It’s the Media Boat 2024 Year-End Wrap-Up! Today we’re taking a look back at the year in movies! First we’ll choose one news story that defined the year. Next, we’ll give our individual Top Five Movies, followed by choice for Media Boat’s Movie of the Year!

Matt’s Top Five Movies of 2024

If you haven’t seen Furiosa yet, sorry, it’s too late. Actually, no, I won’t be that guy – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a great movie no matter what screen you view it on. But if any movie was a perfect example of a spectacle best seen on a big theater screen, this would be it. Furiosa is a larger-than life story about a larger-than-life heroine that manages to rival Mad Max himself in ass-kickery. It has some of the most jaw-dropping action sequences I’ve ever seen. It’s also one of the strangest movies I’ve ever seen, which goes to show how much free reign George Miller is given. Chris Hemsworth’s performance alone is proof that there were truly no rules (just right) on this Outback. Miller isn’t all flash though; inside the movie is an emotional center that genuinely understands the struggle of women in a male-dominated warzone. It doesn’t pull any punches with its themes, and it nails it.

Hundreds of Beavers is a miracle in many ways. Sure, it seems beamed in from a timeline where we kept making slapstick films well beyond Laurel & Hardy, but it’s also a miracle that it even exists and we can watch it. Take one look at this movie and you’ll wonder how any of its moving parts work. How did they get all these animal costumes? How did they manage to edit this thing? How did they create the enormous-seeming climactic setpiece? But maybe most of all, how did anyone finance this? I don’t have answers to any of these questions, but I don’t care when I’m watching Hundreds of Beavers. Instead, I let the zaniness wash over me, and I love it. The movie exists at the exact middle point between Looney Tunes short and survival game let’s play, which seems baffling, yet works. It’s probably the loudest I’ve laughed at anything this year, too. From the moment a woman tears open a costume to sift through felt organs so she can provide our hero with clothing, I knew I was watching something that probably shouldn’t be. Boy am I thrilled that it does.

One internet discourse that pops up every once in a while is “how can you relate to stories that have nothing to do with your lived experience?” The obvious answer is “um, empathy,” but that seems hard for some people to grasp. Movies are often great vessels for this kind of storytelling, and Conclave is a perfect example. You might not be Catholic or know anything about how popes are chosen, but the movie draws you in regardless, with universal themes of morality and humanity. The thing is simply riveting; the twists and turns will have you waiting on every moment of dialogue with bated breath. Moreso, the film’s message is poignant in times of a worldwide turn towards fascism; the story doesn’t necessarily say that religious piety is the answer, but instead that basic human goodness can be as simple as doing what’s best for everyone, despite red tape– or red seals.

Talk about a movie that reminds you about what’s great about movies. Everything about Challengers has energy. It practically glides through its runtime, despite being over two hours long. The bouncing timeline may seem awkward at first, but both the tennis scenes and the interpersonal drama are treated equally as sweaty, which helps the whole project feel cohesive. The three main characters are easily understood, but leave so much unsaid that it never feels like the movie is too straightforward, right down to the perfectly executed ambiguous ending. Meanwhile, the camera itself is having a ball – ever wanted to see a tennis match from the perspective of the ground? Here’s your chance! Challengers gave me a rush that I hadn’t felt since The Social Network, so I know it’s bound to be just as much of a classic.

There’s no wrong way to interpret art. I believe I Saw the TV Glow is ultimately a hopeful film, but I don’t blame anyone who felt otherwise. The world it portrays is bleak and full of horror, and the ending makes the fate of the protagonist pretty clear. After I watched it the first time, I thought about the Sleater-Kinney song “Jumpers,” which tells the story of a person’s suicide. Instead of saying explicitly that the person is wrong to have jumped, the lyrics instead describe why they got to this point and leave it there. This kind of “radical empathy” doesn’t sit with me well, for obvious reasons. But I do understand it. I think a lot of awful feelings we feel in life are more complicated than “should” or “shouldn’t”. Perhaps the more we focus on why we have these problems before it’s too late to do so, there would be fewer of those “too late” scenarios. Either way, I Saw the TV Glow is a deeply empathetic film, both as a story about the trans experience and as a broader tale about the blurry line between reality and the media we love. The haze of the colors match perfectly with the suburban ennui, creating a dreamscape we never truly escape from. I don’t typically like horror, but the way the film balances its human drama with the impending danger worked for me just like it did in Get Out. In a world where we’re looking at the very real possibility trans rights could be further stripped away, the danger of I Saw the TV Glow feels realer than ever. I don’t blame anyone for feeling defeated. But, perhaps naively, I believe the film when it says that we all still have time.

Mike’s Top Five Shows of 2024

I don’t know if this is considered one of the best films of the year, but it is one that I could not stop thinking about. First, it’s a weird ass film where everything is not as it seems, but you can’t quite put a finger on how everything feels off. Second, It goes some places once the introduction of The Pink Opaque gets more fleshed out to the point that things start to align, but still not quite. Third, that monologue entering act III is a wild ride and exploration that I was not prepared for and could turn people away. However, through all the weirdness and unsettling sights, it remains a sticking point that simply talking about it would easily exceed its own run time. There’s nothing quite like it out there and weird is good.

A simple game of body swapping quickly turns an evening amongst friends into a chaotic nightmare when past secrets are slowly revealed. The acting is impeccable as everyone takes turns mimicking their friends while trying not to be caught up in the madness of swapping bodies. While the half-way turn is fairly obvious to spot, it’s the ending at how everything ties together is what seals this film’s spot on my list. There’s great use of camera work and lighting that highlights exactly what is needed in each shot which is even better upon repeat viewings. It’s What’s Inside may seem simple on the surface, but deep down it hides a creative plot that’ll make you want to watch it with other friends.

It’s the sexy tennis movie. Zendaya leads these dueling friends turned rivals in an epic match that spans 13 years and multiple interactions. Every scene pits each character against one another as they volley for control while not giving up any set intentions. The breaking point in the final match is a sight to behold as the camera becomes the ball in a dizzying display of camera work orchestrated by a killer soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails. It’s grippingly entertaining and a must watch of the year.

When the Pope dies, how do the summoned Cardinals elect their next leader? That’s the basic premise of Conclave, but it delves much deeper than just the simple politics of being elected. There’s intrigue surrounding all the nominated candidates as their skeletons get unearthed while seeds of discourse are planted amongst the electors. Even amongst the ones deemed elected by God, do the sins of man plague each nomination. By the time the next Pope is chosen, you won’t be prepared for the ending revelation.

The best movie of 2023 finally came out after being delayed a couple of months and did not disappoint. The epic undertaking of splitting Dune into 2 films helped to broaden the scope of Denis Villenueve’s version, while also bringing in fantastic new characters with their own sense of authenticity. This film covers the wide ranging topics of religion vs control, destiny vs choice, love vs duty, and war vs peace. It’s beautifully shot, fantastically scored, and amazingly directed making this a no brainer for my top film of the year.

2024 Year-End Wrap Up: Movies

Matt’s Top Five Movies of 2024

Mike’s Top Five Shows of 2024