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Best and Worst Films from April 2024

Best Films from April 2024:

3. Sorry, Wrong Number

Sorry, Wrong Number is a very interesting noir film that benefited strongly from its stellar premise that deftly utilized the telephone for suspense purposes. The movie was elevated by excellent technical aspects and a truly shocking ending that capped off the story in such an unexpectedly dark way. I just wished that the pacing was brisker and the screenplay less cluttered and the movie would have been a classic. But in a month that was quite weak for me, this noir easily gets this third spot in the best section.

2. The French Lieutenant’s Woman

The French Lieutenant’s Woman is a very cinematic, gorgeous-looking and sounding period piece that was solidly adapted in its screenplay and superbly performed by Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons. The two-timeline structure didn’t quite work as the modern section was underutilized, but the ending was strong, the characterization was excellent and the movie’s dialogue and atmosphere were both top-notch.

1. Four Daughters

Four Daughters is an interesting, experimental film that blends fiction and documentary in a unique way. It doesn’t always work and the third act felt a bit rushed, but the acting, directing and editing are all excellent and the movie is at its best when it dealt with family drama. Those scenes were quite charming. It’s among the best documentaries of 2023 and the best movie I saw this month.

Worst Films from April 2024:

3. Blue Ruin

Blue Ruin is a revenge thriller that did not work for me. It was well edited, shot and scored. I respected to a degree that it was stripped to its bare essentials. However, it failed to engage me as I did not care for the main character, so I failed to be involved in his story. It’s a very overrated 2014 indie feature.

2. Existenz

Existenz is one of the weakest Cronenberg movies. It has a strong concept and some very memorable and unique imagery, but its screenplay is messy as it failed to explain any of its ideas properly. The movie has a terrific cast, but they were directed terribly, leading to a lot of frustratingly monotonous line reading. It was a total letdown for me.

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

The fifth Elm Street movie is one of the weakest in the franchise. While its VFX are truly phenomenal and the fantastical scenes are interesting, they were seriously hurt by cringe-worthy dialogue. The overall premise was ludicrous and Freddy was way too campy this time around. It’s a silly, mediocre movie and the worst one I saw all month.