……………………………………………………….

Best and Worst Films from October 2024

Best Films from October 2024:

3. Battleground

This wasn’t the greatest month for me, but a couple of movies are worth putting on this best list. Battleground is the first one. It is one of the rare WWII features from the forties that has aged like fine wine and is still an engaging watch today. The prime reason for that lies in its approach – instead of the usual patriotic speeches and sweeping tales of heroism, what we got here is a grounded take on the war experience with the soldiers feeling believable in their fears and insecurities. This is one of the better Oscar movies I’ve seen recently for sure.

2. The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot is a wonderful animated film that is a treat for both adults and children. This movie will appeal to even the most cynical among us. There is so much warmth in its characters and so much importance in its messaging that preaches the importance of community and friendship. The animation is a gorgeous mix of modern and traditional techniques and the voice acting is fantastic. This is one of the best DreamWorks Animation movies to date and a terrific return to form for the struggling studio. I’d expected a lot from it and it didn’t disappoint at all.

1. The Substance

The Substance is the best movie I saw all month and the crazies one for sure. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley both delivered splendid work here, the VFX are quite remarkable and the score is disturbing. This movie counters ageism in a very effective and brutally direct way. It functioned as this very grotesque, modern take on a cautionary tale about the dangers of pursuing youth before turning into a wonderfully campy and crazy third act that will be polarizing to many viewers, but I simply loved it.

Worst Films from October 2024:

3. Friday the 13^th: The Final Chapter

This sequel has a pedestrian first half, some forgettable characters and a weak plot, but the main sibling duo was strong, Jason was very good here, and that third act was immensely entertaining and memorably graphic. I just wished that the rest of it was as good as that ending.

2. Freddy vs. Jason

Freddy vs. Jason is an expectedly ridiculous entry for both of these franchises that pitted these villains against each other, but the end result could have been more entertaining overall. The other characters were quite mediocre and the overall plot was weak, but at least the fight scenes were quite diverting and that ending was hilariously campy.

1. Body of Lies

Body of Lies is one of the most forgettable Ridley Scott movies. It forsake the geopolitical intricacies of its plot in favor of genre thrills and extensive action set pieces. The flick felt instantly dated due to its overly familiar approach to storytelling and a spy narrative that was tiresome and dull.