In 2024, I watched 50 movies (well, 46 movies, a miniseries, and three tv shows).
Part of the reason the number is so big is that I went on two international trips and watched 13 movies on planes. I try to watch foreign movies that I’d never even hear about, rather than Hollywood movies that I already know I want to see.
Siqi and I only watched 2 movies in theaters. China does screen Hollywood movies in English, but you kinda have to look out for them and plan to go when they’re available, and we didn’t pay that much attention.
We (re)watched 14 movies and shows on DVD. Sadly, most of my DVDs are currently in storage.
Luckily, Chinese streaming services are super cheap and have a ton of English-language Hollywood movies, and we have a big TV in our living room. So we watched 21 movies and shows online. (Still, like everyone who uses a streaming service, we had to go looking for things on multiple platforms because licensing.)
See below for the complete list, with comments and recommendations.
Top Recommendations!
Turns out, these are all sci-fi… sorta. Maybe the best movies and shows don’t sit in the center of any genre pigeonhole [cough cough Firefly].
Source Code (2011)
This is a philosophical dramedy disguised as sci-fi. The story is set in Chicago on the kind of commuter train I used one summer. The protagonist has to stop a terrorist who wants to blow up not just the train, but a good chunk of the Midwest. The movie has a cool circular plot element like Groundhog Day or Edge of Tomorrow. The feel-good vibe resembles that of a 90s TV show I like called Early Edition, in which a guy (…in Chicago) uses a magic newspaper that shows tomorrow’s news today to prevent bad stuff from happening. But the “magic” element here is something less old-fashioned.
Free Guy (2021)
Much better than I was expecting. This movie is an ingenious, novel, charming, hilariously entertaining combination of a lot of important technology-related themes and tropes. It overlaps in various ways with Wreck-it-Ralph, The Lego Movie, The Truman Show, The Matrix, Stranger than Fiction, Tron, Jumanji, and Ready Player One, which all have two levels of reality. Basically, there’s this violent online game resembling Grand Theft Auto (or something), and in this game, a theoretically unimportant character gains self-awareness and starts to act against his programming. There are repercussions in both worlds.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Partly, I am recommending this movie because of recency bias (I just watched it, therefore I remember it better than all the others); nevertheless, six months from now, it’s likely I’ll still believe it’s a special experience. Certainly it combines genres; maybe a dozen of them! Like Free Guy, it was a creative, entertaining, meaningful, optimistic synthesis of many things I’d seen before. But the upshot is: resist nihilism. In the end, something matters. That’s what middle-aged, overwhelmed Chinese immigrant Evelyn has to learn, but she’s in the middle of an IRS audit of her laundromat, a divorce, and a fight with her daughter, who wants to tell grandpa she’s a lesbian. And now she has to save the multiverse?!
Silo: Season 1 (2023)
This is the grown-up version of City of Ember, which I love (the book version, at any rate). It’s also based on a book series. It’s sci-fi dystopia (10,000 people living in a city consisting of an underground silo) combined with murder mystery… and usually I don’t even like murder mysteries! Science fiction should always feel this real, this human. And not only is a major theme of the story the search for truth (indeed, “truth” is in the tagline!), the characters and setting are utterly believable. I didn’t think anything could convince me that a streaming platform could actually create (rather than just distribute) quality content, but this Apple Original did. “We do not know why we are here. We do not know who built the Silo. We do not know why everything outside the Silo is as it is. We do not know when it will be safe to go outside. We only know that that day is not this day.” So many unanswered questions! Tell me you’re not curious.
Everything Else
Foreign
Avalon (2001)
This is a Polish science-fiction film made by a Japanese guy. The title refers to British mythology. Straaaange combination. It’s about an immersive VR shooting game, and the nature of reality, or something. I dunno, it’s confusing. Can’t recommend it.
Mongolian Pingpong (2005)
Weirdest coming-of-age tale ever. A Mongolian preschool boy living a traditional grassland life finds a ping-pong ball and doesn’t know what it is—because why would he?
Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2017)
This is a Jackie Chan movie… eventually. It’s a time-travel story in which the only things that travel in time are letters. But those letters have a huge impact on the interconnected lives of the people who receive them. Heartwarming.
How to Be Really Bad (2018)
In this cute German movie, Meine teuflisch gute Freundin, the teenage daughter of the devil tries to subvert a virtuous Earth girl. Things don’t go as planned.
Into the Beat (2020)
When a ballerina discovers that she likes modern dance, she has to choose between duty and her newfound passion. This French movie is a lovely story that upholds the idea that individuals should pursue their interests in order to achieve personal fulfillment. It has less senseless lying and conflict than many such stories, which I found refreshing.
Eugenie Grandet (2021)
I liked this movie, which was in French, but I felt like I was missing a lot. Movies don’t convey narration as narration. Narration, because it sheds light on theme, is often what makes literature more than just plot. Movies can represent setting and dialog, arguably better than a book can, and they have their own tone. But whatever the author says about theme (and also the characters) in the narration has to be indirectly suggested (or inserted into dialog). I guess I’ll read the book. The plot seems to be that Eugenie’s father’s financial decision-making style needlessly ruins his wife’s and daughter’s lives; Eugenie’s rebellion takes the form of unwisely trusting a penniless young man.
I Am What I Am (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes says: “I Am What I Am is a standard underdog sports movie, but its hyper-realistic animation makes the film worth watching.” That sounds about right. It’s a Chinese movie about three friends who train for a lion-dance competition.
Retirement Home (2022)
“Maison de raitraite” features the actor who admirably played Aladdin in The New Adventures of Aladdin. I like the characters, plot, tone, and themes of this French comedy, too.
The Robber Hotzenplotz (2022)
I gather that this is a famous character from a series of children’s books. While a bit cartoony, the story in the movie examines questions of right and wrong. The man playing the wizard reminded me of Jim Carrey with his facial contortions.
Journey to the West (2023)
Since I read Journey to the West, I figured I should watch this Chinese movie. It’s not the story of Monkey, though; there’s just a journey that happens to be in a westward direction. I almost hated this movie… it felt like a farce, and I don’t like farce. But there’s at least one moment somewhere in the middle where I thought, “Wait, actually, this is kinda funny.”
Best Man vs Maid of Honor (2023)
This is a German romantic comedy called Trauzeugen. I don’t remember much about it.
Family and Children’s
Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
I read the book, which (unlike the original Robinson Crusoe story) is unrealistically cheerful, and also full of misleading biological “facts”, and has no plot. The movie is much better organized, but very much feels like the product of another time (which it is). This is the oldest movie I watched this year.
Watership Down (1978)
Although it’s no substitute for the excellent book it’s based on, this movie is absolutely a graceful and worthwhile (if also kinda terrifying) adaptation of the story of a small rabbit society that wants peace and independence. The music is haunting.
The Neverending Story (1984)
This story is not as epic feeling as it was when I was a kid, but it carries its share of nostalgia. They don’t make movies like this anymore: special effects have changed too much in the last… uh, 40 years.
The Flight of the Navigator (1986)
Another nostalgia movie here. Bits of this one are deeply imprinted in my brain, even though I don’t think I’ve seen it that many times in total. After a tween boy falls down in the forest and wakes up in the future, he has to help a sentient alien spacecraft regain the knowledge it needs to return to its home planet. But can he ever go home himself?
The Iron Giant (1999)
In this retro-style and somewhat goofy animated movie, Brad Bird eloquently presents the idea that any individual can choose to be good or evil—even if the individual is some kind of huge alien AI military robot.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Another animated movie about a friendly AI robot. The characters are more abundant and less goofy than the ones in The Iron Giant. I could love any movie where the main character gets a joyride through the clouds, and this one counts, although The Rescuers Down Under, The Neverending Story, and How to Train Your Dragon are the best examples. More about this movie in this post.
Luca (2021)
This movie spent too much time being gently pretty; thus it was not as well crafted, plotwise, as I expect a Pixar movie to be. If you want a movie where an undersea creature longs to explore the forbidden shore… just rewatch the original Little Mermaid. Or the remake.
Encanto (2021)
Something about this movie didn’t sit right. Too many characters? The flippant-feeling “yay, everything’s back to normal” ending that made the family’s life lesson journey seem hollow? The characters had some too-modern attitudes, despite being inside a fantasy story (which is the problem with Tangled)? The main character is too chipper and self-effacing? Anyway… Coco was better.
Sing 2 (2021)
I just… didn’t buy the premise. Mr. Moon is somehow allowed to put on a huge musical despite not having done any preparation? And this actually works? I couldn’t pay attention to the drama between the characters because the whole thing was literally incredible from the start. It didn’t help that the movie was burdened with carrying on a dozen existing characters’ stories (without confusing people who forgot them) while also introducing, I dunno, half a dozen new characters. A tall order.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Cute. Yay teamwork. The plot is one of those where, like, if the good guys didn’t go looking for the magic hidden artifact, the bad guys would probably never be able to find it. Sigh.
Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)
Jack Black is Po, Awkwafina is an orphaned fox. Thief with a heart of gold. Or not? Or maybe so?
Science-fiction
The Matrix (1999)
This is one of my top favorite movies ever. It’s just so iconic, and is peppered with moments of awesomeness. Themewise, I don’t believe that “there is no spoon”; that’s not the point. The point, which I agree with, is “ignorance is not bliss.”
Solaris (2002)
Overlaps with the (highly recommended) book like a Mastercard-shaped Venn diagram: some stuff is unique to the movie, some stuff is unique to the book, and some stuff is shared by both—but not as much as book fans expect. Not sure how I feel about the ending.
Sunshine (2007)
This is an interesting sci-fi thriller that examines hard choices, heavy responsibilities, and consequences on all scales, from the personal to the planetary. The first time I saw it, I was distracted the whole time, thinking that Cillian Murphy’s character was evil (because of other roles he’s played). I appreciated the actual plot and characters of the movie this time around.
Transcendence (2014)
Johnny Depp becomes a creepy AI who takes over the world. I don’t think we needed this movie. People are more than enough worried, IMO.
Person of Interest: Seasons 1 to 5 (2015)
I think I prefer the earlier, lighter episodes of this sci-fi action crime show, but it tackles big philosophical questions, and once you start watching, you have to see what happens to the characters! More on this show in this blog post.
Chappie (2015)
No. Just no. I didn’t like any of the characters.
Hotel Artemis (2018)
If you like John Wick and that special assassin hotel that John Wick goes to, you’ll like this members-only hotel too. It’s a bloody story, but has a lot of heart.
Dune: Part One (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024)
Grand and resonant, but as in all politics, I find it’s difficult to know who to root for. Everybody wants power. And there are costs to playing the power game, win or lose. But what’s the alternative? You play… or you get played.
Comedy
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
I saw this road trip comedy on TV once when I was a kid and thought it was the funniest thing ever. It still makes me smile, and I love the theme song, but I think I’m less entertained by the wholly linear plot, womanizing protagonist, and cartoonish bad guy who’s predictably always one step behind, gnashing his teeth.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
Is this a cult classic? If it is, I belong to the cult! The fish-out-of-water New Yorkers in Alabama are just inherently hilarious in this legal comedy. I hope they never try to reboot it, because the story is embedded in the era. It wouldn’t work if the characters had today’s technology, and it would lose all its charm.
Office Space (1999)
A bit crude for my taste, really, but a cult classic that has a lot of fun, repeatable quotes. (“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m ‘missing’ work, Bob!”) An iconic picture of the times that were.
The Tourist (2011)
Johnny Depp gets tangled up in international intrigue in Italy in this somewhat silly romantic comedy. Good times. Better than Argylle, which is kinda similar, but went too far in the silly direction, if you ask me.
Argylle (2024)
… the heck did I just watch?
Fantasy
Legend of the Seeker Seasons 1 and 2 (2010)
I love the natural New Zealand settings and high-quality costumes of this show, and the actors who play Kahlan, Cara, and Darken Rahl are fantastic. So I think the show is worth watching; I’ve watched the whole thing twice. BUT. The lead male actor annoys me, and the writers of the show, though trying to honor Terry Goodkind’s characters, didn’t always manage to strike quite the right tone. That’s why there are only two seasons, despite the abundance of source material.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
I like body-swapping stories, and I like Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black. These are clever and entertaining movies. They’re better than the old Jumanji movie (sorry, Robin Williams) and also better than the original picture book (which is just creepy).
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Um, this was okay as a fantasy adventure movie I guess, but I don’t like the character Helena Shaw. I really care about whether people are fundamentally honest. So can we please not glorify con artists?
Literature
Room with a View (1985)
I love the book, but I had a difficult time watching this famous movie version of it. Maybe I didn’t like Helena Bonham Carter’s depiction of Lucy? Or maybe Lucy is just an inherently annoying character? Definitely I don’t like Charlotte as a character. Or Cecil. (We’re not meant to.) Maybe I don’t like George either. At any rate, Mr. Emerson saves Lucy from herself; the rest is all, as Forster says, a muddle.
Pride and Prejudice BBC miniseries (1995)
Cult classic adaptation starring Colin Firth. I am a fan. I love the music, the acting, the settings and costumes, and, naturally, the mythic rags-to-riches Cinderella story at the heart of the classic novel of manners.
Other
Love Actually (2003)
I think this British ensemble cast holiday rom-com succeeds well in what it tries to do: tell several different interconnected love stories. That being said, there are some things I liked about it and some I really didn’t: in that way, it’s messy, like real life, and alternates between satisfying and unsatisfying.
2012 (2009)
This is a special-effects disaster movie. I know that. So there’s no need to insist it have any logic or plausibility, right? Because it absolutely doesn’t!
No Time to Die (2021)
The latest (and last?) James Bond action/thriller/spy film. I dunno bout that ending…
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Whoops, accidentally watched a military monster movie made by Amazon. It was recommended as a time travel story??? This is vaguely like Edge of Tomorrow, I suppose, but Chris Pratt is not Tom Cruise.
…speaking of whom, how can I have gone a whole year without watching a single Tom Cruise movie??? When is the next Mission Impossible movie coming out? […goes and Googles this…] Currently scheduled for May 2025. Can’t wait!
