Youtube directors, friendly rock aliens and sequels – Carter Smith runs down his top ten films of the year so far
We are just over halfway through the year, and dare I say, it has been quite a disappointing year for movies. There’s been some high highs as always, but it feels like there has been a large majority of mediocre movies. Not to worry, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is just around the corner and soon the films from Cannes will be right on our doorstep. Until then, here are my top ten films of the year so far out of the 25 I have watched.
10. The Drama
Out of all the lines in a wedding vow, none are ignored more than ‘for better or for worse’. It’s a good sentiment, but not one which is ever fulfilled — especially in the film. If the divorce rates in the world are above 40% in real life, we must be nearing the high 70% for film couples. Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) were heading for the win column when it comes to film couples. They were besotted with each other. Obnoxiously so. They were the type of couple who make you roll your eyes because of how in love they are. It seemed like an obvious happily ever after, until the same thing that derails most marriages comes into play. Drinking. Too much drinking. Seeing the bottom of the bottle led to a surprise confession from Emma and a darkly funny outing by director Kristoffer Borgli. It will likely be Robert Pattinson and Zendaya’s weakest film from this year – a testament to them and their agents – but that shouldn’t take away from how great they both are in this film. Till drinking game do they part.
9. Toy Story 5
Really? Pixar are actually doing another one? A fifth instalment of a franchise which people – wrongly – thought had run out of steam in the fourth? They did, but Andrew Stanton wasn’t going to let his beloved franchise come back unless they had a story worthy to match this franchise’s beloved catalogue. It’s toys Vs tech this time around, and it shoves favourites Woody and Buzz to the side and lets Jessie take the reins of the crew. It can’t be understated how bad Toy Story 5 could have turned out, but they make all the right decisions to make this film not only feel warranted but to stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest. The biggest stroke of genius was putting Jessie central to the plot and taking us back to her devastating roots. Is it a Toy Story movie if they don’t make your lip quiver? If they can keep thinking of scripts as great as this one was, I can’t see why we can’t cling onto our childhoods for a little while longer with future instalments.
8. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
I’m sure most of us were left perplexed when 28 Years Later – a film that was surprisingly just as sincere as it was visceral – ended with a group of humans dressed as a mix between the Power Rangers and infamous cunt Jimmy Savile saving Spike (Alfie Williams) from zombies by moving like ninjas. I can’t say I wasn’t left intrigued, but I had no idea how you continue what such a bold statement to end on. The answer? You embrace it. Naturally, you turn down the mighty morphing tone of it all, and you instead lean in on the insanity and repulsiveness that comes when you embody such a disgusting human. There is no good place to be in a zombie apocalypse, but this group of vermin is definitely the worst. Poor Spike can’t catch a break. Nia DaCosta had quite the task following the long-awaited sequel, but she succeeds in keeping this story going with a gruesome but weirdly hopeful way. Bring on the finale.
7. The Devil Wears Prada 2
It’s been 20 years since The Devil Wears Prada first hit cinemas, and a lot has happened in the world since. In-universe, Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs has become a hard-hitting journalist, taking on stories with importance. She isn’t the only one who has left; Emily Blunt’s Emily is now a fashion executive at Dior, moving away from Miranda’s grasp. As for Miranda (Meryl Streep), she is still shaping the fashion industry at Runway along with Nigel. Though she is struggling to come to terms with the new PG world she finds herself in. As for in real life, there has been a seismic shift in both film and journalism. Editors have new priorities which lean heavily on clicks more than actual worthwhile stories. Directors have adopted a familiar philosophy, as more and more big studios focus on legacy sequels and reboots more than original ideas. That leaves The Devil Wears Prada 2 in a tricky position, standing both as a legacy sequel and a film which was built on the importance of journalism. There were two ways for them to go — fully embrace the cash grab or have a genuine attempt at focusing on the change in industry. It has the usual stick — savvy comebacks, jokes about fashion and condescending attitudes, but woven throughout is a sincere attempt at critiquing itself and the new world we find ourselves in when it comes to journalism, film and even the rise of AI. Even the devil has better morals than most studio heads. Sounds about right.
6. Hokum
Adam Scott is the perfect douche American. He has a face which seems lovable, but an attitude and tone of voice which could be put under the dictionary description of an overbearing Yank. So when you place his character, famous writer Ohm, inside a humble hotel deep in Ireland, he feels dramatically out of place. It’s like trying to force a puzzle piece into the wrong spot. Bilberry Woods Hotel is full of the usual Irish craic. It’s a lively spot. Ohm hates that. His attitude is weary and uninviting. Any patience for their small talk is limited. The respect for their way of life is at a bare minimum. So what subsequently happens to him for the rest of Damien McCarthy’s 107-minute unsettling horror adds up. The usual horror situations he finds himself in are not jarring or the consequence of stupid decision-making, but rather a sum of an attitude that he feels above everyone else. It’s been a year blessed with horror films – did you know YouTubers have been making horror films? – and Hokum is right up there with the best.
5. Disclosure Day
Steven Spielberg is long past trying to convince you aliens exist. Instead, he is more interested in how the world would react when the world is informed that the extraterrestrials have not only been on the planet, but have also been tortured by the government. His answer is glass half-full. Similar to leaving James Gunn’s Superman last year, you are blasted with a feeling of hope and humanity, which gets your hope core in overdrive. Once that wears off, I am left feeling unsatisfied by the climax. As much as I do believe the news broadcast scene is immensely powerful, the kumbaya of it all feels a tad overbearing. There are great moments throughout: Emily Blunt is giving career-best work, the score is great, and some of the chase scenes get the heart pumping. It’s Spielberg at the end of the day; his worst movies are still better than most. There are just too many things holding this back from being truly great.
4. Send Help
Like most early in the year releases, we are at risk of forgetting how great Sam Rami’s Send Help was. Which is a shame, because it was a bloody delight. A great return to form for Rami, which reminds everyone he still has the sauce. It follows Linda, a survival expert and Strategy and Planning employee. They are two great qualities, but to newly appointed nepotism baby Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), Linda’s unhygienic ways are too much to stomach. She wants a promotion, Bradley wants her packing her desk. As a compromise, she is given the chance to make it up to him on a trip which ends in destruction and life on a remote island. The pair’s chemistry is off the charts. They bicker constantly, which delivers laugh after laugh. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a cinema room full of so many people audibly reacting to what was going on. As it escalates, it gets more and more unhinged, playing into Rami’s skills. He has been on somewhat of a hiatus when it comes to his trademark horror elements, but they are beautifully on display here. Let’s hope he continues to do more Send Help and less Doctor Strange.
3. Obsession
The world has become obsessed with Obsession. Weirdly so. It has become the highest-grossing film made under $1 million, got a 4.1 on Letterboxd and is already getting early Oscar buzz – after Amy Madigan’s win, who knows? It has taken the world by storm and deservedly so. Inde Navarrette’s Nikki is always watching. Always. Bear (Michael Johnson) may be out of sight, but she is always watching. However, she is not obsessed. Not even close. Creepy weirdo Bear is the obsessed one. Like most incel boys, Bear had a crush on Nikki but had no courage to tell her. So he did what any sane person would do – made a wish that Nikki loved him more than anyone else in the world. Silly, silly man. There is a reason the Genie in Aladdin doesn’t cast love spells. He knew. What ensues is a frighteningly funny consequence of Bear’s actions played out by a great quartet of performances. I love me a horror film, so I am pleased to see the love it was getting, but it didn’t seem like the film which would resonate with so many people. Curry Baker’s first outing is a triumph. Maybe even too triumphant. Just maybe, we are all the consequence of Baker’s own One Wish Willow to get us all to love his film.
2. The Invite
It’s been a turbulent start to Olivia Wilde’s directing career. Her debut Booksmart was a charming outing. It wasn’t pulling up any trees, but a solid and uneventful start. Her follow-up, Don’t Worry Darling, was anything but. Shrouded in controversy, her sophomore release had the world captivated by the behind-the-scenes drama between Chris Pine and global superstar Harry Styles. To make matters worse, the film was panned by critics. Not ideal at all. You’d be forgiven for thinking this put an impromptu end to what could have been a promising career. Not on Wilde’s watch. She stripped it back. No more secret mystery simulation world, just two couples under the same roof. Wilde puts any doubts to bed in the English-speaking remake of The People Upstairs. She takes the source material, and she makes it sing. Her confident directing and great performance alongside Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz make for an incredibly funny and irresistible watch. I am certain I will not laugh more at another film for the rest of the year. It takes the themes of modern marriage and the taboo of sex and trusts the audience to understand the complexities of it all. If you hopped off the Wilde train, now is the perfect time to get back on.
1. Project Hail Mary
My dad wouldn’t be born for another nine years when Stanley Kubrick redefined the Sci-Fi genre with 2001: A Space Odyssey. I was alive when Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus, Interstellar, was released, but I was only ten. Apologies to anyone I made feel old saying that x. I have missed many classics thanks to, well, life, but none more so than the transcending trips to space. Luckily for me, I was right on time to watch the latest Sci-Fi epic, Project Hail Mary. I’m sure that to some of you it is blasphemy to even utter Christopher Miller’s and Phil Lord’s book adaptation of the same name in the same atmosphere as the other two, but we will look back on this film as this generation’s poignant space film. Though tonally different from the other two – there are more jokes in the first ten minutes than the other two combined – its levels of grandeur are more than equal to its counterparts. Spearheaded by a usually charming Ryan Gosling performance, and his space buddy Rocky (James Ortiz), the pair go on a journey to save their respective planets from certain doom. What sets Project Hail Mary apart from its predecessors is the sense of hope in the film’s narrative. It doesn’t try to emulate what the previous film succeeded at: it creates a new identity of optimism which feels necessary. I will be amaze if a film that releases this year is better. Believe in the hype. Believe in the Hail Mary.
