ZekeFilm Writers Pick the Top Movies at Mid-Year
In my eight years of writing for ZekeFilm, I’ve come to expect the unexpected. That is, I’ve learned I can’t predict what my fellow critics are going to recommend!
As a group that writes purely for the love of the game—though we’d all jump on a paying gig if you’re offering—consensus is narrow. Sure, we love hyping up for new releases from major auteurs like every movie fan, but we also love digging our own rabbit holes focused on personal favorites. When 3 of us shared our top 10s of 2023, only 6 films appeared on more than 1 list, and only 2 titles showed up on all 3. You can imagine how varied the watch list gets when more voices chime in!
At this point of the year, we are only ranking our Top 5 (So Far). We’ve narrowed down individual Top 5s into a cumulative Top 5, assigning individuals’ #1 films 5 points, their #2 films 4 points, and so on. (Honorable mentions did not earn points, and we gave 1 point each to picks on one unranked list.) We selected a total of 26 films, and none of us agreed on a #1. Zeke has a penchant for horror, but we recommend action-adventure, comedy, drama, sci-fi, and Westerns as well. We collected three non-English language movies (Evil Does Not Exist, La Chimera, The Peasants), two animated features (Inside Out 2, The Peasants), and one bordering on silent cinema (Hundreds of Beavers).
The only major overlap I detected? Ever-rising stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Zendaya each star in two of our collective top five, and their Dune: Part Two co-star Austin Butler appears in The Bikeriders, which two of us ranked in our individual lists. Like I said, narrow consensus! But these Top 5 represent the most beloved of our diverse tastes…
ZekeFilm’s Best of 2023 (So Far)
1. Civil War
2. Dune: Part Two
3. Hit Man
4. (Tie) Challengers
4. (Tie) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
And these are ZekeFilm contributors’ individually submitted Top Fives (Or More) of 2024 (So Far)…
Claire Meisch‘s Best of 2024 (So Far)
1. Challengers
2. Problemista
3. La Chimera
4. Dune: Part Two
5. The Bikeriders
Scott Montgomery‘s (Unranked) Best of 2024 (So Far)
Hit Man
A throwback to the fun indies of the ’90s from one of its practitioners. Richard Linklater perfectly applies his low key quirkiness to this screwball-noir cross that’s powered by the movie star charisma of Glen Powell and the sexy chemistry he has with Adria Arjona. This story of a man who poses as a contract killer for the NOPD and falls for a woman he was supposed to arrest is a smart and funny look at identity and love.
In the Land Of Saints and Sinners
A throwback to thrillers of the ’70s and ’80s. Eastwood protégé Robert Lorenz takes what seems like a routine Liam Neeson actioner about a retired hit man who mistakenly kills an IRA cell leader’s brother, jeopardizing himself and the village he lives in. The character-driven script, wonderful collection of actors, as well as Lorenz’s confident, classic direction make this film an engaging and underrated gem.
The Dead Don’t Hurt
A throwback to ’70s revisionist Westerns. Viggo Mortensen stars, writes, directs, and co-produces this meditative romance hidden in the six-gun genre. With his and Vicky Krieps’s performances at its heartwarming and heart-wrenching center, this story never goes in the direction you expect as it examines relationships, love, family, and moving forward.
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One
Just a plain throwback. I ended up being on the side of Kevin Costner’s first step in his big swing Western epic due to the strong collection of actors, the elegant visuals, and some truly indelible scenes. Its rousing style was made for moviegoers of my ilk. Very pissed I’m not getting Chapter Two as early as we were promised.
Thelma
No surprise I went with the old person’s movie. June Squibb’s performance centers Josh Margolin’s tale of a 92-year-old woman’s journey to get her money back from those who scammed her. Richard Roundtree gets a great last performance as the two struggle to find dignity in the undignified process of aging in America. Has a great take on the old walking-away-from-an-explosion-without looking-back trope.
Erik Yates’s Best of 2024 (So Far)
1. A Quiet Place: Day One
2. Hit Man
3. Inside Out 2
4. Late Night with the Devil
5. Wicked Little Letters
Honorable mentions (in ranked order): The Bikeriders, Challengers, Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces, We Grown Now, The Beekeeper
Madeline Brophy’s Best of 2024 (So Far)
1. Late Night with the Devil
2. The Fall Guy
3. Challengers
4. Dune: Part Two
5. Longlegs
Jeffrey Knight‘s Best of 2024 (So Far)
1. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
2. Dune: Part Two
3. Hit Man
4. Challengers
5. Civil War
Taylor Blake‘s Best of 2024 (So Far)
1. The Bikeriders
Two months after seeing it, this film is still revving through my brain because of the nuances it finds in well-trod Hollywood subject matter and because every frame looks phenomenal. Writer/director Jeff Nichols knows how cool guys in leather jackets look while smoking and riding motorcycles, and it’s as if Austin Butler overheard Robert Redford say, “Paul Newman and I are the handsomest white men who have ever been on screen,” to which he growled, “Hold my comb.” That’s not as important as his talent as a performer—excellent as a stoic, detached James Dean-type and believable as a frustrated, volatile Montgomery Clift-type—and along with Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Mike Faist, and Michael Shannon, every character’s need to belong in this boys’ club feels so authentic you can’t help but get swept up.
2. Inside Out 2
The magic of Pixar is they can dramatize life’s mundane moments into narratives with major emotional stakes. This sequel works because it’s a logical next step for Riley’s growth, but also because of its precision in identifying the competing emotions of middle school. The ending is a lovely subversion of the neat endings in most family entertainment, and like most every Pixar entry, it did make me cry.
3. Civil War
Civil War isn’t brilliant because of its political statements, if for no other reason than it makes very few of them. (Writer/director Alex Garland hypothesizing an alliance between California and Texas tells us he doesn’t care to take sides on the specific issues of our moment.) This photojournalist road trip is about the impossibility of complete objectivity as well as the destructive nature of hostile disagreement—if only it didn’t feel so relevant. In a film full of photo-realistic performances, the showdown with Jesse Plemons is one of the best scenes of the year.
4. Dune: Part Two
I don’t think we spend enough time talking about how weird Dune is, but its technical accomplishments can’t be ignored. I love that a vision this grand has taken root in pop culture, that a crop of young actors are catapulting movie stardom into the next generation, and that this epic is as concerned with philosophy and the craft of filmmaking as much as blockbuster-worthy spectacle.
5. The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy may not boast the technical innovations of Dune, the urgent issues of Civil War, the catharsis of Inside Out 2, or the deep bench of The Bikeriders, but it boasts almost everything I want in big Hollywood tentpoles. (I also considered giving this spot to Twisters for the same reason.) The Fall Guy is a blast both as an action-adventure and as a romantic comedy with two of our most charming stars, making it one of the easiest movies to recommend to anyone this year.
Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): The Beekeeper, Fancy Dance, Fly Me to the Moon, A Quiet Place: Day One, Thelma, Twisters, Wicked Little Letters
Max Foizey‘s Best of 2024 (So Far)
1. Lisa Frankenstein
2. Longlegs
3. Drive-Away Dolls
4. The First Omen
5. The Fall Guy
Paul Hibbard‘s Best of 2024 (So Far)
1. Evil Does Not Exist
Enigmatic, riveting, and full of Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s reliably mesmerizing flourishes, even the shots of chopping wood are captivating. The film explores societal influences on behavior and deconstructs both monstrosity and attempts at goodness.
2. I Saw the TV Glow
I Saw the TV Glow is more a narrative of disintegration than a conventional coming-of-age tale. It simultaneously extols and admonishes the viewer regarding television’s profound impact on self-identity. The portrayal of TV is both strangely empowering and stifling. Labeling it as Lynchian is overly simplistic as, despite its enigmatic nature, it is not as thematically obscure. Instead, the film delves into the passage of time defined by passive consumption and the potent influence of nostalgia. It uses entertainment as a catalyst, yet its true focus lies in the intricacies of our psychological engagement with nostalgia and what we bring to it.
3. Civil War
In Civil War, Alex Garland explores a near-future America fractured by a conflict between the US government and a coalition of a blue state and a red state, with Florida off on its own tangent. The film, starring Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura as photojournalists and Stephen McKinley Henderson as a seasoned journalist, delves into the role of media in a divided society. Garland’s politically neutral stance emphasizes the individual stories of the photojournalists, highlighting the importance and bravery of those committed to documenting the truth amidst hostility. The film underscores that upholding factual integrity in a polarized environment is a radical act, challenging viewers to consider who benefits from attacking the bearers of truth. Ultimately, Civil War is a commentary on the role of media in a divided society, suggesting that in times of turmoil, focusing on the stories of those who strive to reveal the truth is a deeply political act.
4. In a Violent Nature
Fifteen minutes into In a Violent Nature, I questioned the film’s purpose. It seemed like a mix of Friday the 13th, Elephant, and The New World, but it felt empty with its slow, rhythmic pacing through beautiful, deep-focused woods. The film’s stylistic influences lacked the thematic context of Terrence Malick and Gus Van Sant, leading to a superficial imitation. Despite this, the style eventually won me over by feeling like ASMR slasher filmmaking. The brutal, emotionally distant kills and subversive protagonist-switch retained the stupidity of traditional slashers while adding a refreshing, meditative style. The last 15 minutes were captivating, making me eager to rewatch despite initial doubts.
5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Furiosa is a film that augments the thematic and narrative elements of Fury Road while stylishly harkening back to the origins of George Miller’s franchise, focusing on microcosm forms of human cruelty and conflict. The film feels like a coiled spring, always ready to explode into the mayhem that characterized Fury Road, deepening our connection to the protagonist and enhancing the complexity of the bleak universe Miller has meticulously crafted over decades. It’s a film that melds his disparate foci on both the minute and the bombastic while evolving this universe and contextualizing what we already have seen.
Sharon Autenrieth‘s Best of 2024 (So Far)
1. Civil War
2. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
3. Dune: Part Two
4. The First Omen
5. The Fall Guy
Jim Tudor‘s Best of 2024 (So Far)
