside, Kill, Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Love Lies Bleeding, Monkey Man, The Piano Lesson, A Quiet Place Day One, Rebel Ridge, Rumours, Saturday Night, Sting, Super/Man, Twisters, Under Paris, Universal Language, Wicked, Wicked Little Letters, Will & Harper, Woman of the Hour, and yes even Joker: Folie a Deux. Yet none of those made my favourites list… although a few of them came close… 

After much internal deliberation I have picked the following 10 films as my favourites of the past year (plus a couple special mentions), each offering me something unique and different so they cannot be ranked against each other. I wouldn’t trade out one for another. I’ve listed them in alphabetical order with my favourite of the year at the end. I highly recommend them if you haven’t already seen these amazing films. 

Special Mentions:

Challengers/Queer

Luca Guadagnino pulled off a minor miracle with these two incredible if imperfect films, one which explores the inherently homoerotic nature of heterosexual male friendships, a bold and evocative premise, and the other a deep dive into queer self-loathing and alienation in the mid-20th century. Both are highly erotic and uncomfortable films which centre deeply divisive characters who still manage to tap into relatable emotions. Both are gorgeous examples of big swing film making that are unforgettable. I found this back to back release from a singular film maker to be deeply fascinating and reminded me why I love cinema in the first place.  

Here are my top ten:

Anora

A young woman who works as a stripper gets pulled into a hilarious and heartbreaking world of dysfunction when she marries the son of a Russian oligarch who she met in the club where she works. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I have never met a Sean Baker film I didn’t like. Anora may be my favourite of his works yet (although Tangerine holds a special place in my heart). Yes Mickey Madison deserves all the glory she is receiving for this tour de force performance but the entire cast is truly remarkable. This reworking of the Pretty Woman scenario is funnier, more touching, and far more realistic than the famous film it is easy to compare it to. Anora, amongst all the laughter and empowerment, is also quite heartbreaking. I immediately wanted to watch it again… and again… and again…

Dune Part Two

Paul Atreides continues his rise to power against the Galactic Imperium in this epic adaptation of the famous “unfilmable” and seminal science fiction novel.

Director Villeneuve has pulled off the impossible by bringing this epic to the screen in such a compelling and captivating pair of films. He has addressed many of my issues with the source material yet stayed true to the spirit and vision of the novel’s author, while delivering a smart but accessible, earnest epic unseen since the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I can revisit Parts One and Two endlessly and still find beauty in this story, one he correctly sets out as a tragic deconstruction of the “hero’s arc”. 

Emilia Pérez

A musical, a crime saga, a journey of four women to assert who they are and who they love. Unlike almost any other film you might see.  

This is the sort of film that you should see with little to no information about it and just let the experience of it wash over you. I know for many it will be too much, but if you can be along for this ride, it is an emotional powerhouse and a singular thing of beauty. I felt so much each time I have watched it. At its core it is centered around the strong performances of the stars. But for me it is the sheer unexpected nature of it which keeps me so engaged in what a film Emilia Pérez is. 

Femme

After being gay-bashed while in drag, a young man seeks revenge against his closeted attacker. 

Femme is a thriller that had me on the edge of my seat right up to its end moments. It broke my heart, raced my pulse, and awoke some old wounds. Its nuanced and complicated characters make its story so powerfully satisfying. It features incredible performances by Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay. The film’s twists and turns keep you wondering and make you question what you know and what you feel. 

Glitter & Doom

A juke box musical set to the song catalogue of the Indigo Girls about a clown and a song writer falling in love. 

I am not sure you could tailer-make a movie more for me than this movie feels like it was. Some of my favourite music and a sweet little oddball gay love story all filmed like it was directed by the love child of Baz Luhrmann and Julie Taymor. Visually stunning, deliciously weird, and overloaded with cuteness, G&D has me smiling throughout while I hum along. 

The King Tide

After a mysterious baby washes up on the shores of a remote island, the people begin to experience incredible prosperity and health… until she grows older and it stops. 

This sort of Black Mirror/Twilight Zone style thriller is my horror genre vibe. A cautionary tale about how societies collapse in on themselves. Beautifully shot and powerfully acted, The King Tide is chilling in its unflinching take with a brave ending that will wipe you out. 

Memoir of a Snail

A young woman loses her family but makes herself a new life in this gorgeous stop motion animated story told to her pet snail. 

I have a soft spot for Claymation and I haven’t seen it done this well in so long. But it’s the story at the heart of Memoir that is just so powerful and well told. It ranks right up there with the other films on my list in terms of an emotional punch. Just because it is animation does not mean it is for small children, Memoir is filled with adult themes and some of the most mature explorations of relationships of any film I saw all year. Memoir is easily one of the most moving and touching films of the year. 

National Anthem

A young man looking for work finds himself a chosen community on a queer ranch and explores himself in rodeo and drag. 

Gilford’s meditative and melodic coming of age (and identify) tale is gorgeous and loving. Plummer is so exciting to watch and deserves to be a big star one day while Park steals so much of the show as a calming and caring nurturer. I just felt so affirmed watching this story. It’s about community and finding one’s way in a world that often doesn’t set out a path for you. 

Sing Sing

Convicts in the titular prison find rehabilitation through theatre during their incarceration. 

Cast mostly with real former convicts who were part of the program this story is based on, Sing Sing is in no way inspiration porn. It is gritty and real and explores the humanity of those we don’t want to see as human. Domingo is at his best here reminding us why he is one of the best working actors of the day. But it is the film’s unflinching look at real people that makes Sing Sing so damn powerful. 

And now my favourite film of 2024:

I Saw the TV Glow

Two strangers bond over their love of an old TV show and find connection that takes them out of this world. 

I knew I was watching something special the first time I watched I Saw the TV Glow and each time I have watched it since it has moved me with its powerfully abstract yet groundedly familiar story. It is a glimpse a bit into madness but also into liberation. Perhaps the two are related. Not since the work of David Lynch has a film tore at reality in such a way as to reach inside to find truth. Shoenbrun has made a masterpiece and it’s touching and lovely and terrifying all at once. It has haunted me and stuck with me more than any other film in 2024. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Nickel Boys, a film I didn't get to see until well into 2025 but truly was one of the strongest films of 2024. 

I wanted to highlight some of my favourite performances of the year including leads such as Daniel Craig (Queer), Kirstin Dunst (Civil War), Lily Gladstone (Fancy Dance), Elliott Heffernan (Blitz), Caleb Landry Jones (Dogman), Mickey Madison (Anora), Elliot Page (Close to You), Charlie Plummer (National Anthem), Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez), Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice), and Megan Statler (Cora Bora).

There were also supporting performances which were incredibly memorable for me such as Enrico Colantoni (Humane), George Mackay (Femme), Mason Alexander Park (National Anthem), Adam Pearson (A Different Man), Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo), and Cory Michael Smith (Saturday Night).

And that’s a wrap for 2024, a year when loving movies was as satisfying a passion as ever. Here’s to what’s coming in 2025!  

 

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024)

Vengeance Most Fowl is a feature length sequel to the 1993 short film The Wrong Trousers featuring the return of Feather's McGraw and a continuation of the "Blue Diamond" heist. In many ways it is also a return to the true spirit of the Wallace & Gromit stories after having separated from Dreamworks who produced The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Chicken Run, famously conflicting with Aardman creator Nick Park. Here you can see Park just enjoying telling these stories again. 

Vengeance is a fun and wacky little tale that sticks to the W&G format which sees Gromit fixing Wallace's inventions' catastrophes and seeing their connection as life long friends. Park enjoys spoofing pop culture and there is a good deal of that here, including an inspired Cape Fear tribute near the beginning.  

I felt meeting the feature runtime did feel like stretching this story a bit in the middle. After some dragging the film picks up for a very satisfying final act which is heartwarming and perhaps sets up a third chapter in what could be a fun trilogy. I'd recommend watching Trousers and then Vengeance. Hopefully there will be more in their pursuit of McGraw in the future. 

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Starring: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith 

Directors: Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham

Writer: Mark Burton

Universal Monsters - Dracula (1931)

Bram Stoker's novel has been the inspiration for many legendary films from the unauthorized german Nosferatu (inspiring multiple remakes itself) to endless official versions over the decades including the huge 90s hit from exalted director Francis Ford Coppola. But the first Hollywood adaptation from 1931 remains the iconic piece of film history, also kicking off the Universal Monster series of films, a film series hard to match in terms of influence over time. 

Based mostly on the stage play adaptation of the novel and "modernized" to the present (1930s) day Dracula became a sensation which has burned certain iconography into mainstream culture. It remains quite terrifying even to this day, partially because of the downright creepy performances of Legosi and Frye but also the moody, atmospheric cinematography and the deliciously pulp approach to Browning's story telling. It is a wonderfully watchable film with simple themes and an easy to appreciate story. 

Dracula in the film is pure evil, unlike many of the misunderstood monsters of the other Universal films like the Frankenstein Monster or the Wolf Man. Like the previous film, Nosferatu, the vampire represents an insidious invading force. It plays on our fears of the other. Many years later vampires would be rehabilitated as more sympathetic in the works of Anne Rice or other popular novels and films but here they represent something terrible coming to undermine us.

Some sympathy for the vampire does show up in the original film's direct sequel, Dracula's Daughter, a film which implies a homoeroticism which would become common in vampire stories but told from the time's fear of queerness. The film focuses on a sort of "conversion therapy" gone wrong but does give its central character a sympathetic view. 

The next sequel Son of Dracula is also a surprisingly satisfying sequel about losing one's love to something dark. Together the three films, made over the more than a decade, create a rather solid trilogy. Certainly the sequels are not nearly on the same level as the classic first film, but still remain quite enjoyable to this day. 

Stoker's story has been adapted many times since, often incorporating elements from the 1931 film (or the silent Nosforatu) directly even more than elements of the novel. For me Coppola's gothic epic adaptation remains a personal favourite with its lush operatic approach to the story. Christopher Lee's famous Hammer Films series is almost as iconic as Universal's originals and many love Frank Langella's 70s take on the legend. However all of these pay their tribute to Legosi and Browning's film monster. It isn't just the direct revisiting of the story that owe so much to Browning's film, but vampire films in general who all pull from it in some way. It's hard to name too many films that have had more of an impact on cinema and popular culture than this legendary film. 

Dracula

Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan

Director: Tod Browning

Writer: Garrett Fort