The 2024 Sundance Film Festival starts tomorrow! It feels like just yesterday that we wrapped up the last one, but here we go again. 2023 was such a great year so it has a lot to live up to. Not all years are created equal, but I hope this year has just as many gems. Here are the ten films from the festival I'm the most excited about. 10. THELMA SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. Inspired by a real-life experience of writer-director Josh Margolin’s own centenarian grandmother, Thelma puts a clever spin on movies like Mission: Impossible, shining the spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an unlikely action hero. With affectionate humor, Margolin employs the familiar tropes of the action genre in hilarious, age-appropriate ways to tackle themes of aging, mortality, and human frailty. In the first leading film role of her over 70-year career, Oscar-nominated veteran character actor June Squibb portrays the strong-willed Thelma with grit and determination, demonstrating that she is more than capable of taking care of business — despite what her daughter Gail (Parker Posey), son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg), or loving grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger) might believe.—BT WHY I'M INTERESTED: If anyone can pull off this role and make this movie work it's June Squibb. She has such great comic timing and can definitely elevate any material she's in. This is most certainly the type of movie that could go either way depending on execution, but I'm optimistic it can be a fun one. 9. LOVE ME SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: Long after humanity’s extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love. As filmmakers Sam & Andy demonstrate in their wildly imaginative debut feature, telling the love story of a smart buoy and an orbiting satellite that spans a billion years and probes the mysteries of being and consciousness requires legit storytelling dexterity. Love Me’s whimsically philosophical, shape-shifting structure ingeniously weaves together the real, the virtual, and the surreal. Its star-crossed, web-paired metallic protagonists — inhabited in different forms by Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun — awkwardly navigate romance and companionship, equipped only with untold petabytes of archived web data, social media, and online videos. Awash in these mediated experiences and fabricated expressions of love and identity, they yearn to understand who they are, whether their feelings are real, and for that matter, whether they are real.—JN WHY I'M INTERESTED: I've learned that sci-fi films are usually the most unpredictable with Sundance, yet they always intrigue me the most. Love Me could go a thousand ways, but I’m encouraged by the pairing of Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun and am very intrigued as to how they pair in this off-the-wall sci-fi romance. 8. A DIFFERENT MAN SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost. Writer-director Aaron Schimberg’s latest film is a surreal, singular tale of one man’s desire to self-actualize. Sebastian Stan is Edward, a man overcome by the reality of his appearance, intent on curing his alienation and transcending his self- and socially enforced artistic potential. Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve carefully embody foils to Edward’s ambition, an artistic and philosophical juxtaposition of his, and our, conceits. Through a haunting score and folkloric magical realism, a unique psychological thriller emerges. A stylish vision of the theatrical currents of New York stages a universe where reality and fiction blend in beautiful ways; where lies, expectations, and internal turmoil weave a man’s consequentially incipient senses of truth and becoming. A Different Man is a reflexive allegory for the modern tortured artist, a subversive, gothic fairytale that deftly begets obsession.—CA WHY I'M INTERESTED: Sebastian Stan always chooses the most interesting indie projects and this one sounds really interesting. There are a lot of ways to tell a story like this, whether it leans into the absurd and is comedic, or if it winds up being more contemplative. Either way, I’m curious to find out. 7. KRAZY HOUSE SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: When Russian workers in Bernie’s house turn out to be wanted criminals, Bernie has to man up and save his ’90s sitcom family. In their hotly anticipated English-language debut, Dutch directing duo Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil (New Kids) spare no one, unleashing a deliriously fucked-up ode to the sanctity of family that consistently outdoes itself. Taking a studio audience–approved world and nuking it from the inside, Haars and van der Kuil bless us with their demented sense of humor and depravity. Nick Frost embodies Bernie Christian with zest, doing justice to his last name as a meek, devout head of household who’s suddenly forced into a bloodcurdling, jaw-dropping crusade when his spiritual foundations fail; Alicia Silverstone matches his madness as his gleefully mischievous wife. Miraculous in its very existence and gloriously unhinged, Krazy House begs to be seen to be believed.—AS WHY I'M INTERESTED: The premise of this sounds so totally wacky, but honestly seeing the clip Alicia Silverstone posted to her Instagram the other day had me sold. Nick Frost is so funny, and the world has been in desperate need of a really good horror comedy. I’m hopeful this one delivers the goods. 6. THE OUTRUN SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: After living life on the edge in London, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland’s Orkney Islands — where she grew up — hoping to heal. Adapted from the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot. Nora Fingscheidt’s poignant adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s fearless memoir details the author’s liberation from drug and alcohol addiction, a triumph forged on the enchanted, wind-battered coasts of her childhood home. The Outrun traces Rona’s false starts and setbacks on the road to recovery through harrowing flashbacks to her downward spiral in London and her reckoning with reality in a strict rehab program. But Fingscheidt is more concerned with Rona’s final destination — deliverance from personal demons through transcendent communion with nature. Grounded in local lore and rich with Liptrot’s journalistic digressions on the land and its life-forms, The Outrun artfully ties Rona’s healing to her growing environmental stewardship. Four-time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan gives a heartbreaking, humane performance that moves from woozy self-annihilation to serene calm.—MC WHY I'M INTERESTED: Put Saoirse Ronan in anything and I will watch! This sounds like a different kind of role for her and I’m really interested in what she does with it. Anything that has the possibility of getting her close to that Oscar right? 5. IN A VIOLENT NATURE SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: The enigmatic resurrection, rampage, and retribution of an undead monster in a remote wilderness. In his directorial feature debut, Chris Nash skillfully flips the slasher genre on its head by shifting the perspective from the victims to the killer with haunting effect. In A Violent Nature upends a formulaic mainstay featured within horror films for decades, minimizing familiar tropes to inject new life into the genre. Instead of dwelling alongside promiscuous young people in a remote forest cabin before they get what’s coming to them, the film keeps their unsuspecting voices in the distance as we follow a maniacal murderer trudging through the woods to stalk his prey. Infusing inventive kills with generous amounts of gore, Nash is methodical in his approach, setting an ominous and ambient tone that will linger within your psyche for a long time to come.—AM WHY I'M INTERESTED: The description of this one was so intriguing to me. Not often do we get the killer's perspective in horror (the only example I can think of is from Tucker and Dale vs Evil which does so in a comedic fashion). But I love the idea of turning the trope on its head and hope this one will be one of the breakout horror films from the festival 4. THE MOOGAI SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: A young Aboriginal couple bring home their second baby. What should be a joyous time takes a sinister turn as the mother starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby. Adapted from his award-winning short and made with the producers of The Babadook and Talk to Me, Jon Bell’s debut feature draws from Indigenous lore for a thematically rich supernatural tale that quickly establishes the lurking menace of a child-stealing spirit. Its simmering suspense empathetically builds around the fragile psychology of a new mother, blurring the lines between exhaustion, paranoia, and postpartum depression. In exacerbating her isolation and hopelessness, Bell shrewdly accentuates traditional tools of oppression to reveal a darker allusion to Australia’s stolen generations — the tens of thousands of First Nations children forcibly removed from their families through the government’s assimilation policies — which the filmmaker calls a “massive wound in the psyche of Australia.” The Moogai bears its terrifying resonance out of sublimated trauma.—JN WHY I'M INTERESTED: Australian horror can go either way at Sundance with the incredible to the disappointing, what gives me hope about this one is seeing that the Sundance programmers had a good consensus that this one leaves you spooked. The plot has all the potential to be great and hopefully, it will be. 3. HANDLING THE UNDEAD SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: On a hot summer day in Oslo, the newly dead awaken. Three families faced with loss try to figure out what this resurrection means and if their loved ones really are back. Based on the book by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Reuniting Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie (The Worst Person in the World, 2022 Sundance Film Festival), Handling the Undead is a visually expansive experience, full of arresting images and subtle performances that collapse the space between the living and the dead. Director Thea Hvistendahl’s steady directorial hand leaves her characters room to breathe, to mediate the moral gray area, letting the minutiae of grief lead them as they feel their way through an extraordinary circumstance. Hvistendahl’s interpretation of Lindqvist’s novel addresses daunting questions about the body, the soul, loss, and moving on, pushing viewers to get to the root of reanimation: What would you do, and how would you feel, if someone you loved returned? WHY I'M INTERESTED: I absolutely loved The Worst Person in the World so I'm so excited to see Anders Danielsen Lie and Renate Reinsve work together again. I had not previously known about this novel, but it sounds incredibly intriguing. 2. PRESENCE SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they’re not alone. In every project of his legendary career as a director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor, Steven Soderbergh has brought a vital energy, curiosity, and unique vision to storytelling that has few parallels in filmmaking history. Following groundbreaking work like sex, lies, and videotape (1989 Sundance Film Festival, Audience Award: Dramatic) and The Girlfriend Experience (2009 Sundance Film Festival), he returns to Park City with a film shot entirely in one location that will haunt audiences with its otherworldly story and constantly awe-inspiring visuals. Working from a taut, mysterious script by David Koepp and featuring an exciting cast of known actors and newcomers, Presence is a thrilling cinematic ride that reifies Soderbergh’s status as an icon of American independent film.—SS WHY I'M INTERESTED: No one does paranoia quite like Steven Soderbergh. Not all of his projects always land for me, but he’s still the type of filmmaker that I’m always excited keen in seeing what he’s up to, and this particular movie seems tailor-made to all of his strengths. Plus Lucy Liu is great and I hope this is a meaty role for her. 1. HIT MAN SUNDANCE SYNOPSIS: A strait-laced professor discovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities. Inspired by an unbelievable true story. In Richard Linklater’s enjoyable comedy noir, Hit Man, which premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) might at first seem like a geeky philosophy professor — and he most certainly is one. But don’t be fooled by his scholarly appearance, quiet life, and cats named Id and Ego. There are many sides to Gary’s personality, thanks to Powell’s and Linklater’s witty script — and arguably, the former’s most versatile and charming performance to date. Gary’s shape-shifting life is turned upside down by a meet-cute with a damsel in distress. But just as with the character of Gary, under layers of physical comedy and goofy humor, Linklater plants questions about identity and self, as well as the idea that, to some extent, we are all performing our roles.—AT WHY I'M INTERESTED: Ever since the rave reviews at TIFF, this movie has been at the top of my anticipated movies list. I adore Richard Linklater and Glen Powell just has so much charisma. He deserves to be a star and I hope this is as amazing a vehicle for him as everyone has been saying. I can’t wait to see for myself This year will be more challenging for me to get as many films in as usual, but I'll do what I can so be sure to check back throughout the fest for all of my reviews.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Sundance Film Festival. As a long-time blogger and attendee of Sundance, I and many others were asked to give my top ten list of favorite films I had the pleasure of experiencing firsthand during my years covering the festival. Believe me, when I tell you, It was really not easy narrowing this down! During the past twelve years of attending the festival, not only was I able to see some amazing films from first-time directors who are now major talents, I had the privilege of seeing these incredible gems before they were available to the rest of the world--without any marketing or reviews to shape my expectations. 10. CODA I remember the experience of seeing CODA at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival so vividly. In a way, it was one of the most important films in the festival's history because it was tasked with being the opener during the most unorthodox year they'd ever had! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sundance had to change course and for the first time, it shifted to being an online film festival. As a lover of the festival, I was so skeptical if it could be the same! But CODA was just the right type of Sundance magic to bring attendees together even if we were apart. It had heart, humor and that crowd-pleasing energy that is so special to Sundance and it made me feel all the feels, even if I wasn't sitting in Park City at the Eccles. It quickly won me over and became one of my favorite movies to come out of Sundance, and I wasn't alone! Its overwhelming support eventually carried it to an eventually successful Oscar campaign, resulting in Sundance's first-ever Best Picture win. Read my original Sundance review of CODA HERE 9. MASS Along with CODA, Mass was another reason 2021's festival was so special. If you had told me when that festival ended that one of the movies at Sundance would have ended up the best picture winner of the year, I would have been sure it would have been Mass. It's actually crazy to me to think how ignored this film was by basically everyone after the festival ended! It is such an incredibly powerful film with some of the best acting of that year. Mass is such a devastating heartbreaker. It's truly a shame it seems to be so forgotten, but for those who know... they know! Read my original Sundance review of Mass HERE 8. BROOKLYN Brooklyn is actually one of the few films from the festival that had to grow on me, instead of being instantly enthralled with it. I saw it back to back with the next entry on my list, and I think I was still so absorbed with thinking about that one, that Brooklyn just felt too simple in comparison. But the more time went on the more I appreciated Saoirse Ronan's quietly understated performance as well as the film's beautiful portrayal of the life of a young immigrant, torn between her new home and her old. There are so many wonderfully poignant moments throughout, Brooklyn is just a gem. Read my original Sundance review of Brooklyn HERE 7. THE WITCH On a crisp January day in 2015, I had a double feature of The Witch and Brooklyn. My screening of The Witch has to be among my all-time favorite Sundance experiences. I had no idea what to expect from this film. Was it a historical drama or a horror film? It wasn't placed in the horror section, but with its title and image, I was very hopeful that it would be. The answer came early on in a rather shocking fashion and the tension the audience felt from that point forward was palpable. The Witch was the slowest of slow burns, but oh that payoff was more than worth it. The final images stayed with me for a very, very long time. Plus, seeing then-unknowns Anya Taylor-Joy and director Robert Eggers get their start here is truly incredible to look back and see. Read my original Sundance review of The Witch HERE 6. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA From the moment I read the 2016 Sundance film guide while planning my schedule, I had a really good feeling that Manchester by the Sea would be a really good solid drama. I just could never have foreseen HOW good! Manchester by the Sea is one of the most powerful films I've ever had the privilege of seeing at Sundance and there wasn't a dry eye in the house by the time the credits rolled. It features some of the most incredible performances I've ever seen in my hears at the fest, with Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams giving some of the best performances of their careers. Then newcomer Lucas Hedges in one of his first major roles was excellent too. Casey and Michelle would later be recognized by the Academy with Affleck winning Best Actor, while Michelle was nominated for supporting actress but lost to Viola David in Fences. Read my original Sundance review of Manchester by the Sea HERE 5. PAST LIVES Past Lives is the newest film to join the list, in fact, in the original list I submitted to Sundance I realized I had omitted it. Yet here it is, cracking my top five. Though this might be recency bias talking, the thing is, it's just SO GOOD. From the very first scene, you can just tell that this is something special. The fact that this was Celine Song's directorial debut still absolutely floors me. It has a beautiful simplicity, yet there is so much left unsaid. Everything in Past Lives is happening under the surface and what it accomplishes is truly incredible. Read my original Sundance review of Past Lives HERE 4. THE WAY WAY BACK I have such a special place in my heart for The Way Way Back and the experience of seeing it at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. The Ogden Egyptian Theater was one of my all-time favorite venues (it's a long shot, but PLEASE bring it back someday!!) and the energy for this film in that theater was infectious. Every joke landed to perfection and it felt like the perfect summer escape on a cold winter's day. What could have been a throwaway generic teen movie was a fantastic coming-of-age film with genuine heart. The ending puts a lump in my throat every time. It's such an underrated film, but one I always look at with fondness. Read my original Sundance review of The Way Way Back HERE 3. SING STREET From the second I saw Sing Street I was absolutely obsessed with it and recognized its potential as a true instant classic. I wasn't alone either, because I could feel the audiences' affection for it growing with every passing minute of screen time. I loved every moment and every song. I couldn't wait for its soundtrack to be released upon seeing it, and when it finally came out it was on repeat in my car for a good two years afterwards. John Carney brought a magic to the festival with Sing Street that I'm not sure anyone else since (including Carney himself with his follow-up Flora & Son), has quite been able to duplicate. Just as with The Way Way Back, I could watch Sing Street at any time and be just as delighted as I was the first time I saw it. I love this movie with all of my heart. and it is truly one of my all-time favorites. Read my original Sundance review of Sing Street HERE 2. HEREDITARY Aside from some amazing coming-of-age films, Sundance also has reliably screened some of the best horror films of the last decade. When I went to a screening of Hereditary in 2018, I expected a run-of-the-mill spooky child horror movie but what I got was so much more. The genius of it is thinking you know exactly which way it’s going to go, only to be completely blindsided midway through. You realize that you are along for a ride and that you have absolutely NO idea where you’ll end up. The utter boldness of Ari Aster had my instant respect, but apart from its originality and unpredictability it also boasted some of the most daring performances ever seen in the genre. Toni Collette gave a performance for the ages and I’m still upset it wasn’t recognized by the academy. Hereditary was one of the most confident debuts I’ve ever seen at the festival and would be the number one debut, if not for my number one pick. Read my original Sundance review of Hereditary HERE 1. WHIPLASH Whiplash was the opener of the 2014 Festival, and from the moment it debuted, it was almost all anyone would talk about the entire festival. It wasn’t really on my radar before that because it just seemed like an average teacher drama, and I didn’t really have any plans to try and see it. But as a Utah local, I received the best of fest passes and was eventually excited when Whiplash was announced to be the film playing at my screening at the end of the festival. None of that small hype I heard beforehand could have prepared for what an absolute ride Whiplash is and how tense it would be! It's more anxiety than most horror films Read my original Sundance review of Whiplash HERE HONORABLE MENTIONS: PALM SPRINGS, ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, LIBERAL ARTS, NINE DAYS, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, BEFORE MIDNIGHT And a special shout out to (500) Days of Summer, my favorite Sundance movie of all time and the one that inspired me to start attending the festival so I'd never miss out on these gems again.

Another year has come to a close, and as per tradition, it's time to share my annual list of the worst films I saw--according to me. Though it's become mighty unfashionable among the likes of film Twitter for worst lists to exist, the tradition must live on! Screw the haters of the haters! To be fair to 2023 though, most of the movies I saw that made this list weren't even THAT bad...(aside from my #1 & #2 pick) nevertheless here we go. We'll start with the lesser offensive entries and work our way to the top...or bottom, whichever way you want to look at it! 10. THE FLASH There might be a decently okay superhero film underneath all of the garish visual effects and oddball humor stuffed into The Flash. Still, you'd never know it while watching the bloated cut they decided was worthy to release in theaters. The time-traveling story at its core is perfectly fine and even has a touching moment or two--but it's hard to appreciate that amid everything else that just doesn't work here. This is an ugly film, and for whatever reason that seems to be an active choice on the part of the filmmakers, and it's really baffling to try to understand why. While there was much ado being made about the cameos, again for me the number one problem was how hideous they looked. Plus it must be said, while I understand the need for one of the Barry's to have a character arc, I'm not sure he had to be quite as annoying as he was. 9. YOUR PLACE OR MINE I actually find the premise of Your Place Or Mine very grounded and down to earth. It's not an absurd situation and honestly, I didn't mind the separate storyline either character was in. The problem came in bringing together two romantic leads whom we would never believe would be romantic with one another. Their complete lack of chemistry brings down an otherwise decent romantic comedy, but bless Reese Witherspoon's heart because she sure tried. 8. TIE: THE POPE'S EXORCIST & EXORCIST: UNBELIEVER Two exorcism movies made my list for the price of one. The first was actively bad but with an off-the-wall performance from Russell Crowe (acting in a completely different movie than the rest of his co-stars,) and the other so dull it bored me to tears. Both reduced exorcism movies to their very worst tropes, but more importantly, neither one contained a single moment of suspense. But at least The Pope's Exorcist contained various imagery of Russell Crowe riding a moped as a priest, so I'll give it that. 7. PETER PAN & WENDY If you ever wondered what a Peter Pan adaptation would be like without magic and wonder, featuring a Peter Pan with no charisma, look no further than Disney's live-action Peter Pan & Wendy. Of all the stories to bring realism to, why on earth would you pick Peter Pan? While I appreciated it wasn't a beat-for-beat live-action of the original animated classic, it was way too subdued for its own good. Neverland is supposed to be the epitome of every kid's wildest imagination, and instead, it is represented here as a colorless, muted bore. And don't even get me started on the ridiculous backstory they cooked up for Captain Hook. Sorry Jude Law, but you were all wrong for the role. Though I dreaded The Little Mermaid remake far more (and believe me, I hated a lot of that movie too...) Halle Bailey saves it from appearing on this list. But Peter Pan & Wendy has no such saving grace, and thus earns its spot here. 6. TIE: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA, SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS I thought about doing a three-way tie here to include The Flash along with these two, but I was just so much more apathetic about every single thing that happened in these two sequels than The Flash. I can barely muster a thing to say about either because they're both just uninspired duds that helped pave the way for mainstream audience's apparent superhero fatigue. Like The Flash, they too are filled with unsightly CGI designs and humor that doesn't work. 5. RENFIELD Despite inspired performances by Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult as Dracula and Renfield respectively, they just aren't able to overcome its lackluster script. It's such a shame because the trailer looked so funny and had so much potential when in reality the tone of the film was just all over the place. Cage's instincts are spot on for what this movie should be, but unfortunately, he's just not in it enough. As a result, we're left with a derivative unfunny cop/mob comedy with touches of horror here and there. This one disappoints more because it really could have been good. 4. GHOSTED Ghosted feels like the epitome of a fake movie seen in other movies. Nothing about it feels authentic. When it came out, so many people joked about whether or not these two were ever actually filmed together in the same room at the same time, and sometimes you really do wonder! This action rom-com has definitely been done before, but could have been forgiven with better casting and a couple with great chemistry. While Ana de Armas played a believable agent in No Time to Die, she's less so convincing here. But the real problem is Chris Evans, who after playing Captain America for a good decade just isn't believable as a guy who can't take care of himself. But it's also odd how though they shared a good bit of chemistry in Knives Out, they're completely devoid of it here. But perhaps the most distracting part of Ghosted might just be Ana de Armas' horrible wig. 3. YOU PEOPLE A lot of unfunny movies have made this list, but none more unfunny than this one. Awkward, cringey humor definitely can work...but it really helps when there's at least one likable character. But there's none to be found in You People, which feels more like nails on a chalkboard than a movie. With so many talented actors involved, it's truly stunning that it fell so flat. 2. WHAT HAPPENS LATER Poor Meg Ryan. She must have seen last year's Ticket to Paradise and thought, I can do this too! So she found a generic script, signed on to direct, and cast herself along with another 90's rom-com alum David Duchovny. But unfortunately for her, this romantic comedy set entirely in an airport, fails to ever take flight. It's trying so hard to be one of Richard Linklater's Before movies, relying entirely on dialogue and the relationship between characters, but doesn't realize that those things have to also be compelling. It's clear when the two have a chance encounter in an airport that there is a history between the two, and as the film goes along more and more of their past relationship is revealed. Yet instead of feeling more drawn to the characters by each revelation, it feels like more of an endurance test for how stupid this movie can get. Also, its attempt at mixing fate and destiny into the proceedings just feels completely out of place. 1. SKINAMARINK If you've ever been so bored that you decided to do nothing but stare at the ceiling for an hour and a half, congratulations, you've practically already seen Skinamarink. There are few instances where I feel like a movie truly has wasted my time, and not only did Skinamarink do that--it seemed like it was proud to do so. It honestly feels like a con--as if The Emperor's New Clothes was a horror film. You keep waiting for something, ANYTHING to happen and you're left feeling like an absolute sucker by the time we cut to the end slate. Yet people will bend themselves in knots trying to derive any kind of meaning from images of toys scattered on the ground and old cartoons playing on loop rather than admit they've been had. While I understand liking the premise and admiring the style, the execution should produce a movie that's actually watchable and Skinamarink is anything but.

A new year is here! And I must admit, I really had to scrape the barrel here to come up with ten movies I was excited about. What are we doing here Hollywood? Still, some of my favorite filmmakers have offerings this year, so hopefully they deliver the goods. Here are the ten films debuting in 2024 that I'm looking forward to the most. 10. A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE While it's a little disappointing not to be getting a direct sequel to the last Quiet Place film, I'm okay with spending more time with these films, seeing in more detail how their apocalypse began. Plus with Lupita Nyong'o set to star, it's just got to be good right? 9. ALIEN: ROMULUS I'm realizing there's a pattern here with my first few entries (including the one after this): they're all reboot or offshoot films, rather than a true continuation of where the last film left off, and have completely new filmmakers at the helm. To me, that's not a positive aspect of these movies, and I'm excited for them in spite of that. I really enjoyed Alien: Covenant and thought Michael Fassbender was incredible in the role of David. Having that storyline get abandoned to reboot the franchise yet again is such a bummer. However, I do like Fede Alvarez as a director and I'm excited to see his take on the story, so I'm cautiously optimistic. 8. KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES So, unlike the last two entries I mentioned... this one did have a proper finale to its current iteration and the need to continue definitely feels unnecessary. A new entry doesn't feel like an organic continuation of the story, but rather a way for studios to squeeze a bit more money out of the franchise while they still deem it profitable. I'm also not keen or confident about Wes Ball helming this film since I never loved the Maze Runner films. All in all, I'm a bit wary of this film, but the reason it's getting a spot on the list is merely from the goodwill I have towards the last trilogy. 7. MAXXXINE Ti West's horror trilogy starring Mia Goth concludes in 2024 with Maxxxine. Though I've been a bit mixed on the trilogy so far--I dug X, and felt a bit disappointed in Pearl-- I'm excited for the finale because Mia Goth has been downright fantastic in both films playing different roles in each. I can't wait to see what she does with the character next and luckily this time (as with X,) she's got a great supporting cast around her to make this one stand out. 6. THE BIKERIDERS I'm so glad that this film is back on the release slate after being pulled last winter because I firmly believe the world needs more Austin Butler in it. Elvis proved the man is a star and festival reviews buzzed that that only continues here and I'm excited to see him play off of Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer as well. Plus I'm a fan of the work of the talented Jeff Nichols and am always game to see his work. 5. JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX Joker is such a polarizing film for the terminally online, dividing people to be passionately for or against it. While I enjoyed it, I felt that both sides made too much of a fuss over it. But casting Lady Gaga in the role of Harley Quinn and casually stating the film was going to be a musical seemed to get everyone excited. Suddenly the project felt much more daring and perhaps purposeful, and less of a way to see if they can catch lighting in a bottle twice. This one could still go either way as far as I'm concerned, but I'm certainly intrigued. 4. HIT MAN I love Richard Linklater and will always be excited when he has a film coming out. Hearing rave reviews out of film festivals last fall certainly added to my own personal hype. Good rom-coms are few and far between in this world, and while having not seen the film and not being completely positive about the precise category the film belongs in, I'm taking the word from those who have seen and loved it that this is a future great for the genre. 3. FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA It's been almost ten years since Mad Max: Fury Road exploded onto movie screens and I'm more than ready to return to its world. Though like everyone else I'm sad to not just see another film with Charlize Theron in the role, I'm sure Anya Taylor-Joy will kill it as a younger version of the character. Plus it's always nice to see Chris Hemsworth outside of a Marvel movie. 2. NOSFERATU Yes, Robert Eggers, you have my complete and undivided attention with every morsel that's revealed about Nosferatu. While I'm sad some of the first-choice cast members were unable to make it work, I'm confident that Eggers is delivering another all-timer and I absolutely cannot wait. Man, I wish this were coming out at Halloween instead of Christmas. 1. DUNE: PART TWO Well, every year for the last couple it seems that one movie from the previous year's list gets delayed to make a re-appearance on the new anticipated list. With all the production strikes last year, this time Dune: Part Two was the ultimate victim of that. So instead of taking a place on 2023's Best list, it gets to show up here--but at least this time it gets to be at the top of the list. The film's predecessor is one of my favorite movie experiences in the last couple of years and I absolutely cannot wait to jump back into the story right where we left off and see what happens next.

Christopher Nolan is back with the biopic Oppenheimer, his first film since Tenet, the action spectacle that Nolan and Warner Brothers hoped would bring people back to the cinema during the height of the global pandemic. Though Tenet fared as well as it could under such conditions, its performance, along with Warner's decision to stream all other theatrical releases to HBO Max on the same date they debuted in theaters (Tenet excluded), left Nolan's relationship with the studio fraught. Upon hearing about the strained relationship, Universal came courting Nolan causing him to break with the studio for the first time in twenty years. It was announced shortly after that his first film for the studio would be a biopic on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man who would help pioneer the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II. As is Nolan's signature fashion, he doesn't tell his story in a conventional non-linear way. Instead, Oppenheimer jumps around three different timelines. Nolan shows us, in color Oppenheimer's (Cillian Murphy's) life from college up to, and following the creation of the bomb. This is interspersed with a security clearance hearing later in his career, as well as a former colleague's (Robert Downey Jr.) senate confirmation set in black and white. Oppenheimer is a long and sprawling epic, three hours in length, where most of its screen time is devoted to dialogue-driven scenes between characters discussing possibilities and consequences. Yet despite all of that, its fast-paced editing keeps the viewer hooked throughout its hefty runtime. Oppenheimer may be Christopher Nolan's most ambitious undertaking yet, which says a lot since this is the same man who helmed Inception, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight trilogy. The film spans decades and features one of the largest and most talented casts in recent memory. Yet Nolan balances it all effortlessly and manages to inspire some of the strongest performances from each member of his sizeable cast. But everything hinges on the shoulders of Cillian Murphy, who gives the most devoted performance of his career. His take on Oppenheimer anchors the film, as he takes us from a passionate young scientific mind to an ultimately tortured and haunted shell of a man. So much here is shown only in glances, but it's incredible what he can convey. As mentioned previously, the supporting cast is quite impressive and everyone is giving it their all--it's hard to know where to begin when giving praise. Many actors only get a few minutes of screen time, but every single one of them makes the most of their part whether big or small. Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Josh Hartnett, and Jason Clarke in particular are all fantastic in their respective roles. As are Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh who portray the women in "Oppie's" life, though admittedly I wish both roles were a bit more fleshed out. But given the story is mostly from Oppenheimer's perspective, I can forgive the limited lens through which we see these women. Oppenheimer is truly Christopher Nolan firing on all cylinders, crafting a film with all of the finest elements of filmmaking on display. From its powerful score, striking cinematography, and its tremendous sound work to name just a couple of standouts--it's hard to think of a category that won't be recognized with the bare minimum of an Oscar nomination. Could this finally be Christopher Nolan's year? We've still got plenty of movies left to come out, but it's hard to imagine what else will be giving Oppenheimer a run for its money. Oppenheimer's subject matter doesn't make it an easy movie to watch, but it is absolutely essential viewing. It's a movie that demands to be seen and when it is, it stays with you and even becomes a part of you. RATING: 9/10

After months of non-stop promotion, the long-awaited Barbie movie is finally here. The film based on the famous doll has been in development for years but finally took off when director Greta Gerwig came on board, along with Margot Robbie who would both produce the film and star in the titular role. And, from the moment the film's first still was released, the internet collectively realized something special was in store and the anticipation had begun. Each subsequent trailer and poster only built up Barbie's unstoppable momentum. Could it possibly live up to the impossibly high expectations and rise to meet this pop cultural moment? Barbie begins with a brief history of the doll before being whisked off to the whimsical world of Barbieland, where she and all her plastic friends (along with their disposable love interests,) are living their best lives. Barbieland is a female utopia, where each day is perfect and magical. The Barbies rest easy knowing they've inspired countless girls to chase their dreams and become anything they want to be. Everything changes for Barbie (Margot Robbie) when she's plagued with thoughts of death and finds herself facing an existential crisis. Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) informs her that she must travel to the real world to find the answers to her questions. On her way, she discovers her Ken (Ryan Gosling) has stowed away to provide her some moral support on her journey. Soon, they'll both discover the real world is far different than the only reality they've known. Barbie has so much going for it. For starters, its two leads Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are perfectly cast and give some of the funnest and funniest performances of their careers. Robbie's role is a bit more nuanced and tender, while Gosling can't help but steal the show with his effortless Ken-ergy. In supporting roles, Kate McKinnon is used in just the right amount of doses, meanwhile, more Michael Cera and America Ferrerra would have been welcome. Gerwig undeniably has a vision for this Barbie world and hired some truly talented artists to bring it to life. The production design, costumes, hair, and makeup in this film are all absolutely impeccable. So much care was put into every detail and it's truly impressive the world that Gerwig and her team crafted. As for the subject matter, Gerwig's film is incredibly ambitious, and as such, the film often bites off more than it can chew. Barbie has a lot of ground it attempts to cover, some of which is done more successfully than others. Barbie always manages to be funny, but can't help but be a bit heavy-handed while delivering its message in the final act. Gerwig attempts to bring it all together in the end but doesn't completely stick the landing. Still, I love a lot of what she's trying to say about the crushing expectations society places on each gender. America Ferrera sums it all up with her show-stopping monologue near the end. I only wish the character could have been given more depth to truly give the moment the weight it deserves. Those issues aside, I do consider Barbie to be a triumph. While it is indeed based on existing IP, it still manages to feel wholly original-- a product carefully packaged to the world through the hands of an auteur. Plus, it is wonderful seeing a movie that is so unapologetically feminine, be poised to achieve so much success. Barbie is both a win for cinema and a win for women and I hope Hollywood is paying attention. Women are a valuable audience, and we want and yearn for originality. RATING: 8/10

After focusing the last two Insidious entries on other characters, Insidious: The Red Door returns to the story where it all began: The Lambert Family. While James Wan helmed the first two films, the next two films, Insidious: Chapter 3 and Insidious: The Last Key, were essentially spin-off films. The franchise seemed to be on life support until word got out that Patrick Wilson would not only be returning to star...but would be making his directorial debut as well with Insidious: The Red Door. In Insidious: The Red Door, we're re-introduced to the Lambert family nine years after the events of Insidious: Chapter 2. When we last saw father and husband Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson), he was possessed by an evil entity and was going all Jack Torrence on his family. Here we learn that after that incident, Josh and his wife Renai (Rose Byrne) decide that the best thing to put it all behind them is to suppress Josh and their son Dalton's (Ty Simpkins) memories so that they never have to worry about "The Further" ever again. But Josh and Dalton learn that the truth can only be concealed for so long before they begin to be haunted once more by their past. Patrick Wilson does a really decent job of putting all the pieces into place to set up the story and make the audience feel unnerved. The problem comes with his inability to escalate the tension to the proper amount needed to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. Instead of eagerly awaiting the next scare, midway through I found myself quickly losing interest and feeling frustrated by its sluggish pacing. Wilson clearly has learned some tricks from Wan for setting the stage and he does his best to put them to good use here. A few of the lingering shots we see early on are effectively scary while the audience is left trying to decipher what we're actually seeing. One sequence in particular really got me! The problem is, none of it was enough to keep me invested and all of the goodwill that Wilson achieved in the beginning was pretty much squandered by the end. No doubt that pulling double-duty directing and acting kept Patrick Wilson from having too much screen time here as Ty Simpkins ends up with the majority--but the lack of Father/son scenes really hurt the latter half of the film. We're expected to feel these emotional beats that just don't land. Instead, the film hopes we just rely on the previous entries to fill in the gaps and make us feel affection for the characters. While focusing on Dalton's character is a natural progression for the story and welcome, I still would have liked for his familial relationships to retain focus too. Especially since the ramifications of certain revelations aren't really given any weight at all and need to be! While it was nice to revisit these characters again, ultimately it feels like maybe The Red Door was better off staying closed. There was certainly potential here, but the execution just couldn't elevate it to the quality of the previous first two installments. RATING: 5/10

Depending on who you ask, Pixar has been in a bit of a slump lately, both creatively and successfully. It all began during the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, when their latest release at the time Onward was pulled from theaters and sent to Disney's brand-new streaming service Disney+. This seemed like a no-brainer at the time since theaters were shutting down and this way audiences could still enjoy their latest offering in the comfort of their own homes. As theaters opened back up, Disney opted to keep releasing their films exclusively to Disney+ and audiences became accustomed to the practice of watching Pixar at home. The studio's following three films debuted straight to the streaming service before Disney decided it was time for Pixar to make its return to theaters last summer with Lightyear. The film massively underperformed, leading many to question if Disney itself had trained audiences to devalue the brand and "wait til streaming". But Lightyear's other problem was it wasn't very good. One year later, they're trying again with Elemental, an animated opposites-attract love story that doubles as an immigration tale. For a studio that once never had a misfire, their offerings since 2010's Toy Story 3, have been a mixed bag with really great films like Inside Out and Coco becoming more of the exception than the rule. Creatively they've been in a rut, either relying on sequels or formulas that feel derivative, trying desperately to replicate the success of their past hits. Elemental looked very much to fall in the latter category, and the truth is it does more often than not feel like a lesser version of Pixar's previous classics. Yet, it has enough charm and sweetness to elevate a story that feels overly familiar. Elemental follows Ember (Leah Louis), a fire girl whose parents Bernie and Cinder emigrate from their Fire country to Element City to start a brand new life with their child. The town isn't made for their kind, so they have to carve out a place for themselves. They find a community of other firepeople nearby and Bernie opens a shop catering exclusively to their unique needs and tastes. Bernie trains his young daughter to work in the shop, and she spends her years growing up knowing one day, so long as she learns to control her temper, she will inherit her father's shop and legacy. One day, her life is turned upside down when she meets Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a water guy who is her polar opposite in every way. While Ember tends to let her emotions get the best of her in a way that makes her blow up with anger, she learns that Wade will cry at the drop of a hat. She finds that the more she's around him, the more they balance each other out and bring out one another's strengths. Wade calms her spirit and encourages her to have her own dreams that play to her own gifts, to do what would actually make her happy. It soon becomes clear that the two have deeper feelings for one another, but their love seems impossible from every standpoint. Elemental's plot feels like a 90's sitcom episode plot dropped into the high-concept creative world-building of a Pixar film. Two well-known storylines are relied on heavily here, the first being a star-crossed romance and the second being a parent pushing their kid to live the parent's dream for the child, instead of encouraging them to pursue their own interests. This makes a movie that's trying so hard to feel original, ultimately feel really unoriginal. Yet somehow, as worn as these tropes are and as heavy-handed as its metaphor and messaging can feel, it really is able to rise above that and draw you into it. What really works with Elemental is the earnest and sentimental way in which Ember and Wade's affection for one another grows throughout the film. From their meet cute, I really wasn't sure if I was going to buy into this relationship whatsoever, but it turned out to be the winning ingredient of the film. Credit must be due to Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie's winsome performances in being able to make us root for these characters and their blossoming romance. They have an easy chemistry and you can't help but smile at their scenes together. While I enjoyed Elemental, I must admit that I don't see it having very much rewatchability for either kids or adults, which is essential to a good kid's movie. I just don't see children having any desire to revisit this, which very much makes this a one-time watch. Its story won't resonate with younger viewers and its setting and concept are amusing at best and gimmicky at worst. Still, while it won't inspire repeat viewings, it's still worth it to take the trip to visit Element City at least once. RATING: 6.5/10

There was a good long while when I wondered if The Flash would ever see the light of day. The film suffered numerous delays for a plethora of reasons, including the troubling actions of its star. It seemed inevitable the film would be canned, yet studio heads persisted in insisting that not only would it be released, but it would also be one of the greatest comic book movies of all time. Sure enough, the early buzz from advanced screenings was glowing and it seemed DC was sure to have a hit on their hands. The Flash catches up with Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) sometime after the events of Justice League (or Zack Snyder's Justice League, depending on your own personal headcanon,) living an everyday life as a superhero, doing his best to save those in need. He's also hard at work looking for evidence to overturn his father's conviction in his mother's murder case with the help of his good friend Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck). When it seems he's finally come to a dead end, he can't help but wonder, what if he ran so far and so fast that he could turn back time and prevent his mother's death? Bruce warns him not to tempt fate, but Barry yearns for his father's freedom and to have his mother back alive and well. He plans to just go back and change one thing to keep her alive, but before he knows it, he's stranded in another timeline, without powers and now face to face with a younger version of himself who just gained his own powers. When he goes find his Justice League friends to help, he realizes more than just his parents' fates have changed. Bruce (Michael Keaton) looks very different here and a looming threat must be faced immediately or mankind will be doomed. Here's the thing. If you spend months hyping up a movie til Kingdom come as one of the best superhero movies of all time, you darn well better have the movie to back that kind of claim up. The Flash is not that movie. While its core story is good, it is so bloated and bogged down by inexplicable choices. Most distractingly, it's a very ugly movie. For some reason, the CGI is purposefully crude, looking like it came from a movie twenty years ago. Why Anthony Muschietti, or whoever above him ordered it wanted the movie to look so hideous I cannot possibly understand. It's the type of effects that really take you out of the movie and break the suspension of disbelief you're willing to allow. Ezra Miller pulls double duty playing two versions of Barry. One of those performances is pretty good. Unfortunately, the other happens to be incredibly obnoxious. It doesn't make for the most pleasant viewing experience. Meanwhile, Michael Keaton is a fun addition reprising one of his biggest roles, though it admittedly feels like it amounts to about as much as a celebrity repeating their old famous movie character catchphrases for a Superbowl TV spot. The Flash hopes to distract with its flashy cameos but is best served when it actually focuses on Barry's story. The heart of what the movie is about--letting go of the past and accepting that the hard parts of life are what make us who we are, are themes that are worth focusing on in greater depth. The movie is better off when it does, but too often gets distracted with what toys it can be playing with inside the DC sandbox. RATING: 5.5/10

Disney's latest live-action offering, The Little Mermaid, finally swims into theaters after having been announced what feels like a lifetime ago. Rob Marshall helms the musical adaptation, telling the story we all know and love of a curious mermaid (Halle Bailey) who makes a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) for the chance at human life with her beloved Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). The quality of Disney live-action remakes seems almost impossible for people to fairly quantify. This is because these particular films are made in a way not to be judged on their own merits, but only by comparison to something else. On the one hand, everyone knows they very rarely (if ever) can improve upon the original, so often instead they're compared by the metric of the previous live-action remakes (an admittedly low bar). The one time Disney got the formula right was with 2015's Cinderella, which instead of remaking the animated version of the movie, felt much more like just another adaptation of the famous fairy tale. Why they haven't continued to go this route and make completely new interpretations of these stories in live-action form, doesn't exactly elude me (they're trying to cash in on nostalgia, not showcase any type of creativity here), but it's disappointing all the same. I'd love to be writing a review about a live-action Little Mermaid film where she doesn't have the same old sidekicks, and instead has new characters and deals with a completely different sea witch altogether. She doesn't even need to be named Ariel! But alas...Disney doesn't take risks--they make reproductions, so there's no way to look at the film objectively without comparing it to how it was done first. Halle Bailey is a fantastic new Ariel, who doesn't feel like a carbon copy of her animated counterpart which goes a long way to the film's benefit. Unlike past live-action Disney princesses, she can actually sing (I'm looking at you Emma Watson) and she has a very charming presence. You can tell the camera just loves her, and considering how much she's working against blue screen, it's truly impressive what she achieves here. But unfortunately, she cannot carry the film alone and she gets almost zero help from anyone else (save Hauer-King's Eric with whom she does have some nice chemistry). The supporting cast is really what lets this film down and the performances range considerably. Jacob Tremblay as Flounder is fine and generally inoffensive, but barely there. You could cut his character and the story wouldn't change a bit. Melissa McCarthy tries desperately to give her best impression of Pat Carroll's performance, without any of the gravitas. And the less said about Awkwafina's Scuttle, the better. But for me, the most glaring casting choices to really negatively affect the film are Daveed Diggs' imitation crab Sebastian (see what I did there?) and the complete misfire casting of Javier Bardem as the coldest King Triton ever. So many of their scenes together are just reciting the animated scene's dialogue word for word, without any of the warmth or humor that made the original lines work. In the original animated film, aside from her romance with Eric, it's with these two characters that Ariel actually has relationship arcs. We know the animated Triton is too hard on Ariel, but deep down is a softie who deeply loves his daughter and is just trying to do what's best for her. He has to learn to let go and give his daughter the freedom to live her life and do what she believes is best for her. In this version, their reconciliation feels so empty because you never felt anything between them in the first place. Meanwhile, animated Sebastian goes from being an overly strict watchdog to a true confidant and friend. Diggs' Sebastian just is there for bickering with Scuttle, not to provide any sort of meaningful relationship for Ariel. Characters of course aren't the only things recreated though, because we all knew we'd be getting new versions of all the film's beloved musical numbers. Halle soulfully belts Part of Your World, and while I wouldn't really say I prefer her version to the original, it was the only new rendition of these songs that came close to competing. Under the Sea feels completely lifeless in its first few verses, and when it finally does try to pull out all the stops, it just looks like a CGI eyesore. Poor Unfortunate Souls felt like a bland karaoke performance, while Kiss the Girl was absolutely dreadful. So what does the film add, or improve upon? Well, in terms of runtime, it adds a lot...including expanded action sequences and new songs, which makes the film feel unnecessarily bloated. But few of these additions actually improve anything. But, I did enjoy the extra scenes with Eric that really help build up their romance. Their new interactions are definitely one of the film's highlights and welcome additions. For a few moments, it feels like the film gains its own personality, before falling back on its mimicry. So yeah, compared to those other terrible, soulless Disney remakes it is indeed better than most! But compared to the original animated film, it is far inferior. And as a film on its own merits, it can't stand on its own two legs...try as Halle Bailey might. RATING: 5/10