Our Mid-Year Review

The definitive opinions about the first half of the year's biggest releases.

Longlegs

Livia: I am obsessed with this movie. Might be my favorite of the year. I lost sleep over just the trailers, so you can imagine my expectations were high and I was not disappointed. Every performance was incredible. The story was intriguing. I had no idea what was happening next. It was everything I wanted in a horror film.

Anthony: Years from now, the marketing for this film will be talked about as much as The Blair Witch Project. Instead of giving away the entire plot in a single trailer, the marketing was careful in revealing (or omitting) important details to hook the audience. My favorite was the Heartbeat video they put out the week of the film’s release. After finally seeing it together, Livia and I were left speechless. Even though it wasn’t exactly what we were expecting, it was unlike any other horror film I’ve seen before.

Consensus: Spectacular, give me 14 of them right now.

The Bikeriders

Livia: Honestly, I only saw this movie for Tom Hardy. But, I’m glad to report that I was pleasantly surprised! What I thought was a gang movie ended up being a thoughtful exploration on masculinity and brotherhood. I will say, Austin Butler kind of threw me off because he just looked like Austin Butler in a leather jacket, but overall, it was fine.

Anthony: I only knew of this movie because of Livia. I was not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. There was a moment in the movie where Austin Butler’s character gives a monologue and I could not suspend my disbelief enough to take him seriously. Outside of that, I liked the theme that the movie was exploring but didn’t think about it beyond the day that I saw it.

Consensus: Not every movie needs Austin Butler.

In A Violent Nature

Livia: People will tell you that this movie is just a guy walking and that pisses me off. He walks AND he murders. In A Violent Nature is so much more than Sebastian and I expected. We always talk about movies we see on the car ride home, but our discussion about this one has been my favorite of the year. We both had such cool and differing interpretations of the ending and it made me want to watch the movie again just to unpack it more. It’s not for everybody, but it was 100% for me.

Dune: Part Two

Anthony: When I saw how stacked the cast of part one was back in 2019, I decided to read the book in preparation. I was immediately drawn into the universe and had no idea how Denis Villenueve would adapt such dense material. It’s no surprise that he’s been dreaming of making Arrakis since he was a kid. This film uses the momentum from first one, blasts off, and doesn’t stop until you’re feeling the sand in your hair. I knew from the first sequence that I was witnessing history. The story of witnessing the fight scene between Paul and Feyd for the first time will passed down my family for generations to come.

Livia: Honestly, I didn’t even realize this movie came out this year until Anthony listed it when we were talking about this newsletter. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I should have never doubted Denis. This movie was incredible. If you told me last year that the one of the most memorable and emotional scenes I’d experience in theaters in 2024 was a guy trying to ride a sandworm… I’d laugh right in your face. Book adaptations can be a big risk, but when you can feel the love a director has for the source material, it’s nothing short of magic. I cannot wait for Dune Messiah.

Consensus: Denis Villenueve is back on his bullshit and we love it.

Trap

Anthony: I didn’t grow up watching M. Night Shyamalan’s movies but I remember them having some presence because Livia did. I was too much of a wimp to watch anything he made. When I walked into the theater for Trap, I was prepared to embrace and reclaim my childhood fear. I don’t know if it was mainly that attitude but I had a blast watching this. He is one of those filmmakers that I can’t wait to go back and watch the rest of his films.

Livia: As Anthony explained, I am a die-hard M. Night Shyamalan fan. My favorites of his are The Visit, The Village, and Signs, if anybody is wondering. So I’m sad to say that Trap just didn’t work for me. I thought it was fun, but the third act is where it all fell apart for me. I’m glad everybody else that I have talked to has enjoyed it though.

Consensus: We all could use a visit or revisit of the filmography of the incomparable M. Night Shyamalan.

A Family Affair

Livia: One of my first celebrity crushes was Zac Efron. He sang and danced his way into my heart as a teen and I was so excited to see him come back in a major way last year with The Iron Claw. And although his performance was one of my favorites last year, it was just so sad that I forgot how much I love him being funny. He plays this moody, childish character perfectly. It’s not a good movie, but A Family Affair is just another Zac Efron showcase that I didn’t know I was craving. I need more Zac Efron rom-coms in my life. How the hell did we survive this long without one?

Anthony: I don’t think this reaches the comfort or comedic level that 17 Again does for me but damn did I miss Zac Efron in romcoms. My favorite moment was when his character was completely distraught about leaving his copy of “The Courage to Be Disliked” at his ex-girlfriend’s house. I had coincidentally just finished reading it and loved the idea of this character completely missing the point of the book. Spoiler, he ultimately gets reunited with it (you can see him with it in the photo above). I’d love to imagine what his review on Goodreads would be like.

Consensus: If Zac Efron is cast in another rom-com, we will be seated. You can bet on it.