The Fall Guy

Loosely based on a 1980s show of the same name, The Fall Guy pays tribute to the stuntmen behind the scenes of movies and shows. Ryan Gosling stars as Colt Seavers, a veteran stuntman who gets called back to provide stunt work after a serious accident for a new big budget movie directed by his ex, played by Emily Blunt. With the film shooting in Australia, Colt must mend his relationship while also taking part in figuring what happened to the lead of the movie. Having David Leitch as director gives this tribute to stunt work that much of a stronger of a tribute thanks to not only the films he made before this but also his work as a stuntman and coordinator prior to directing. Combine Leitch's direction and Drew Pearce's writing you get a movie with great action but also have a well told story whose focus isn't just the big action scenes but has equal parts drama and comedy, almost bordering on romantic comedy at times with how Colt and Jody, his ex, interact. But even when there's a scene with no huge or inventive stunts, Leitch still manages to find creative ways to make each scene memorable through inventive camera work like a split screen between Colt and Jody when they're calling each other and discussing the very same thing. A lot of these stunts and creative decisions wouldn't work as well if not for Jonathan Sela's cinematography and Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir's editing. Gosling and Blunt give really strong and hilarious performances that make their characters feel so relatable, especially with how strong their chemistry was. Other memorable members of the cast that elevate the movie include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, and Winston Duke. Even though it bombed, that doesn't take away how great The Fall Guy is both as a movie in its own right and a tribute to the stunt community. Over all: 100%

2024 top list so far:

1. Dune: Part 2

2. The Fall Guy

3. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

4. Abigail

5. Monkey Man

6. Late Night with the Devil

7. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

8. The Book of Clarence

9. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

10. Drive-Away Dolls

11. Kung Fu Panda 4

12. Lisa Frankenstein

13. Argylle

14. Mean Girls 2024

Abigail

Vampires are nothing new in film, but it's not everyday that we get a little girl vampire who's also a ballerina in Abigail. The titular character, initially acting like an innocent child, gets kidnapped by a group of criminals who are unaware of what she is and only know that Abigail is the daughter of a powerful figure. Things start to go wrong when the house they're in locks them in, Abigail reveals herself as a vampire, and the bodies start dropping. This film is a complete riot thanks to the combination of strong writing, directing, acting, effects, production values, and cinematography. Stephen Shields and Guy Busick craft a fun and terrifying script that manages to take an overused premise and give it great spins, while also having very three dimensional characters with very witty and informative dialogue. Coming off of the last two Scream movies, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett continue to prove why their unique touch and style are perfect for the horror genre. As Abigail, Alisha Weir is fantastic and terrifying, proving to be such a formidable and fun actress despite being in her early teens. Alongside her you also get strong and believable performances from Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, and Kevin Durand. All of them manage to take the already great writing of their characters and install charm and likability to them. The minimal and small locations helps to give the effects, production values, and cinematography a sense of great detail despite its limited setting. A movie as fun, good, and absolutely bonkers and terrifying is not always easy to make, but Abigail manages to do that in spades. Over all: 100%

2024 top list so far:

1. Dune: Part 2

2. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

3. Abigail

4. Monkey Man

5. Late Night with the Devil

6. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

7. The Book of Clarence

8. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

9. Drive-Away Dolls

10. Kung Fu Panda 4

11. Lisa Frankenstein

12. Argylle

13. Mean Girls 2024