Nosferatu (2024)

Direction: Robert Eggers
Country: USA

Gothic morbidity saturates Nosferatu, a fable of supernatural torment and human sacrifice that’s reasonably chilling, offering a sumptuous engorgement of the senses. This latest adaptation, written and directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch, 2015; The Lighthouse, 2019; The Northman, 2022), is a remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 horror gem Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. More monstrous and barbaric than its previous incarnations, Nosferatu is true to Eggers’ singular style, who made it darker and dirtier but still imbued with the essence of German expressionist cinema. 

Eggers' Nosferatu sheds the trappings of traditional horror to embrace a lavish yet unsettling modern interpretation of vampirism. Though bleak and brutal, it lacks sustained suspense but introduces intriguing new elements that captivate. Lily-Rose Depp, stepping in for Anya Taylor-Joy, delivers a commendable performance as Ellen, bringing depth and nuance to the role. Willem Dafoe, in his third collaboration with Eggers, portrays Professor Von Franz, an authority on alchemy, mysticism, and the occult who aids Ellen as her dreams grow more sinister and possessions intensify. Bill Skarsgård embodies the ominous Count Orlok, a vampire consumed by an obsessive desire for Ellen since her youth.

Jarin Blaschke’s impeccable cinematography masterfully captures the brooding atmosphere, while the period-appropriate costumes enrich the film’s dread-laden 19th-century ambiance. Despite a few unnecessary stretches, Nosferatu may not reach the pinnacle of vampire cinema, but it remains a taut and eerie spectacle anchored by strong, compelling performances.

The Room Next Door (2024)

Direction: Pedro Almodovar
Country: USA 

The Room Next Door proves to be a far better book than a movie. Celebrated Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar adapts Sigrid Nunez’s What Are You Going Through with conventional dialogue and a calm, polished dramatization that feels too cerebral to evoke powerful emotions.

Despite its heavy central theme, the film isn't a painful watch. It's poignant, occasionally depressing, yet also comforting as it portrays a touching relationship between two captivating characters who admire one another deeply. Ingrid (Julianne Moore), a celebrated author, unexpectedly reconnects with Martha (Tilda Swinton), a retired New York Times war journalist battling stage-three cervical cancer and undergoing experimental treatment. After a failed round of treatment, Martha makes a disconcerting request, asking Ingrid to be present in "the room next door" when she takes an euthanasia pill. Though troubled by the request, Ingrid agrees out of compassion and loyalty. 

The film boasts top-tier performances, though they cannot completely overshadow script oscillations and a certain stiffness in the dialogue. Almodóvar orchestrates the story with elegance, presenting a sober, aesthetically refined depiction that acknowledges the fragile beauty of life while delicately studying suffering. Themes of death, forgiveness, friendship, and regret unfold in a series of contemplations that often feel superfluous. The absence of surprising twists, dramatic friction, or even subdued intensity reveals a more restrained and simplistic Almodóvar, lacking the emotional weight of his past masterpieces. 

The weight of the film rests entirely on the shoulders of its exceptional actors, with Moore and Swinton—the latter delivering another remarkable double role—holding the film together with a genuine friendship supported in honesty and compassion. 
Failing to make a lasting, thought-provoking impression, The Room Next Door still has power, but not as much as it should. Blame the restrained aesthetics, light approach, and occasional conversational inelasticity.

Babygirl (2024)

Direction: Halina Reijn
Country: USA

Babygirl, an erotic psychological drama written, directed and produced by actress turned director Halina Reijn (Bodies Bodies Bodies, 2022), feels pedestrian and unexciting. The film follows Rory Mathis (Nicole Kidman), a powerful CEO of a New York robotics company specialized in logistics innovation. Frustrated by the lack of sexual stimulation in her marriage to filmmaker Jacob (Antonio Banderas), Rory embarks on an illicit affair with her much younger intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson), who seems uncannily attuned to her desires. As their relationship deepens, Rory's vulnerability takes over, leading to chaos and loss of control.

Babygirl vacillates in a sexual game, which, not being new, can be fetishistically real. However, the story winds down as it develops, being pushed into ridiculousness in its final segment and ultimately failing to create a positive impact. Reijn seems uncertain about the film’s direction—wavering between drama, thriller, eroticism, and the bizarre—while her characters remain similarly unsure of whether they seek dominance or submission. 

Visually, the film offers little of note aside from a vividly trippy nightclub scene. The poorly crafted dialogue and inconsequential details further cloud a story already plagued by repetition and artificiality. Performances are uneven: Kidman commands the screen with intensity, Banderas delivers a weak and often laughable portrayal, and Dickinson strikes an awkward middle ground, exuding misplaced confidence without leaving a lasting impact. 

Despite its provocative premise, Babygirl never delivers the emotional payoff it seems to promise, leaving viewers waiting in vain for something truly gripping or transformative.

A Real Pain (2024)

Direction: Jesse Eisenberg
Country: USA

A Real Pain, the sophomore directorial feature by Jesse Eisenberg, who also stars, focuses on two American Jewish cousins having a hard time to fully reconnect and deal with their feelings during a one-week trip to Poland to honor their late grandmother. David (Eisenberg), a devoted husband and father, is reserved, obsessive-compulsive, sentimental, and occasionally jealous. In contrast, Benji (Kieran Culkin) is a free-spirited, bluntly honest, impulsive, and depressive foil. While both are grateful for the shared journey, their genuine friendship is rife with tension and friction.

This seriocomic slice of life, penned by Eisenberg, feels effortlessly light, even as it navigates a series of awkward situations. However, the narrative structure is so sparse it often feels skeletal. Dramatic moments occasionally fail to reach their emotional apex, and the simplistic character psychology aligns with a script that seems designed more to gently entertain than to provoke or deeply resonate.

The premise dissipates quickly, leaving surface impressions that fluctuate between pleasantly whimsical and mildly moving. The film’s subdued emotional tone is further undercut by its ambiguous and bittersweet ending, which feels stagnant. What raises A Real Pain slightly above the mediocrity is its comic riffs—toggling between annoying and amusing—and the strong chemistry between Culkin and Eisenberg. The quirkiest thing about it is how much it spends in trivial details at the sound of Chopin’s melancholic nocturnes and waltzes. Not being particularly inventive or diverting, A Real Pain remains in tepid waters for most of its duration, and failed to move me in almost every aspect.

The Order (2024)

Direction: Justin Kurzel
Country: USA

In Justin Kurzel’s crime thriller The Order, Robert Matthews (Nicholas Hoult), a staunch neo-nazi affiliated with the Aryan Nations puts words into action, following the method described in the notorious book The Turner Diaries—authored by National Alliance founder William Luther Pierce—turning hateful rhetoric into violent action, and following its blueprint for armed revolution and assassination tactics. Declaring war on the federal government and engaging in domestic terrorism, Matthews faces off against Terry Husk (Jude Law in a muscular performance), a hardened, short-tempered FBI agent determined to dismantle the rise of white supremacy. 

Set in the early 1980s, the fact-based script by Zachary Baylin (King Richard, 2021; Creed III, 2023) combines historical authenticity with narrative urgency. Initially unfolding as a conventional thriller, the film gradually deepens into a darker exploration of extremism in a satisfying combination of genre thrills and real-life implications. It deftly captures the disturbing proximity between extremist ideologies and their violent manifestations, challenging viewers to confront these realities. 

Visually unremarkable and interspersed with bursts of repetitive action, The Order distinguishes itself through its compelling emphasis on character. Hoult and Law deliver intense performances that anchor the narrative, while Kurzel, known for Snowtown (2011) and Nitram (2021), demonstrates a measured approach to the sensitive subject matter. He skillfully balances the film's elements, allowing the actors to discover moments of nuance, rhythm, and vulnerability within the story. 

Equal parts unsettling and candid, The Order doesn’t quite transcend genre expectations, yet some may find curiosity in the way Kurzel explores the themes.

Anora (2024)

Direction: Sean Baker
Country: USA 

With his bittersweet worldview and keen sense of the ridiculous, Sean Baker (Tangerine, 2015; The Florida Project, 2017) delivers a jubilant if cruel indie comedy with Anora, his eighth feature film. A romantic tragicomedy that defies standard conventions, the film centers on Ani (Mikey Madison), a 23-year-old sex worker in New York whose life takes an unexpected turn when she marries Ivan Zhakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), the spoiled son of a Russian oligarch.

This zany nuptial odyssey masterfully balances hysterical and heartfelt tones, weaving together themes of love, fury, laughter, and tears. Baker crafts anarchic, tension-filled situations that satirize unchecked capitalism and immature love, prompting reflection on two disparate souls seemingly escaping their respective prisons. The open-ended staging challenges its actors, who excel amidst the chaos, as the narrative seamlessly shifts between humor and heartache. The result is a dazzlingly paced love story driven by the electric chemistry between Madison and Eydelshteyn. 

Baker’s risk-taking approach and compelling writing are rewarded with neat images, a frenetic pace, and outstanding performances. The director films more statically than ever before, unafraid to take some time on certain scenes to make his social satire closer to reality. Despite its measured approach, monotony never creeps in, as Anora thrives on its originality and compelling characters who continuously evolve. 

With youthful ardor, audacious storytelling, and interpretive depth, the Palme D’Or winner Anora reaffirms Baker as a standout voice in American independent cinema. It’s a thought-provoking, wildly entertaining work that leaves a lasting impression.

Maria (2024)

Direction: Pablo Larraín
Country: USA / Italy / Germany

With Maria, which depicts the final week in the life of legendary American-born Greek opera singer Maria Callas, Chilean director Pablo Larraín completes his trilogy of biopics spotlighting women who shaped the 20th century. Following Jackie (2016), where Natalie Portman portrayed Jackie Onassis, and Spencer (2021), starring Kristen Stewart as Lady Diana, this film casts Angelina Jolie in a surprising and transformative performance as Callas. Jolie not only embodies the role with grace but also lends her voice to the singing. However, despite its poignancy, the screenplay— penned by Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, 2002; Eastern Promises, 2007)—falters in delivering emotional resonance in pivotal moments. 

At 53, Maria lives in Paris, haunted by a traumatic childhood in Athens and the realization that her voice, once unparalleled, has faltered. Alternating between reality and imagination, she leans on her devoted butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) and housemaid Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) for support. Flashbacks, rendered in stark black-and-white, vividly illustrate her turbulent teenage years and her fraught relationship with the charismatic but domineering Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer).

Filmed with grandeur and sophistication, Maria eschews melodramatic artifice but probably could've benefited from a little more energy in its telling. While polished and coherent, the drama feels predictably prepackaged. Larraín and Jolie keep the picture moving, yet struggling to showcase how the diva’s trauma and health decline affected her final artistic aspirations. 

The period details are meticulously crafted, and Ed Lachman’s cinematography is nothing short of stunning, but the staging constantly oscillates between elegant mannerism and calibrated realism. Maria is dispensable, and only Jolie’s masterful performance can make it a worthwhile watch for admirers of the actress and the opera icon alike.

Gladiator II (2024)

Direction: Ridley Scott
Country: USA 

Ridley Scott cements his reputation as a master of epic cinema with Gladiator II, an arguably unnecessary but undeniably entertaining action spectacle that revels in physical clashes and dramatic intensity. Written by David Scarpa, this sequel introduces Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus Aurelius, the son of Maximus (played by Russell Crowe in the original).

Fifteen years after Maximus’ death, Lucius returns to a corrupt Rome after the Roman army's brutal campaign in Numidia, North Africa. Haunted by the murder of his wife, he vows vengeance, reconnects with his mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), and finds himself under the tutelage of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave with ambitions to rule Rome. 

While it breaks no new ground narratively, this colossal production builds momentum as it unfolds, eventually drawing viewers into its dramatic core. It is a visceral, blood-soaked exploration of power, war, revenge, and emancipation, holding the audience captive with its steamy visuals and audacious premise. The fight sequences erupt with the force of a volcano, and Scott elicits compelling performances from his cast. 

Despite its shortcomings, Gladiator II delivers a full-bodied adventure that skillfully balances responsiveness to its audience’s expectations with a reverence for the epic grandeur of its predecessor.

Wicked (2024)

Direction: Jon M. Chu
Country: USA 

Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, 2018; In The Heights, 2021) delivers a competent adaptation of the renowned Broadway musical Wicked, inspired by the world of The Wizard of Oz. This is the first installment of a two-part adaptation, written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox (Cruella, 2021). 

Selling every scene they’re in, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande form an amazing duo as Elphaba and Galinda, respectively. The former character was born green with special psychic powers but was rejected by her father, eventually becoming the Wicked Witch of the West after her sorcery tutor, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), arranges a fateful meeting with the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). In contrast, Galinda is an irritating, self-absorbed, glamorous blonde steeped in vanity and artificiality. Despite their differences—spoiled versus neglected, vain versus humble—the two women form a meaningful friendship and even fall for the same man. 

Chu stays true to the spirit of the musical, amplifying its socio-political themes. The story’s messages of inclusion, acceptance of differences, resistance against oppression, and opposition to animal cruelty resonate powerfully. Despite technically sumptuous, Wicked doesn’t always 'defy gravity’, with some musical numbers feeling overly prolonged. Nevertheless, the film offers solid entertainment, blending the whimsy of Harry Potter with the flair of Barbie. It transports viewers into a vibrant, magical world that balances humor and poignancy with bursts of energy. 

As a mass-market confection, Wicked certainly works well enough, though its greatest strengths lie in its opulent production design and sharp humor rather than its narrative depth.

My Old Ass (2024)

Direction: Megan Park
Country: Canada

Megan Park’s sophomore directorial feature, My Old Ass, is a refreshingly spontaneous coming-of-age comedy that captures the vibrant, messy tapestry of teenage life with authenticity and warmth. At the heart of the film is a breakout performance by Canadian singer and actress Maisy Stella, making her feature film debut after her time on the musical television series Nashville.

Stella is Elliott, an 18-year-old who, during the course of a mushrooms trip, has contact with her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). What begins as a quirky exchange of life advice quickly becomes a heartfelt exploration of self-discovery, as Elliott grapples with the rebelliousness of youth and the unpredictable outcomes of love. 

Sweet but not cheesy, the film stands out for its originality and relatable charm. While it may not reinvent the teen rom-com genre, it handles themes like sexual orientation with a light, natural touch, brimming with hopefulness, self-discovery, and a sense of wonder about life and love.

Park, who impressed audiences with The Fallout in 2021, opts for simplicity, focusing on genuine human connection. This approach succeeds largely due to the chemistry of her leads, with Stella’s Elliott beautifully complemented by Percy Hynes White’s performance. My Old Ass is a gutsy and endearing ode to youth, a well-crafted tale of living life to its fullest and confronting the inevitable fear of loss. It’s an enjoyable, life-affirming watch that will leave you smiling, even if its charm is more fleeting than indelible.

His Three Daughters (2024)

Direction: Azazel Jacobs
Country: USA 

His Three Daughters, the seventh feature by Azazel Jacobs (The Lovers, 2017; French Exit, 2020), is a skillfully crafted chamber drama with richly drawn characters and a credible story. Set in a New York apartment, the film revolves around three estranged daughters who gather at their dying father’s home, bracing for his imminent passing. 

Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) is a heavy weed smoker who has been living with their father and apparently seems disconnected of everything and everyone. Katie (Carrie Coon), in stark contrast, is rigid, irritable, and excessively controlling. Christina (Elizabeth Olsen), the most conciliatory of the three, is more emotional and never complains about life. Little by little, we learn their cracks, their feelings, and certain aspects of their relationships that allow us to have a nuanced perspective on their shared history and personal struggles. These revelations build toward a restrained yet poignant finale.

While the story is undeniably familiar, Jacobs transforms it into a deeply absorbing experience, imbuing the film with both soul and bitterness. All three leads do quality work in a 100-minute showcase of talent, portraying complex and worth meeting characters.

Death becomes one of the tragic figures in this scenario, and there’s something in the creative spark behind Jacobs’ vision that sets it apart. His look at sisterhood isn’t intended to be perfect, opting instead for an honest portrayal of clashing personalities and the ways they soften in the face of shared grief. Although you won’t find anything unexpected here, a naturalistic tone is maintained throughout, which crackles with an emotional energy and cackles with a repentant laughter.

A Different Man (2024)

Direction: Aaron Schimberg
Country: USA

A Different Man is a bold and provocative tragicomic fable that takes flight with its offbeat details and quirky, unexpected situations. Written and directed by Aaron Schimberg (Chained For Life, 2019), this darkly twisted story follows Edward Lemuel (Sebastian Stan), a reserved man whose life takes a dramatic turn after undergoing major facial reconstructive surgery to treat neurofibromatosis—a rare genetic condition that causes tumors and malformations. Emerging with a new identity as Guy Moratz, Edward starts working as an actor with his playwright neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), who is staging an off-Broadway play about his former life. Yet, his fresh start takes a sinister turn when he becomes fixated on Oswald (Adam Pearson), an actor with neurofibromatosis cast to portray the old Edward. 

The film’s offbeat jazz soundtrack gives this satire an awesome ambiance, making it undeniably fun and bonkers in ways that only weird movies can be. Schimberg’s confident direction balances whimsy with profundity, crafting a small symphony of enchanting disharmony that occasionally flirts with implausibility but never loses its edge. Through its blend of humor and pathos, the film explores themes of ego, ambition, affirmation, and unrequited love, offering a thoughtful meditation on the power and perils of transformation. 

Imaginative, subtly disconcerting, and solidly performed, A Different Man infuses a dry sense of humor while packing a cathartic emotional punch throughout. It won’t leave you indifferent.

The Damned (2024)

Direction: Roberto Minervini
Country: USA / Italy / Belgium

Roberto Minervini’s The Damned is a stark and minimalist war drama that eschews grandiose battle scenes in favor of an intimate focus on individuals caught in the relentless grip of the American Civil War. Set during the brutal winter of 1862, the film follows a group of Union volunteers tasked with patrolling the uncharted Western Territories. The soldiers must navigate treacherous, snow-covered landscapes and endure the punishing cold, all while grappling with existential reflections on faith, patriotism, family, and survival. 

Even if the film offers some intriguing meditations on its weighty themes, the narrative feels overly pared down, delivering little in the way of tension or excitement. Minervini’s restrained direction keeps viewers at a frustrating emotional distance, making it difficult to connect with or fully invest in the characters. The most striking thing about The Damned is how ordinary it is, feeling like a moody vignette rather than a fully realized story. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with sufficient layers to suss out.

In the Summers (2024)

Direction: Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
Country: USA 

Colombian-American writer-director Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio makes a positive impression with her audacious feature debut, In The Summers. This semi-autobiographical drama follows two sisters, embodied with nuance by Sasha Calle and Lio Mehiel, as they navigate the complexities of spending summers with their emotionally unstable, alcoholic Puerto Rican-born father (René Pérez) in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Structured in four evocative chapters, the film poignantly captures the relentless passage of time and the enduring impact of familial bonds. 

Rooted in raw authenticity, In the Summers unfolds with deliberate pacing, relying on moments of painful silence and emotionally charged dilemmas to tell its story. The chemistry between father and daughters is unsettling yet compelling, keeping viewers uneasy and attuned to the tension simmering beneath the surface.

Samudio’s direction is marked by precision and restraint, focusing on small yet significant details and situational clarity. The performances are heartfelt and layered, while the film’s formally measured approach draws viewers into its meditative exploration of connection, resilience, and the scars left by those we love most.

The Apprentice (2024)

Direction: Ali Abbasi
Country: USA 

After the lukewarm reception of Holy Spider (2022), Iranian-born Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi finds his stride with The Apprentice, his first English-language film. This biopic, penned by journalist and author Gabriel Sherman, employs artful dramatization to delve into the dark, tension-filled world of political intrigue. The film focuses on a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) and his mentor Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), a ruthless and influential lawyer whose teachings shape Trump’s infamous playbook for success: attack relentlessly, deny all accusations, and never admit defeat.

Set against the backdrop of 1970s New York, the narrative explores Trump's rise from financial turmoil to prominence, emphasizing his morally ambiguous dealings and relationships. Key figures in his life, including his cold father (Martin Donovan), his first wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova), and his troubled brother Fred (Charlie Carrick), an airline pilot grappling with alcoholism and depression, add depth to the character study. 

The Apprentice is an ugly story with its quibbles and flaws, but I watched it with interest from start to finish. There are a few controversial scenes—it’s hard to determine how much of each is true and how much is false—but the personifications are remarkable, the pace is exciting, and the real ambition felt throughout is an aspect that intrigues. The film, elevated by its two lead actors and the compelling cinematography by Kasper Tuxen (Beginners, 2010; The Worst Person in the World, 2021), is a complex and scary portrait of a man whose thirst for power can have a major impact on our world.

Separated (2024)

Direction: Errol Morris
Country: USA 

After reading Separated: Inside an American Tragedy by journalist Jacob Soboroff, acclaimed documentarian Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, 1988; The Fog of War, 2003) was compelled to adapt it into a film. The documentary tackles the Trump administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policy that led to the traumatic separation of migrant parents and children. The resulting film is informative but not particularly engaging, blending interviews with an arguably unnecessary fictionalized depiction of a Guatemalan mother and son’s border crossing, played by Gabriela Cartol and Diego Armando Lara Lagunes.

Soboroff is featured in the film as well as former major figures at the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Cptn. Jonathan White and Scott Lloyd. White’s assertive critique contrasts starkly with Lloyd’s visible discomfort, underscoring the policy’s damaging impact. Due to extended media coverage, most of the details feel overly familiar, and yet it effectively captures the policy’s inhumane implications, serving as a sobering reminder of the need for accountability.

Separated is cleanly arrayed but feels somewhat timid as a terrifying wake-up call that makes us want a better America. Though not groundbreaking, this political documentary tells us we all need to demand more from our politicians, advocating for a more compassionate solution.

Woman of the Hour (2024)

Direction: Anna Kendrick
Country: USA 

Anna Kendrick steps into the director’s chair with confidence and purpose in her debut film, Woman of the Hour. Based on a screenplay by Ian McDonald, the film recounts the story of notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala, who eluded authorities for nearly a decade due to systemic negligence. Known as the “Dating Game Killer” after his appearance on the popular 1978 show, Alcala worked briefly as a typesetter at the Los Angeles Times while carrying out his gruesome murders.

In the film, Kendrick plays fictional character Sheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress from Pennsylvania who encounters Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) on The Dating Game. Blending dark and satirical tones, Woman of the Hour reveals Alcala’s brutal acts across Los Angeles, Wyoming, New York, and San Gabriel, exposing the misogyny and systemic failures that allowed him to remain undetected.

Kendrick delivers an effectively unsettling film—directing without unnecessary embellishment, allowing the stark horror of the crimes to speak for itself. Zovatto brings a deeply unnerving intensity to Alcala, adding layers of dread each time he’s on screen. Though Woman of the Hour doesn’t delve deeply into Alcala's backstory, its straightforward approach and restrained style make it a chilling, sharply crafted thriller that lingers in the mind.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Direction: Tim Burton
Country: USA

The much-vaunted return of Tim Burton, who rose to fame with films such as Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), and Sweeney Todd (2007), happens with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a visually inventive yet flawed sequel to his 1988 cult classic. Despite the 36-year gap, the original ‘80s vibe lingers in this formulaic work, whether you call it absurdist supernatural comedy or macabre dark fantasy or both. Michael Keaton returns, reprising his role as the trickster demon, as well as Winona Ryder as psychic Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara as her eccentric stepmother, Delia. The cast expands with Monica Belucci as a stitched-up, soul-sucking ghost, joined by Danny De Vito, Jenna Ortega, Willem Defoe, and Justin Theroux. Unlike the others, the latter two had never worked with the director before.

While packed with Burton’s trademark surrealism, the plot — scripted by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar — feels chaotic, marked by frantic pacing, loose subplots, and forgettable villains. The film tries to balance nostalgia for long-time fans with attempts to win over a new generation but often feels like a haphazard spectacle. Despite its energetic antics and quirky visuals, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice lacks the cohesion needed to truly captivate, leaving audiences dizzy yet unsatisfied. When the credits roll, you may feel you’ve spent 104 minutes in a world of Burton-esque antics, but without much of a payoff.

Lee (2024)

Direction: Ellen Kuras
Country: USA

This biographical drama about Vogue model turned war photographer Lee Miller falls into the traps of flashback-heavy storytelling that fails to fully capture the intensity of a life shaped by the adrenaline of war. Starring Kate Winslet, who championed the project and handpicked director Ellen Kuras along with the rest of the cast, the film delivers a conventional narrative that lacks the rhythm and inspiration needed to depict Miller's struggles as a daring photographer fighting for validation in a male-dominated world.

This well-intentioned but toothless biopic feels academic; its staging remains cold and distant when it should pulse with emotion. The scenes follow one another mechanically, and even the final twist fails to lift the film from its overarching sense of banality. Lee Miller, a fascinating figure, deserved a more compelling tribute, as this portrayal of her life does little beyond the bare minimum. Sadly, Lee feels inexplicably stiff.

Joker: Folie a Deux (2024)

Direction: Todd Phillips
Country: USA 

Five years after the remarkable Joker, its sequel, Folie à Deux, feels more like a crowd-pleasing cabaret show than a gripping psychological thriller. Directed once again by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, the film fails to capture even half the impact of its predecessor. While attempting to juggle multiple genres—a courtroom drama, a depressive musical, a twisted love story, and a social satire—it ultimately collapses under the weight of its own ambitions. 

Lady Gaga co-stars as the manipulative Lee, also known as Harley Quinn, singing mediocrely throughout and showing little to no chemistry with Phoenix. Their bizarre romance lacks the emotional depth needed to sustain the story, and the film looks too self-absorbed in showing the viewers how quirky and moving it thinks it really is. Meaningless and unnecessarily long, Folie a Deux is less and less appealing as it lurched toward the end. If you’re expecting chills or thrills, you'll be disappointed. The inclusion of jazz standards disrupts any potential for the sinister, unsettling atmosphere one might expect from a film centered on iconic supervillains.

Despite these shortcomings, Phoenix always fascinates, though even his brilliance can’t salvage the awkward plot. The film never fully draws you in, but for fans of Phoenix, his performance may be the only saving grace in an otherwise lackluster sequel.