2024’s top movies in Hollywood are mostly sequels, but a significant number of franchise movies made less at the box office in 2024 than their previous counterparts. The tug-of-war between expectation and reality defines the film industry, especially its business side. For viewers, the ability of a film to live up to its hype is often the biggest determining factor in the experience of watching it. Disappointing films thus become major points of contention because even something passable like Star Wars: The Phantom Menace receives unbridled hate if it’s hyped up too much before viewing.
Despite the continuing trend of Hollywood releasing sequels and the general lack of creativity found in big blockbusters nowadays, 2024’s summer box office had a rebound. The pleasantly surprising good releases that lived up to expectations and even surpassed them managed to salvage a win for theaters. In fact, over the past 10 years, in an ocean of disappointing movies, the films that exceed expectations have managed to reinvent people’s expectations altogether and also kept the box office afloat for most major studios.
10
Bumblebee (2018)
A Refreshing Change Of Pace From The Transformers Franchise
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7.8/10
Bumblebee
PG-13
ActionAdventureSci-Fi
The sixth installment in the Transformers movie franchise, Bumblebee acts as both a spin-off and prequel to the series. Set in 1987, Bumblebee follows Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld) after she discovers the injured Autobot scout, B-127. Nicknaming him Bumblebee, Charlie helps the iconic yellow Transformer to evade both the evil Decepticons and the efforts of Colonel Jack Burns (John Cena) to capture him.
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Release Date
December 15, 2018
Runtime
114 Minutes
Cast
Rachel Crow
, Abby Quinn
, Gracie Dzienny
, Jason Drucker
, John Cena
, Ricardo Hoyos
, Hailee Steinfeld
, Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
Director
Travis Knight
Writers
Christina Hodson
Studio(s)
Allspark Pictures
, Di Bonaventura Pictures
, Bay Films
, Tencent Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
Expand
While his films are responsible for developing the enthusiasm among fans for live-action films based on the famous toys and the animated shows, Michael Bay is unfortunately also responsible for killing all interest in the franchise by the time he was done with Transformers. There were heart and soul in the first film, which had a sense of adventure and exploration driving the story that had more to do than just prepare viewers for each successive large explosion and elaborate fight sequence of unnecessarily large proportions. But by The Last Knight, only the explosions remained, and were joined by loopholes.
Related
Transformers Learned The Wrong Lesson From Bumblebee & It’s Worrying For The Future
Bumblebee fared better with audiences than Transformers: Rise of the Beasts because the franchise didn’t learn the right lessons from its success.
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Even though it was to be directed by someone else, feature a fresh cast, and revisit a past storyline, practically a prequel to the franchise up until that point, there was little interest in Bumblebee. So, when the film turned out to be a small-scale, nearly slice-of-life action-comedy which focused more on the characters’ emotional arcs than on creating spectacular action set pieces, everyone was taken pleasantly by surprise. Bumblebee introduces character-driven storytelling to the blockbuster franchise and is the perfect break of pace before returning to the main storyline with Rise of the Beasts.
9
Game Night (2018)
A Surprising Modern Classic For The Comedy Genre
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8/10
Game Night
R
ComedyAction
Written by Mark Perez and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Starring Jason Bateman, Billy Magnussen, Rachel McAdams, and Sharon Horgan, the 2018 Comedy sees a routine game night turn into a mystery when one of the regular members is kidnapped.
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Release Date
February 23, 2018
Runtime
93minutes
Cast
Sharon Horgan
, Rachel McAdams
, Danny Huston
, Kyle Chandler
, Chelsea Pereti
, Jason Bateman
, Lamorne Morris
, Jesse Plemons
, Kylie Bunbury
, Michael C. Hall
Director
Jonathan Goldstein
, John Francis Daley
, Billy Magnussen
Writers
Mark Perez
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
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There have been no National Lampoon films since the 2015 prequel Vacation starring Ed Helms. Despite his comical talents and a lot of legacy cameos, the screenplay is simply too weak to get viewers to care or to recreate the vibe that the National Lampoon films garnered such fandom for over the years. So, when the directors of Vacation returned with an adventure comedy, no one was prepared for it to be this good! Game Night is a permanent fixture on every list of good movies with low expectations.
The balance between slapstick comedy, mystery, action, and drama is just as perfect as the balance between the ensemble of characters regarding their relevance to and impact on the plot of Game Night. With a premise similar to David Fincher’s The Game, it takes the elements of a sinister mystery and introduces unexpected action sequences and a set of unforgettable punchlines that creates a chaotic mix of energy. The enthusiasm of the actors in committing to their bits creates a compelling emotional thread that rounds off the characterization in the climax.
8
Blockers (2018)
A Rare Good Modern R-Rated Comedy
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8.5/10
Blockers
R
Comedy
Blockers is a 2018 comedy from director Kay Cannon starring Leslie Mann, John Cena, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, Gideon Adlon, and Ramona Young. The film’s premise revolves around a group of parents who are trying to prevent their daughters from having sex and losing their virginity on prom night.
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Release Date
March 14, 2018
Runtime
102 minutes
Cast
John Cena
, Geraldine Viswanathan
, Leslie Mann
, Ramona Young
, Miles Robbins
, Ike Barinholtz
, Graham Phillips
, Kathryn Newton
, Colton Dunn
Director
Kay Cannon
Writers
Eben Russel
, Jim Kehoe
, Hayden Schlossberg
, Jon Hurwitz
, Brian Kehoe
Studio(s)
Universal Studios
, Good Universe
, Point Grey Pictures
, Hurwitz & Schlossberg Productions
, DMG Entertainment
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures
Expand
R-rated comedies peaked in the 2000s. With the Hangover franchise and films like Project X, every remaining crude joke on the planet seemed to have been made three times over. The stress on political correctness that started rising in the mid-2010s caused the genre to fade away. This led to the rise in action comedies like the rebooted Jump Street duology, but the typical comedy focused on innuendos and misunderstandings of inappropriate circumstances became exclusively reserved for sitcom shows. So, everyone assumed Blockers would either be a revision of older comedy tropes or be too bland to enjoy.
If an American Pie movie were made today, it’d be Blockers.
Instead, it’s a sex-positive comedy full of innuendos that somehow strikes the perfect balance between slapstick jokes and emotional drama. The storyline involving the queer character and her supportive parent is the perfect demonstration of how focusing on politically correct narratives doesn’t inherently kill the potential for comedy. If an American Pie movie were made today, it’d be Blockers. In a sea of failed comedies or comedies that mix with other genres, it retains the generic structure of an out-and-out comedy and uses typical elements to drive the characterization that makes the story so compelling.
7
Happy Death Day (2017)
Impeccably Balances Multiple Genres
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10/10
Happy Death Day
PG-13
HorrorMysteryThriller
Happy Death Day is a horror-comedy film directed by Christopher Landon. Released in 2017, it follows college student Tree Gelbman, played by Jessica Rothe, who is forced to relive the day of her murder repeatedly until she can identify her killer and stop her death. The film blends elements of slasher horror with dark humor, creating a unique entry in the genre.
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Release Date
October 13, 2017
Runtime
96 minutes
Cast
Jessica Rothe
, Israel Broussard
, Ruby Modine
, Rachel Matthews
, Billy Slaughter
, Charles Aitken
, Jimmy Gonzales
, Jason Bayle
, Rob Mello
, Phi Vu
, Caleb Spillyards
, Laura Clifton
, Cariella Smith
, Tran Tran
, Blaine Kern III
, Dane Rhodes
, Tenea Intriago
, Missy Yager
, Rachel Black
, Donna DuPlantier
, GiGi Erneta
, Ramsey Anderson
, Brady Lewis
Director
Christopher Landon
Writers
Christopher Landon
, Scott Lobdell
Studio(s)
Universal Pictures
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures
Main Genre
Horror
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Ever since Groundhog Day popularized the genre, there have been attempts to make cool time loop movies every year. The concept of a protagonist repeating the same day until they learn a valuable lesson is appealing. But, it’s not easy to create premises that make it compelling beyond the basic structure, in which case it becomes a poor remake of Groundhog Day. Happy Death Day adds the genres of horror and comedy into the mix to create a chaotic, heartwarming, terrifying, and hilarious rollercoaster of emotions.
The sequel Happy Death Day 2U tried recreating the success of the original, but with more complicated sci-fi lore and more melodrama, it isn’t a full-fledged horror-comedy anymore, which has disappointing results.
Jessica Rothe is endearing as the protagonist who goes through major character development as she tries to prevent gruesome murders before her time runs out. Happy Death Day is nonetheless an absolute surprise and a hidden gem because no one expects it to balance comedy, drama, horror, and sci-fi so well. It’s a refreshing take on the time-loop that paved the way for Palm Springs to succeed in 2020.
6
John Wick (2014)
Revived The Action Thriller Genre
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31
9.4/10
John Wick
R
ThrillerAction
John Wick is the first entry in the action-thriller franchise directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves. Retired hitman John is brought back into the field when the dog his recently deceased life left him is murdered. Full of rage and equipped with unparalleled combat skills, John begins to track down the ones responsible for the act of violence and lays waste to any who dare to cross his path, sending panic throughout the criminal underworld.
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Release Date
October 24, 2014
Runtime
101 Minutes
Cast
Keanu Reeves
, Adrianne Palicki
, Willem Dafoe
, Bridget Moynahan
, Jason Isaacs
, Alfie Allen
Director
David Leitch
, Chad Stahelski
Writers
Derek Kolstad
Studio(s)
Thunder Road Pictures
, 87Eleven Productions
Distributor(s)
Summit Entertainment
Main Genre
Thriller
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Action thrillers had become formulaic exercises in checking boxes of unbelievable choreography, disregard for the laws of physics, and grand-scale explosions, served with a heavy side of CGI that distracted from the bare-bones, repetitive nature of the plot. And then Keanu Reeves put on a suit to avenge his dog’s murder. One of the movie characters who helped reshape genre expectations, the titular protagonist of John Wick is a suave gentleman of few words who ruthlessly kills anyone in his path.
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“Only Four People Die”: John Wick Director Recalls “Very Grounded” Original Script
Director Chad Stahelski recalls that the original script for John Wick was very different, with only four people dying in the film instead of 77.
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The idea of a murderous rampage over a dog mightn’t be boring, but apart from Keanu Reeves, John Wick didn’t have enough of a USP until after the film’s release, when word of mouth gave it the reputation it deserved. It exceeded every low expectation and reintroduced the world to fine action filmmaking, shorn of CGI, shaky cams, and irrational stunts. Wick is simply incredibly competent. He has limited stamina, gets injured, and even has to take breaks. His willpower and tenacity make him so dangerous. The characterization reclaimed the action hero from the gravity-defying stuntman.
5
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
A Surprisingly Refreshing & Entertaining Action Comedy
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29
9.4/10
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
PG-13
FantasyAdventureAction
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fantasy action-comedy film based on the popular tabletop game and set in the Forgotten Realms campaign by the original creators. Chris Pine stars as a song-slinging thief named Edgin Darvis, who is hired to find a lost relic but manages to anger the wrong people along the way. With his mismatched crew, each inspired by a race and class from D&D lore, Edgin will lead his team to complete their task – and many innocent lives depend on it.
Release Date
March 31, 2023
Runtime
134 Minutes
Cast
Hugh Grant
, Rege-Jean Page
, Chris Pine
, Justice Smith
, Chloe Coleman
, Michelle Rodriguez
, Sophia Lillis
Director
Jonathan Goldstein
, John Francis Daley
Writers
Michael Gillio
, Jonathan Goldstein
, John Francis Daley
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
, Hasbro
, Entertainment One
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
Expand
Fans of the tabletop roleplaying game are naturally skeptical of any material that attempts to represent the experience of playing Dungeons & Dragons. Unlike The Legend of Vox Machina, which is based on a real-life game, albeit with adjustments that don’t always sit well with hardcore fans, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves wasn’t confirmed to be based on actual gaming. But, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein deliver an emotionally tender, adventurous, chaotic, action-heavy, funny, and magical experience for all viewers, irrespective of their prior experience with the game.
It perfectly captures the mix of comedy, heroism, and tragedy that accompanies any real life game of Dungeons and Dragons.
While some inaccuracies are naturally present, some rooted in the artistic freedom necessary to craft the character-driven narrative, Honor Among Thieves gets surprisingly many things right about Dungeons & Dragons. The visual effects and the fight choreography further flesh out the lived-in world, which immerses viewers with its lore and its fantastic design. It perfectly captures the mix of comedy, heroism, and tragedy that accompanies any real life game of Dungeons and Dragons, telling a story with a lot of heart in it that’s also chock-full of hilarious situations.
4
Venom (2018)
A Unique Mix Of The Buddy Comedy & Superhero Genres
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21
8.9/10
Venom
PG-13
Sci-FiActionHorror
Venom is an action sci-fi movie that stars Tom Hardy as the titular Marvel anti-hero. When the Life Foundation begins experimenting on alien lifeforms they find on a comet that landed nearby, Investigative Journalist Eddie Brock begins to investigate them. When an infiltration goes wrong, Eddie finds that one of the aliens has bonded to him, forcing him to learn to live with his new uninvited host. Giving him superhuman powers, the two begin to work together to stop the rest of the symbiote’s invasive species.
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Release Date
October 5, 2018
Runtime
112 Minutes
Cast
Woody Harrelson
, Jenny Slate
, Michelle Williams
, Scott Haze
, Tom Hardy
, Riz Ahmed
Director
Ruben Fleischer
Writers
Scott Rosenberg
, Jeff Pinkner
Studio(s)
Columbia Pictures
, Marvel Entertainment
, Arad Productions
Distributor(s)
Sony Pictures Releasing
Main Genre
Superhero
Expand
In the case of Venom, word of mouth killed the hype as quickly as the marketing campaign had created it. Sony’s insistence that Venom would be the darkest and grittiest superhero movie ever created false expectations in viewers. That, and people’s hope for a better, preferably darker, live-action version of Venom ever since Topher Grace gave one of the worst superhero movie performances ever as the character in Spider-man 3, ruined Venom‘s perception.
However, Venom is a hilarious buddy comedy masquerading as an anti-hero story. It’s a campy interpretation of the lethal protector, which involves Brock and Venom bickering like a couple. The bromance between them is so impeccable that if the film were to do away with the main storyline, it would have been better. Nonetheless, it’s a misjudged film, and if not for the opposite expectations set by the poor marketing, Venom would be appreciated for the revisionist film it is. The balance between gore and tongue-in-cheek comedy makes Venom more entertaining than expected.
3
The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
A Bizarre Reinterpretation Of Batman That Works
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9.3/10
The Lego Batman Movie
PG
ComedyActionAnimation
The LEGO Batman Movie is a spin-off of 2014’s The LEGO Movie, which centers around the titular hero; where after another day in Gotham City goes wrong thanks to the Joker and other fellow DC villains, Batman tells the Joker he’s a pitiful villain, not worth his time and hurts his feelings. Wanting to prove himself to Batman and get his ultimate revenge, Joker concocts an idea that will require the Caped Crusader to learn how to give up the lone vigilante act and recruit the help of allies Robin and Batgirl.
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Release Date
February 10, 2017
Runtime
104 minutes
Cast
Will Arnett
, Ralph Fiennes
, Mariah Carey
, Rosario Dawson
, Michael Cera
, Zach Galifianakis
Director
Chris McKay
Writers
John Whittington
, Jared Stem
, Erik Sommers
, Seth Grahame-Smith
, Chris McKenna
Studio(s)
Warner Animation Group
, DC Entertainment
, RatPac-Dune
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Expand
The LEGO Movie (2014) achieved something unique that viewers naturally believed couldn’t be repeated with better results. It features silly on-the-nose jokes that would elicit grunts more than laughs on an average day, absurdism that borders more on convenience than surrealism, and silly characterization that conceptually seems to be in direct conflict with the depth of the message the film conveys. Yet, those elements create an inexplicable mix that shouldn’t work on paper to create a comedy classic for the ages. 3 years later, with more goofiness, they repeated it with Batman, and made one of the best LEGO movies!
There was going to be a LEGO Batman 2, but unfortunately, LEGO film rights belong to Universal, but DC characters are WB properties, so until a deal is brokered between the two studios, the sequel won’t be happening.
The movie versions of Batman, especially the live-action ones, are known to be brooding, violent, unfunny, and quiet. Will Arnett’s LEGO Batman talks all the time, makes more dark jokes than there are screens in his batcave, is still rather violent, and often uses comedy as a deflecting mechanism. He is the antithesis of how the audiovisual media has interpreted the comic book character, but at his core, he represents Batman better, at least, than Zack Snyder’s Ben Affleck version. He stands for the same values, but he’s campy, and the mixture creates one of the best Batman movies ever.
2
Saw X (2023)
An Unexpectedly Brilliant Installment In The Franchise
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5.3/10
Saw X
R
CrimeHorrorThriller
Saw X is the tenth film in the long-running Saw franchise, with the original Jigsaw, played by Tobin Bell, returning in the lead role. The film takes place in between the first two Saw movies and sees John Kramer traveling to Mexico to take part in an experimental medical procedure to help cure his cancer. When the “doctors” end up being con artists, Kramer turns to his lethal traps to teach them a lesson.
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Release Date
September 29, 2023
Cast
Tobin Bell
, Shawnee Smith
Director
Kevin Greutert
Studio(s)
Twisted Pictures
Distributor(s)
Lionsgate
Main Genre
Horror
Expand
The Saw movies started spiraling out the moment they started relying on elaborate retcons of Jigsaw’s death scene and its consequences, instead of focusing on the characterization of the victims caught in the fascinating Jigsaw traps. The ingenuity of the traps will keep viewers returning, but by the ninth film, no one was expecting a compelling Saw movie anymore. Then it was revealed that Tobin Bell would be returning as Jigsaw, which caused a stir, making fans split down the middle, some expecting a refreshing entry, others still skeptical.
Not only does Saw X surpass all expectations, it might just be the best of the Saw movies since Saw. Jigsaw’s return had a clear impact on the narrative, especially because Saw X is a prequel, and the pacing issues of the previous entries don’t plague Saw X. It is still packed with shocking revelations, but they are well spaced out, and the film uses that time to personalize the conflicts of the characters, which then instills fear in the viewers too. Most importantly, the traps are beyond cruel, and for any Saw fan, Saw X is the most welcome break.
1
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
An Unexpectedly Poignant Social Drama
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9.7/10
Godzilla Minus One
PG-13
ActionAdventureHorror Sci-Fi
Godzilla Minus One is the first Godzilla film released by Toho since 2016’s Shin Godzilla. Minus One is a reimagining of the original 1954 Godzilla and takes the franchise back to its roots by exploring the harsh life of post-war Japan. The story follows Koichi Shikishima, a failed kamikaze pilot, who struggles with survivor guilt as a giant monster attacks the city.
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Release Date
December 1, 2023
Runtime
125 Minutes
Cast
Ryûnosuke Kamiki
, Minami Hamabe
, Yûki Yamada
, Munetaka Aoki
, Hidetaka Yoshioka
, Sakura Andō
, Kuranosuke Sasaki
Director
Takashi Yamazaki
Writers
Takashi Yamazaki
Studio(s)
Toho Studios
, Robot
Distributor(s)
Toho Studios
Expand
Kaiju movies are usually horror movies, sometimes with elements of sci-fi, and often involving an emotional arc centered on the protagonists. However, the formula has overloaded the cinematic space, and by the time Godzilla Minus One was announced, no one expected it to be anything more than another destruction fest. The Japanese perspective is obviously appealing because Hollywood has misinterpreted Godzilla in its blockbusters, but even then, the hype wasn’t real until the film released and critics couldn’t stop praising Godzilla Minus One.
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Godzilla Minus One CGI Secrets Revealed as VFX Artists Explain How Incredible Visuals Were Done On A $12M Budget
The VFX artists at Corridor Crew break down scenes from Godzilla Minus One, explaining why the film’s CGI looks so good on only a $12 million budget.
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Godzilla Minus One uses Godzilla’s presence in the metaphorical sense that the monster was first perceived as. The Oscar-winning visual effects team has rendered Godzilla a living, breathing monster who represents the devastation of the nuclear holocaust and brings out people’s primal instincts of survival. Using the emotionally affecting techniques common to horror movies, Godzilla Minus One tells the tale of people’s heroism that creates a collectivist society which questions a corrupt government and prioritizes the community’s survival. It’s unexpectedly touching, and exceeds every genre expectation set by Hollywood Kaiju films.