Last year sure was a wild ride. The presidential election happened, artists such as Billie Eilish and Charli XCX released some fantastic albums, and, perhaps most importantly, the box office got some dough. There were tons of movies released and a lot of them were very successful. So, let’s take a look at three of the best.
Number one on my list is Inside Out 2. On June 14, 2024, Pixar finally gave us the sequel to their beloved 2015 movie, Inside Out. The movie’s protagonist, Riley Anderson, is now 13 years old and has been invited to attend a hockey camp with her friends. She’s ecstatic about it, but after some new emotions decide to join Headquarters, she changes completely, and Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear have to work together to stop the newbies.
While some of the original cast returns, some new voices include Tony Hale as Fear, Liza Lapira as Disgust, Maya Hawke as Anxiety, Ayo Edebiri as Envy, and Kensington Tallman, who takes over as Riley, make their spectacular debut. IMDB gave the sequel 7.6/10 stars and it scored 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. But it wasn’t just these places that showed their love for the film. Brian Kitson of The Cosmic Circus, a website for news and movies reviews, states in his article “‘Inside Out 2’ is a Wonderfully Real Film of Adult Emotions” that “Inside Out 2 took what worked so well in the first film and expanded on the idea. What is introduced in the sequel are more complex emotions, ones that adults could easily relate to.” As someone who watched this movie and cried every tear imaginable, I can safely say that this movie deserves all the success it is getting. Additionally, Pixar has released a spinoff series called Dream Productions which will focus on Riley’s dreams, so fans will get to have even more fun exploring her mind.
Number two on my list is Wicked. Based on the book and musical of the same name, “Wicked” tells the story of how Glinda and Elphaba met at Shiz University in the Land of Oz and formed an unlikely friendship.
The movie was released on November 22, 2024 and performed outstandingly. IMDB gave it 7.9/10 stars and it scored 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. With the voices of Ariana Grande as Glinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ethan Slater as Boq, Jonathan Bailey as Prince Flyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, and Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond, it should come as no surprise that this movie really did defy gravity. Stephanie Zacharek’s article “Even a Magical Cynthia Erivo Can’t Cast a Spell Strong Enough to Save Wicked” for TIME magazine talks about not just the amazing performances in the film, but Elphaba’s character and how us relating to her helped the movie become even more successful. She states, “As Elphaba, [Erivo] channels something like real pain rather than just showtune self-pity. You feel for her in her greenness, in her persistent state of being an outsider, in her frustration at being underestimated and unloved. Erivo nearly rises above the material, and not just on a broomstick.” It was really cool seeing Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship be expanded on in this movie. It almost felt like they were a couple. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a little while for part 2 to come out as it will be releasing in November of this year, but in the meantime, you can still enjoy part 1, watch the musical, do the sing-alongs, or even try to find the original book to read!
Number three on my list is The Wild Robot. Released on September 27, 2024, The Wild Robot tells the wholesome tale of a robot named Roz who has been deserted on an island and must learn to adapt. She befriends all the animals on the island, especially an orphaned baby goose named Brightbill, whom Roz decides to adopt.
The film got 8.2/10 stars from IMDB and 97% Rotten Tomatoes. The movie features the many voice talents of Lupita Nyong’o as Roz, Pedro Pascal as Fink, Mark Hamill as Thorn, Catherine O’Hara as Pinktail, Bill Nighy as Longneck, Matt Berry as Paddler, and Stephanie Hsu as Vontra. An article titled “‘The Wild Robot’ Review: The Kids Movie Has a Bold Message” by Sarah Hunter Simanson at Huffpost, a website for news, entertainment, and opinion pieces, talked about her feelings when watching the movie and what she learned from it, including “It reveals the intricacies of modern motherhood – the ‘unnatural’ and thankness sacrifices required in the act of parenting that are not promised to add up to anything, but maybe – just maybe – can and will.” Mother-child dynamics and animals are two of my favorite things and it was really cute seeing this movie explore both.
Last year may be over, but the love for these masterpieces isn’t going anywhere. In fact, now that 2025 is here, we will have some new films to look forward to including Lilo and Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, and Zootopia 2. Stay tuned!
