A Little Ways Past Mid Year Top 10

I know! I know! I am behind on posting my current Top 10 for the year. I usually try to post before the Summer Movie Season begins but I unfortunately got a little behind.

Excuses are over though and the Summer Season is over! As of writing this, I have seen 86 new films for this year, be they theatrical or streaming. The only qualification is that they have to have been released this calendar year.

With a jam packed and exciting Awards Season about to kick off, here are my top ten movies up to this point!

Honorable Mention: Power Ballad, Tuner, Send Help, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Disclosure Day, Mother Mary

10. Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice

Fox really blew it with this one! This absolutely should have gotten a theatrical release. Filled with solid humor, good action, and a great trio of lead performances (including Vaughn in a dual role) this had the makings of box office hit. At least it wasn't discarded completely as a tax write off, but I don't think enough people even heard of this one, because most people I bring it up to respond with a "Huh?" when it should be a "Hell Yeah!".

Watch it on Hulu and thank me later.

9. Project Hail Mary

Now we get to a film everyone saw. Yes, it is a very good movie that left me feeling something I haven't felt leaving the theater in a long time: good. It's a very uplifting movie that wears its heart on its sleeve and shows that we can all get along if we just talk. Even if one of us is a Rock Monster. It is visually impressive as well, especially in the space set scenes where Grace has to collect Astrophage.

One of the many movies this year that I cried in but more on that later.

8. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

I'm going to start this with saying SHAME. SHAME ON EVERYONE FOR LETTING THIS MOVIE FLOP. Not only is it one of the strongest entries into the series, it features one of Ralph Fiennes' best performances as Dr. Kelson. His scenes with a terrifying Jack O'Connell crackle and nothing tops his portrayal of Old Nick set to Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast". In all seriousness, he deserved an Oscar nomination for this movie. Sigh. If we don't get to finish the trilogy because this didn't do well at the box office, I will be upset. I don't want to call out the reason why people ignored this but I know it's true. I say again, SHAME.

I realize I started this list off with a few movies that I feel everyone slept on but I can't help that they are really good movies. It's not my fault y'all missed out.

7. The Odyssey

I am not the biggest fan of Christopher Nolan post Dark Knight Rises. Yes, I understand what that statement means to a lot of you reading this. But fear not! He has made a triumphant return to my good graces with this...well...epic retelling of Homer's The Odyssey. While he does compact some of the bigger story moments and Damon doesn't quite give us the emotional connection to Odysseus that some might be looking for, this is still a large scale tent pole film that begs to be seen (and heard) on the big screen.

Just so everyone knows, the sound rumbled me in my seat the entire time and I loved every minute of it.

6. The Invite

I'm happy Olivia Wilde rebounded from the disaster that was 2022's Don't Worry Darling. I love single location movies that can pull it off and this does it in spades. All four of the leads are incredible but special shout out to Wilde and Edward Norton. The dialogue crackles, the surprises hit, and it's all incredibly funny. The emotional ending helped make this one of the surprises of the year. In a year packed with awards worthy movies, this is one whose name you could hear getting called again come awards time.

While it's probably too late to watch with a crowd, this was one of my favorite theatrical experiences of the year. (More on that later)

5. Obsession

Wow later got here really fast because this is my other favorite theatrical experience of the year. This one had me (and the woman sitting next to me) squirming in our seats the entire time. The leads are all incredible but Inde Navarrette is the breakout star of the year. Bear is one of the most irredeemable characters I've come across in a long time, but to the movie's credit, it doesn't ask for your sympathy for him.

Expect this one to be talked about again come awards season, and maybe even be a surprise Oscar nominee. You've been warned.

4. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Jane Schoenbrun's follow up to 2024's spectacular I Saw the TV Glow is a meta take on slasher culture: examining the power of nostalgia and reboots. Hanna Einbinder and Gillian Anderson are electric and the film should satisfy not only horror aficionados but fans of elevated and thought-provoking cinema. The recreation of Little Death's attack on the campers from the first Camp Miasma film is not only the standout scene from the film, but also of the year.

This film has a lot of important things to say and does so beautifully. Go into this one not knowing where it's headed.

3. Good Luck Have Fun Don't Die

This movie is NUTS. What it also has is a very prescient story about AI and the power of technology on today's world. Sam Rockwell is unhinged, but somehow not the most unhinged aspect of this genre spanning film. Yes, the final twist is a little predictable but the film's energy, ideas, and laughs help you easily forget that. There is one plot line involving Juno Temple's character that is one of the darkest and more demented comedy moments I've seen a film embrace in a long time but it worked for me and I was along for the ride.

Another movie that you should go into as blind as possible, which shouldn't be too hard since once again, this one was slept on by audiences. Just get ready for a wild ride.

2. The Rivals of Amziah King

I know, I know. I have this put in second but it very well could be favorite film of the year. I guess it depends on what day of the week you ask me. I guarantee you haven't seen anything like this movie before. The amount of genres this film hops through is insane and yet against all odds pulls them all off. While not his most dramatic or complex character, McConaughey shines and has one of his best roles in Amziah. As good as he is, the real star of the show is Angelina LookingGlass. Unafraid to take her character to some dark and maybe irredeemable places, she should rightfully take a spot next to Inde Navarrette as the next female breakout star.

Insanely memorable and unpredictable, this should be a sleeper hit of the (end of) summer. This sort of filmmaking needs to be supported at all costs.

1. The Sheep Detectives

Yeah this wasn't landing anywhere but number one. I didn't expect a kids movie to have one of the more mature takes on death that I've seen in a long time, but y'all this one had me bawling at more than one part. Oh, did I mention it's a murder mystery where the sheep are the detectives? Yeah, the title kinda gave that one away but the mystery is actually pretty solid and I'll admit I didn't figure it out when I watched the movie the first time. The sheep CGI is also good, so it doesn't take you out of the film and the voice acting is filled with a lot of recognizable actors that didn't phone it in. I can't say enough about how I adore this movie.

The theme of this list has emerged and that is "movies that people slept on." Guess what? This movie is another one that was slept on. But the good news is this is now streaming on Amazon Prime! Go watch it posthaste! And bring tissues!

And there we have it! My A Little Past Mid Year Top 10. Do you agree? Disagree? What are your top movies of the year?

Check back at the end of the year to see what still is on the list!