Captain America: Brave New World

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit a new low, and I’m sad to say it’s with my favorite character, Captain America. I feel so bad for Anthony Mackie, as this is the worst dialogue the MCU has ever put to screen, and he deserves better. Tying into the oft forgotten Incredible Hulk movie was cool, but Leader was one of the most unsatisfying villains of all time, and as a Tim Blake Nelson stan, that is truly heart-breaking. The changes in process Disney enacted last year to improve the quality of the movies begins with Thunderbolts, thus Captain America: Brave New World is hopefully the last of horrible scripts, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

-Z

Please, Marvel, hire me to help your writing room. Good lord. Despite the abysmal dialogue, the story here was entertaining overall and somehow kept me wanting to know more. In the end though, this film felt pretty uneventful compared with other Marvel movies that seem to usually drive the universe forward more.

-E

“You may be Captain America, but you're not Steve Rogers.” -Ross

“You're right. I'm not.” -Sam

Is Marvel dead? We may be getting closer and closer to that reality. A movie which may have been written by AI at points, created a really corny watch. The more I think about it, the worse it gets. Marvel has been slipping slowly over time since it can cut - costs and still get viewership, but we may be getting closer to the last straw (at least for me). Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four have to be better or I may be off the ship. The dialogue in this was horrible, the action was decent, and the CGI was hard to watch at times along with confusing villains and connections to a movie that came out when I was in high school. Overall, if you are down on Marvel this should be a skip, which isn’t fair to the new Captain America, because it isn't Anthony Mackie's fault. Please be better Marvel.

-J

Z 6.25
E 7.0
J 6.75

ZEJ 6.67

Best Picture Rankings

With the Oscars just a week and a half away, here’s the ZEJ team’s rankings by rating for the Best Picture nominees:

#1 Dune: Part Two

ZEJ Rating = 9.58

The ZEJ team didn’t begin writing reviews officially until after this movie came out, so nothing to link to on this one, but Dune: Part Two surpassed all of our wildest expectations for the sequel to the beloved Dune: Part One. While Part One had some heavy lifting to do as the setup, Part Two didn’t suffer from such shackles, and is truly a masterpiece. Futhermore, Austin Butler’s shocking performance opened our eyes to his range. Lisan al-Giab!

#2 Anora

ZEJ Rating = 9.25

Hairless men - so hot right now. A surprisingly fun film with unbelievably good performances from Mikey Madison and the unsung hero Yuriy Borisov. Jord has this as his vote for best picture, as this was a tie with Dune: Part Two at a 9.25/10. The ZEJ team would be delighted if this sneaks in as the Best Picture winner.

#3 Conclave

ZEJ Rating = 8.92

Bald men - so hot right now. Conclave is certainly the dark horse of the nominees, as the whole ZEJ team was shocked at how good it was. E’s 2nd highest rated movie this year - and her personal favorite of the group. The storytelling and dark political mechanizations of the Vatican are so compelling, as is Ralph Fiennes, per usual. This shares the same score as the Brutalist, but is edged out 2 to 3 in votes among the ZEJ team.

#4 The Brutalist

ZEJ Rating = 8.92

This year’s marathon watch, The Brutalist, was kind enough to give us an intermission and honestly that earned it a quarter point. It was an extremely ambitious, and unique film. Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce are incredible.

#5 The Substance

ZEJ Rating = 8.83

The most creative and stylish movie we saw this year, and also the most surprising to be nominated - The Substance, a brutal body-horror film. It’s only fault is it’s very nature, the difficulty to watch it, and maybe a bit too metaphorical at times. Demi Moore is must watch in her performance here, if you can stomach it.

#6 Wicked

ZEJ Rating = 8.75

Looking at our individual ratings, I’m shocked Jord didn’t go higher on Wicked (J = 9/10), as obsessed with it as he was. E and I were reluctant to love the cultural phenomenon, but it’s undeniably good, and while it gets a little drawn out in the final act, they largely nailed bringing the musical to the big screen.

#7 Nickel Boys

ZEJ Rating = 8.67

Based on the historic Dozier School, a highly abusive reform school in Florida, Nickel Boys depicts a few of the atrocities there, but through an extremely unique first-person perspective. You, the viewer, are literally in their shoes, and it makes for an uncomfortable and powerful watch.

#8 I’m Still Here

ZEJ Rating = 8.42

Also an International Film nominee, I’m Still Here is also the true story of Eunice Paive and her family, who is ripped apart by the Brazilian dictatorship in 1971. Also a tough watch, but powerful depiction of family, and motherhood. Fernanda Torres delivers an exceptional performance.

#9 Emilia Pérez

ZEJ Rating = 7.58

And at #9, according to the ZEJ team, this is where we get into why was this nominated territory. And sadly, Emilia Pérez was the most nominated film of the year. The best that can be said about it is its unique take on the musical genre. The worst, well that’s a long list. But E and Z’s main gripe is the third act, which was one of the worst of any movie this year. At this point, the only reason to watch this, is out of morbid curiosity. But don’t say we didn’t warn you at how spectacularly it falls apart.

#10 A Complete Unknown

ZEJ Rating = 7.25

And finally, much to Big Brett’s dismay, A Complete Unknown. According to ZEJ, there were 50 movies better than this in 2024 that were not nominated for Best Picture. Clearly the Bob Dylan nostalgia blinders are real. Such a boring, safe movie, that as Jord puts it, teaches us virtually nothing about one of the most unique musical artists of the 20th century. Super skippable lest your a Bob Dylan truther, then I guess enjoy it for the Timothée Chalamet concert.

Companion

“The days of you controlling me are over.” -Iris

My first 2025 release comes on Feb 1st, and I thought it was a blast. Felt like the old days before ZEJ where I had some time one night and went to the theater on my own. Now, is that what I prefer? Not even a little bit, and Z and E were busy so that's where the solo review is coming from. Now, was this a great and polished film? No. Did I think it was extremely fun and well worth the time? Absolutely. The charm of this movie comes from going in blind which I have said before, but if you know what it is about I do think it would water it down. Some great acting and I am excited to continue to see Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid in more! If you enjoyed Barbarian, this is a must see and much better in my opinion!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.0

~ZEJ 8.0

Seed of the Sacred Fig

Seed of the Sacred Fig felt like two 90 minute movies sewn together. The first movie is really interesting and well done, the second just becomes bizarre and foresakes where the first was headed. The themes are important and worth exploring, but the plane wasn’t landed here.

-Z

The genre here felt a bit disjointed, starting out as a feminist anthem of sorts and ending up as a bizarre thriller. The length was also not justified at all. In my mind, this is taking the place of Kneecap as an International Picture nominee, which is not cool.

-E

Z 7.5
E 7.0
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.25

Small Things Like This

“If you want to get on in this life, there are things you have to ignore.” -Eileen

This was a movie that snuck its way in. My girlfriend is quite the reader and she and I had the idea to read some books together and then watch the movie, which is obviously more my way to take in art. We landed on this first and it was a great short story. One that makes you think and you can finish in a day (took me a week but that is neither here nor there). First off, I do think the book is essential if you want to enjoy the film. For a book that is mostly internal monologue, it is kind of hard to believe a film adaptation was possible. I think they did a great job and I will never complain about Cillian Murphy on my TV screen, but I was a little disappointed. If you have time to read the story then give it a watch. Otherwise, it may be a skip!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.5

~ZEJ 7.5

I’m Still Here

I’m Still Here is the true story of Eunice Paiva’s life after the disappearance of her husband in 1970s Brazil. It’s well directed, and extremely well acted, and all the accolades for Fernanda Torres make perfect sense, but all the actors were fantastic. While not as gratingly sad as the international film nominees can often be, it’s still plenty sad, and as will always be the case, it makes for a harder watch for me. Doesn’t make it any less important, and there’s a lot to appreciate in this film. The pre-sad parts of this movie are particularly charming, showing the liveliness and cohesion of Brazilian family. A good watch, and having now seen all but the Girl with the Needle, this is probably the 2nd best International behind Flow for this year’s nominees.

-Z

I really enjoyed the true story of this film. Yes, it was hard to watch at times, but it all felt so realistic. What stood out the most to me was Fernanda Torres’ ability to portray a mother shielding her children from her grief, confusion, and anger by suppressing emotion and choosing to maintain their stability over her own. That’s some real motherly strength.

-E

“Everybody's in danger, Eunice.” -Martha

A international film that I realized was international about 5 minutes before the film started. The thing I am learning as I become more and more involved in watching movies in a more serious sense, that means buckle up. Last year we watched what I think was the most jaw dropping, mood killing, gut wrenching, depressing, yet great movie, Io Capitano, which has become an unofficial scale of how dark a movie is. This did not get there, but all three of us agreed it had the vibes. This movie is not light hearted, but it does have some great performances. Is it a must watch, not for me, but I do think it was an objectively good film.

-J

Z 8.5
E 8.75
J 8.0

ZEJ 8.42

September 5

September 5 is a day in the life of the ABC newsroom as they navigated the Munich massacre, an event I was only vaguely aware of, and so this was quite informative. It’s a unique movie, in that you, the viewer, are just a fly on the wall of this newsroom, and seeing the crew and talent wrestle with the unique dynamics of the Olympics, terrorists, hostages, Israel, the Holocaust, and Germany all converge. That said, there’s no character development to speak of, and that always leaves a film lacking for me. Very good movie, and definitely recommend it, but its ceiling is limited.

-Z

I love a journalistic/workplace drama like this, and this exceeded my expectations. Incredibly engaging narrative and dialogue. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I had no prior knowledge of this real-world event, but I really enjoyed the decision to keep this very “behind the scenes” feeling as a unique approach to telling this story

-E

“ I know it might not feel like it, but you did a great job today.” -Roone

“ It was a catastrophe.” -Carter

Found myself living a bit from comedian Nate Bargatze; despite this being a history movie I got to watch the entire thing on the edge of my seat. Are there some issues with the film, specifically in some acting and dialogue, sure; but overall I really can’t believe this was slept on so much. Had an almost non-existent marketing campaign for a movie that pushed boundaries in story telling being in one room. A must watch for history lovers or anyone who loves an intense watch. I wish more would see this and I am glad I found time and hope it gets more praise than it currently has in the future!

-J

Z 8.5
E 8.75
J 8.5

ZEJ 8.58

Flow

Animated movies with no dialogue - so hot right now. While Robot Dreams last year accomplished that while keeping me engaged throughout, Flow is a much more ethereal, vibe-y and symbolic movie. On the one hand, there is much to dissect and gleam from such a concept film, on the other hand, it’s lack of engagement lost some points with me. Made entirely in Blender, a free software program, the animation is beautiful and unique, the characters at time appearing not fully rendered, like a watercolor painting, and it works perfectly. I alikened this to being a cat’s version of the Odyssey, like it felt like a literary epic. Utterly unique, and a fascinating watch. Great for parents and nonparents alike.

-Z

A fun and beautiful animated film, but the no dialogue aspect left my mind to wander a bit, unfortunately. I think the message here is more layered than what is on the surface. Maybe it would be a higher rating from me if I wasn’t such a well-known cat hater?

-E

Z 8.75
E 8.0
J n/a

ZEJ 8.38

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

E and I began catching up on Animated Feature Oscar nominations this weekend, which I have to say, is my happy place. My first foray into the Wallace & Gromit universe was a delightful one. It’s funny because I was always sort of turned off by claymation as a kid, for childish reasons probably, but as an adult, it’s astoundingly impressive, and this form here is no exception. The plot in this movie, while formulaic, is perfectly done, and E and I laughed quite a lot. 3 movies in, I still give Wild Robot a slight edge overall to this, as it’s a bit more creative and original, and has a bit more heart, but I would heartily recommend this to anyone who loves animation or has kids. Super fun!

-Z

Z and I went in completely blind to this movie, and can I just say, what a delight this was! Incredibly fun story line and multiple laugh-out-loud moments from me. The world created here is so weirdly charming, and it has left me wanting to watch more from this franchise. I’ve got this tied with The Wild Robot for my top animated film of the year, and if I had to pick one over the other, this would win out.

-E

“Give him the diamond, lad. I can live without inventing, but I can't live without... me best pal!” - Wallace

Despite 8 movies and short films that Wallace and Gromit have been a part of, this is the first that I have taken the time to see. If it wasn’t for my Oscars watch list, it most likely would have been skipped. Overall, I am so glad I watched it and really think I will find time to watch more. A genuinely funny movie that gave me some Shrek humor vibes at times, which is why I think I enjoyed it so much. Overall it is a much watch and Feathers McGraw is an iconic super villain that should not be slept on. With a couple animated movies to watch, this is currently what I am rooting for to win the oscar!

-J

Z 8.5
E 8.75
J 8.5

ZEJ 8.58

The Apprentice

If I could just skip ahead four years to avoid any further Trump news, I would, so naturally I was dreading watching The Apprentice. But us cinema junkies take it on the chin for the love of the game, and The Apprentice is as horrifying as I imagined. But like watching a car wreck, Trump’s transformation… you just can’t look away. This movie is limited in enjoyment, but as a vehicle to showcase the talents of Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, boy, does it shine. Sebastian Stan’s subtle but pinpoint descent into Trump’s neuroses is brilliant. And Jeremy Strong, who we all fell in love with in Succession, brings a completely different energy to The Apprentice, a masterful, affecting depiction of Roy Cohn. There’s a couple shots from this that we’ll stick with me for a long time, and that’s the height of cinema.

-Z

Now it’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Donald Trump, but for some reason I’ve been interested in seeing this since I first heard about it in the fall. While we didn’t make it to the theater, I’m glad it's Oscar noms gave us a reason to dive in at home. Sebastian Stan and Jerwmey Strong are fabulous here. While Trump’s transformation from apprentice-e to apprentice-r is expected, it happens here through a series of subtle shifts that kept me all in on a storyline that felt quite realistic.

-E

“Rule three: no matter what happens, you claim victory and never admit defeat.” -Roy

I don’t know how much Z will dive into his reluctance to watch this film, but I was in the same spot. I am exhausted from hearing about Trump, whether it be good or bad, so a full length film on him seemed like a lot. First off, Sebastian Stan is the man right now. He has been lights out in everything and is definitely in the must watch column for me. He was fantastic and I also think watching this film puts a light on our president in a different way for me. Does it change my feelings? No, but it definitely helps me understand some things. A movie that is all about high level acting and storytelling. Casual movie watchers may want to pass, but if you like a well put together movie then you should find some time!

-J

Z 8.0
E 8.5
J 8.75

ZEJ 8.42

Memoir of a Snail

Wow. Who would have guessed an oppressively depressing R-rated animated film would be nominated for an Oscar? Exciting times we live in. Memoir of a Snail is a beautiful film, both in animation and story, but the tragic nature of its characters may be a bit over the top, and while it makes the journey cathartic by the end of it, it’s not for the faint of heart, and for definitely loses some points with me in that regard. It’s just cool to have more and more animation made for adults, and ever more cool to have it be recognized like this. Definitely recommend if you enjoy animation, but you definitely need to be a good emotional headspace to take this on, so be forewarned.

-Z

Despite being animated, this was, unexpectedly, decidedly somber. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story line and animation, and I definitely think this was deserving of its Best Animated nom, but it's not one I’d watch again (and might even struggle to recommend to someone). The misfortunes and bad luck just keep piling up for the main character and I don’t think the ending fully saves it here as the film might think it does.

-E

Z 8.5
E 8.25
J n/a

ZEJ 8.38

Movie Fantasy League 2024 - Oscars Update

Oscar Nominations are out and that has shaken up the leaderboard for the ZEJ Reviews Movie Fantasy League!

Here’s where we’re at:

The rank on the left is globally and score on the right is current points.

Jord takes a command lead atop the rankings, as he picked 4 film with Oscar nominations, including two of the most nominated films, Emilia Perez and Wicked, as well as Best Picture nominee Anora, and animated nominee Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. All told, Jord racked up 30 Oscar nominations, most in the league.

Trailing him in total nominations with 22, Ellen pulls into second place, as she also had Wicked, had success with A Complete Unknown’s 8 nominations, the Wild Robot and September 5. We just did our reviews for A Complete Unknown, and it’s frustrating how it racked up any more nominations than Best Actor, as it’s such a bland movie, but of all our picks, it’s certainly the best value at a cost of just $1.88 per nomination.

You’ll also notice that Z is no longer in last place, though with Sing Sing being snubbed for Best Picture, I only amassed 9 total nominations, and didn’t soar to the heights I would have liked.

In fact, our previous leader Austin R, fended me off with his movies racking up 15 nominees - Wicked, Sing Sing and a surprising two nominations for the Apprentice.

Rounding out the bottom, Max picked up 8 nominees, and Austin T and Tony 5 a piece. The bottom trio all shared the joy of selecting the worst value movie $40 per nomination with Gladiator II; or even worse for Tony and Austin T, $30 for 0 nominations with Moana 2.

Of course, we still have the Guild Awards, the Bafta Awards, and then the Oscar winners themselves on March 2nd, so many points up for grabs, but you have to like your odds if you’re Jord right now.

Mr Richards (J) - 3555 pts

• Anora ($25) - 6 noms

• Emilia Perez ($25) - 13 noms

• Wicked ($20) - 10 noms

• The Room Next Door ($8)

• Here ($8)

• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl ($5) - 1 nom

• Juror #2 ($5)

• Piece by Piece ($3)

ecrhodes (E) - 2981 pts

• Wicked ($20) - 10 noms

• Joker: Folie a Deux ($20)

• A Complete Unknown ($15) - 8 noms

• The Wild Robot ($15) - 3 noms

• September 5 ($10) - 1 noms

• Babygirl ($10)

• Will & Harper ($5)

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga ($5)

Austo (Austin R) - 2883 pts

• Sing Sing ($25) - 3 noms

• Joker: Folie a Deux ($20)

• Wicked ($20) - 10 noms

• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 ($10)

• Saturday Night ($8)

• Smile 2 ($5)

• The Apprentice ($5) - 2 noms

• Longlegs ($3)

runningwolf (Z) - 1963 pts

• Dune: Part Two ($35) - 5 noms

• Sing Sing ($25) - 3 noms

• Blitz ($20)

• A Real Pain ($10)

• Oh Canada ($3)

• Love Lies Bleeding ($3)

• No Other Land ($3) - 1 noms

• Kneecap ($1)

MaxC (Max) - 1861 pts

• Gladiator II ($40) - 1 noms

• The Wild Robot ($15) - 3 noms

• We Live in Time ($15)

• Challengers ($10)

• A Real Pain ($10)

• Nosferatu ($8) - 4 noms

• The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim ($5)

• Transformers One ($2)

TheFearedDoctor (Tony) - 1705 pts

• Gladiator II ($40) - 1 noms

• Moana 2 ($30)

• Nightbitch ($10)

• Nosferatu ($8) - 4 noms

• Deadpool & Wolverine ($5)

• Joy ($3)

• In the Summers ($2)

• Exhibiting Forgiveness ($2)

StShuffles (Austin T) - 1604 pts

• Gladiator II ($40) - 1 noms

• Moana 2 ($30)

• Nightbitch ($10)

• Nosferatu ($8) - 4 noms

• Saturday Night ($8)

• Speak No Evil ($2)

• Lisa Frankenstein ($1)

• Ultraman: Rising ($1)

The Brutalist

At 10 Oscar nominations, the Brutalist trails only Emilia Pérez in number of nominations, and unlike Emilia Pérez, it is completely deserving of all of them. An absolute tour de force of cinema. Adrien Brody is on my ever-growing must watch list and he completely delivers in a gut-wrenching marathon of screentime. I thought Felicity Jones was great as well, but Guy Pearce is as equally electric as Adrien Brody, and brings this perfect counterpart energy to each scene their paired in that’s just… chef’s kiss. At 3 hours and 35 minutes, it’s obviously a long watch, but I’m obsessed with the fact that Brady Corbet put a literal 15 minute intermission in the middle of this, with a timer and everything. As someone with a untimely small bladder, that is brilliant, and really gave the film a special feel to it. It’s a technical masterpiece, no doubt, but as I felt about Oppenheimer last year, my enjoyment of this keeps my rating down. It’s depiction of the immigrant experience, while accurate, is grating, and I personally need more joy or comedy in my masterpiece to get it any higher. At just 36 years old, I’m fascinated to see what Brady Corbet does next.

-Z

So glad we saw this in theaters - it was quite the experience! I almost felt like I had watched an entire season of a TV show by the time we finally left the theater. Somehow it did not feel too long, which is quite a feat, and I hope more films utilize the built-in intermission idea. I’m expecting this one to take Best Picture.

-E

“I've found our conversation persuasive and intellectually stimulating.” - Harrison

I also found this movie pretty intellectually stimulating, but the first thing that must be said is WOW this is long. Luckily, the intermission was fantastic and I believe any movie over 2.5 hours should really think about adding one. Good for the audience, money to make from the theater, and most importantly bladders around the world. Despite it being so long, the movie really didn’t feel lit like it at all. It gave all the great vibes that Oppenheimer gave and it was really engaging. Along with that, it was filmed in a way that was obviously slow, but extremely deliberate. My big issue with this film and keeping it from high 9’s is that it just left a lot unanswered. It makes you fill in the blanks however you want, and I think that is a cop-out by a film. Maybe I am looking at it too harshly, but it bugs me. Overall, I don’t really see a world where this doesn’t win the best picture award and it is well deserved for a never ending list of reasons. Just like Nickel Boys, you have to be kind of be a sick cinephile like Z, E, and myself to spend 4 hours at the theater, but this is definitely more accessible to a general audience than a traditional ‘Oscar bait’ flick.

-J

Z 8.75
E 9.0
J 9.0

ZEJ 8.92

Nickel Boys

The ZEJ team’s first assignment after the Oscar nominations was Nickel Boys - based on the true story of the Dozier School for Boys, a reform school that operated in Florida for 111 years and following its closing in 2011, nearly 100 hidden burials have been found on the grounds of students, mostly black, that had been murdered there. In the movie, you see primarily the point of view of two students and their time there and much of the worst of the abuse that went on at the school is hidden from you. Which is to say, the film isn’t completely bleak, there’s beauty, joy, and life depicted in addition to the abuse, but that gnawing forebodingness never leaves you, and as such, it is certainly not a feel good movie, and not one I particularly would want to watch again. But as many people are ever more happy to whitewash the atrocities of our past, it’s an important story to experience. From a cinematography and directing standpoint, this was also one of the most creative movies of the year, though it grabbed neither of those Oscar nominations.

-Z

The first-person perspective here was really well done and made this feel unique. There was a great balance between the darker themes and everyday lightness. I also appreciated the subtleties here in the plot - nothing felt too preachy or overdone. Not my favorite of the Best Picture list, but I think it deserves to be there.

-E

“If everybody looks the other way, then everybody's in on it. If I look the other way, I'm as implicated as the rest.” -Elwood

I will say it once, and I will say it again. Going into a movie blind is the best way to do it. I did see one cryptic trailer awhile back and was intrigued by the fact that it was going to be filmed in first person, but that was about it. I had someone recently ask me if I had seen The Whale, and I had an interesting conversation about how good it was, but that I would never want to see it again. This definitely feels that way. If you don’t really enjoy cinema and appreciate the technicalities that can come with it, this film would be a tough watch. It is a sad story that is hard to watch, along with the historical background that comes with it really can cut you to the core. This is a film that definitely deserves the praise that it got from the academy, if not more. It pushes boundaries not only within its story, but more so with its direction. A movie shot almost entirely in first person is not something I have seen before. It also really puts a lot of trust into the audience to make connections which is also very refreshing since most films now-a-days are extremely in your face. A lot surely went over my head, but I feel like I was able to appreciate the important parts. Like I said, if you love cinema and its technicalities, give it a watch, if not you may struggle!

-J

Z 8.75
E 8.5
J 8.75

ZEJ 8.67

ZEJ 2024 (So Far) Movie Superlatives

The 2024 movie year is still ongoing, but with Oscar nominations now released, we thought it would be fun to share our 2024 (so far) movie superlatives! Enjoy.

Favorite Movie of 2024

• Z: Hundreds of Beavers

• E: Hundreds of Beavers

• J: Strange Darling

Best Movie of 2024

• Z: Hundreds of Beavers

• E: Dune: Part Two

• J: Anora

Best Comedy of 2024

• Z: Hundreds of Beavers

• E: Hundreds of Beavers

• J: Hundreds of Beavers

Best Horror of 2024

• Z: Late Night with the Devil

• E: Late Night with the Devil

• J: The Substance

Best Animated of 2024

• Z: The Wild Robot

• E: The Wild Robot

• J: Transformers One

Most Fun Movie of 2024

• Z: Deadpool & Wolverine

• E: Hundreds of Beavers

• J: Love Lies Bleeding

Actor or Actress You Want to Hang Out With 2024

• Z: Any of the trio from Kneecap, the Irish language rap group seem like a good hang

• E: Willem Dafoe

• J: Tyler Owens (Glenn Powell from Twisters)

Biggest Disappointment of 2024

• Z: Gladiator II

• E: Monkey Man

• J: MaXXXine

Movie More People Need to Watch of 2024

• Z: Hundreds of Beavers

• E: Hundreds of Beavers

• J: My Old Ass and Kneecaps

Guilty Pleasure of 2024

• Z: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

• E: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

• J: Argyle

Blockbuster of 2024

• Z: Dune: Part Two

• E: Dune: Part Two

• J: Twisters

Best Movie from Home 2024

• Z: Hundreds of Beavers

• E: Hundreds of Beavers

• J: How to Have Sex

Movie That the Other 2 Got Wrong of 2024

• Z: Megalopolis (Z = 1, E = 3, J=4) don’t know how E and J rated Megalopolis a 3 and 4, respectively. It’s worse than Madame Web, and that was one of the worst movies of all time. Anything above a 1/10 is criminal.

• E: Conclave (Z = 8.75, E = 9.5, J = 8.5)

• J: Kinds of Kindness (Z = 8.25, E = 8.75, J = 9.25)

Best Movie I Forgot Came That Came Out in 2024

• Z: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

• E: Civil War

• J: Alien: Romulus

Best Soundtrack/Score/Song of 2024

• Z: Challengers/Challengers/Challengers

• E: Challengers

• J: Babygirl

Biggest Oscar Snub

• Z: Challengers soundtrack… like WHAT?!

• E: Challengers, as a whole, how did it get zero nominations?

• J: Baby Girl

Favorite Oscar Nom

• Z: The Substance - Best Picture; pleasantly surprised that one of the most grotesque body horror films I’ve seen is somehow a Best Picture nominee.

• E: Conclave - Production Design. The world of Conclave was my favorite part of the movie - it really drew me in and everything about it (the set, the colors, the lighting, etc.) was perfectly beautiful and completely mesmerizing. Glad to see the Oscars recognize that, but I think this will be a tough category to win.

• J: The Substance

Most Excited for 2025

• Z: 28 Years Later

• E: Mission Impossible - the Final Reckoning

• J: Paddington in Peru

A Complete Unknown

I think Jord pretty much nailed it in his summation of A Complete Unknown being plain. Although, on the continuum of ugly to plain to beautiful, I think this movie certainly borders on being ugly. Outside of Timothee Chalamet’s admittedly great performance as Bob Dylan, this biopic is so ridiculously surface level, it’s maddening. Two and a half hours of Timothee Chalamet performing Bob Dylan songs is apparently good enough to win you a Best Picture nominee. People’s blinders for these music biopics is insane. Maestro, Elvis, Bohemian Rhapsody… all massively overrated by what I can only chalk up to nostalgia. If you love Bob Dylan, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. But if you’re at all critical of film, this will be disappointing.

-Z

Sorry, Academy, you've misjudged this one. As a lover of '60s music and culture, I was really excited about this release, but this left a lot to be desired. A telling of Bob Dylan's origin story, a peak behind the curtain into the conflict and controversies in his life, or an exploration of how he brought together folk and rock music throughout his career would have made for a much better story, but by instead dipping a toe into a tiny sliver of each of these, the end result feels incredibly surface level. I guess this matches with the title as I feel like Dylan continues to be an unknown entity here - was that the point?

-E

“You can be beautiful or you can be ugly but you can't be plain?” - Bob

The iconic quote from the film which I loved. The irony of it is that we have just that in a movie. It is the definition of plain. A movie that pushes no boundaries. The goal seems to show how controversial Bob Dylan was and avoided any hard hitting issues. No talks of drugs, seemed to avoid a lot of conflict despite having multiple women in his life, and they allude to his internal struggle despite me never feeling it once. I am actually a little offended at how many awards this is going to be nominated for as there are so many films that push boundaries and give cinema its magic, but we will focus on this film. I did not know much about Bob Dylan nor do I now want to learn anymore. My brother said it best when he said he could have ‘watched’ this movie in about one article from a  Google search on his life. I want to learn something about him and I want to see what it was like in his shoes. Don’t get me wrong, it's not a bad movie in any world, but if I am sitting here wondering if The Fire Inside is better than this, I think we have some issues. Lastly, I think it is interesting that Timothee Chalamet is doing the inverse Austin Butler. Austin does Elvis, gets huge, and now he gives great performances in a wide variety of films where Timothee started that way and now seems to potentially be selling out with Wonka to now this. I am curious to see how his career continues. With that being said, I think he deserves a nomination, but beyond that all other nominations are a stretch. 

-J

Z 7.0
E 7.0
J 7.75

ZEJ 7.25

Juror #2

“We're only as sick as our secrets.” -Larry

This was one of my movie fantasy league movies, which created some extra excitement for it. I chose it due to Clint Eastwood directing (who just turned 94… INSANE). I unfortunately had the plot somewhat spoiled for me, but it took a different direction then I thought. Thankfully that happened, because I think I was worried it would be dull, but it created an interesting ride. A true “what would I do?” moment, and I like a movie that makes me think. A lot probably want what I thought it was going to be, but I love what I got. Is it perfect? No. Will it win awards? Most likely not. I do think it deserves a lot more than a soft release on HBO Max and I hope anyone who gets off on courtroom dramas finds time to watch it. Throw the summer of Glenn Powell out the window, is it Nicholas Hoults’ time to shine? Who knows!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.75

~ZEJ 8.75

The Wild Robot

Jord was busy, but E and I caught this in theaters, and I’m so glad we did, as we had low expectations from the trailer, and the Wild Robot totally surpassed those and then some. The artistic direction of this film, the colors, and animation were absolutely beautiful. Some masterful work in the department from DreamWorks. We hadn’t read the book series, but the story is really powerful, and I was particularly impressed with the dialogue, as it was very tight and genuine. The voice acting from Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal and Kit Connor as the three primary characters was brilliant. There were a few issues, namely the pacing, and a few moments where the plot was a little eye-rolly and/or cheesy, but all-in-all that’s very easy to forgive for such a heart-warming and visually appealing film. Loved it. Blows Inside Out 2 away in terms of best animated movies this year so far, and will undoubtedly earn a nomination at the Oscars.

-Z

“When you grow up without something you... end up spending a lot of time thinking about it?” -Fink

FINALLY got around to this one. I missed it in theaters due to a scheduling conflict (that lasted 5+ months as it was in theaters this long) but I rented it and watched it from home. I heard over and over again about how great this was from all kinds of people of all walks of life, but the most important review came from Z and E. They gave it an 8.75, so I knew it was going to be good but it did taper expectations. I liked how we jumped right into the story, and was really excited about the fact it didn’t shy away from truths of the world, which is the circle of life. Frustratingly though, that ended up creating one of my two issues with the film. It completely abandons that at the end of the film and completely switches themes from that to focusing on love and where it comes from, or ultimately can come from anywhere (which I do believe is the stronger of themes). It also took us on a journey of about 3 strong storylines, which I think is interesting for a film over TV show. Overall though, I do think it hits hard in a lot of ways and is an elite animated film of 2024. Any movie lover needs to find time, but know I do not think we are seeing an all-timer, just a great film for the year.

-J

Z 8.75
E 8.75
J 8.5

ZEJ 8.67

Emilia Pérez

This movie was potentially in the 8-range for me until the final act, which more or less ruins the film, in my opinion. The acting is excellent, and the concept was really unique, but the ending was so bad it’s possible AI could have written something better. It might even be possible that Jord could have written a better ending, and as you know, he’s a TERRIBLE writer. Karla Sofia Gascon did an incredible job, and will likely be nominated for Best Actress, and for it will be deserved. For that reason, if you’re a cinema nerd like the ZEJ team, this is a must watch. Otherwise, pretty skippable.

-Z

Hi, it’s me, E. From what I had read about this movie before our attempted viewing nearly two months ago, I knew this movie would be a strange ride, and indeed it was. Botched endings really stick with me, and this really went off the rails in a bad way, unfortunately. On the plus side, it was incredibly creative and fun in a magical kind of way, which is noteworthy coming from a not-into-musicals viewer like myself. Did we need all of the mostly forgettable songs though?

-E

“So. Does your client have a name?” -Wasserman

Over a week out, I still am not sure how I feel. I follow a popular podcast group and they HATE this film, so I didn’t know what I was in for. In no way did I hate it, but it is unique for sure. A musical about a trans drug dealer that is in spanish. Not hard to believe it wasn’t on my Bingo Card either. I think the musical aspect was great. Z mentioned he didn’t love the music, but I like how they used it for transitions for the film instead of ballads. Not a traditional musical like Wicked, but again nothing is traditional in this. The longer I think about it, the more I enjoy it. Now, I truly do not think it deserves all the awards it has gotten already and will get, but it is a great film and if you want something you've never seen before you should find some time!

-J

Z 7.25
E 7.5
J 8.0

ZEJ 7.58

Conclave

Drama in the Vatican doesn’t do it for Jord, so E and I soloed Conclave, a film which we learned about for the first time just a week or two prior, and I can safely say that Jord may have missed out on an Oscars contender. It may have the juice to take a Best Picture nomination, but the script and acting turned in by this film are phenomenal, as was the cinematography and directing for that matter. I’ve been a Ralph Fiennes truther since his portrayal of Voldemort, and the contrast he draws from a role like that to his here is really astounding. The storytelling is really on another level in this movie, and it makes the political machinations of the papal office extremely juicy and riveting. There’s a horde of top tier supporting characters that maximize the intrigue and thriller component to this movie, from Stanley Tucci to John Lithgow to Carlos Diehz, and of course, Isabella Rossellini. Notably, this is E’s third highest rating this year, and while it’s one of my favorites as well, I’m still a little higher on Love Lies Bleeding, Late Night with the Devil, Didi, and Challengers, which all received 9’s from me. Very curious to see Jord will land on this one.

-Z

Z 8.75
E 9.5
J 8.5

ZEJ 8.92