Well, Schmoes, as 2024 finally draws to a close, we reflect on a year full of ups and downs, box office shocks and surprises, and many unexpected hits and misses. If there is one thing for sure, there are always movies highly overrated and underrated by critics and fans alike. As the UnPopular Opinion Guy, I felt it was only fitting to issue my list of the movies I felt the masses got wrong. Some of these may shock you, and some may piss you off, but these are my honest-to-goodness perspective on the movies of 2024. If you disagree with any of the choices, please voice your opinion in the comments below. After all, the only opinion that really matters is yours, and I am just here to share mine.

The Most Underrated Films of 2024

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Robert Zemeckis has gotten a lot of flak for his use of technology to augment his films. While The Polar Express, Pinocchio, and Beowulf crossed too far into motion capture’s uncanny valley, he has achieved some remarkable visuals in recent films Flight and The Walk. Reuniting with Forrest Gump alums Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and screenwriter Eric Roth, Zemeckis’ Here is a beautiful and unique look at generations of life from the dawn of the dinosaurs through today in a single location. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, the heavy use of visual effects and de-aging technology has become a point of contention for many. Here is a beautiful love letter with a great ensemble that also includes Paul Bettany and Kelly Reilly.

Argylle

After reinventing the X-Men franchise with First Class and adapting the Kingsman comics as a trio of films, Matthew Vaughn took on the challenge of trying to kickstart an original franchise with Argylle. Led by Sam Rockwell and Bryce Dallas Howard, along with roles for Henry Cavill, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dua Lipa, Argylle never resonated with audiences on the big screen or when it debuted on AppleTV+. A complex combination of Vaughn’s technicolor visuals but without the gore of profanity in Kingsman or Kick-Ass, Argylle is a blast from start to finish. With a tease that connects Argylle and Kingsman with the potential for sequels and spin-offs, audiences should give this movie another chance as it is full of off-kilter action and has a dastardly sense of humor.

Rebel Ridge

Jeremy Saulnier originally had John Boyega set to lead this film, but the actor dropped out just as production began. Boyega’s loss became Aaron Pierre’s gain as the actor delivers a star-making performance opposite Don Johnson in this blast of action. Taking a timely story, Rebel Ridge is Saulnier’s most accessible film to date. It is chock full of intense sequences that give Pierre a fantastic showcase that likely led directly to his casting as Jon Stewart in the upcoming DC Studios project Lanterns. Don Johnson continues his string of excellent performances as a corrupt cop facing off against an unexpectedly talented adversary. This movie would have been a huge hit in theaters and deserves even more viewers, thanks to its debut on Netflix.

Joker: Folie A Deux

Todd Phillips’ Joker was intended to be an homage to the gritty early films of Martin Scorsese. Still, despite winning substantial critical awards, many found it derivative of the Mean Streets filmmaker. With a sequel almost a given after the massive box office of the original, Folie A Deux was a disaster for fans and critics alike. A dark musical continuation of Arthur Fleck’s spiral into villainy, the second Joker has been unfairly lambasted by those unwilling to give it a chance. While I agree that Lady Gaga was underutilized, the sheer audacity of this film to try something unexpected is enough to warrant its existence. Joaquin Phoenix continues to delve into Arthur as a character while stretching his musical talents in the most original comic book adaptation ever to come from DC or Marvel.

Red One

After barely registering at the box office, Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans’ holiday action movie became the biggest debut ever for Prime Video. Johnson reunites with his Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle director Jake Kasdan for an action-heavy comedy with a sincere and heartfelt seasonal message just in time for the holidays. Forging a mythology involving Krampus and other supernatural beings, Red One could easily kick off a franchise of feature films with its blend of updated Yuletide tales that combines Dreamworks’ Rise of the Guardians with The Incredibles. JK Simmons, Lucy Liu, and Kiernan Shipka join in the merry adventure, which gives Johnson his most subdued character to date and utilizes Evans playing against his Captain America typecasting. It is more fun than it should be and a solid addition to Christmas movies.

The Most Overrated Films of 2024

5 Anything With Glen Powell

To paraphrase Mean Girls, stop trying to make Glen Powell happen. The charismatic actor came into his own with 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick before his co-starring romcom with Sydney Sweeney, Anyone But You, debuted last Christmas. Since then, we have had Powell headline Richard Linklater’s Hit Man and Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters this year, with multiple starring roles coming our way. Powell’s to-the-moon ascent to the A-list baffles me. The guy is fine as an actor and has some charisma, but overall, he does not bring anything to his roles that countless other actors can do better. Everyone needs to stop proclaiming this guy as the next big thing, as he has yet to prove he is worth the moniker of even being the next mediocre thing.

Gladiator II

Musician Nick Cave wrote a sequel to Gladiator that would have been the most insane follow-up to any film in history. Even though that movie would have had Maximus travel through the afterlife before being reborn to fight through the Crusades, World War I and II, and Vietnam, it would have at least been a unique and original idea. Instead, Ridley Scott’s sequel is essentially a remake of Gladiator with a less charismatic leading actor in Paul Mescal. Not to trash Mescal, a talented actor in every other film he has appeared in, Gladiator II is a showcase for Denzel Washington’s Macrinus but fails to forge a path that feels like anything other than an updated version of the 2000 Best Picture winner. The poorly animated monkeys in the early fight scene alone should discredit this film from consideration as a worthy successor to the original movie.

Challengers

Luca Guadagnino released two films in 2018: Call Me By Your Name and Suspiria. One was critically acclaimed, and the other incredibly polarizing. In 2024, the filmmaker did it again with two releases in Challengers and Queer. While Queer has been lauded as one of the ten best movies of the year, Challengers has remained in quite a few Best Of rankings. A melodramatic film that attempts to be erotic but somehow is not sexy at all, Challengers fails to capitalize on Zendaya’s talents as an actress while ripping off a plot twist previously used by Alfonso Cuaron in Y Tu Mama Tambien. Challengers is not a bad movie, but it is also not a very good one, and to have it constantly listed as one of the best of the year may be the overstatement of 2024.

Nosferatu

Robert Eggers’ reinvention of the classic silent vampire film was my most anticipated movie of the year. With an ensemble cast that rivals any other movie in 2024, it was impossible for me to imagine how underwhelming I would find this movie. Nosferatu is a beautiful film in terms of production values and musical score, and it boasts the most transformational performances of Bill Skarsgard’s career. Based on Egger’s announcement that he was returning to the core of vampire myths, Nosferatu feels almost beat for beat to be the same as Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Dracula. As good as Lily-Rose Depp is, Nosferatu is the definition of underwhelming. Plus, for all the secrecy around the look of Count Orlok, I could not have been less impressed by the look of this take on the bloodsucker.

Wicked

While it seemed virtually impossible for Wicked not to have been a box-office sensation, the critical adulation was something of a surprise. Having seen the stage production and film, I am impressed by Jon M. Chu’s balance of keeping the grandeur of the musical with a tangible world that does not look like a theater stage. Wicked is good, but it does not deserve a spot as one of the year’s best films or even a contender for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are good, but a three-hour movie that only covers the first half of the musical stretches the limits for even the most ardent movie-goer. Wicked is an enjoyable and a good movie, but it is also the most overrated film of the year.

How UnPopular do you think these rankings are. Let us know what you think of these picks in the comments below. Also, let us know your most overrated and underrated movies of the past year!

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