Well, we have looked at Action, then Emotion and swung wildly across the spectrum to Fun, and now we are completing that trifecta by looking at Tension. Tension is one of the most challenging facets of filmmaking because it requires the script, direction, acting, and editing to all work in tandem to evoke the perfect pace. If just one part of that group misses, then an essential part of the film falls apart.
In 2024, we continued to see some excellent use of tension to build mystery, to be the harbinger of the coming dread, or even to tick the clock of inevitability.
We looked at the films that hit us in the feels with emotions in our last awards. Now it is time to pivot hard to the other side of the spectrum and look at the films that were a riot of fun. So today, I take a moment to champion those works that brought joy, whether through upbeat action, one laugh after another, or that silliness that brings a smile to your face.
However, I note that this might be the most subjective of all the lists because what people think is funny can vary drastically.
As I have gotten older, I am not afraid of having a good old-fashioned ugly cry in the cinemas when the time calls for it, and hell, I probably got emotional just writing this list (Spoiler: I did). Sometimes, they are tears of grief or tears of joy, and even still, sometimes, they are tears of anger.
Emotion is a core part of the cinema experience. If you can’t get us to respond emotionally to your characters and/or the situation, I am sorry you failed to make a great film.
A good action sequence is genuinely impressive to watch, as it can be as expansive as explosions crashing across the screen or more intimate, like a duel between two people. This gives the best action scenes such a range, and in 2024, we were given some unique spectacles.
For me, the best action scenes excel in every element, whether that be live actions, special effects, digital effects, or animation, and bring every facet to shine. It is also the category that looks at some of the department’s people don’t often fully understand, like stunt coordination or the 2nd unit.
2024 was the year that action dominated both the big and small screen, so much so it was hard to get this category down to a shortlist, given how many good examples we got. However, power through I must, and here we go with the rich and varied world of action.
TL;DR – A fascinating look at a pop icon that takes some wild swings that don’t always pan out.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Disclosure – I paid to watch this film
Warning – contains scenes that may cause distress.
Better Man Review –
Today, we look at one of the oddest films that I watched in 2024. On the one hand, this was a very boilerplate biopic that explored the life of pop icon Robbie Williams. However, they also make massive artistic choices throughout the film, most notably by depicting the focus of the biopic as an ape. This was a fascinating choice, but did it work? And that is the question we will explore today.
So, to set the scene, Robbie Williams (Robbie Williams/Jonno Davies/Adam Tucker) had spent most of his life growing up in the small town of Stoke-On-Trent. Living with his mother Janet (Kate Mulvany) and Nan Betty (Alison Steadman) after his father Peter (Steve Pemberton) left to try and be an entertainer. He hasn’t done well at school because he has these lyrics in his head and a drive to be famous. It’s a good thing that his first big break has just strolled into town as Nigel Martin-Smith (Damon Herriman) is looking for boys to be part of a new band, Take That, which is Robbie’s chance to get out of this town and make something of himself.
TL;DR – A warm winter hug while the winds blast all around you.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.
Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.
Robot Dreams Review –
One of the many strengths of animation is how easier it is to translate across cultures and languages. There are a lot of examples, maybe most notably, that show that with sound localization, the skies are the limit. But what if not even the language was a barrier?
So, to set the scene, it is 1984 in New York, and Dog sits alone at night eating his microwaved meal. In his loneliness, he sees an ad for a companion robot, and phone orders it right away. One building montage that would put Ikea to shame later, and while pigeons watch, Robot is created. So, Dog takes Robot on a tour of the city, but things go wrong on a trip to the beach when Robot breaks down, and Dog can’t get to him.
TL;DR – This is a film that is both deeply compelling but also profoundly unsettling. You want to look away, but something keeps drawing you back in.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.
Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film
Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.
Nosferatu Review –
Few films have the legacy of Nosferatu. This story has been foundational to the horror genre generally and vampire films specifically. Nearly every movie in this genre either references the original Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens or consciously does not reference that film. But when you are working in a space shared by Bram Stoker, F. W. Murnau & Werner Herzog, you must bring your a-game, and I think Robert Eggers did.
So, to set the scene, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) has newly married the love of his life, Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), but his finances mean that he has to live under the kindness of his friend Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Wanting to give the world to his new love, Thomas takes up a job as a real estate agent in his town of Wisborg under the auspices of Herr Knock (Simon McBurney). It is here that he is given the job to travel all the way to Transylvania to meet with a reclusive Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) to sign a property deed. Everyone advises that he should not go, but go he does, not knowing he has fallen into a dastardly trap.
TL;DR – A fun blast of nostalgia and charm, but not much more than that.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.
Disclosure – I paid to watch this film
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Review –
One of the great joys, when I was a kid, was being stuck in my mother’s university library, bored out of my brain, but then discovering they had this VHS collection of wired animated stop-motion films. It was my first jump into the world of Aardman, and I have always looked forward to a new entry whenever they come out. Indeed, Chicken Run is still in my Top 10 Animated Films of All Time. Well, today, we get to dive into the latest entry and back into the world of Wallace & Gromit.
So, to set the scene, it has been years since the dastardly Feathers McGraw was apprehended by the eccentric inventor Wallace (Ben Whitehead) and his loyal beagle Gromit. Now, the two live together in a house full of inventions, but inventions don’t tend to pay the bills. That is when Wallace comes up with Norbot (Reece Shearsmith), a smart gnome that can clean and tidy gardens. But when Feathers McGraw spots this from their zoo jail cell, soon a plan of vengeance most foul is afoot.
TL;DR – This is a film that didn’t need to go as hard as it did, and I am glad that they went there.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.
Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film.
Carry-On Review –
Many films just cost on their generic action beats or their main cast and give you a substandard product. Add enough charismatic smiles, and it feels like you can get away with anything. When I came into this film, I honestly thought this was what I was going to get, and I am glad to say that I was wrong.
So, to set the scene, Christmas is upon us, and millions of people are making the trip home to see their families. Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) and his girlfriend Nora Parisi (Sofia Carson) both work at LAX, and Christmas Eve is the worst day for travellers. But as Ethan tries to step up in his job for the TSA thanks to his wife’s pending pregnancy. Little does he know that someone is coming through with a package that will change his life. All he has to do is ignore one package, just one package, and his girlfriend lives. Surely, that can’t be that hard.
TL;DR – It is not a perfect film, but goodness, it was a joy to jump back into this world with all its horns blaring.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.
Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Review –
Few things get me excited as hearing the words ‘there is a new Lord of the Rings film about to be realised’. It is a world that brings me back to my childhood, back to reading The Hobbit and seeing those Lord of the Rings films for the first time. Well, today, I get to capture that joy because while I might not hold space for Defying Gravity, I do keep a place in my heart for The Ride of the Rohirrim.
So, to set the scene, there are many stories in Middle Earth about wizards and dragons or great wars and clashes of good and evil. But as Éowyn (Miranda Otto) explains, many stories are just as important and don’t get told made into songs but get talked about around the campfire. Almost 200 years before the War of the Ring, on the plans of Rohan lived Héra (Gaia Wise), the only daughter of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), ruler of all the Rohirrim. She rode a horse like it was an extension of her wild fury, charming the people and frustrating her father in equal measure, those secretly he delighted in her wildness. But when of the Lords, Freca (Shaun Dooley) demands a meeting of the Lords of Rohan and tries to position his son Wulf (Luke Pasqualino) as the rightful husband for Héra. Helm would hear nothing of it and strikes Freca down with a single blow and chases Wulf away. He did not mean to kill Freca, but sometimes unexpected actions create unexpected outcomes.
