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Best and Worst Films from March 2024

Best and Worst Films from March 2024:

3. Poor Things

This was the month where I saw the first Yorgos Lanthimos movie that I genuinely liked. Yes, Poor Things lacked subtlety, which is typical for contemporary Hollywood, but it delivered in solid humor, some very funny dialogue and a phenomenal central turn from Emma Stone in the role of the unforgettable Bella Baxter. The opulent costumes, sets and music were the other standouts in this very polished and artistic film.

2. Dune: Part Two

I watched the second Dune movie in the theater this month and I found it to be an audio-visual spectacle that is even more epic than its predecessor. The characterization and overall plot were excellent and the movie explored the themes from the source material surprisingly well. It’s a very strong movie, but one that still featured a frustrating, disappointing ending that I also did not like in the novel itself. It was messy and a big letdown compared to everything that came before it.

1. The Taste of Things

Deeply sensual and incredibly romantic, The Taste of Things makes every image and sound count, which led to it being the greatest film ever made about food. In this story, food and love are inseparable from each other. This is Tran Anh Hung’s magnum opus as he employed his signature eye for detail to the fullest degree – the French countryside setting literally came to life due to superb cinematography and fantastic sound design. This movie isn’t for everyone, but for those who appreciate slice-of-life storytelling that is all about the simple pleasures of life, it will prove to be an utter delight.

Worst Films from March 2024:

3. After Hours

After Hours is often regarded as one of the most underrated Scorsese movies, but this is one of his worst movies as it lacked a compelling story and memorable characters to make any impact. The movie is populated by unappealing characters and ridiculously implausible scenarios. It’s classified as a black comedy, but it doesn’t even try to be funny. Ironically, this isn’t Scorsese’s underrated masterpiece, but an overrated mess.

2. Black Rain

Black Rain is one of the weakest Ridley Scott movies. Its neo-noir atmosphere is delightful  – the cinematography and score are both quite strong. The acting is also pretty good. But that’s pretty much it here as the plot is nonsensical, the action overwhelming and the third act is ridiculous. It’s a forgettable 80s action thriller.

1. Madame Web

Of course the worst movie I saw all month is Madame Web, the newest Sony superhero movie in their maligned Spider-Man Cinematic Universe. The movie is funny and campy, but the dialogue is so ridiculous, the central Dakota Johnson performance is quite odd and the overall story is messy and stupid. It’s one of the worst genre movies of all time.