Seen: December 2024

My monthly watch list

Even! More! Movies!

A lot more awards season hopefuls arrived in theaters and on streaming platforms in December, and between catching up on potential nominees and a weeklong Christmas vacation, the movies won this month. I’m predicting that there will be more TV shows on the docket once Oscar nominees are announced, but a month devoted to movies? Priceless.

If you haven’t started following me on Letterboxd, find me @brnllobombshell to see some quick and pithy reviews of whatever movies I watch. So far, I’ve really enjoyed using the platform to connect to other movie lovers! I’m getting more familiar with the platform, and starting to get into making lists, too. Stay tuned for some more awards season-friendly lists if you’re a completist like me and you’re trying to see as many of the Oscar nominees as possible.

This is the gist of everything I’ve seen this month. As a reminder, this is not a complete list of every movie or show I’ve seen over the course of a month. Occasionally, I’ll watch a scene of something here or there, or I’ll watch an episode or two of a specific show.

My personal Rule of Thirds dictates that if I’m not sold on a movie by the end of the first act or a TV show’s first three episodes, I’ll turn it off. I have yet to walk out of a movie I’ve seen in theaters (though I was VERY tempted to do so this month!), but the Rule of Thirds applies for theatrical releases, too. If I’m watching a TV show over the course of a few months, or if I’m watching something that releases one episode per week, I’ll write a little blurb about it when I finish the final episode of the season.

Below is a list of all the complete movies I’ve watched over the course of the previous month. This is my version of director Steven Soderbergh’s annual roundup, although Hunter Harris also provided a lot of inspiration.

Without further ado, here’s what I watched in December:

Sebastian Stan in A Different Man (Photo Credit: A24)

A Different Man (2024)

New Release

A wild and kooky premise that feels Kafka-esque. The film has a third act problem, but Adam Pearson is charming throughout. Sebastian Stan proves to be this generation’s Christian Bale with his shapeshifting performances.

Anora (2024)

Re-Watch

Read my beer and movie pairing here. Still funny on a re-watch, and even better to watch it alongside my husband, an avid Sean Baker fan.

Kinds of Kindness (2024)

New Release

There’s bonkers, there’s body horror, and there’s Yorgos Lanthimos. Kinds of Kindness combines all three in a bizarre triptych. Still couldn’t tell you for sure what the title means.

Kneecap (2024)

New Release

Saw this on a plane, and even with turbulence and spotty WiFi, I’m so glad I saw this gem of a movie. I’m a sucker for movies about the power of language, and this one truly highlights the cultural and historic importance of language preservation.

Mo Chara, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, and Móglaí Bap playing themselves in Kneecap (Photo Credit: Madman)

Love Actually (2003)

Re-Watch

Oof. One of my once favorite Christmas movies has not aged gracefully. Maybe it’s me getting older, but the Joni Mitchell scene cuts a little deeper with every passing year.

Maria (2024)

New Release

Asking a non-singer to suddenly transform into the greatest singer of the 20th Century is a tall order… that Jolie failed to deliver (though not entirely the fault of the actress, whose work in Eternals still resonates with me). I am so glad I didn’t see this in theaters, because I would have walked out by the end of the first act. For a much more interesting classical music biopic, I will be re-watching Maestro (2023).

Queer (2024)

New Release - Seen In Theaters

Expectations were low (I’m not a big Call Me By Your Name fan), but surprisingly I enjoyed the movie more than I thought. While it’s still heavier on vibes that plot, Justin Kuritzes keeps Guadagnino’s ambitions in check and provides some semblance of structure to a wandering William S. Burroughs adaptation. Craig is the reason to see the movie in a showy role that proves he’s more than James Bond.

The Conversation (1974)

First Time Watch - Seen In Theaters

The new 4K restoration of this film was screened at Alamo Drafthouse in December. My first Alamo Drafthouse experience will need to be documented at some point, but misbehaved audiences and abandoned cheeseburger aside, it’s a solid film that shows a different side of San Francisco. Glad to see it included in Criterion Channel’s Surveillance Cinema collection.

Tye Sheridan (background) and Jude Law in The Order (Photo Credit: Michelle Faye)

The Order (2024)

New Release - Seen In Theaters

Wow. Harrowing, haunting, and ultimately unnerving cinema. Every single technical element and actor worked seamlessly to tell the story, including a phenomenal (and phenomenally busy) Nicholas Hoult, but the movie ultimately belongs to Jude Law. One of the best movies of the year, and one I hope will be appreciated more over time.

Also, a word to the wise: Do not drink an espresso martini before seeing this movie. And definitely don’t follow that up with two coffee stouts during the movie. Learn from my mistakes and do as I say, not as I did.