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By So…2024 was a hell of a year. Both eventful and in some respects…hellish. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some high points. Here are just a few of the movies that spiced up the water cooler talk at work, bewitched us in theaters and that made this (silly, silly, silly) year one to remember.
Alien: Romulus
For the longest time, I didn’t watch many horror movies because paying to be tense and stressed in a theater wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time. Although, I have since realized that the adrenaline rush is very much worth time and effort. Having watched snippets of Alien and all of Prometheus, when the trailer for Alien: Romulus came up, I watched the original quartet, rewatched Prometheus (a movie that gets surprisingly better with full context), and remembered that I had watched Alien: Covenant to prepare myself for the latest and I am glad I did.
Alien; Romulus takes the core formula of the original Alien with slightly different stakes, although empathically emphasizing that while the acid spewing horde of xenomorphs are terrifying, it is the capitalist framework that tries to leverage them that is the true villain. Cailee Spaeny’s Rain and David Johnson’s Andy anchor an emotionally charged story of survival and execute it brilliantly. Fede Alvarez’s direction was so brilliant that I knew the entire trajectory of the story the entire time, but between the eerie atmosphere, the existential dread, and sheer anticipation of the horrible things there was certainly no the way. It was a peak of horror and sci-fi and the singular experience that I wish I could see again in theaters. – Mikkel
It’s What’s Inside
Ok, so I seriously want to write about Deadpool x Wolverine. It was by far one of the best films I have seen in 2024. But I thiiink everyone already knows that. If you want to know what I really think about it. Maybe I’ll make a video because I’d love to saucy recap it, or just let you watch my very animated face do the film justice.
That said, I want to go a bit smaller scale for this one. One of my favorite films of 2024 is a little inappropriate flick called It’s What’s Inside. A Netflix original, this movie teeters the line between thriller, horror, and comedy. I recently heard in an industry panel that erotic thrillers are the “it” thing right now. I thought what the hell is an erotic thriller? 
looking back on it, this movie definitely hits that mark.
It’s What’s Inside follows a group of friends from college reuniting to celebrate their buddy who’s getting married the next day. The premise has you thinking, oh no, bachelor party buffoonery ensues. But one – it’s not a bachelor party, and two, something way more sciencey-supernatural is afoot. Everything changes when one of the estranged friends shows up with a box that allows people to switch bodies/consciousnesses and decides to use it for a fun little guessing game. As an actor, this ish is fun as hell!! They are all a dude disguised as another dude pretending to be another dude!!
The performances are so subtle and so very on point. You can tell each actor had to study every character to the strangest depths but also had a hell of a fun time doing it. The movie is super well-written, the story is not complicated but beyond engaging, and it truly takes you on a ridiculous ride you happily strap in for. I may be aging myself, but it’s as if Very Bad Things had a baby with Bodies Bodies Bodies. The movie’s running time is perfect for a fun…yes – erotic thriller with twists and turns that make you say – oh no… and have to just laugh it off in the end. 10/10 recommend!
Dune: Part Two
Let me keep it real with you. I didn’t give a dam about the Dune franchise until Chalamet and Zendaya starting doing the remake promo rounds in 2021, and my care meter did a slight eyebrow raise.
I wasn’t blown away after watching it (our site’s review here), but I thought it was a nice take on the intergalactic genre and wholeheartedly appreciated it not being a Zendaya hijacked movie (who I love btw). Dune: Part Two was announced and I saw no reason to skip it. That’s where the casual viewership ends. Dune: Part Two is a rare sequel (our site’s review here as well) that builds upon the successes of the first film and does not miss when expanding on the lore. – Ja-Quan
Rebel Ridge
If you want light-hearted, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. This film tackles hard topics in an over-the-top action way, and truly balances its genre and subject matter beautifully. No spoilers but if you’re looking for an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller with twists aplenty and shots of adrenaline on top of a strong plot, this is one of them ones.
And I cannot talk about this movie without talking about its star. Aaron Pierre has an absolute coming out party as Terry in this film, and he is magnetic from beginning to end. His character is part Atticus Freeman, part Chris from Walking Tall, and brings something to the action and thriller genre you don’t often see: gravitas. You don’t want to look away, and his performance rewards the attentiveness. If acting chops in the style of Idris Elba or Chadwick Boseman and one-liners like the Rock are up your alley, you’ll be right at home with Aaron Pierre’s performance here.
The whole thing is a ride that takes an honest look at policing, small town life, and starting over in a hyperbolic way that is good for both the analysts and popcorn munchers among us, And with a final act that is pure octane. (Our site’s review here)
I was going to talk about another film, but then I was like NAHHHHHH. -D.J.
The Fall Guy
We live in an age so absurdly meta that art imitates life quicker than ever. So much in fact that The Onion is just the real news now. In that world, where we are so aware of nostalgia’s pull that we just fall into it to escape the madness of our reality. How do I pull us out of this sad moment I’ve made here? Oh yeah, with a perfect piece of escapist cinema that wraps genius-level writing around some of the best practical stuntwork in years, and tucks that into a warm blanket of nostalgia. I’m talking about The Fall Guy!
Are there more deep and emotion-churning movies that expose the delicate nature of society collapsing? Absolutely. But nothing could prepare me for the brilliance of The Fall Guy. The movie does like eight things at once and does them all well. First off, The Fall Guy is a remount of a popular TV show from the 80s. The movie takes that idea and runs all the way into left field. Ryan Gosling leans all the way into his cool guy bag and stars in a movie that is an absent-minded action comedy, nuanced romantic comedy, and a love letter to one of the most marginalized communities in the movie-making universe: stunt people. Mind you, The Fall Guy is actually far from absent-minded; it’s the most meticulously crafted movie since Oppenheimer. It’s really funny, absurdly cute, smart, and filled with more stunts than a Jackie Chan movie. Nothing shook me out of the spiral of 2024 and gave me a moment to breathe like the two hours I spent laughing my ass off and being wowed by The Fall Guy. [The extended cut is on Peacock!] – Frantz
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
It amazes me that the Sonic franchise somehow found the formula to video game movie success. From that first horror show of a trailer to now bringing in the ultra-edgy Shadow and somehow doing the character justice. All of it culminates in not just an epically cheesy action scene but the closest we’ll get to a “live action” Dragon Ball Z film. This film was made for me. This film was made specifically for a 13-year-old me. And even though Jim Carey was more on the side of annoying Jim for me, it still delivered on exactly what the fandom wanted. It’s why this franchise is so successful. They know exactly what they are and who they’re for and play to that earnestly. And how can you not enjoy that? For me, it was the film I was looking forward to the most all year. And it did not disappoint. – Garrett
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The post BNP Staff Favorites of 2024: Movies appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Superman, the iconic last son of Krypton, has long been celebrated as the Man of Steel, a hero often seen as untouchable, with his invulnerability standing out as one of his most defining traits. Yet, the latest trailer from the upcoming Superman movie (directed by James Gunn and on schedule for a 2025 release) shows the unthinkable: Superman falling from the sky, visibly injured and bleeding. Unable to stand up, he whistles for Krypto the Superdog to come to his aid and take him home, presumably to his Fortress of Solitude.
The trailer for the upcoming movie showcased much more; we also saw Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern with his iconic bowl cut, among all the other things. But Superman bleeding really stands out, not just as a cinematic shock, but a deliberate, purposeful narrative choice that raises some questions about the deconstruction of Superman’s invulnerability that has defined the character since his debut eight decades ago.
Ever since he first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938, Superman’s powers have often been synonymous with perfection. Initially, the character possessed only super-strength, speed, and invulnerability. Other powers (such as X-ray vision and limited super-hearing) were introduced in subsequent releases, along with the basic elements of his origin story, which initially contained numerous details that contradicted themselves. All of this made Superman look like an ideal protector from the get-go, mainly due to his super-strength and invulnerability.
However, it also led to criticisms that Superman is “too perfect” and completely unrelatable to the readership, as he was basically presented as a demigod whose conflicts with the villains, either superpowered or human, rarely felt grounded. This brought about the decision to make Superman near-invulnerable; he’s still invulnerable when compared to humans, but he’s just another average Joe compared to other Kryptonians or extraterrestrials. In fact, some of those have wiped the floor with Man of Steel.
This decision humanized Superman, making his struggles more visceral and relatable to readers and viewers, challenging the notion of his invulnerability over the years. One of the first challenges was the introduction of Kryptonite, a green crystalline material originating from Krypton (fragments of Superman’s broken home world) that emits a unique, poisonous radiation that can weaken and even kill Kryptonians. This brought about the notion that Superman isn’t all that super on Krypton. In fact, the only reason he has his powers is his exposure to the radiation of our yellow sun.
And if his physical characteristics and powers on Krypton mirror those of humans on Earth, it only stands to reason that he’s not completely invulnerable and indestructible — he only seems that way because of our own definitions of strength and vulnerability. Subsequent releases and storylines introduced even more weaknesses, and Superman became susceptible to the effects of magic, or in the case of Poison Ivy, her pheromones, which helped her control Superman’s mind.
Since then, many stories have explored Superman’s weaknesses; magical forces have used his susceptibility to magic, while Lex Luthor and other villains have relied on Kryptonite and Kryptonite-based weaponry. However, none of them was a match for the Man of Steel; most villains either employed technology or intellect (often both) to outmaneuver him or had some natural advantage against him. So, the writers decided to create a new foe with great physical power to match that of Superman: enter Doomsday.
The original Doomsday was a Kryptonian experiment that spiraled out of control, resulting in a highly adaptable creature that, once killed, resurrected itself and adapted to overcome whatever object, force, or condition had originally killed it. The creature eventually came to Earth, where he battled Superman in a massive dust up that resulted in one of the most iconic Superman stories ever, The Death of Superman, which saw Doomsday and Superman beating each other to death — the story was cinematically adapted in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
There were other stories that dealt with Superman’s vulnerability, his death, and even his mortality. In 1996’s Kingdom Come, which is set in a dystopian future, Superman is shown to be emotionally vulnerable, loses his faith in humanity, and retreats to his Fortress of Solitude, where he spent more than a decade in isolation. 2003’s Red Son reimagines Superman as a Soviet hero, exploring how his morality and values would be shaped by his environment and how those values can be exploited.
Another interesting storyline is the 2005 All-Star Superman run, which deals with Superman’s mortality after his cells begin to deteriorate due to overexposure to solar radiation. So, seeing the Man of Steel bleed isn’t really a novelty for comic book fans; what makes the bleeding in the trailer unique is the apparent lack of a contextual explanation. What did the Man of Steel go up against that resulted in him crash landing in what seems to be the Arctic and barely mustering enough strength to signal Krypto to come and get him?
Superman in the comics has not often shown fear, but he has experienced moments of doubt and apprehension when faced with truly formidable challenges, showcasing a nuance to his character that is rarely explored in cinematic adaptations. Stories like Superman: Lost highlight his emotional depth, portraying his struggles with trauma and vulnerability in ways that humanize him without diminishing his heroism. Gunn now has the opportunity to bring this layered version of Superman to the screen — a hero who, though not immune to pain or fear, perseveres in the face of adversity. Perhaps it’s not his invulnerability that makes him the Man of Steel, but his unwavering strength to rise above what makes him vulnerable.
The post Is Superman Bleeding a Deconstruction of the Whole “Invulnerable Man of Steel” Mythos? appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.