2024 Year in Review: Best Movies

This week I'll be doing my best of 2024 lists. I enjoy doing these and I like to do them right before the holidays. Just like years past, I'll do my top five movies, tv shows, music, sports moments and podcasts/podcast episodes. Let us tarry no longer. I'm going to start the week with my top five movies of the year. I have not seen every movie I intended to see in 2024. That means movies like "Anora" or "Y2K" are not on my list because I have yet to find the time to watch them. I also want to see many more movies that came out, but I forgot or the timing never really worked out for me. But, I think I paired my list down pretty well and the five movies I picked were the best, in my opinion, that I watched in 2024.

Coming in at number 5 I have "Self Reliance". This was a movie I watched by chance. I was listening to a podcast that Jake Johnson was on and he was promoting this movie. I like his work. He said that Anna Kendrick was involved, as was Andy Samberg, playing himself. Both of those added to my curiosity. It was streaming on hulu, and after the podcast episode I turned the movie on. I really enjoyed what I saw. "Self Reliance" is a movie where a guy has a chance to win a big sum of money if he can avoid being assasinated for a certain amount of time. All he has to do is constantly have someone by his side, and the people out to get him cannot go after him. Along the way there's twists and turns that make this movie even better. I found myself rooting for Johnson's character. I wanted to know more about why Anna Kendrick was so willing to help. I liked the whole Andy Samberg of it all. This was a cool, unique idea of a movie with a stellar cast. It was well written, only 90 minutes long and totally paid off. I think everyone should seek this movie out so more movies like this can be made in the future.

At number 4 I have "Deadpool and Wolverine". I have grown weary of timelines and superhero stuff, but this movie did it right. The right jokes were made. The right timeline was picked. It was a great vehicle for the superheroes involved. Ryan Reynolds understands Deadpool and knows how to write and play him onscreen. Hugh Jackman is Wolverine, and this version has been my absolute favorite to this point. To get X-23, Blade, Elektra and Gambit involved was perfect. I enjoyed Chris Evans in this movie. The villain was mean and nasty, but also understandable. I knew why she was doing what she was doing. It made sense to me. This movie is fun, vulgar, hyper violent and one of the bloodiest movies I've ever seen. It was also a blast to watch.

At number 3 I have "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga". RD and I debated about this movie to no end. I loved it, but said it wasn't as good as "Fury Road", which I personally think may be the best movie ever made. He consistently told me it was a totally different movie. I get that. Anyway, "Furiosa" is grimy and gritty in all the right ways. To see the world created that we all know from "Mad Max" was incredible. Chris Hemsworth played an excellent villain. Anya Taylor Joy was magnetic as Furiosa. I loved the origin story and getting to finally see why Furiosa was at Immortan Joe's camp. I found this movie enthralling and dynamic. George Miller made a colorful yet gritty movie work to perfection.

At number 2 I have "Dune:Part 2". Denis Villenuve knows how to make the seemingly unmakeable movie. He has adapted the "Dune" books into something that is not only watchable, but fantastic and easy to understand. Timothee Chalamet is wonderful as Paul Atriedes. Rebecca Ferguson has embodied his mom and preacher of what she considers the gospel. Zendaya is remarkable. She absolutely crushes her role. Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin bring mild comedic elements to this dreary world. The sandworms look real. The battle scenes are epic and beautifully shot. "Dune:Part 2" has one of the best shifts in tone and color when we see where the Harkonnens live and fight and plot. There are no notes for this movie. It is damn near perfect.

At number 1 I have "The Substance". I have not seen a movie this unique, this refreshing in years. There's no other movie out there right now, or in the past decade plus for that matter, that comes close to being what "The Substance" is. Demi Moore is simply amazing as Elisabeth Sparkle. She is perfect for the role of a superstar who other people think has aged out of her fame. Margaret Qualley is just as good as the younger version of Sparkle. She takes it all in stride and is more than game for what this movie is telling the audience. Collie Farageat had an idea and went for it, hitting an absolute homerun. This movie will make you queasy. It is meant to unnerve the viewer. There are some very disturbing images. But when you let it wash over you and you allow yourself to be in for the ride, you will end up thinking about this movie over and over and over again. I've already watched it three times, and I can't wait to watch it again. I want to see more and more of what I may have missed on my first three viewings. "The Substance" is a movie that needs to be seen and then talked about. It's so damn good.

That's it for my top movies in 2024. Come back tomorrow for my top music of the year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Deadpool and Wolverine"

Over the weekend we saw "Deadpool and Wolverine". Now, I'm going to stay spoiler free, so this may be one of my shorter blogs to date. Let’s discuss.

This movie needs to be seen to see all the easter eggs and possible spoilers if you miss it in the theaters. The cameos are more than worth the price of admission, plus they add a bunch to the overall story. That being said, I have grown a little weary of superhero movies. I'm over the extended universe. I don't like the multiple universes stuff. None of these heros have to go away anymore. Writers can just say that their version of the hero or heroes is alive in a different universe. It has been overplayed. And this movie kind of does that for a minute, until they totally make fun of the whole idea. This was a big point in this movie's favor. I've also grown tired of most superhero movies being one of two genres, either trying to be hard comedy or hard drama. They try to make stuff over the top funny or depressingly bleak. "Deadpool and Wolverine" goes full comedy. They are having a damn good time. They have a few moments of drama here and there, but they are always undercut with something hilarious. This was another factor that had me enjoying this movie.

Another point, for me, most of the new movies that come out are anywhere from two and a half hours to three plus hours. We get long, drawn out movies that seem to take forever. I love both new "Dune" movies, but those movies are very, very long. Hell, most superhero movies are super long now. The new "Flash" movie that came out a year ago is damn near two and a half hours long. The newer "Batman" movie is a few minutes under three hours. It has gotten out of hand. It feels like the people involved are just trying to jam as much into a movie as they can, and if it eclipses three hours, so be it. "Deadpool and Wolverine" is just a hair over two hours, and that includes opening and closing credits and post credit scenes. The movie kept my attention. I knew I wouldn't have to sit in the theater for too long. I knew I would most likely not have to use the restroom during the screening. I knew it was going to be fast and quick and full of jokes and that is what I want from my superhero movies. They nailed it with the length here.

This movie is also incredibly bloody and violent. I leaned over to my wife at one point and told her that it was the most blood I have ever seen on screen to this point in my life. This is a very gruesome movie that is not to be taken lightly.

Finally for me as a viewer, I'm a sucker for anything Wolverine, and this new version is my favorite. Wolverine is brash and rude. He is a drunk. He is mean and violent. He wants to destroy anyone he deems to be in his way. That is exactly what we get from Hugh Jackman in this movie. He is free to curse and crush, and that is exactly what he does in this movie and I'm here for it all. Give me this Wolverine every single time.

"Deadpool and Wolverine" is a true must see. I'm so glad my wife convinced me to go and assured me it would be different from other superhero movies. She was right and I wholeheartedly recommend checking it out. It is awesome.  

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.