September 2024 Movie Roundup: My Personal Ranking and Reviews

With September at an end, I wanted to share my thoughts and ranking of the new releases I saw this month. September was a bit slower month with very minimal bigger films coming out. Regardless of that, I still managed to see five new releases this month. September is oftentimes a bit of a dumping ground of a month. It is right after the big blockbuster season but right before the awards push season so no studios ever really want to release their movies here. With that all being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the five new releases that I saw.

5. Megalopolis

Megalopolis is the newest film from Francis Ford Coppola and was just a bit much for me. The movie seemed to be more concerned with the artistic vision and themes than it was about telling a coherent story. For probably 80% of the movie, I had no idea what was going on nor could I now give an accurate summary of the film. The film was just way too wrapped in its Shakespearean tone and grandiose appearance. This was one of the few films that I have seen that tried to tackle so many ideas while actually accomplishing so little. There are so many different plots going on with no clear lead in the story. I also thought that many of the actors didn't know how to handle the story and ended up giving performances that portrayed them more as an archetype than an actual character. The only positive I can give is that the cinematography and style make the movie look really good. The story may be incoherent but the visuals look great. Overall, this is a film where the director's artistic vision and ambition got in the way of telling an understandable story.

Score: 4/10 Grade: D

4. The Killer's Game

The Killer's Game is probably the blandest movie that I saw this month. This movie reminded me a lot of John Wick 2 with a hitman having to fight off a bunch of other hitmen. However, unlike John Wick, this movie lacks any of the unique style and action. The movie isn't all bad. The whole sequence at the castle was pretty fun with the Dave Bautista character having to fight off a large amount of enemies. I thought all of the assassins were fun enough. They each had their own little gimmick that Dave Bautista had to fight against. The big issue with this movie is that it lacks any distinct style to it. The action sets aren't super stylized or really memorable in any way. I also found all of the characters bland and forgettable. The Terry Crews character was a bit of a waste as he gets nothing to do. I also found the humor to be a bit oddly placed. The humor just feels so random and out of place and while it is funny, it halts the momentum of the story. In the end, while this isn't unwatchable, it definitely didn't warrant a theatrical release and lacked any of the style to make it charming.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

3. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the newest film from Tim Burton and is kind of right in the middle quality-wise. This movie does a great job of recapturing the magic of the original film while also bringing something new. Of course, it is great to see Michael Keaton again as Beetlejuice. He brings the same energy that he did 40 years ago. I thought that Jenna Ortega fit very well into this world and is a great fit for Tim Burton. I also liked that the movie decided to go in a direction where they bring living characters into the afterlife. It also us to see more aspects of this world. The movie also tackles some themes about family, moving on, and grief that give it a bit more maturity than the original. Even with that, it is still just as wacky and crazy as the original. The big issue with this movie is that there are just way too many plots going on. The whole Monica Belushi was implied to be the major plot of the film and just kind of goes nowhere as it essentially bookends the film. I think pulling that subplot out and focusing more on the adventure in the afterlife would have knocked this movie up a ton on this list. Overall, while this movie was a lot of fun, it tries to do a bit too much which really brings it down on the list.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

2. Transformers One

Transformers One was a movie I was initially skeptical about. The trailer didn't really sell me on the movie. However, the movie ended up winning me over for the most part. The movie does a great job of showcasing the relationship between Optimus and Megatron. We get to see their friendship slowly deteriorate as Megatron becomes blinded by hatred. I also thought D-16's transformation to Megatron was very well done. We see his lighter view on life transformer as he loses all faith in the society he loved so much to the point where Optimus doesn't even see his friend anymore. The movie has quite a bit of solid action in the second as well as a lot of solid humor. I also like how the movie expands the lore of Cybertron and we actually get to see what the planet was like before it was destroyed. The main thing keeping this movie down is that it did start a bit slow in the first half. It picks up once the main characters get their powers but before that, the movie did not win me over. I also wish we could have spent more time on Megatron's transformation. That was easily the best part of the movie and could have elevated it more. In the end, this is a solid family movie that has a good Transformers story that is fun for the whole family.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

1. Speak No Evil

Speak No Evil was a surprise film for me this month. This movie was not on my radar at all until I started hearing a lot of positive things about it. Speak No Evil follows a family that is invited to stay in an isolated house with some friends they met on vacation. However, as the weekend progresses, the family soon learns that things may not be as they seem. James McAvoy is great at playing these creepy yet likable characters. His family does something off-putting or abnormal that makes the main character want to leave yet somehow he manages to win them back over again. The movie does a great job of balancing the tensity with humorous moments. The situation our characters start off in is just so interesting as they have to deal with people who continue to ignore social norms leaving the main characters having to debate whether it is rude to say something. This movie reminded me quite a bit of The Shinning with its slow-burn style and tension building. You can tell something is not right from the beginning and things just become more and more tense as time goes on. Overall, this is a very exciting and tense movie that keeps you on edge from beginning to end.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+