Succession is so good that it basically made its own iconic brand of television humor (much like The Office). Succession truly felt like a phenomenon as it was happening with such a winning formula of morally questionable characters who somehow were collectively so addictively compelling despite their extreme wealth and privilege.

In retrospect, it's stunning that a show like Succession could even be as popular as it was because it's really not a satire with an "eat the rich" type of message like Blink Twice or Triangle of Sadness. It revels in its elitism and makes it equally desirable and detestable. Without its high level of humor and hilarious characters such as Greg and Tom, even Roman and Kendall at times, the series wouldn't work. Its backbone is the real family dynamics that still ring true even though the trust funds and cover-ups. It's truly brilliant and one of the best ever.

A film that will likely never be recreated. A true experimental cinematic achievement that somehow, magically, still works as a sold coming-of-age story. There is certainly some repetitiveness in its narrative, which isn't perfect or necessarily all that interesting, but it is incredibly authentic and blends the line between fiction and reality. This is what Richard Linklater does best and I'm so happy that he had the ambition and patience to pull it off.

Boyhood is a movie that is larger than cinema. It inherently showcases the other most magnificent part of filmmaking outside of storytelling, which is documenting history. The originality of its premise alone is enough to be in awe of it. It seems ridiculous to nitpick a film that was shot over the course of 12 years for its minute details in character or plot. The fact that Linklater did this and is going to do it again with the musical Merrily We Roll Along is incredible, plain and simple.

The Departed may just go down as the quintessential "Boston movie" right next to Good Will Hunting. The fact that Matt Damon stars in both makes me feel like The Instigators should have been way better. Regardless, The Departed finally earned Scorsese his first and only Oscar, and deservedly so. Even me, being from Boston, wouldn't call it his greatest cinematic achievement, but I do think The Departed is a masterpiece.

What's most impressive about The Departed is its sharp pace and palpable tension. It's a film that certainly has its flaws, including an outdated look at the Bostonian culture, but is right up there with Goodfellas as the greatest mob movie of all time. It's gritty, relentless at times, and sets up an enthralling ride with several great twists. Could Mark Wahlberg have toned down the accent? Yes. Could Nicholson have done more to distance himself from the Whitey Bulger comparisons? Also yes. Take The Departed for what it is - a timeless gangster epic.

Such a beautiful series through and through. Deserves more recognition and a larger audience. Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey give exceptional perfomances, arguably the best of their television careers. There's so much ion and care put into the construction of this series combined with a stark adherence to historical accuracy that it actually becomes very educational, not to mention highly entertaining.

One of the few television series that actually made me emotional, especially at the end of it. Even when you know what's going to end up happening from the get-go, the way that the story unfolds is so tragic and profound that you can't help but shed a tear. even though the characters are fictional, their hardships and decades of struggles are extremely real and felt in Fellow Travelers. One of the best and most heartfelt historical television series I've ever seen. It's a shame it wasn't nominated for Best Limited Series at the 2024 Emmys.

Not a big fan of how this series turned out, to be honest. I get that the series was meant to chronicle the Donald Sterling scandal that led him to sell the Los Angeles Clippers, but that wasn't enough to keep the series interesting throughout. I had an issue with the casting choice, particularly with the basketball personnel, that in some cases were so inaccurate they were distracting and laughable (looking at you Steph Curry).

Ultimately, this series didn't need to exist, nor was it fun to watch. The story is both outrageous and true, which you would think would make a great premise for a documentary as opposed to a live-action reenactment of sorts. It was unclear who it was trying to appeal to but it certainly wasn't basketball fans. Even outside of that context, the story may be bizarre and stranger than fiction, but it offered little more than a recap of a headlining story that just happened 10 years ago.

I'm still upset that this show was canceled by Max after two seasons, which seems to becoming a trend at Warner Bros. Rarely have I seen such an impressive expansion of its characters and story world as I did between Tokyo Vice seasons 1 and 2, which really makes me wonder what a season 3 might have looked like even though there was a strong sense of a conclusion at the end of season 2.

Tokyo Vice is almost entirely shot in Japan, something that Shogun can't even add its its list of accolades. While it may have been impractical for WB to continue production in Tokyo, which has a reputation for not being too accommodating to film productions, I really wish there could have been some way to pull it off. The series creators are still adamant about bringing Tokyo Vice season 3 to life somewhere. Even if it's not at WB/Max, I feel like it deserves it. More people should be watching this show.

Easily the best miniseries of 2024, until it was announced that it was actually the first season of a new drama series, making it the best new drama series of 2024. Shogun is one of the most visually stunning series quite literally ever made and still its story is its greatest achievement. All of the perfomances are phenomenal and the world is so rich with authentic texture and tone that it's easy to stay in despite the show's brutality.

I'm excited for the future of Shogun because very rarely are first seasons so expertly done, especially by relatively inexperienced showrunners. There is so much more to explore after the events of Shogun season 1 which would have been left to the history books otherwise, since the story is about the real life rise of the Tokugawa shogunate, but will be so much more interesting to see replicated and dramatized on screen. Cannot wait for season 2 and beyond.

Hit Man is an integral part of Glen Powell's path to superstardom but is also a smart and witty Richard Linklater film. Linklater was inspired by a newspaper article he read about a man who posed as a hitman for the local police and thought that'd make a pretty solid premise for a movie, which he was right about. He added a lot of the other stuff, particularly the romance with one of the hitman's targets, but it worked for the benefit of the storytelling.

In Hit Man, Powell really got to show what else he was made of after the surprise success of Anyone But You and the enormous impact of Top Gun: Maverick. Hit Man could have really broken Powell's stride gearing up to the summer blockbuster hit Twisters, but it actually worked quite well in his favor, earning the widespread praise of critics and getting to show that he was more than an action hero and a love interest. Hit Man is a rom-com at heart but it's also quite sharp.

This film is so deserving of its Best Original Screenplay Oscar. I thinking while watching how the entire film was being held up by the exceptional writing, which masterfully felt both natural and deeply refined even in its most basic spurts of dialogue. The layers of this film make it deeply compelling as well as the intentional and wise shifts in the dramatic tension, leading to an ending that allows the viewer to decide on their own.

2023 may always be ed as the year of Sandra Hüller, who starred in this film and The Zone of Interest and played two characters with very different personalities. The slow burn suspense of Anatomy of a Fall never feels strained and builds to very captivating moments, particularly in the courtroom scenes, that truly show a mastery of the story from writer/director Justine Triet. It's one of those films you wish you could watch again for the first time, but a rewatch is nearly as good too.

May December was originally one of my favorite "awards contenders" of 2023 when it first came out, as I thought the perfomances were very strong despite the story being a little underwhelming and frankly gross. It felt like Portman was really going for that Oscar nomination which might have ended up working against her, although the direction of Todd Haynes was thoughtful and mostly effective.

May December is unquestionably a melodrama with Oscar appeal but surprisingly was one of the biggest snubs of 2023, especially for Charles Melton who at one point felt like a sure nominee and top contender before not even ending up on the ballot. May December elevates the otherwise crude and downright strange story through an intellectual lens of intrigue, but to be honest I haven't thought of it much after last year's awards season ended.

I was greatly disappointed by MaXXXine especially as a reluctant fan of the "Ti West trilogy" - I liked X well enough and actually enjoyed Pearl but felt like the hype around MaXXXine was being funneled in by some arbitrary source like fake crowd noise at an awards ceremony. I was on board for Ti West and Mia Goth to prove me wrong with MaXXXine but I ultimately lost interest in the movie halfway through it.

I will say that had MaXXXine not been so overly hyped, I might have enjoyed it more, but still found the story just really poorly developed and scattered all over the place. Most importantly, I didn't find the villain - or any character for that matter - very compelling, which for me is a surefire way to get me to check out. I think it was shot well enough but the film seemed more interested in asserting itself than taking the audience on a thrill ride. One of my biggest cinematic letdowns of 2024.

The Fall Guy was a great time at the movies, so much so that I ended up seeing it twice in theaters, although it's disappointing and somewhat odd that not many other people felt the pull to go see it. Apart from being Ryan Gosling's Barbie follow-up, it was a solid action movie with plenty of humor, great chemistry between Gosling and Emily Blunt, and above all else, it was a love letter to the history of stunt workers in Hollywood.

The Fall Guy is the type of movie you want to see become a big hit but perhaps wasn't remarkable enough to get there at the box office. The film has an air of self-reflexivity, not just because it's a film about filmmaking, but because it caters to audiences quite well and feels at times that it's laughing at itself. That partly comes from Ryan Gosling's humble swag, but also from Aaron Taylor Johnson's over-the-top villain and the streamline of adrenaline-pumping stunts. It's a great and simple flick if that's what you're looking for.

I thought Uncut Gems was a masterpiece when it first came out and still somehow think it's even better nowadays than I initially did back in 2019. Maybe it's because in the five years since Uncut Gems was released truly nothing else like it has come after it and nothing like it had come before it. It is such an achievement of creating an atmosphere of controlled chaos that I don't think many filmmakers outside of the Safdie bros can pull off.

The same frantic energy was introduced in their 2017 independent hit Good Time which was just as if not more impressive in setting a tone and essentially keeping the audience in a chokehold throughout. It's by far my favorite Sandler performance apart from Happy Gilmore and I think will only continue to age like fine wine over time for its ambition, its captivating effects, and its announcement of two legend-in-the-making directors.

Sheer chemistry from Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, smart direction from Damien Chazelle, and one of the best original musical scores of the 21st century. Chazelle could do no wrong when La La Land came out back in 2016 as he was basically seen as the industry's wonder kid. Whiplash and La La Land are both so great when it comes it integrating music into their stories that it's easy to see why both were loved by critics.

Looking back from 2024, La La Land can feel a bit out of touch, as the air of wonder and inspiration in the film can feel somewhat ridiculous nowadays if it hadn't already been back in 2016. While the message of hope and ion are nice things to bank on in a musical about the entertainment industry, it seems a bit tone-deaf in retrospect. Still, the film is both a musical and cinematic achievement and hopefully won't be the peak of the talented Chazelle's directing career.

Another of those films that stays with you long after you watch it. I'm starting to realize my new favorite genre is "sports movies that aren't really about sports" (see Challengers) and The Iron Claw is probably the best wrestling-focused movie I've ever seen. What I can say assuredly is that Zac Efron is in top form in The Iron Claw and was snubbed in last year's Best Actor race.

The film understands itself very well, showcasing the heart and love of the Von Erich brothers despite a series of unthinkable tragedies happening one after another. It's hard to walk away from The Iron Claw with a "point", especially because most of it is based on a true story and a real family. It does, however, put things into perspective when it comes to the patriarchal family man and his expectations of his kids, who are also human too. Kevin von Erich said his dad's portrayal in The Iron Claw wasn't accurate, but it ends up being the driving force of the movie. Great, sad film.

The Bikeriders is exceptionally immersive although it takes a little while to get going. Jodie Comer is just one of the many great perfomances and deserves to be in the realm of Best Actress nominees. Even after watching Dune 2, The Bikeriders has my favorite Austin Butler performance by a long shot as he somehow so naturally falls into the role of the "rolling stone" Benny full of reckless abandon who also conceals a big heart.

Tom Hardy is great and I didn't mind the odd accent as much as some might. There are moments in The Bikeriders that make me feel like I was watching a true Best Picture contender, especially towards the latter half of the film. I think it's a true testament to a movie that picks up momentum after starting off kinda slowly and delivering in the end, even though some would say it feels "plotless" at times I really don't see that at all. Once you're in it, you're hooked.

Unexpectedly sharp satire and one of my favorite recent Nic Cage movies and performances by him. The film makes an interesting pivot towards its third act from being highly engrossing and mysterious to kind of losing its momentum towards the end, as if it stepped on its own feet in a way. The intrigue was lost once I realized where things were headed, as the rise and fall of "cancel culture" was essentially being expressed through an extended metaphor.

I wouldn't say that the ending lost me but it felt like a bit of a cop-out from actually settling on something more profound. Dream Scenario was certainly capable of it throughout the first 2/3 of runtime but the film itself seemed to lose interest in its own direction and landing point. The scene with Michael Cera as a marketing exec was the clear highlight of the film and provided some of its very funny moments. Overall, a great watch that fizzles out in the third act.

Being from Boston makes me want to like this movie more than I probably should, because I feel like this film was mostly made for people in and around New England. This film was a few creative decisions away from being "Dunkin commercial: the Movie" although it did manage to get its Dunkin cups in the forefront of a shot or two to add some real Boston "authenticity".

In some ways, it felt like a paint-by-numbers Boston movie and it should have been either a lot more funny or way more action-packed and engaging. The film falls short of what it could have been because it's not trying very hard to be exceptional in any way. The perfomances feel half-assed and it seems like everyone involved is just there for the Apple paycheck. I'm glad they keep making Boston-centric movies but this one felt forced, old, and just an overall letdown.

Sweeney Todd has always been one of my favorite musicals for reasons I can't fully explain, even down to seeing my high school's production of it several times. As someone who is not really a fan of musicals, I love the music in Sweeney Todd and find it works really well with the story, which is usually where I lose interest in the genre as a whole. I don't stop to ask myself why are they suddenly singing in Sweeney Todd, I just like that they are.

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp were the perfect duo to take on Sweeney Todd and arguably the only way a successful film adaptation would have ever worked. Adding Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter was just way too perfect for the gothic and sinister tones of the play, and Sacha Baron Cohen surprised me with just one year separating this and Borat. The cast and the music needed to be exceptional and convincing for this to work as a film, and Burton nailed both key aspects.

About as good as a Mission: Impossible movie can get and perhaps will ever be. The best evidence that Henry Cavill should a) have played James Bond and b) should play more villains all wrapped up in one awesome action movie. Top Gun Maverick is of course the biggest box office smash of Cruise's career, but I think there's a real case for Fallout as being the best action movie of his career and easily the best of the franchise.

The most impressive part about Fallout is that it continued to exceed the expectations of the franchise after the impressive installments of Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation when it really didn't need to. Fallout is an emblem of Cruise's immense ion for the franchise and his iconic and frankly unbelievable brand of physical acting. Fallout is the reason why I enjoy and rewatch the Mission: Impossible movies more than I do than James Bond or any other franchise in that category and is truly a masterclass of action franchise filmmaking.