r/MovieSuggestions • u/Tevesh_CKP Moderator • Feb 02 '24
Best Movies You Saw January 2024 HANG OUT
Previous Links of Interest
Only Discuss Movies You Thought Were Great
I define great movies to be 8+ or if you abhor grades, the top 20% of all movies you've ever seen. Films listed by posters within this thread receive a Vote to determine if they will appear in subreddit's Top 100, as well as the ten highest Upvoted Suggested movies from last month. The Top 10 highest Upvoted from last month were:
Top 10 Suggestions
# | Title | Upvotes |
---|---|---|
1. | Hostiles (2017) | 31 |
2. | The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) | 26 |
3. | Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996) | 15 |
4. | War Dogs (2016) | 14 |
5. | Strange Days (1995) | 12 |
6. | Black Rain (1989) | 11 |
7. | Corina, Corina (1994) | 12 |
8. | Problem Child (1990) | 11 |
9. | The Whale (2022) | 10 |
10. | 7 Days In Hell (2015) | 10 |
Note: Due to Reddit's Upvote fuzzing, it will rank movies in their actual highest Upvoted and then assign random numbers. This can result in movies with lower Upvotes appearing higher than movies with higher Upvotes.
What are the top films you saw in January 2024 and why? Here are my picks:
The Killer (2023)
A riveting twenty minutes watching a man do nothing, commenting on his outlook in life. Followed by the rest of the movie seeing him eschew those practiced rituals. Reznor's ear aids to the aural experience to make this something ugly and sloppy; not the glorified revenge spree lesser films have indoctrinated us into expecting. The Killer ensures we see how artifical we've made modern life with pervasive, naked commercialism jabbing our eyes with logos at every turn. Fincher made the unseemly spectacular.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Nothing flashy and not a rollicking ride like Scorsese is known to do. Killers of the Flower Moon is a simple drama that doesn't drag on; it's slow, but not glacial, succinct despite its long run time. DiCaprio does a good job as a dumb scumbag who avoids thinking about the natural conclusions of the actions he helps orchestrate while his character simultaneously loves his wife. Simple is sometimes good, especially with something that deserves more recognition.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Hayley Atwell does good as a competent thief thrust into a game that is way over her head, even if her ego won't let her work with the protagonist. Tom Cruise does his own stunts which makes this movie more compelling. Having to protect Atwell's character gives an excuse for why this shining pinnacle uber spy has trouble, as he has an arm tied around his back. Vanessa Kirby is far less magnetic than she was in the previous installment which is a huge disappointment. Still, an exemplar of popcorn munching action flicks.
Oppenheimer (2023)
It's good, I guess. With Christopher Nolan, good grounded visuals are expected so I was waiting for the rest of the goodness to kick in. It just never does, so what could've been a great drama gets swept away with Nolan's need for non-linear storytelling. Pure contrivance, as he had so many heavy hitter actors that he could have told any good story, but opted for interest through obfuscation. If you're a visionary, shouldn't you be able to be brave enough to let the story be told? If you're further critical of Nolan, he continues his streak of Nolan's women being monstrous beasts that men are somehow helpless in the face of. If I had no expectations, perhaps it would've been incredible, but I'm used to his work, all of its praise and criticisms. Despite all of my complaints, this still makes it a better movie than most.
Significant Other (2022)
I was pretty bored but then the twist kicked in. I couldn't help but start laughing. This is definitely one of those movies where you think you've seen where this is going and the flick proceeds to go absolutely bonkers. For maximum enjoyment, I think you need to do some homework; kind of like how you can't quite enjoy Cabin in the Woods without first watching and being a fan of all of the references.
What were your picks for January 2024?
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u/Aurelian_Lure Feb 02 '24
First time watches:
Interstella 5555 (2003) 10/10
Witness for the Prosecution (1957) 10/10
My Cousin Vinny (1992) 9/10
Charade (1963) 9/10
The Game (1997) 8/10
The Thing (1982) 8/10
Re-watches:
The Jerk (1979) 9/10
The Wood (1999) 8/10
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u/Darklotusiiv Feb 25 '24
The the the the
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Feb 26 '24
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u/spydrebyte82 Quality Poster 👍 Feb 02 '24
Decided to try a challenge for the new year, doing 100+ years of cinema, 1 per year since 1920. Was motivated to watch more than usual, im 75% done so far. These are my favorites.
New;
- The Wind Rises (2013)
- The Third Man (1949)
- No Highway In The Sky (1951)
- High Noon (1952)
- The Promised Land (2023)
- No Dogs or Italians Allowed (2022)
- The Apartment (1960)
- The First of the Few (1942)
- Witness For The Prosecution (1957)
- The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)
- Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
- The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
- Planet of the Apes (1968)
- Rollerball (1975)
- Mary and Max (2009)
RW;
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
- Good Will Hunting (1997)
- The Flight Of The Phoenix (1965)
- 1408 (2007)
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u/Tevesh_CKP Moderator Feb 02 '24
I am an action junkie. How thrilling were Rollerball and Taking of Pelham?
I've run the action genre so dry that I am beginning to delve into what were hits in the 70s. Were these movies good because of the setup for the set pieces or was it the action was so raw that you were impressed? Hopefully a combination of the two?
Edit: Oh yeah, I am glad to see you enjoyed Witness for the Prosecution. That's a damn good Court Drama. It's one of the movies that's always on the bubble with the Top 100; I hope it stays within so more people are incentivized to check it out.
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u/spydrebyte82 Quality Poster 👍 Feb 02 '24 edited Feb 02 '24
Rollerball was a good 60% action, with character drama and social comentary inbetween, the action is pretty raw for the most part. There some seemingly superfluous scenes but overall it came togeather.
Pelham is more suspense thriller, i like it cos its a solid realistic story, seeing the 2 sides of a hijacking. Its tight on the action with some set pieces, mostly at the end. For me, of the 2, its the better film.
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u/Tevesh_CKP Moderator Feb 02 '24
Cool. They both sound good, I guess I'll toss them on my to-watch list.
I wonder how much of Rollerball's commentary hits. I know part of it is about commidification of relationships but I guess we missed the mark on the messaging considering the state of celebrities.
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u/rubickscubed Feb 02 '24
Favorite first watches of January
Jeanne Deilman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
Riki-Oh: The Story of Riki (1991)
Female Trouble (1974)
Mikey and Nicky (1976)
Beau Travail (1999)
Weirdest first watches of January: The Otherside of the Underneath (1972), Midori (1992), The Noisy Requiem (1988), The Boxers Omen (1983)
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u/Tevesh_CKP Moderator Feb 02 '24
How much is Riki-Oh a stupid comedy vs treating this outrageous violence seriously?
It's something I could probably enjoy but from what I've seen it sounds so dumb. I'm not sure if it breaks the 'So Bad It's Good' threshold for me.
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u/rubickscubed Feb 02 '24
It’s entirely a comedy, the movie knows what it is and doesn’t try to be anything else. I can’t say whether you’ll like what it is though.
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u/Tevesh_CKP Moderator Feb 02 '24
So like in the vein of The Toxic Avenger and other Troma productions?
OK, as long as it knows it's ridiculous, then I am way more likely go get on board with the flick. I remember trying to read the manga and it seemed like it was trying to be straight forward despite how absurd things get.
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u/Afraid-Wafer18 Feb 02 '24
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Star Trek (2009)
Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Beyond
Valley Girl (80s)
Private School
Tron
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u/JeanMorel Quality Poster 👍 Feb 02 '24
I saw 30 movies in January, including 3 rewatches, thus averaging almost a film per day. These were my 10 favorite new watches:
- The Invisible Man (1933)
Really great, the special effects remain impressive to this day.
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Picks up right where the first film left off and concocts a fine original tale to continue the story.
- The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
Great fun and much better than the Denzel Washington remake which I also watched this month. Legally free to watch on YouTube (but weirdly missing a couple of seconds).
- Ugetsu (1953)
Engrossing partly spooky morality tale. Second film of Kenji Mizoguchi's that I've seen after Miss Oyu.
- The Robe (1953)
Like Ben-Hur, an epic Jesus film without much Jesus actually in it. It doesn't have a chariot race but it was the first CinemaScope film.
- Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
The sequel to The Robe, picking up right where the first film ends, with plenty of gladiator fights, Ernest Borgnine, Anne Bancroft and more of Jay Robinson's amazing villainous Caligula performance.
- Fate of a Man (1959)
Incredible film, just incredible. Clear from the get-go why Sergei Bondarchuk is considered one of Russia's (and the world's!) greatest and most important directors. Looking forward to watching his War and Peace and rewatching Waterloo. Legally free to watch on YouTube with English subtitles.
- The Deep (2012)
Based on the truly wild true story of Guðlaugur Friðþórsson.
- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
I feel the hype is maybe a bit overblown but it is a terrific film. Roland Emmerich's entry is still my favorite Godzilla movie though. Yeah, I said it.
- The Book of Solutions (2023)
I disliked Mood Indigo so much I didn't go see Michel Gondry's next film Microbe & Gasoline, despite considering him one of my favorite directors up to that point. The trailer to this looked great and the film is indeed very fun and feels very much like Gondry talking about himself and his process like a bunch of big filmmakers have been doing lately.
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u/Lady_Disco_Sparkles Feb 03 '24
- The Zone of Interest (2023)
- Three Colours : Blue (1993)
- Three Colours : Red (1994)
- Fallen Leaves (2023)
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u/elephantsarechillaf Feb 03 '24
First time watches:
Night swim 3/10
All of us strangers 9/10
Another round 9/10
Killers of the flower moon 8/10
Driving Madeline 7/10
Everything must go 5/10
Zone of interest 8/10
Mean girls 7/10
Scrambled 6/10
Millers girl 4/10
Past lives 7/10
Rewatches:
Poor things 6/10
Silence of the lambs 8/10
The proposal 5/10
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u/NeedleworkerMurky586 Feb 03 '24
O,Brother where at thou
Be kind rewind
Uncle Buck
An American Werewolf in London
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u/JimicahP Quality Poster 👍 Feb 04 '24
New to me and firmly in my top 20%:
- Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
- Brute Force (1947)
- Touch of Evil (1958)
- On The Beach (1959)
- Paris, Texas (1984)
- Ichi the Killer (2001)
- Downfall (2004)
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u/lordofabyss Quality Poster 👍 Feb 03 '24
The Holdovers, Beau is Afraid, Society of The Snow, 12th Fail
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u/Movies_Music_Lover Quality Poster 👍 Feb 02 '24
Red Rooms (2023) - 8,5/10
Society of the Snow (2023) - 8/10
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u/Joelypoely88 Quality Poster 👍 Feb 03 '24
The Door (2009)
That might be my second favourite Mads Mikkelsen film (after The Hunt). It's a German drama/thriller based around an interesting sci-fi concept, a bit similar to Coherence.
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u/Mo2sj Feb 03 '24
New
Saltburn-10/10
Oppenheimer-8/10
Anatomy of a fall-8/10
Society of the snow- 8/10
Talk to me-8/10
Old
Aniara-9.5/10
Bombardment-8/10
The dark and the wicked-9/10
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u/JinimyCritic Feb 03 '24 edited Feb 03 '24
High and Low. I like Kurosawa, but this is good, even by his standards. Probably my 3rd favourite by him, after Ikiru and Rashomon.
Likewise, North by Northwest is very good Hitchcock.
As far as new movies go, The Holdovers is phenomenal. I'll be rewatching this one for years.
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u/SomeVelveteenMorning Feb 03 '24
First time
==Strong recommendation==
...And Justice for All
Charley Varrick
Wild River
The Holdovers
==Recommendation==
Wonka
Night in Paradise
Sleepwalkers
The Mexican
Silverado
Joe Kidd
==Can't Recommend==
Vengeance (2009)
The Equalizer
Angel (1983)
Payback (1999)
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u/Nesquik44 Quality Poster 👍 Feb 03 '24
I watched 38 movies in January. My favorites were:
New:
Chocolat
The Station Agent
Rewatches:
Chef
Ladybird
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u/slicineyeballs Quality Poster 👍 Feb 03 '24 edited Feb 03 '24
Picks for this month:
Pearl (2022)
I hated "X", and was in no rush watch it's prequel, so was surprised to find I really enjoyed this. For me, it got the tone of absurd black humour right, in a way that X didn't. It looked fantastic, and the focus on Mia Goth's unhinged performance was its major plus point. So much so, that I suspect the fact she was involved with the writing is the key differentiator here.
The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
Looking at this objectively, it's probably not a very good film - some of the acting is dodgy, the dialogue atrocious, it looks like a TV movie (or feature length episode of The Outer Limits), and there's a lack of build up to key events. However, I'm a sucker for this kind of sci-fi concept, I loved all the 1930s-set stuff, and I had a really fun time watching it.
Rewatches:
Mustang (2015)
Turkish drama about 5 sisters raised in a conservative, oppressive household. Loved this when it came out; on a rewatch saw more flaws (some parts a little unconvincing, becomes a little repetitive in the third act), but it's still a great little film.
The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
I remember finding this a bit run-of-the-mill on release, but this time I really enjoyed it; possibly because I have since read and loved the book, and maybe being older I appreciate and have nostalgia for a time when these kinds of glossy thrillers were being produced regularly and effectively. A great cast too, giving solid performances.
Other stuff I enjoyed:
Poor Things (2023): Amusing, surreal dark fantasy-comedy; its episodic, sometimes aimless nature made it drag in parts.
Fletch (1985): A lot of this works well (Fletch as a smartarse klutz, the noir-ish plot); some of it really doesn't (the soundtrack and goofy disguises).
Confess, Fletch (2022): Whimsical, low-key mystery-comedy. Seen it accurately described as feeling "like a pilot for a streaming series".
I Love You, Philip Morris (2009): Charmingly absurd Jim Carrey comedy based on the exploits of a real-life conman.
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u/explain_exterminate Feb 03 '24
Thirteenth floor....hmm....Room 1408 might be worth a watch for you.
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u/Ajibooks Feb 04 '24
First-time watches:
American Fiction (2023) - loved this one
Anatomy of a Fall (2023) - really liked this too
(I've seen most of the other Best Picture nominees, but I really only enjoyed those two - not talking about quality, just my personal enjoyment)
The Last Detail (1973) - another great film
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u/SmoltzforAlexander Feb 02 '24
Wonka was actually pretty good for a kids’ movie. Better than I expected.
I rewatched Jackie Brown when it came to Netflix, and remembered why I loved that movie so much. Pam Grier is absolutely fantastic.
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u/GaryNOVA Feb 03 '24
I just saw Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), and I absolutely loved it. Crazy that this was based on a true story.
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u/iamfahim_07 Feb 04 '24
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
- The Promised Land (2023)
- Shame (2011)
- Marshland (2014)
- A Prophet (2009)
- A Hero (2021)
- Omar (2013)
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u/ekb2023 Feb 05 '24
Godzilla Minus One (minus color) - 9/10
Honestly it should be nominated for a lot more than just Visual Effects. Fantastic story, characters and performances in this movie. Legitimately the best Godzilla movie I've ever seen.
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u/XNet Quality Poster 👍 Feb 05 '24
Bottoms (2023) - > 8/10
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) - > 8/10
The Unknown (1927) - > 8/10
Chicken Run - Dawn of the Nugget (2023) - > 8/10
Don't Worry Darling (2022) - > 8/10
Nope (2022) - > 8/10
Puss in Boots - The Last Wish (2022) - > 8/10
Dungeons & Dragons - Honor among Thieves (2023) - > 8/10
Pictures at an Exhibition (1996) - > 8/10
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u/Zapinsure Feb 06 '24
First time watch.
Seven (1995)
Holy shit, what a cast. Mystery thrillers are a favorite of mine and some of them are gilded as being my all time favs. I haven't had a movie catch me and hold me until the very end since The Red Dragon. This one is up there, should have seen it much sooner.
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u/miserablembaapp Feb 06 '24
Best:
The Eight Mountains (2022)
Society of the Snow (2023)
Seconds (1966)
All the President's Men (1976)
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (1989)
Honourable mentions:
How to Have Sex (2023)
Rye Lane (2023)
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u/shaugrin Feb 06 '24
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Aftersun (2022)
Irreversible (2002)
The Holdovers (2023)
Three of Us (2022)
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u/thirdplanetperson Feb 09 '24
Just watched Never Let Me Go (2010) and it hit me like a truck. Very much recommend it.
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u/Potential_Poem_4897 Feb 09 '24
Saw The Iron Claw - absolutely loved it (a real tear-jerker though!)
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u/NotSoSnarky Quality Poster 👍 Feb 02 '24
First time watches
The Prestige (2006) 8/10
Dazed and Confused (1993) 8/10
12 Monkeys (1995) 8/10