The 8 best 2024 - 2023 films released online in the first six months of 2024
The 8 best 2024 films released online in the first six months of 2024 It's already July, which means half of the year is behind us. Let's sum up and see what films became the best for this period. Films are collected not only by ratings, but also as much as possible in different genres. Here are the top 8 for 2024. And if you want to play games online, check out Slotozen Casino.
1. Furiosa: The Mad Max Chronicles /Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga/ 2024, MP:7.2, IMDb:7.70
A prequel to the post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road from George Miller. As it is clear from the title, it is dedicated to Furiaos, which this time performed by Anya Taylor-Joy. Along with her, the film stars Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke. The plot of the film tells how a girl living in the utopian Green Lands is kidnapped by a gang of a crazy biker nicknamed Dementus. Furiosa then finds herself at the centre of a conflict between biker leader Dementus and Immortan Joe. There are a lot of spectacular visuals and spectacularly inventive action scenes. In general, the atmosphere of the film is very reminiscent of ‘Road of Fury’ and gives you the opportunity to dive deeper into the world of the Badlands and explore it in detail. There are flaws in the script, but overall it's a strong and brutal sequel that successfully expands the Mad Max universe.
2. Stuntmen /The Fall Guy/ 2024, CP:7.2, IMDb:7.00
An action comedy from David Litch, director of ‘John Wick’ and ‘Faster Than a Bullet.’ The film is based on the 1980s American television series of the same name. The cast includes: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson. In the centre of the story Colt Sievers is a stuntman with a lot of experience, who can easily cope with stunts of any complexity, but once failed. After a while, he is invited to take part in the shooting of a new film by his ex-girlfriend. The case is complicated by the fact that the main star disappears from the film set and Colt tries to find him. ‘Stuntmen’ - the most personal film in the career of the director, because he himself most of his life worked as a stuntman. It's his tribute not only to stunt doubles, but to the industry as a whole. The pace is a little slower than in the previous films, because here all the stunts are done with minimal use of computer graphics. ‘Stuntmen’ successfully combines action and comedy, and also here it is equally interesting to watch both stunts and dialogues. In general, the plot is quite simple, and the main function is entertaining, with this the film copes perfectly.
3. Fall of an Empire (Civil War)/Civil War/ 2024, CP:6.4, IMDb:7.20
A film from A24 Studios and Alex Garland, author of ‘Out of the Machine,’ ‘The Beach’ and ‘28 Days Later.’ The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Nick Offerman and Kaley Spaney. The action of the film is set in the not-too-distant future. Civil war is in full swing in the USA: 19 states have separated from the country, which led to a large-scale conflict. At the centre of the story is photo reporter Lee, whose name refers to Lee Miller - a famous war correspondent, photo model and friend of Picasso. She chronicles the terrible events with her colleagues. Together they intend to show Americans the truth on both sides. Garland promised to shock and show ‘a thrilling adrenaline-pumping journey through a fractured America balancing on a razor blade.’ He really succeeded in taking the viewer out of their comfort zone. The manner in which the film is shot is more like a reporter's chronicle. What is happening on the screen looks like a war report, not a feature film. There are strong dynamics here, the film keeps you in suspense and the feeling of constant threat doesn't let go even in neutral scenes. A good balance of action film, road movie, survival thriller and psychological drama.
4. The Kid Against All /Boy Kills World/ 2023, MP:6.5, IMDb:6.40
Comic action film by German debutant Moritz Mohr. Bill Skarsgard played the lead role in the film. The film also stars Famke Janssen, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Roth, Michelle Dockery and Brett Gelman. It was produced by the father of ‘Evil Dead’ himself, Sam Raimi. At the centre of the story is a guy called The Kid. He becomes a victim of the dictatorial Van Der Koy family, which seized power in his hometown. Kid's mother and sister are killed, and he himself loses his hearing and voice. A mysterious shaman finds the hero and forges from him a weapon against his tormentors. The film is set in the spirit of ‘John Wick’ with a dash of ‘Deadpool’ and the recent ‘Mankiman’. Here the story of an orphan and revenge is set against the backdrop of dystopia. Almost the entire film is one continuous fight. ‘The Kid’ combines video game aesthetics from the 90s, surrealism and ultra-violence. It's quite an inventive story, with crazy dynamics, black humour and a lot of references. Only connoisseurs will be able to appreciate them.
5. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare/ 2024, MP:7.3, IMDb:6.90.
Guy Ritchie's new action film. The cast is as stellar as ever: Henry Cavill (‘The Witcher’), Ace Gonzalez (‘Kid on a Drive’), Alan Ritchson (‘Jack Reacher’), Til Schweiger and others. The plot is based on the book ‘Churchill's Secret Warriors’ by Damien Lewis. At the centre of the story is a spy organisation that fought the Nazis and became the forefather of modern covert military operations. The action begins in 1939, during the first phase of World War II. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and writer Ian Fleming (author of James Bond books) create a task force for sabotage behind enemy lines, which will use unconventional and completely ‘ungentlemanly’ methods. The film is done in the spirit of ‘Inglourious Basterds’ as expected. It is a fantasy done in a comic book manner on the theme of a real-life adventure. Therefore, you should not berate the film for historical unreliability, although most of the characters have real-life prototypes. It is a light spy action film, entertaining and dynamic, but in the setting of the Second World War. Not Ritchie's best film, but not a failure either, and definitely good entertainment for the evening.
6. Godzilla: Minus One /Gojira -1.0/ 2023, MP:6.9, IMDb:7.70
Last year's low-budget Japanese blockbuster was a surprise hit at the box office and an Oscar winner for visual effects. The film was produced by Toho Studios, the maker of all Japanese Godzilla films. But it has no connection with the other films. Moreover, the film offers a new interpretation of the monster's appearance, in most interpretations Godzilla first attacks Japan in 1954. The authors explain the title of the film as follows: post-war Japan was at zero, and Godzilla's attack worsens this state and takes the country to minus level one. The action takes place in 1945. Japan is disarmed and crushed after its defeat in World War II. The rumble of bombings awakens a natural phenomenon no less terrifying than an atomic shell: Godzilla has come ashore from the sea. One of the central characters is Japanese pilot Koichi Shikishima, who witnesses the attack of the huge lizard on a military airbase. ‘Minus One’ is as close as possible to the original “Godzilla” from 1954. The film is appealing in its simplicity, brutality and seriousness. It's not just a powerful and spectacular cinematic attraction with a huge monster that crushes everything, it's a solid drama about post-war trauma. Both of these elements find the most successful combination in the film. By the way, the film's Oscar for Best Visual Effects is well deserved.
7. One Life /One Life/ 2023, CP:8.6, IMDb:7.50
The script is based on the life of Sir Nicholas Winton, who saved the lives of 699 children in 1938 and 1939. The main roles were played by Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter. The director was James Howes (‘Slow Horses’). 1987. Pensioner Nicholas Winton recalls how in the late 1930s helped children - refugees from Nazi Germany - to move from Czechoslovakia to England. He still regrets that ‘so few’ were saved. This is a story in the spirit of ‘Schindler's List’ and in many ways echoes it. In terms of the degree of epicness and intensity of passions, everything is relatively quiet here. But the film is strong, of high quality, with excellent actors and a good balance of history and drama. It's a simple sincere film imbued with kindness, selflessness and humanity.
8. The King's Sword /Bastarden/ 2023, CP:7.7, IMDb:7.70
Historical film by Danish director Nikolaj Arcel, based on the novel The Captain and Ann Barbara by Ida Jessen. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, this is the Danish director's first film in six years after his failed attempt to adapt Stephen King's iconic The Dark Tower. The action is set in Denmark in the mid-18th century, when King Frederick V decides to develop the vast wastelands on the Jutland peninsula to increase tax revenues to the treasury. The brave Captain Ludwig Kalen, full of ambition and hungry for wealth and adventure, becomes the executor of the plan. His stay in an inhospitable land will force him to reconsider his views on life and relationships with people. The two-hour costumed historical drama unfolds slowly but confidently captures the viewer's attention. Dimensional scenes of agricultural life skilfully alternate with violent and bloody ones, all set against a backdrop of minimalistically attractive Scandinavian landscapes. Plus a consistently excellent performance by Mads Mikkelson. All in all a beautiful, traditional, atmospheric historical film.
