Every Film I’ve Watched in 2024: March
Greetings friends! This is a record of every film I’ve watched in 2024, including rewatches, repeats and first viewings. Each film is accompanied by how / where I watched it, and my thoughts in 100 words or less. Welcome to part 3: March.
29. Nyad (2023)
Where? - Netflix [first viewing]
Thoughts - Given how powerful the true story is, I was impressed by how much Nyad was able to put to screen. The film reconstructs real events in an immersive way, whilst covering as many finer details as possible. It’s a film of polar opposites. It shows the harshness of natural elements on one hand, and delicate human relationships on the other. Both are balanced well, creating a tense and emotional experience. Also, Annette Benning and Jodie Foster are brilliantly cast, as they both provide a strong beating heart to carry the film. It’s simple but distinguished.
30. Dune: Part Two (2024)
Where? - Cinema screening [first viewing]
Thoughts - Unsurprisingly, this film is a masterpiece. It boasts the same high quality of storytelling, filmmaking and acting as Dune: Part One, and yet somehow takes things to the next level. As with all great sci-fi, spectacle is just as important as subtext. Even though the stakes are bigger and there’s more action, there’s still room to explore complex ideas and themes. To offer bombastic visuals and explore the idea of prophecies and false messiahs in the same film is nothing short of impressive. Dune: Part Two is epic in every sense, and it stayed in my mind for days.
31. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Where? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - I still can’t believe this film exists. It’s a glossy update for an ageing franchise, but it’s not a soulless cash grab like many other reboots. Yes, it’s a mainstream sci-fi film about apes rising up, which could be a goofy concept. However, this film has maturity and substance, which elevates it far beyond what many of us expected. That’s not to diminish what this film achieves on a technical level, because the visuals are still outstanding and Andy Serkis is a genius in a mocap suit, but the writing is equally as impressive.
32. The World’s End (2013)
Where? - Blu Ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - It’s the underdog of the Cornetto Trilogy, but it has a lot to offer. It’s fun to see Edgar Wright make a sci-fi film, whilst keeping his signature style of energetic action, and a sense of humour only he and Simon Pegg can provide. It’s a story of old friends returning to their roots, and the in-jokes, nicknames and anecdotes make the characters feel real. Crucially, Simon Pegg deserves more credit for his acting. Gary King is a complex character, and I’m glad the screenplay allows time to pause the comedy and explore his darkness with sincerity.
33. Hot Fuzz (2007)
Where? - Blu Ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - It’ll come as no surprise that I love Hot Fuzz. Even after all these years, it’s full of so much life and energy, and it never stops being funny or entertaining. Edgar Wright somehow managed to construct a film which perfectly balances copious amounts of action and comedy, and yet it never feels self-indulgent. The film offers stylish action sequences, wacky characters, instances of violent absurdity, and a variety of cineliterate jokes, all while breaking conventions and remaining disciplined. In true Edgar Wright fashion, there are subtle details to appreciate, making this a perfectly well rounded film.
34. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Where? - Blu Ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - Another film no one is surprised to learn that I love. Even on a smaller budget, Edgar Wright works absolute wonders. What’s brilliant is Shaun of the Dead manages to have its cake and eat it. The film is a hilarious pastiche of zombie films, and yet it’s also an affectionate love letter to those films. Even though it’s predominantly a comedy, there are still moments of fear, tension and sadness, and the characters are likeable and flawed to different extents. Thematically, it feels like an extension of Spaced, so it’s a proper treat for Edgar Wright fans.
35. Reality (2023)
Where? - Amazon Prime [first viewing]
Thoughts - I had zero expectations, so I was completely caught off guard. I wasn’t ready for how thrilling and infuriating Reality would be. Utilising a verbatim screenplay helps on a number of levels. It creates an eerie atmosphere and offbeat tension, but more importantly it makes the characters feel real. All of the mistakes, false starts and pregnant pauses make it sound more like real speech and less like dialogue in a film. It’s impressive to see just how much is achieved with a relatively short run time, and it’s a testament to how brilliant the acting, writing and directing is.
36. Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Where? - Apple TV+ [first viewing]
Thoughts - I liked this film but I didn’t love it. I appreciate the film’s epic scale and Scorsese’s dedication to showing how horrific the real events were. Robbie Robertson provides an amazing score which helps drive the story and tone. Lily Gladstone is phenomenal, and Robert De Niro gives a great supporting performance. However, the film is also far too long. While the story is interesting, the film doesn’t maintain pace, it loses focus numerous times and the narrative structure becomes misshapen. Overall, it has really good scenes and elements, but as a complete picture the film is baggy and inconsistent.
37. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
Where? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - I’ve grown to appreciate this even more by watching it as an adult, because it stands out among Disney films. It doesn’t stick to a house style in terms of visuals or storytelling, and it defies conventions by turning left where other Disney films would turn right. It utilises absurd humour and meta gags, and often abandons a coherent plot in favour of punchlines. That could be annoying, and yet it’s utterly genius. I love this film so much I think I could recite the screenplay from memory, and I love the protagonist’s journey from selfishness to selflessness.
38. Christopher Robin (2018)
Where? - Disney Plus [first viewing]
Thoughts - To be blunt, I felt disappointed. I expected this to be like Paddington and to tug on my heartstrings, but it didn’t. Instead, it was confusing. It’s like two different films spliced together. On one hand it’s a family friendly adventure, and on the other hand it’s a mature, ponderous story about life and happiness. However, it doesn’t commit to either of those visions and gets lost somewhere in the middle, leaving me unsure of who this film is for. It’s a shame, because some of the jokes and emotional beats work, but the overall picture is clunky and conflicted.
39. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Where? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - As if the first film wasn’t impressive enough, the second film hits a home run. It builds on the first film and takes a very confident step forward in terms of scale and ambition. The narrative is essentially about four different groups of characters and the conflict arising between them, so it’s impressive that all sides are fleshed out and exhibit complexities. Andy Serkis once again proves he’s the king of mocap performances, and the film boasts incredible VFX which still blow me away after ten years. It’s tense, emotional and beautifully dystopic, but offers plenty of blockbuster spectacle.
40. Napoleon (2023)
Where? - Apple TV+ [first viewing]
Thoughts - I found this absolutely baffling. I understand it’s no easy task to make a Napoleon film and historical events inevitably have to be compressed, but I didn’t find Napoleon made substantial effort to entertain or inform. It’s like someone flicking through a history book, sporadically reading out random sections and lazily plugging the gaps with bizarre fiction. The battle sequences are well executed, which is to be expected from Ridley Scott, although there are times where they cross from spectacular to uncomfortably grim. The main issue is an unforgivably terrible screenplay which drags everything else down with it.
41. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (2023)
Where? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - I preferred this on the second viewing. The problems I found the first time are still there, and they prevent the film from fully flourishing. However, when it works, it works really well. Rocket’s origin story is heartbreaking, so I’m glad the film takes it seriously, and pauses the outer space fun to explore tragedy. Also, Chukwudi Iwuji’s performance is one of the best we’ve seen for an MCU villain. Crucially, I still love the ending. People expected the film to be about death and misery, but it ends with characters dancing, which made me cry again.
42. Nope (2022)
Where? - Blu Ray [first viewing]
Thoughts - I can see why Nope might not be as popular as Get Out or Us, but I liked it. It’s good to see a different flavour from Jordan Peele, keeping one foot in horror, while taking a step into sci-fi territory. It doesn’t quite deliver on all of its promises, but the core story is well written, with a tight structure and scope. It might be because I’m a big fan of sci-fi, horror and Jordan Peele, but I think people judged this too harshly and there’s more value to be found.
43. X (2022)
Where? - Blu Ray [first viewing]
Thoughts - When a film opens with a meta joke about aspect ratio, you know you’re in for a good time. And a good time it was. I really enjoyed watching X. It’s an intelligent horror which offers a contemporary spin on 1970s tropes. At times it’s a straight horror film at surface level, at other times it’s a wonderful pastiche of 1970s horror, creating a brilliant tension between fear and awkward comedy. It also provides social commentary about conservatives, which is pertinent to the world we’re living in. It wasn’t anything revolutionary, but it was sharp, nasty, fresh and visually impressive.
Favourite new film of the month
Dune Part Two
Thank you for checking out part 3, hopefully you’ll find yourself back here soon for part 4! If you’ve enjoyed this article, please check out my other recent articles:
