Ten cinema disappointments of 2024

Joker: Folie à Deux

The musical approach took the sequel in an unusual direction. In this year-end assessment, I see the problem in musical escape not consistently strengthening psychological closeness. Phoenix and Gaga have strengths, while the construction remains divisive.

Venom: The Last Dance

Kelly Marcel’s third Venom film feels less fresh to me in its familiar action-and-humour mixture. Knull promises a major antagonist but receives little convincing development. Effects cannot compensate for limited character work.

Borderlands

The colourful game world promised anarchic humour and distinctive characters. Eli Roth’s adaptation finds too little balance between action and comedy for me. Its prominent cast cannot prevent shallow relationships. That tonal problem particularly weakens the film.

Madame Web

Cassandra Webb’s abilities could have provided a different perspective on superhero storytelling. For me, the plot unnecessarily complicates the idea without giving the characters corresponding depth. Dakota Johnson leads a film whose potential feels stronger than its development.

Megalopolis

Francis Ford Coppola’s ambition is unmistakable. For me, the political and philosophical vision disappears inside an overloaded structure. Characters fall behind the large ideas. The distance between passionate conception and difficult execution makes it disappointing.

Trap

The concert functioning as a police trap provides a strong premise. Josh Hartnett carries the situation, but its development feels too predictable and constructed to me. The father-daughter relationship lacks sufficient emotional depth. M. Night Shyamalan extracts too little from the appealing setup.

The Beekeeper

Jason Statham supplies the expected toughness and energy. David Ayer’s revenge film nevertheless feels clichéd and unsurprising to me. Modern crimes provide a starting point without being explored deeply enough. I wanted greater emotional meaning behind the action.

The Watchers

Ishana Night Shyamalan’s Irish forest creates an interesting atmosphere. The story does not sufficiently use its threatening potential. Some character decisions remain difficult to understand. Appealing moments sit beside a film that develops too little from its surroundings.

The Crow (2024)

Bill Skarsgård brings some depth to Eric Draven. Rupert Sanders’ reimagining nevertheless lacks the emotional force this story needs for me. Visual effects and revenge dominate over grief and relationship. That limits its impact.

Argylle

The overlap between spy fiction and reality has an original premise. Matthew Vaughn’s film does not balance humour and tension consistently. Exaggeration and uneven pace weaken the characters. Recognisable actors and individual action scenes do not create a consistently engaging experience for me.