The Top 10 Films We Reviewed in 2024

by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden

In their “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema.  Over the course of the past year we’ve watched and reviewed over 100 films and we hope that we could help you steer clear of some stinkers, find some gems for your watchlist, and continue building trust with you that we’re always going to be honest in our opinions.  We realize there’s tons of other sites and individuals that review the same movies we do, so it means a lot to us when you visit and see what we’ve got to say.  We don’t do it for clicks or ad impressions, and we certainly don’t make any money from this - we both just love movies (good AND bad ones).
That all said, here’s our Top 10 films that we reviewed in 2024 with one of our final verdicts for each one which should - without any extra commentary - explain why it landed where it did on the list.
On with the show!

10 - Queen of the Ring

Directed By: Ash Avildsen
Written By: Ash Avildsen, Jeff Leen
Starring: Walton Goggins, Josh Lucas, Deborah Ann Woll
Run Time: 2h 10m
Rating: NR
Release Date: October 25, 2024 (United States)

THE VERDICT
Despite running — and feeling — a little long, Queen of the Ring is an entertaining and informative biopic about barrier breaking womens athlete, Mildred Burke.  With a great cast mixed with actors and actual wrestlers, the action comes across as legit and the story itself is engrossing.  Highly recommended for fans of professional wrestling who might be looking for a little lesson in the history of the sport.

9 - Devo

Directed By: Chris Smith
Written By: Chris Smith
Starring: Mark Mothersbaugh, Jerry Casale, Bob Mothersbaugh
Run Time: 1h 33m
Rating: NR
Release Date: January 21, 2024 (United States)

THE VERDICT
Big-time Devo fans should consider Smith’s documentary to be required viewing. Fans of 1970s and 1980s music and anyone interested in sociology should consider this a must-see. Even the most casual of Devo fans and the Devo-curious will get much out of this fine effort. And if you have never experienced Devo before, prepare yourself and give this doc a watch.

8 - Here For Blood

Directed By: Daniel Turres
Written By: James Roberts
Starring: Shawn Roberts, Maya Misaljevic, Joelle Farrow
Run Time: 2h
Rating: NR
Release Date: October 23, 2022 (Canada)

THE VERDICT
Pro wrestling mashed up with horror is nothing new (there are many entries ranging from Mexican icon Santo fighting Dracula to wrestlers battling zombies and all sorts of evil) so don’t expect Here For Blood to break any new ground.  However, Daniel Turres and company take the familiar and put a nice coat of paint and wax on things in the form of copious amounts of blood, some good comedic interactions, and more than a couple of funny one-liners making this a wholly enjoyable ride.  I’m surprised we here at GBV missed this last year (although Joseph may have reviewed it for another site earlier in its festival run before we really took off), so I’m happy this is getting a wide release in a week via Screambox.  
If watching jacked dudes beat the snot out of demonic cultists is your thing, you won’t have to look any further than this gem right here.

7 - The Seeding

Directed By: Barnaby Clay
Written By: Barnaby Clay
Starring: Scott Haze, Kate Lyn Sheil
Run Time: 1h 33m
Rating: NR
Release Date:  2023

THE VERDICT
You’re going to know if The Seeding is for you or not during the opening scene (no spoilers here), which certainly sets the stage for the nihilistic events to follow.
Scott Haze and Kate Lyn Sheil are both very good in what is essentially a two-man show, playing off of one another quite well.  There’s some great scenery on display and it helps to juxtapose the dread that builds throughout the first two acts which all leads up to an obvious climax, leaving you with a good example of how sometimes it’s not the destination but the journey.  Let’s just hope the destination isn't the bottom of a canyon with no way out.

6 - Scared Shitless

Directed By: Vivieno Caldinelli
Written By: Brandon Cohen
Starring: Steven Ogg, Daniel Doheny, Chelsea Clark, Mark McKinney
Run Time: 1h 16m
Rating: NR  
Release Date: July 21, 2024 (Canada)

THE VERDICT
You’ll come for the cool-looking creature effects and the gruesome-looking denouements, and you’ll stay for the humor that ranges from hilarious to heartwarming without ever going overly broad. Scared Shitless is a strong contender for my Best of 2024 genre-film list, and I highly recommend it for fans of creature features, horror comedies, and impressive practical effects work.

5 - The Invisible Raptor

Directed By: Mike Hermosa
Written By: Mike Capes, Johnny Wickham
Starring: Mike Capes, Sean Astin, Sandy Martin
Run Time: 1h 53m
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2023

THE VERDICT
If the idea of having an invisible monster seems to you merely a way to get around having to do a lot of special effects work on a limited budget, clear your head of such thoughts and prepare to have a fun time with The Invisible Raptor. Highly entertaining and big hearted, I recommend the film for creature feature fans, horror comedy aficionados, and anyone looking to have a blast watching a movie.

4 - Test Screening

Directed By: Clark Baker
Written By: Clark Baker, Stephen Susco
Starring: Chloë Kerwin, Drew Scheid, Johnny Berchtold, Amy Hargreaves, Rain Spencer
Run Time: 1h 32m
Rating: NR
Release Date: August 22, 2024 (United Kingdom)

THE VERDICT
If the idea of The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers mixed with Spielbergian elements sounds cool (and it is), then Test Screening is for you. Stellar practical effects steal the show which is highlighted by some great acting by the cast, both young and old.  This was a welcome sight after numerous sub-par movies we’ve subjected ourselves to this Summer.

3 - Villains Inc.

Directed By: Jeremy Warner
Written By: Jason Gray, Matt Moen, Jeremy Warner
Starring: Mallory Everton, Colin Mochrie, Jason Gray
Run Time: 1h 42m
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: 2024

THE VERDICT
An all-ages comedy that shows great affection for superhero movies while wittily sending them up, Villains Inc. has cemented a spot in my top 10 favorite films of this year. Having performed in family-friendly improv comedy groups for more than six years, I can attest to the fact that clean comedy is harder to create than frequently dropping expletives and reaching for the lowest hanging fruit, so what Warner and his cast and crew have pulled off here is no easy feat. Mystery Men is my favorite superhero comedy, and now, thanks to Villains Inc., I have a favorite supervillain comedy. I give this film my highest recommendation.

2 - Strange Darling

Directed By: JT Mollner
Written By: JT Mollner
Starring: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey
Run Time: 1h 36m
Rating: 19+ (KR), R (U.S.)
Release Date: August 23, 2024 (United States)

THE VERDICT
Non-Linear movies can be a turn off for some people, but this is easy enough to follow that even those who dislike the style should be encouraged to give Strange Darling a shot.  What rolls out over the course of its runtime is a twisty cat and mouse game that culminates in some stark brutality.  Do yourself a favor and don’t read anything else about this film so you don’t get spoiled.

1 - In a Violent Nature
Directed By: Chris Nash
Written By: Chris Nash
Starring: Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley, Liam Leone
Run Time: 1h 34m
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2024

THE VERDICT
Hoo boy, is In a Violent Nature going to be divisive! For me, it’s an instant, no-brainer addition to my list of best horror films of 2024. Slasher fanatics seeking instant gratification will likely strongly disagree with me, and that’s fine; there are plenty of other offerings from the subgenre out there. But whereas I find many of those to be simply derivative or mere pastiche, Nash’s feature delivers something different.