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 "The Substance"

I watched "The Substance" yesterday. This movie came on my radar a month or so ago and I have wanted to watch it ever since. I was going to rent it on Amazon when it was in the theaters, but it was far too expensive. But, yesterday I was able to watch it online for free. I made sure to set aside my afternoon so I could really focus. From what I had read prior, this is a movie that needs your full attention. So I sat down and sat back, ready for the ride.

I want to say right at the top, I liked this movie. I never found it boring or slow. There seemed to be something that kept my attention at all times. For a movie that clocks in at around two hours and twenty minutes, it never drags. This movie will hold your eyes and the story will keep you coming back for more. "The Substance" is about a fading movie star that hears about a drug that can make a younger, better version of yourself. That's the long and short of it. Demi Moore plays the aging star, Elisabeth Sparkle. She is removed from her job and she is trying to find meaning in her new life. She decides to use the substance, and this is where Sue, Margaret Qualley, comes into play. This is the younger version of Elisabeth. This version is primed and ready for stardom and will do almost anything to continue her rise to fame. Again, this is the short version because I don't want to spoil anything today.

Moore is fantastic in this movie. I have seen her in stuff before, and have always thought she was a fine actor. She does good with the roles she's given and has earned her fame. In this movie, this may be her best work in my opinion, as well as a lot of other people. She does some amazing things in this movie. She also really goes for it. She holds nothing back and she is more than willing to play a fading star. It feels like a perfect role for her because she can relate, not that she is fading at all. Demi Moore is still one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen on screen. And she acts the absolute hell out of this role. She better damn well get awards consideration. Qualley does some damn fine work as well. She is so good at playing the younger version. She is on her game and really shines. I've seen her in other movies, but this is a real co-starring role here. She is up to the task and is right there step for step with Moore. It's kind of rad to see these two acting opposite each other. They both do some wonderful work.

Now, and this isn't a spoiler at all, this is a full on body horror movie. Some of the stuff I saw made me cover my eyes and made my stomach turn. They hold nothing back. You see it all and they hold on shots for a real long time. Even when people are eating or putting makeup on or showering, they hold onto shots for an uncomfortably long amount of time. That is by design. The writer, producer and director, Collie Fargeat, has said that she is a Cronenberg fan and that "The Fly" was a big influence on her. That comes across tenfold in "The Substance".

As I said at the top, I like this movie. I've been thinking about it all day today. But this movie is not for the faint of heart. There are some wild twists and turns. There's some real disturbing images. And they don't shy away from any of it all. Watch this movie if you're curious and you want to see Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore go blow for blow in the acting category. They're more than worth the watch. 

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.