Fear Street: Prom Queen; Completely 80s style horror w/few knowing winks or attempts at meta commentary. In many ways, it feels very much like it could have come out in the 80s, for better or for worse. Straight up 80s horror w/o any clever storytelling like the Fear Street films preceding it; C+
Keepin' it Reel
Telling you about movies, and expecting you to do the same too.
5.24.2025
Fear Street: Prom Queen
5.03.2025
One of Them Days
One of Them Days; Keke Palmer is so readily watchable, adeptly conveying comedy, romance & drama across a day’s worth of zany coincidental circumstances that occur only in a contrived comedy like this. Plausibility aside, it’s just so darn fun watching her bounce her way through the day with SZA; B
Havoc
Havoc; If a bullets and blood orgy is your thing, you’re going to like this film. But if the actors are the draw, you’ll soon find they’re there to elevate a stylistic action film by lending their names for added prestige. Unfortunately, none of the characters are worth rooting to keep alive; B-
5.01.2025
Thunderbolts*
4.27.2025
The Children's Train
The Children’s Train; A sad film that conveys a sense that there’s a really good book as its source, while failing to fully realize the emotional heft that it no doubt holds in printed form. Instead, the well crafted film comes across cold, neglecting to imbue the story with palpable pathos; C+
4.21.2025
A Real Pain
A Real Pain; Explores a very real nuanced dichotomy we experience in our day to day lives, which is heightened in our most life changing moments. Watching two adept actors represent the id and ego of navigating life’s challenges with varying degrees of satisfaction is fascinatingly well executed; B
4.20.2025
Sinners
Sinners; A layered, intriguing take on a century old genre that owes much to the cinematic auteurs who inspired Coogler, while also being highly original, thoughtful and inspired. Stellar work by all involved in the filmmaking, for entertaining us foremost, yet offering deeper meaning to it all; A
4.13.2025
The Last Detail
The Last Detail; An odd trio of navy men find themselves on the road together and make unlikely revelations about their lives and their country as a whole. With some comedic relief masking the underlying truths, the film manages to capture the disillusionment of its time via a buddy road movie; A-
4.06.2025
Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King; Miranda has lost his golden touch, as the songs are cringe inducing. The animation is spectacular but the stylized nature of using photo realistic rendering for fantastical elements seems to clash with its own ambitions. The result is off putting both aurally and visually; C
3.30.2025
The Conversation
The Conversation; After Hackman’s roles in early 70s action films, his buttoned down, subdued & introspective turn in this Coppola helmed examination of mental spirals of conspiracy and detachment, demonstrates how talented he was in even less flashy roles. A slow burn that is haunting to watch; A-
The French Connection
The French Connection; In addition to the highly regarded car chase, there’s foot chases, shakedowns, stakeouts and shoot outs; a constant adrenaline rush buoyed by kinetic acting and gritty filmmaking. A treasure from a special decade of cinema that hits just as hard today; A+
3.23.2025
Anora
Anora; Grabs hold of you from the opening frames and takes you on a ride with its tragic protagonist. Kinetic energy propels the film, as its creative force, Baker, elevates each moment through dynamic cinematic touches. Mikey Madison is tantalizingly great, embodying a role like few others could; A
3.16.2025
Funny Boy
3.07.2025
Bugsy Malone
Bugsy Malone; Either you have a predilection for this sort of thing or you find it appalling. Its kitschy use of children acting like adults wears thin quickly even when it’s executed perfectly. Bit of a hoot, from an era when oddities like this puzzlingly counted as quality family entertainment; C
2.23.2025
Indian Horse
Indian Horse; Attempts to make horrors of residential schools palatable to audiences by wrapping it up in a hockey story. Result is a typical movie storyline that doesn’t fully convey the reality of widespread impacts. Swaps raw, emotional pain for a slick standard story arc. Yet, still impactful; B
2.17.2025
Piece By Piece
2.16.2025
Taking Chance
Taking Chance; A side of war not often showcased, the preparation and transportation of a dead soldier. Bacon gives a great solemn performance that grounds the mixed feelings of honour, horror, disgust and dedication to respecting the military process. Worthwhile watch, if ultimately infuriating; B
2.08.2025
The Wild Robot
1.26.2025
Se7en
1.18.2025
Panic Room
Panic Room; Epitome of a contained thriller, expertly crafted to squeeze every ounce of tension from a cats and mice culmination of conundrums. Each actor is excellent in their part, and Fincher sets the stage exquisitely so that each piece fits perfectly towards the final outcome. A masterpiece; A+
1.08.2025
My Old Ass
1.05.2025
Little Big Man
Little Big Man; Combats Hollywood mythology using hilarious satire, brutally violent reenactments daring to sympathize w/the original people & actually casting Indigenous ppl, notably Chief Dan George. Hoffman displays Buster Keaton levels of physical comedy amid a brilliant dramatic performance; A
12.31.2024
The Best and Worst Films of 2024
The year 2024 did not turn out to be a great year for movies. Looking back at old Top 10 lists, I'd be hard pressed to place any of this year's films on some of the previous year's lists; not even in the ten spot. So take this "best" list with that thought in mind. As always, this list is comprised of the best films I saw in theatres, or premiering on streaming services in the calendar year 2024. This is why you will quite literally see some Holdovers from films theatrically released in 2023. In 2024 I managed to screen 50 new films, 21 of those in theatres, and for three of the films on this list, I revisited the theatre to watch them a second time. If you know me, I tend to prefer to watch something new that I haven't seen before I will sit down to watch something twice, so seeing multiple films multiple times in cinemas speaks to the dearth of interesting releases to hit the multiplexes at certain points of 2024. This can be attributed to the prolonged strikes of the previous year having an impact on the flow of releases this past year, as well as Hollywood's irritating insistence on regurgitating old ideas over greenlighting creative risks. But who am I to complain, when you will see the success of tried and true formulas appear on my list alongside some fresh new faces. So, if you're new here, you can also find me on Letterboxd as JoeJamesFilm and on BlueSky as Keepin' it Reel by JoeJamesFilm where I try to align this reviewing films past time as much as possible. You will find film reviews appear there before eventually showing up here, if time is of the essence to you.
Please enjoy, in reverse alphabetical order (or regular alphabetical order, since we're counting down), the ten films I enjoyed the most in 2024:
10. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice; Time has not been kind to Tim Burton. As his style has been regurgitated and his collaborations repeated ad nauseam, his next project is often met with an eye roll, even by his most ardent followers. But I will still stand by the fact that a bad Tim Burton film has much more to offer than the best of many others, and the casting of Jenna Ortega in his latest projects has rejuvenated the deliciousness of his off-beat treatment of his subject matter. Unleashing Keaton once again is worth the price of admission, but who really shines is O'Hara, who gets to stretch her insanity across more screen time, allowing the audience to relish in the comedic treasure she truly is. This sequel didn't have to be stuffed with so many subplots, but the crazy turns by all the fabulous cast members and cameos brought pure Burton joy back in big way.8. Deadpool & Wolverine; If Marvel decides to release only one film a year, and it turns out to be as great as this threequel is, then I'm all for it! The joy that this film brought throughout the summer and fall of 2024, extended far beyond the reach of the cinema. From the press tour, marketing and memes and spin off referencing, to their insertion into Disneyland street performance, these two unkillable opposites definitely used their staying power to entertain us to no end. As both their characters and their true selves, Reynolds and Jackman turned real life love into cinematic chaos, and delivered above and beyond fan expectations. What really floored me the most, is how Jackman is acting his ass off, and has no right to be carrying an Oscar worthy level of weight and pathos into what is ultimately a silly, gonzo action extravaganza. We may have found what peak superhero looks like.
12.21.2024
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
12.19.2024
Die Hard
Die Hard; Two top actors playing cat & mouse in a high rise w/high stakes, delivers the tension, excitement & explosions that movie studios have tried to emulate ever since. Nails the tonal balance between hostage crisis and holiday humour perfectly, with great character work across the board; A+
12.12.2024
Moana 2
Moana 2; Near impossible task of living up to the original ultimately fails on account of lesser songs, story beats and animation. Cravalho does some heavy lifting, as her vocals and humour guide the film through patchy moments, even when the script, lyrics and music aren’t up to the task; B+
12.08.2024
Thief
12.07.2024
Y2K
Y2K; Straddles the line between nostalgic humour, horror and teen sex comedy, with mixed success. The trappings of a low budget make for some entertaining creative decisions, but also frustratingly limits and handcuffs the movie. A fun concept that makes a great trailer but less so a great film; C-
12.06.2024
Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy
Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy; A clear summary of how overproduction is part & parcel of capitalist driving of overconsumption resulting in insurmountable levels of waste. The documentary follows the cycle from start to finish, revealing many effects that are often detached from one another; B-
11.20.2024
Wicked
Wicked; Impeccable casting fulfills Chu’s exquisite vision of interpreting all elements and adaptations of Oz. Every single aspect is meticulously crafted, titillating the eyes, ears and heart. Balances its running time with humour, intrigue, fantasy and romance, much like its original source; A
11.09.2024
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band; Looks to the past to inform how the tour is made up of various footprints. Uses specific songs to explore a half century of history that goes into modern day legendary performances. Captures band members’ individual contributions to the whole;A+
11.03.2024
Lore
Lore; A WWII story that sidesteps the soldier tales often told to focus on Nazi sympathizing children who must navigate the immediate moments at the end of the war. This take exposes the complications of learned hatred & what can & cannot be forgiven and who can or cannot be trusted. Interesting; B
10.29.2024
Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour
10.20.2024
Will & Harper
Will & Harper; A testament to friendship between two funny people who navigate how a life changing decision affects the way they interact w/each other & encounter the world together. Hard truths are captured, some of it stark & ugly, but the beauty of true friendship shines through. Heartwarming; B
10.12.2024
The Contender
10.05.2024
Rez Ball
Rez Ball; A very typical sports film that separates itself from the rest on the basis that it stars Indigenous individuals & includes their culture & language as an element of their overcoming obstacles on their way to compete for a championship. Why can’t we have a Native spin on a tired trope?; B