Pederson's Playlist: My Top Films of 2024 and the Ones that I Slept Through

Well, it's that time again. Christmas is over, our bank accounts are hurting, and we're limping away from all of the mental, emotional, and spiritual wounds left by 2024. Personally, it feels like I've been run through a metaphorical cheese grader, but then again, when you're thirty-six and have five kids, what exactly is stability? Sanity is overrated . . . or something like that. I even had time to watch some movies this year. It's been a few years since I've put one of these "end of year" lists together, but here it is. Who needs to watch prestigious and legitimate award ceremonies like the Academy Awards or BAFTA, when you can read some thoughts by a rapidly approaching middle age male, who hasn't had a rational thought since his twenties?

14) The Beekeeper

When you watch a Jason Statham movie, it's pretty obvious what you're getting yourself into, before you even start it. Jason Statham, as far back as I can remember, has always played only one character, Jason Statham. Don't get me wrong, I love Jason Statham movies. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The Transporter, all great movies in their own right, but he only ever plays slight variations of himself. The Beekeeper was a movie I watched out of pure curiosity and the fact that it was free on Amazon Prime. You know what they say . . . when the wife goes to sleep, the husband will watch movies that she's not interested in. I was expecting something along the lines of The Fast and the Furious Meets the The Transporter. What I got instead was Crank 2 merged with the The Mechanic, minus the scenes with the giant heads and the main character electrocuting himself. Sorry, I guess I'm avoiding telling you whether or not to watch this movie. I decline to comment. It's definitely a movie. Is it one worth watching? I'm still trying to figure that one out.

13) Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver

So this one was something. I don't like to speak harshly of movies, but this film has its head stuck so far up its own butt, I honestly don't think it knows exactly what kind of story it wants to tell, because it can't see what's happening. Don't get me wrong, I love Zack Snyder. I am a diehard fan of his work on the various DC properties he's made movies out of. I also love the movie Sucker Punch (it took me fifteen years to love it, but I still think it's an amazing film). When I first heard about the Rebel Moon universe being created for Netflix, I got really excited. We don't get a lot of science-fiction movies anymore that aren't pushing an agenda of some kind. If these movies are pushing an agenda, I don't think Zack Snyder even knows what it is. Granted, to storytellers, especially lore heavy ones like Snyder, the vision in their head makes a lot more sense to them than what people are seeing on the screen. I haven't watched the director cuts yet, so it's possible they will make everything make sense, but I don't understand anything about what's going on so far in this series. I want to like it, but I can't even pinpoint what I dislike about it. It's all just motion and space Nazis.

12) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

First of all, let's give credit where credit is due. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is on so many levels better than 2016's Ghostbusters reboot by Paul Feig. While not as good as Ghostbusters: Afterlife, I didn't dislike this one as much as everybody else. Was it a great film? Not really. Was it an entertaining film? I think it definitely checked all of those boxes. Where 2016's Ghostbusters had a great cast, it was a very poorly written film. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire also had a great cast, but the story was just okay. Much like Ghostbusters II asked what New York looked like in the aftermath of the first film, it was more of a continuation than a story. I think Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was fighting the same battle. It wasn't so much a sequel as it was a continuation of the story being told in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, with the Spengler family taking up the sacred mantle and the trouble that unfolded in the process. Give it a watch. You might like it.

11) Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

When Gareth Edwards's Godzilla reboot released in 2014, it was much more than the average monster flick. Yes, it told a story about a giant monster, but it told a story about broken humans, as well. This is a story that manifested itself in the form the familial bond and tragedies of characters played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Bryan Cranston. It also kickstarted the Warner Bros monster-verse that is still alive and kicking ten years later. Unfortunately, these movies, especially the latest one Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has lost what made 2014's Godzilla so special. The human aspect of these movies are gone. All that exists now are monsters beating each other to a pulp. Also . . . I fell asleep about half way through this one. Do with that information what you will.

10) The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

If you've read any of the other pieces that I've written, you probably know that I'm a big fan of Guy Ritchie movies. The way that he writes his characters, edits his films, and tells his stories are far superior to many other filmmakers, in my humble opinion. That being said, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was a mid-tier movie at best. While it definitely had Ritchie's signature editing, color pallets, etc., I think the fact that it was more or less bound the to shackles of "historical accuracy" sort of kept it in the realm of being a good movie as opposed to a great movie. My wife fell asleep during this one, so I never really got a chance to process it with another human. Again, it wasn't bad, but after another viewing, I might like it more.

9) The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Full disclosure, I probably would never have watched this one if I wasn't a chaperone on a field trip to see it. That being said, I am very glad I watched it. Not only was it relatable, but it didn't shove any religious messaging down your throat, despite being made by a Christian director. Not that religious messaging is bad, but many of the Christian studios out there are more about the messaging than the storytelling. If you're doing it correctly, the two should weave together organically, without one overpowering the other. Anyways, this is a movie I wouldn't mind watching again. It had a good message, it was relatable, and perfect for a movie night with the kids.

8) Dune: Part Two

I wanted to love this movie . . . but I didn't. That's not to say I didn't like it. The world is just incredibly dark, and there's not as much to enjoy in the world, as there was in how the world was brought to life. I'm a huge fan of Dennis Villeneuve. Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best films of the past twenty years. I think that nobody could have done this movie, except for him. Everything from the colors to the sound and editing was performed by a true master of their craft. I'm not sure what's happening next with this franchise, but if Dennis Villeneuve isn't part of it, chances are it won't be the same.

7) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was actually a pretty great movie. While it certainly wasn't good enough to earn the number 1 spot on this list, it's definitely worthy of being on there. I know there are die-hard fans of the old Planet of the Apes franchise that started back in the late '60s, and those fans have been pretty critical of the recent reboots, which started with Rise of the Planet of the Apes back in 2011, but I personally think they've done a pretty incredible job breathing life into a dead IP. The best part about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is that it didn't rely on any characters from the original trilogy. This was the first film that took place in a post-Caesar world, where the serum created by James Franco's character in the first one, has basically caused the apes and humans to switch places. I hope they don't drag these movies on forever, and that there's an endgame in sight for its story, but for now, I'm really enjoying the ride.

6) Twisters

I'll be completely honest, I didn't think this was going to be a good movie. We are in this weird era, where studios would rather make sequels and reboots for movies that are twenty plus years old than try their luck with something new. A lot of the time, those gambles don't pay off. Twisters is a great example of how to stick to what made the original so great, while also making something completely new. On the surface, Twisters is a movie about tornados and trying to understand and minimize the devastation they cause. Beneath the surface, however, Twisters tells a much needed narrative about the dangers of social media and how we are reaching the point where people are willing to risk their lives and the lives of others for a click and a follow. Either way you look at it, it's a great popcorn flick and an easy watch for the casual movie fan.

5) Deadpool vs Wolverine

Back when The Hangover came out, I got so sick and tired hearing people talk about it, that I didn't feel the need to even watch it for a long time. It was sort of the same with Deadpool vs Wolverine. My wife and I don't get to the movies that often, the byproduct having so many kids they might as was well be coming out on a factory line. Just kidding . . . we're stopping at five, for the hundred people who keep asking if we're going to try for a son. Anyways, by the time my wife and I finally sat down to watch this one, I felt as if I'd seen it not once, but several times. I even fell asleep about thirty minutes into the movie. I plan on finishing it at some point, but before you tell me I should watch it, please just stop. Go watch The Hangover for the 1,000,027th time and tell me about how that's "totally you and your friends". To which I will reply, "No, it isn't, because you'd probably be dead."

4) Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training

This one, I suppose, isn't technically a movie, but I saw it in the theaters, so I'm going to count it. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training, marks the first time an anime has gotten this big in the mainstream since Dragon Ball Super. Sure, My Hero Academia, and some of the Mobile Suit Gundam stuff has found a big fanbase with North American audiences, but I have never seen anything take off like this, especially with young kids. I'll be honest, there are moments when I sat down to watch it with my kids, that I had to ask, should they be watching this? It's not sexual, and there's not much in the line of inappropriate language, but it definitely gets pretty brutal at some points. Parental Advisory aside, this latest arc is mostly filler, as they get closer to the final installment of the show. Still, much like the rest of it, it is beautifully animated and tells a story that hits those emotions pretty hard.

3) Gladiator II

I've gone back and forth quite a bit on this one. Did we need a sequel to Gladiator? No, not really. Were we curious about what happened to the Rome that Maximus died for after the film was over? Most definitely. On that point, the movie definitely delivers. I think Ridley Scott is an amazing filmmaker, but this movie had some flaws that keeps it in the shadow of the original. Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal were spectacular in this, and Denzel Washington played a terrifying villain that would probably bring our modern political system to its heels. Unfortunately, this movie relied too heavily on the mythos of the original to truly shine on its own.

2) Carry-On

I guess you could say that this was this year's wild card, as I had no intention of watching it, and didn't even know it existed until the constant scrolling of Netflix that drives my wife crazy finally found me looking at it. Many reviews compared it to Die Hard, which really isn't fair, as this is a completely different movie and only has one thing in common with Die Hard or Die Hard 2, which is the fact that it takes place in an airport. Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman were mesmerizing together on screen. It definitely has some cheesy moments, but this movie kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through.

1) Alien: Romulus

Well here it is, my favorite movie of the year. After the disaster that was Alien: Covenant, I didn't think I would ever enjoy another Alien film, as it seemed like they had found the point of no return in convoluted lore. However, as boredom left me with some spare time, I turned this one on and found myself quickly glued to its simplistic storytelling and respect for the lore that Fede Alvarez didn't create, but knew very well. This movie is both a back to the basics approach to what made the original Alien movies such classics, but also something new in its own right. I still want to see Ridley Scott give Prometheus the sequel it deserves, but hot dang, this is so much better than Alien: Covenant, which felt like a cheat film instead of a true sequel to the theological and philosophically troubling, yet beautiful, film that was Prometheus. Watch Alien: Romulus . . . not with your kids, but definitely watch it (preferably with the lights on).

Honorable Mentions (Films from Yesteryear)

5) English Hearts: The Deaf Havana Story

4) Gundam Wing: The Endless Waltz

3) Love Actually

2) Mobile Suit Gundam: Twilight Axis

1) Prometheus