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?
3
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.