With the summer movie season now upon us, it is time to reflect on the year so far. As the summer and fall seasons tend to be more prominent in the minds of audiences, films released within the first few months of the year are often forgotten as I wonder how many will end up among the most acclaimed by the end of the year. With that being said, let’s count down my list of the top 5 movies of the year so far.
5. The Super Mario Bros Movie
The Super Mario Bros Movie had been lauded by audiences as one of the best instances of fan service ever while critics have been incredibly cynical towards the film’s lack of plot. These are the same critics that would drown their praise on a film like The Beatles: Yellow Submarine, which has far less of a plot. My point here? This movie didn’t need to be a deep film with lots of pathos, just a film with great world building that understands the basic source material and have cool, cerebral animation and this film did all of that. It was an absolute blast to watch in the cinema with a crowd of fans. Illumination here didn’t have their typical half baked three act structure narrative with cute animals doing fart joke level humor. There are actual funny lines that are witty and moments of genuine awe.
4. John Wick Chapter 4
The John Wick movies have been a mixed bag for me personally. I loved the first one but the other two had their moments of amazing action set pieces juxtaposed with an arguably detached narrative. John Wick: Chapter 4, however, changes that. The film is your typical western type narrative, but it streams together thoughtful characters and a sense of tension throughout the entire near 3-hour runtime. Not to mention, the film is just action set piece after action set piece with every one of these set pieces being some of the most impressive stunt choreography I’ve ever seen. The film also has some of the best cinematography I’ve seen in a long time. It’s a visual fantasia and a true accomplishment of a movie.
3. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
From the trailers for the newest Dungeons and Dragons movie, I was expecting something lacking in any sort of wit and weight. The idea on paper seems to be higher ups just trying to get another franchise off the ground. Who knew the final film would deliver what the last five or so Marvel movies have lacked for me? Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has such a love for the Dungeons and Dragons brand and instead of the humor coming from mocking the game, it embraces the goofy absurdity of playing Dungeons and Dragons with your friends. The world building is immaculate and the production design is next level. The entire film doesn’t feel like it was just on a green screen and I loved that. There’s actual practical effects and creature design here, making for just an awesome time at the movies. The film is also incredibly witty and funny, resulting in the biggest surprise of the year for me.
2. Evil Dead Rise
You are always afraid when filmmakers go back to the well of one of your favorite film franchises. Evil Dead 2 is precious to me and I love the original Rami trilogy of movies so much that the announcement of Evil Dead Rise was cause for concern, however, the filmmakers took everything that made Evil Dead what it is and amped it up to an eleven. The film is easily one of the goriest and craziest movies I’ve seen in recent memory. While not for the feint of heart but if seeing crazy cerebral horror is something you love as much as I do, this delivers on every single level. Suffice it to say that I’m really excited to see where they take the franchise from here.
1. Beau is Afraid
A fair warning for readers, Beau is Afraid is not for everyone. Heck, I don’t even know if it’s for most people who exist. Ari Aster got his blank check to make any movie he wanted to make and made this film, which feels like The Odyssey for people with severe anxiety. I could identify and relate to that stress. It simply captures that “moving away to a place you are unfamiliar with and feeling like even going outside is warfare” mentality so incredibly well. The film also features an animated sequence that is among some of the best things I’ve ever seen in a movie. I was genuinely inspired and moved. I still am not sure about the ending. I do feel like Aster underlines some themes present through the rest of the film, however, I still haven’t stopped thinking about it as a whole since watching. The film is surely destined to become a cult classic for the next generations and I am so happy to say I embrace the film’s surrealness and celebrate it.
still courtesy of Sphere Films Canada
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