Image: “Maxxxine” Movie Poster via IMDb
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
The prequel to the best action movie of the 2010s stars Chris Hemsworth, Anya Taylor Joy and Tom Burke. The movie follows the genesis of the titular anti-hero, Furiosa, as she goes from an enslaved child to a young woman plotting to avenge the death of her mother at the hands of the bombastic and vainglorious warlord, Dementus. Director George Miller displays exquisite attention to practical effects (e.g., car crashes, explosions and pyrotechnics) but there is some noticeable CGI. While not as incredible as its predecessor, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (2024) is still a thrill ride from start to finish!
“Deadpool & Wolverine”
The long-awaited third and final film of the Deadpool trilogy blessed us this summer. This violent action-comedy once again follows Wade Wilson (Ryan Renolds), who is struggling to adjust to a normal life after leaving his job as a mercenary and having relationship troubles with his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). However, he is contacted by the slimy Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) of the Time Variance Authority to help save his universe from imploding. Marvel movies have been in a big slump since “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), so it should be a pleasant surprise to Marvel fans that “Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024) is a hit! While the movie does drag at times with its pacing, the performances among the cast are entertaining and heartfelt at the same time. Easily the best Marvel movies in years!
“Alien: Romulus”
Set after 1979’s “Alien,” but before 1986’s “Aliens,” “Alien: Romulus” (2024) is the latest film in the legendary Alien franchise. The story follows Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her android brother Andy (David Jonsson), who, along with their friends, agree to salvage parts from an abandoned space-station. Unbeknownst to them, the Romulus space station was abandoned due to the outbreak of Xenomorphs that killed the station’s personnel! “Alien: Romulus” does have some problems, such as paying a little too much fanservice to the prior movies, but it’s nothing too bothersome. Despite this, “Alien: Romulus” features gorgeous production values and is easily the best in the franchise since “Aliens”. Whether you’re a fan of the Alien franchise or a horror fan, this is not one to miss!
“Longlegs”
Longlegs follows FBI Special Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) investigating the elusive and cryptic serial killer called “Longlegs” (Nicholas Cage). However, as the case progresses, Harker quickly learns she might have a personal connection to the case she had long forgotten. Nicholas Cage steals the show yet again, with this easily being the most intimidating performance of his whole career. The movie is admittedly a pastiche of “Silence of the Lambs” (1991), and the ending is a little clumsy, but it still managed to hold its own thanks to its strong performances, intricate cinematography and sound design!
“Inside Out 2”
“Inside Out 2” (2024) continues the story of Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), now thirteen, after living in San Francisco for two years. However, big changes are happening to Riley as she is not only entering the treacherous halls of high school, but her emotions, lead by Joy (Amy Poehler), are dealing with Riley going through puberty, which brings in new emotions such as Ennui, Anxiety and Envy. Pixar continues to blaze a path for the medium of what animation can do in the west, much more so than Illumination. If you are looking for a nice kid-friendly movie, this is one for your watch list.
“Maxxxine”
“Maxxxine” (2024) is the final installment of Director Ti West’s acclaimed horror trilogy. Picking up after 2022’s “X,” Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) moves to Los Angeles in 1985 to pursue her dreams of becoming a movie star. Unfortunately, this coincides with her being targeted by the infamous and true-to-life serial killer, “The Night Stalker.” While not the best film in Ti West’s slasher trilogy, it is still worth your time if you love slasher horror flicks!
“Twisters”
“Twisters” (2024) follows Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a meteorologist who is convinced to help a friend of hers go to Oklahoma and collect data on tornadoes. Eventually, she crosses paths with the first movie’s protagonist, the cocky Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). The two must fight to survive as multiple tornadoes converge on central Oklahoma. While the plot is convoluted at times, the film is still an entertaining watch if you like disaster movies.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
This standalone sequel set years after the previous movie follows Noah, a young ape whose tribe is kidnapped by his fellow apes and must collaborate with a human to help save his tribe. While “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (2024) isn’t quite on par with the trilogy that preceded it, it does feature the amazing use of CGI that the franchise is famous for.
“I Saw the TV Glow”
The movie begins in the year 1996 as teenagers Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) are introduced to a late-night TV show called “The Pink Opaque.” As the years go by, however, surreal things start to happen around Owen, with Maddy claiming that she has been living inside of their favorite show and Owen’s sanity beginning to crack, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. The movie features strong performances from its two main leads, as well as compelling cinematography and editing, and is certainly worth it if you like outside-the-box movies.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
The surprise sequel to the classic 80’s gothic comedy movie, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (2024), picks up years later, with Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) as well as her teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), and Lydia’s stepmother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara) returning to Winter Creek for a funeral. However, when Astrid bungles her way into the afterlife, Lydia must turn to Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) for aid. While the movie does go all over the place in terms of narrative, the production values are on a whole other level than its predecessor and the actors are clearly putting their hearts into their work.
Kelly Baker is an alumnus of West Chester University of Pennsylvania.