St. Vincent - "Broken Man"

According to Spotify, this was the song I played the most in 2024. I wouldn't have guessed that, but I'll take it.

What Was the Funniest Moment at the Movies in 2024?

 
I did the math and came up with 34 of the best jokes, characters, memes and moments from films this year. My unassailable comedy rankings are up at Cracked.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Best Films of 2024

The episode you've waited for all year is here: Will and I each count down our picks for the best films of 2024. Hope you enjoy.

Red Sea 2024: 'Little Jaffna' Review

In his directorial debut, Lawrence Valin plays a cop who infiltrates a Tamil gang in Paris. But is he getting in too deep? My review of Little Jaffna is live at Screen International.

'Breakfast All Day': 'A Complete Unknown' Doesn't 'Walk Hard' Bob Dylan's Story

Very happy to be back with my buddy Christy Lemire to go deep on A Complete Unknown. One thing I definitely wanted to get into here: I love Walk Hard, but I'm tired of it being used as a de-facto way to critique every music biopic released in its wake. Check out our conversation below.

'The Room Next Door' Review

Pedro Almodovar's best film since The Skin I Live In? For my money, yes. I was quite pleased to get to review The Room Next Door for the Los Angeles Times.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: So Many Movies, So Little Time

It's become an annual tradition I really enjoy: On the podcast right before we record our "Best of the Year" episode, we do a lightning round in which we review a bunch of end-of-the-year films in quick succession. This year, that meant rapid reactions to A Complete Unknown, Nosferatu, Nickel Boys, Babygirl, The Seed of the Sacred Fig and The Order. Check it all out down below.

'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' Review

Is Sonic 3 the best film in the series? Yes. However, I still have major issues with this franchise. My review is up at Screen International.

'Mufasa: The Lion King' Review

The man behind Moonlight has made a Disney "live-action" prequel to one of the studio's biggest hits. Was it worth it? My review of Mufasa is up at Screen International.

'Breakfast All Day': 'Kraven the Hunter' Feels Like the End of Something

Kraven the Hunter isn't good, but is it also emblematic of something bigger in the world of superhero cinema? My buddy Christy Lemire invited me to guest on her podcast to talk about that and other comic-book-related things.

Miranda Lambert (featuring Parker McCollum) - "Santa Fe"

For whatever reason, I've never fully connected with Miranda Lambert's music. But I gave it another try with her latest album, Postcards From Texas. The song that most reaches me is this lilting, sad little ballad.

'Kraven the Hunter' Review

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is Kraven. Who is Kraven? And why did this movie get delayed for so long? I try to answer those questions in my Screen International review.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Queer,' 'Nightbitch' and 'The End'

Listeners tell us they like it when we disagree. Well, they're in luck because we differ on two of the three movies we talk about on this week's episode. Funny enough, they one we agree on is the one I assumed we wouldn't. Check out the conversation below.

'A Complete Unknown' Review

I loved it. I explain why over at Screen International.

My Reaction to This Year's Golden Globe Nominations

What were the biggest surprises? What were the most egregious snubs? I wrote about all that and more for Rolling Stone.

My Interview With Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon, the Stars of 'His Three Daughters'

The three actresses who star in His Three Daughters all have busy schedules, so it was tricky to figure out a time for them all to get on a Zoom to speak with me about their terrific film. Finally, we landed on a date: November 6th. Yup, the day after the presidential election. It was evening on that Wednesday when we chatted, and the mood was understandably somber. We talked about Trump and death and laughing at grief. I found the conversation cathartic; I hope they did as well. My piece is up at the Los Angeles Times.

'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim' Review

My suspicion is that not many folks know that a Lord of the Rings movie is out this Friday. It's an animated action-adventure inspired by a brief passage in one of J.R.R. Tolkien's books. For Screen International, I reviewed The War of the Rohirrim.

My Interview With Joshua Oppenheimer, Director of 'The End'

Nine years ago, I interviewed Joshua Oppenheimer for Rolling Stone to discuss his great documentary The Look of Silence. Recently, I interviewed Joshua Oppenheimer for Rolling Stone again, this time to discuss his great new film, the divisive musical The End. We talked about global warming, doomsday bunkers, Trump, and the right and wrong kinds of hope. You can read my profile here.

Red Sea 2024: 'Yalla Parkour' Review

How do you cope with an occupation? If it's the Palestinian subjects of Yalla Parkour, it's by performing parkour. I reviewed this melancholy documentary for Screen International.

Mulatu Astatke - "Tezeta (Nostalgia)"

Been playing this a lot lately.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Brutalist,' 'Maria' and 'September 5'

Ah, thank goodness for good-movie season. We have three award contenders on this week's episode. Which one is my favorite? Listen below.

My Interview With Nicholas Hoult

The man who will be the next Lex Luthor had a pretty great 2024. For the Los Angeles Times, I chatted with the actor about Juror #2, The Order and Nosferatu. We also talked about fatherhood and staying out of the limelight. Check it out here.

(Photo by Marcus Ubungen.)

'Nosferatu' Review

As a filmmaker, Robert Eggers is now four-for-four. For Screen International, I reviewed his latest, Nosferatu.

JPEGMafia - "Either On or Off the Drugs"

A little something to groove to as you're enjoying the long Thanksgiving weekend.

'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' Review

If I'd been on the Cannes competition jury, The Seed of the Sacred Fig would have gotten my vote for the Palme d'Or. Very happy to sing its praises in the Los Angeles Times.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Wicked' vs. 'Gladiator II'

On this week's podcast, we look at the two big movies that opened over last weekend. (Turns out, we disagree on both of them.) And then we spend a little time with The Piano Lesson. Check out the show down below.

'Moana 2' Review

It's been eight years since Moana. Was the sequel worth the wait? My review is up at Screen International.

What's the Best Movie From 1999?

Rolling Stone created a list of the 99 best movies from 1999. Then, the editors asked regular contributors to write capsules for the films. I got to write about Eyes Wide Shut, Three Kings, The Wind Will Carry Us and others. Check out the whole list here.

My Interview With Anthony Jeselnik

Tomorrow, Netflix premieres Bones and All, Anthony Jeselnik's fifth stand-up special. It's really funny. For Cracked, I had a long conversation with him about playing the villain, getting tired of comedy podcasts, finding Donald Trump funny, not telling personal stories on stage, and feuding with Norm Macdonald. This was a blast. Hope you enjoy.

'Spellbound' Review

In Spellbound, a princess (Rachel Zegler) has to help her parents, the king (Javier Bardem) and queen (Nicole Kidman), after a curse transforms them into monsters. Will she be successful? And how familiar is this animated fairy tale? I answer some of those questions over at Screen International.

Fontaines D.C. - "Starburster"

A preview of my Thanksgiving weekend.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Oz, Rome and 'The Piano Lesson'

It's a big movie weekend. Should you see Wicked? Gladiator II? What about The Piano Lesson? Christy Lemire and I were on KCRW today to offer our thoughts. Check out the segment down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Emilia Perez,' 'Red One' and 'All We Imagine as Light'

On this week's episode, we review a possible Oscar front-runner, a Christmas action-comedy and a promising feature debut from an Indian filmmaker. Check it all out down below.

Beth Gibbons - "Whispering Love"

After all these years, Portishead's lead singer finally released her first proper solo album in 2024. That voice. (And special shout-out to "Gracie," who provides the "instrumental ooh/hum" that's so arresting on this closing track.)

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Sean Baker, Steve McQueen and Hugh Grant

Two auteurs and a horror movie make up this week's reviews. But, first, we had to talk about the election. Hear the whole episode down below.

'Gladiator II' Review

Gladiator II doesn't have Russell Crowe, but it does have Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal. Is that an upgrade? My review is up at Screen International.

The Hollies - "The Air That I Breathe"

Don't want to talk about it.

'Extra Hot Great': I Survived Watching 'The Brady Bunch in the White House'

Did you know that there was a 2002 TV movie with Shelley Long and Gary Cole reprising their roles as the big-screen Carol and Mike Brady? Well, there was, and my pals at Extra Hot Great invited me on to talk about it. We also discussed Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Criterion Closet videos. This was recorded the morning of the Election. How young we were back then. Check it out below.

'Red One' Review

In Red One, Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans play, respectively, an elite security officer and a cynical tracker who have to find Santa Claus, who's been kidnapped. Will they save the day? And is the movie any good? My review is live at Screen International.

What's the Best Political Comedy?

Because we all could use a laugh right now, right? I picked 20 classics for Cracked.

My Interview With Sav Rodgers, Director of 'Chasing Chasing Amy'

When he was a kid, Sav Rodgers was battling with questions about himself. Then, he saw Chasing Amy, which was the first time he was exposed to gay characters in a film. Now, years later, this trans filmmaker has put together a documentary examining that 1997 comedy and its controversial legacy. For Cracked, I talked to Rodgers about rom-coms, happy endings and what it was like to interview his hero Kevin Smith about his problematic film. Hope you enjoy.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Reviewing 'Here,' 'A Real Pain,' 'Blitz' and 'Emilia Perez'

Amy Nicholson and I had some big movies to dig into this week on KCRW, including one of my favorite films of the year. You can hear us down below.

Jessica Pratt - "Life Is"

Who feels like swaying slowly back and forth for three minutes? I've got just the song for you.

2024 Gotham Awards Nominees

It has been an annual tradition I am very proud to be a part of. The folks at the Gotham Film & Media Institute invited me to once again join the committee that selects the nominees for the Gothams' acting categories. Alongside Monica Castillo, Robert Daniels, Tomris Laffly and Brian Tallerico, I helped pick this year's best Lead, Supporting and Breakthrough performances. You can see our choices here, along with the nominees in other categories.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Conclaves, Symbiotes and the Presidential Election

Will wanted to try a little something different for this episode, the last one we'll record before the presidential election. We did our usual movie-reviewing thing, discussing Conclave and Venom: The Last Dance, but for the final segment, we had an off-the-cuff conversation about how we're feeling with the election right around the corner. I hadn't planned anything in advance, neither had Will, so we just talked some things out. Will others get anything out of it? I honestly don't know. You can hear the entire episode down below.

AFI Fest 2024: 'Juror #2' Review

Clint Eastwood is 94 years old, and he's still making movies. Good movies. For Screen International, I reviewed Juror #2.

AFI Fest 2024: 'Here' Review

Robert Zemeckis' last two films were abominations. So I'm happy to say that Here is a step up, utilizing an intriguing formal conceit to look at a group of people over centuries who all live on the same spot of land in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the director's worst tendencies betray him. My review is up at Screen International.

'The Colin McEnroe Show': Talking About 'The Sixth Sense'

As you probably know, Halloween is just around the corner. The fine folks at The Colin McEnroe Show invited me to be on this week for an episode devoted to horror. I talked about the 25th anniversary of The Sixth Sense and my piece in the Los Angeles Times. You can hear the whole episode down below. (I come on at about the 35:10 mark.)

Matthew Sweet - "Hide"

Get well soon, Matthew Sweet. Thinking of you while playing a song from your most underappreciated album, In Reverse.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Rumours,' 'Woman of the Hour' and 'Brothers'

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times on the podcast this week. We both really liked Anna Kendrick's directorial debut but, boy oh boy, did we despise the anemic crime comedy from Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage. Somewhere in the middle was Rumours. Hear our reviews down below.

'Venom: The Last Dance' Review

Is this the last Venom film? Sure seems like it. Is it the best of the bunch? My review is live over at Screen International.

The Greatest Political Movies Ever

An election is upon us, so the fine folks at Rolling Stone put together a list of the best political movies, asking different writers to contribute to the final choices. I was very happy to talk a little about Secret Honor, Primary Colors, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ... and the movie that ended up at No. 1. Check it out.

IDA: My Conversation With Ibrahim Nash'at, Director of 'Hollywoodgate'

Earlier in the year, I spoke with documentary filmmaker Ibrahim Nash'at, who spent a year embedded with the Taliban in Afghanistan right after U.S. forces left the country. The result of that was Hollywoodgate. I was happy recently to be asked by IDA to do a video chat with Nash'at, which allowed us to expand on that earlier conversation. We talked about war and Wiseman. Hope you enjoy.

Rosie Lowe - "Mood to Make Love"

Want some dreamy indie vibes? I got ya.

'Smile 2' Review

I really liked the first Smile. But this new one? It never finds the right rhythm. My review is up at Screen International.

My Interview With Sean Baker, Writer-Director of 'Anora'

Sean Baker is such a fan of indie theaters, I had a thought: Why not interview him at one for the Los Angeles Times? That's how I found myself at Gardena Cinema for the first time. He and I chatted about strip clubs, film school, sex workers, panic attacks and winning the Palme d'Or for Anora. (I also talked to three actors who have worked with him -- Mikey Madison, Simon Rex and Brooklynn Prince -- to get a sense of what he's like as a director.) Needless to say, I was very pleased with how this turned out. Hope you enjoy. 

(Photo by Carlin Stiehl.)

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Saturday Night,' 'The Apprentice' and 'La Haine'

How did Saturday Night Live become Saturday Night Live? How did Donald Trump turn into Donald Trump? Two movies try to answer those questions, and we reviewed them both on the podcast this week. Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at 1995's La Haine. Hear the whole thing down below.

No Doubt - "Hella Good"

The only No Doubt song I ever really liked was this Rock Steady single. "Hella Good" has been in my life a lot lately as it's featured prominently in Piece by Piece and it's used in the promos for High Potential. So here you go.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Joker 2,' 'Will & Harper' and 'The Dead'

No surprise that we didn't like the Joker sequel, although it inspired some interesting conversation. On this week's episode, we also discussed the well-intentioned but flawed Netflix documentary Will & Harper and went back to 1987 to assess John Huston's The Dead. Hear the whole thing down below.

'Piece by Piece' Review

Pharrell Williams and Morgan Neville had an unconventional idea for a documentary about the superstar producer: Why not do it all in Lego animation? 

Does that strategy pay off? Here's my review of Piece by Piece.

Hamburg 2024: 'Pooja, Sir' Review

In Pooja, Sir, director Deepak Rauniyar draws from actual events to tell the story of a Nepalese detective (played by his wife Asha Magrati) tasked with finding two missing boys, discovering in the process the deep divisions within the country's different ethnic groups. I reviewed this somber thriller for Screen International.

A History of the Joker Being Funny (or Not)

In honor of Joker: Folie à Deux, I wrote a little something for Cracked about the Clown Prince of Crime. Specifically, I tried to answer this question: Is the Joker actually a funny supervillain? Hope you enjoy.

Kris Kristofferson - "For the Good Times"

There's no need to watch the bridges that we're burning.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Megalopolis,' 'A Different Man' and Differing on 'Wolfs'

A supersized episode of the podcast this week, featuring reviews of four new movies. Neither of us liked Francis Ford Coppola's film, but there was much to discuss. Elsewhere, I rave about A Different Man, we debate whether The Wild Robot ends at the right time, and we split on the George Clooney/Brad Pitt action-comedy. Check out this two-hour episode down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Coppola, Clooney and 'Saturday Night'

What a treat to be on with Christy Lemire to talk about movies. We reviewed Megalopolis, Wolfs, The Wild Robot and Saturday Night. Check out our segment down below.

Lyrics Born - "Callin' Out"

Lyrics Born's new album will be his last. Let's enjoy this banger in his honor.

'Saturday Night': What Parts of the Film Are Real? And Which Are Invented?

This Friday, Saturday Night opens in theaters. For Cracked, I did a little fact-checking of this comedy-drama, which looks back at the tense behind-the-scenes preparations before the airing of the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Substance,' 'His Three Daughters' and a Sundance Gem

It feels like serious-movie season is finally upon us. On the podcast, we review three awards-buzz films: one that premiered at Cannes (The Substance), one that premiered in Toronto (His Three Daughters), and one that premiered at Sundance (In the Summers). Check out our thoughts down below.