Before finishing my 2024 coverage with my Best of the Year picks, there are a couple more movies to talk about. However, instead of doing traditional reviews, I’m going to do quick write-ups on my thoughts and feelings on various films I saw throughout 2024. For this first batch, we’re going to look at Civil War, Love Lies Bleeding, and Saturday Night!

Civil War

Ex Machina director Alex Garland crafts a horrifying vision of American warfare on its own soil through an endlessly captivating lens. The film, Civil War, follows a group of photojournalists trekking through a modern American civil war. Garland approaches Civil War with an objective viewpoint that’s surprisingly inviting and easy to immerse yourself into. There’s never a focus on what caused things to go wrong and why everyone’s fighting, so the experience is never clogged up with political commentary. Instead, Garland simply lets the apathetic perspective of the film’s main group of journalists drive the experience – leading viewers to be guided through gruesome, heightening tensions. 

Civil War isn’t necessarily about dealing with constant conflict, and actually shows that some of the quietest moments of warfare can be the most disturbing. Even when this group is simply driving from town to town, the shadow of this civil war always looms over them and rears its head in unexpected ways. Whether it’s the group suddenly being locked into a deadly sniper duel or coming face to face with an unhinged performance from Jesse Plemons, the ripple effect of this war is gut-wrenching and inescapable. Not to mention, when the group does involve themselves in firefights, it’s relentlessly intense. The battlefields Garland crafts are dripping with suspense and explosive carnage that rocks you to your core – especially in the film’s finale. 

However, Garland’s depiction of daunting war on American soil isn’t just for flair as it acts as a cautionary tale. There’s a line from lead character Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) that’s very reflective of Garland’s intentions to immerse viewers into this potential horror so that maybe they’ll want to avoid it entirely. It’s what makes Civil War a unique kind of anti-war film, and it’s led by a career-best performance from Dunst that’s the true centerpiece of Garland’s vision. Even when characters make strange decisions or have changes in their arcs that don’t work in the moment, Dunst’s performance always keeps the film grounded and fascinating. There are interesting threads about journalistic ethics and morality along with a gutting disillusionment of war sewn directly into her performance, and she magnifies the immersive qualities of Civil War. It’s honestly a damn shame Dunst isn’t being talked about more for her work here because it’s easily one of the best performances of 2024. Plus, Garland utilizes the character well to get these jaw-dropping photos that encapsulate the devastation of war that taps into the film’s photojournalist angle incredibly well. 

Civil War is a required watch for how Garland creates an immersive nightmare scenario that’s hard to shake because it hits close to home. Dunst delivers an all-time great performance that matches the haunting nature of Garland’s vision and boosts the film’s thematic threads. It’s a warning that holds nothing back for viewers, ultimately resulting in thrills and chills with some real staying power. 

Love Lies Bleeding

Writer/director Ross Glass’ sophomore feature, Love Lies Bleeding, brings viewers into a grimy crime-thriller with a sizzling romantic throughline that’s twisted by Glass’ wild vision. The film follows reclusive gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart) and aspiring bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian) as their whirlwind romance is upended by Lou’s crime boss father (Ed Harris). Glass creates an environment and style that seeps deep into your skin to constantly make you uneasy. This mix of a dirty criminal underbelly and steroid-fueled body obsession culminate in this gross concoction that Glass thrives in. 

As opposed to her more focused, smaller debut in Saint Maud, Glass gets a lot more room to work with in Love Lies Bleeding and it’s incredible to see. Her eye for stomach-turning visuals and suspense takes new forms here, and there’s no shortage of strangeness with this film. From the red-tinted flashes of Lou’s father acting as an unrelenting nightmare for her to Jackie’s desire for perfection taking horrifying physical forms, Glass isn’t afraid to be weird with her aesthetic here. Now, sometimes that can backfire and create moments that are so over the top that they’re tough to wrap your head around – especially in the final stretch. Let’s just say, in Glass’ hands, steroids can become one powerful, almost super-powered, drug. However, Glass is top-notch in instilling uneasiness with Love Lies Bleeding through this dingy atmosphere and disturbing visuals – which only heighten as Lou and Jackie deal with bigger issues. 

The start of their romance is as nice, simple, and fated as any on-screen couple we’ve seen before. Yet, it’s interesting to see these two outsiders come together like this. The chemistry between Stewart and O’Brian is off the charts and even what they bring to the roles as individuals is genuinely spectacular. Stewart makes Lou’s persistence thrilling to watch as she’s constantly in survival mode once the wheels come off, and there’s some good vulnerability shown from an otherwise withdrawn character. Meanwhile, O’Brian is in full breakout mode as she brings a physicality to Jackie’s bodybuilding dreams that are real – almost to horrifying extents at times. She’s definitely the big takeaway, talking point of Love Lies Bleeding, and really embodies this bodybuilding persona that’s hypnotizing and absolutely terrifying to see in action. 

However, their bliss doesn’t last for long as Lou’s crime family world and Jackie’s unflinching chase for success cause larger issues to form. Love Lies Bleeding is chock-full of juicy twists and turns that ratchet up the tension and stakes immensely. Jackie’s brutal rage is propelled towards abusive figures in such a vicious way, you’re left absolutely stunned by the bloody result. From there, there’s this massive, intricate power struggle that’s captivating to watch. There’s nothing more thrilling than seeing these characters try to keep their head above water as tensions rise and situations become way more dire. Once things take a nasty turn for these two, the film becomes a fight for survival you can’t take your eyes off of.

Love Lies Bleeding further emphasizes why Glass is a visionary who needs to be on everyone’s radar as she helms a highly enjoyable nail-biter that blends genres excellently. Stewart and O’Brian are a dynamic duo that elevate the romantic elements of their characters’ relationship as well as all the toxic baggage that comes with it. Plus, with Glass being totally unrestricted in her vision, Love Lies Bleeding is full of bonkers visuals that heighten the horror and ultimately make it a must-watch for those wanting something truly different. 

Saturday Night

Writer/director Jason Reitman avoids biopic pitfalls in his recreation of one of the most anxiety-filled nights of television – the making of the first episode of Saturday Night Live. The film, Saturday Night, takes viewers into the chaos and comedy of Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) getting the premiere episode of the titular show ready to go live. Reitman does a great job bringing the aesthetic and culture of the 1970s to the big screen by making it a core part of the film’s DNA. To some degree, Saturday Night is as much of a time capsule of the 70s entertainment space as it is about SNL’s creation. From the wardrobe to the dialogue, there’s a lot of grounded cultural vibes of the era that come through. But it’s also interesting to see Reitman delve into the issue in working with TV for Michaels – like competing for time with relevant shows and finding the right style to make the comedy work while ignorant execs breath down his neck.

At the center of it all, is an ensemble that provides endless, raw comedic/drama talent throughout Saturday Night. LaBelle plays Michaels with a furious desire to make his ambitions a reality at any cost – including himself. The blend of panic and sheer determination on his face is magnetic and continually draws audiences into the chaos that unfolds. It’s easily one of the most compelling performances of the year and it’s rare to find an effort like this that has you clinging onto every step like a desperate intern. Outside of LaBelle, Cooper Hoffman excels as advisor Dick Ebersol through the way he grounds Michaels by acknowledging the heightening stakes and obstacles ahead. Cory Michael Smith evokes all the raunchy comedy of Chevy Chase without missing a beat while showing some vulnerability behind the ego. Tommy Dewey is endlessly funny as Michael O’Donoghue for the perfectly-timed comedic chops he brings through various, hilariously crude creative conflicts. Frankly, we could go on forever talking about other impactful players like Rachel Sennot, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brian, Lamorne Morris, Andrew Barth Feldman, and J.K. Simmons because this entire cast is thoroughly excellent. 

Where Reitman is at his best with Saturday Night though is in how he characterizes this historic moment in pop culture – emphasizing nerve-shredding drama over comedy. Sure, a film about SNL is guaranteed to have laughs from cast interactions and the way things magically collapse without warning. Plus, there are tons of nostalgic skits, characters, and moments touched on that are great to see in their infantile stage just before they become formative parts of the series. But, it’s this remarkably thrilling nature to Saturday Night that sets it apart from some “by the numbers” biopic. 

In some ways, Saturday Night almost has the vibes of a slasher-thriller, where time is slowly creeping up on Michaels’ vision and nearly ready to cut it down for good. That type of exhausting, fight for survival is the exact type of energy Reitman brings into Saturday Night, and frankly, it’s amazing. It’s what causes tensions between people like Chevy Chase and John Belushi (Matt Wood) to boil over in a spectacular and sudden fashion. Or, it’s why issues between departments linger so long – in some cases, mere minutes before they go live. Reitman achieves such a strong throughline of palpable pressure all throughout Saturday Night, and the stakes being so unbelievably high (and only getting higher by the minute) makes the film unexpectedly thrilling. It’s also where the film’s depiction of the creative process comes off so authentic and unabashed – showing that even clashing personalities that rise above tensions through a common goal. 

Saturday Night showcases the complexity of SNL and all the ambitious minds that brought it together. giving fans new reasons to appreciate and perceive the series as it approaches its 50th anniversary. It’s a testament to an iconic staple of pop culture that fans of every generation will love, and that’s brought to life by incredible, modern talent on both sides of the camera. More importantly though, it’s a “peek behind the curtain” that doesn’t let off the brakes and constantly leaves you on-edge through its rising pressure thrills.