The three B’s of the Summer season are Beach, BBQ, and BLOCKBUSTERS. However, in recent years, the summer blockbuster has become the exception rather than the rule. Several variables contribute to this trend—the global pandemic, the Hollywood strikes, and the accessibility of streaming services. This is not to discredit box office juggernauts such as Top: Gun Maverick, Barbenheimer, and, most recently, Deadpool & Wolverine. I merely mean to illustrate that they are fewer than they used to be ten years ago. In the figurative (and literal) wasteland of Summer blockbusters (Borderlands, Furiosa—the latter represented here in theme only), the industry redirects its focus on the cinematic underdogs: genre films. The top 4 genre films of summer 2024, i.e. “high-concept” thrillers—Blink Twice, Strange Darling, Cuckoo, Longlegs—dazzled and unnerved with their bold narrative swings, timely themes, and grisly thrills.
Genre Film #1: Blink Twice—a Bonafide Knockout or an Interesting Misfire?
Zoë Kravitz is more than just the daughter of a revered musical icon. She is a visionary artist in her own right. Be it her work in The Batman and Mad Mad: Fury Road or her stellar work on TV’s High Fidelity and Big Little Lies, Kravitz is a sexy, chameleon-like performer with a ton of swag and screen presence. Still, her impressive acting resume did not prepare me for her bold, audacious turn in the director’s chair. The film, Blink Twice, features a hot all-star cast (Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Simon Rex, Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis), a banger soundtrack, and a disturbing, nerve-frying narrative.
When down-on-her-luck cocktail waitress Frida (Ackie) and her bestie Jess (Alia Shawkat) are extemporaneously whisked away to a private island by a charming tech billionaire named Slater King (Tatum), their dream getaway slowly morphs into a waking nightmare. The less said about Blink Twice‘s jarring, firecracker plot the better as it would spoil its seedy revelations. Like the film’s unassuming protagonist, it draws viewers into its beguiling, idyllic, sun-kissed world—exotic foods, endless champagne, and mind-altering drugs. That is, of course, before it pulls the rug from underneath us.
It is a nervy and intoxicating film that is by turns messy, suspenseful, and genuinely startling. There are echoes of Get Out, The Menu, Saltburn, and perhaps, shades of a more fully realized Don’t Worry Darling. It is a mid-budget summer flick oozing and dripping with style, social commentary, and blood-curdling jolts. The whole ensemble is great—especially Ackie and Shawkat—but Tatum’s venomously chilling turn leaves the strongest impact. Told with verve and grit, kinetic editing, and biting humor, Blink Twice is a #MeToo thriller for the ages.
Genre Film #2: Strange Darling—a Refreshing Surprise or a Run-of-the-Mill Chase Film?
Who said all late-summer releases have to suck? If you only caught The Crow reboot, I might be inclined to agree with you. However, if you saw the soon-to-be sleeper hit Strange Darling, you likely left the theater in a state of dizzying euphoria. The film follows a man and woman (Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald) known only as “The Lady” and “The Demon.” They engage in a casual one-night stand in a rural Oregon motel that transforms into a murderous killing spree. The plot seems deceptively straightforward, but is, refreshingly, anything but.
Divided into six chapters and told nonlinearly, the film immediately disorients the audience. It forces viewers to lean in and absorb every narrative detail. It borrows from Tarantino’s oeuvre in terms of style and structure but still manages to carve out its surprises. Shot on gorgeous 35mm film (by character actor turned cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi), this is a clever Rubik’s cube of a thriller that hums at a breathless, breakneck pace. Featuring a killer score, a pair of primal, go-for-broke performances from Gallner and Fitzgerald, and some gnarly, jaw-dropping twists, Strange Darling is a refreshingly original late-summer gem.
Genre Film #3: Cuckoo—Is It the Product of Director Tilman Singer’s Sophomore Slump or Is This a Justifiably Buzzy Indie-Horror?
German filmmaker Tilman Singer’s directorial debut Luz was a lean 70-minute supernatural horror film with a fresh spin on the “possession” subgenre. He immediately established himself as a singular talent not beholden to narrative conventions. His sophomore effort, Cuckoo, is a brazen return to form. The film stars Hunter Schafer (MAX’s Euphoria) as Gretchen, a grief-stricken teenager who relocates to a remote resort in the German Alps with her estranged father (Marton Csokas) and his new family. To help assimilate to her new environment, she accepts a lowly front desk job offered to her by a shady businessman named Herr König (Dan Stevens). Things quickly go awry—strange behavior from the townspeople, a series of haunting visions, and a menacing encounter with a mysterious hooded woman. Consequently, she becomes ensnared in a relentless fight for survival that unearths some dark revelations about the resort’s history.
To call the film “bat-shit-crazy” would be an insult to bats. It is far more interested in another winged creature as the title suggests. Cuckoo is a rather confounding film that only becomes perplexing the longer it flutters along. It has an internal logic that requires active viewership to be intelligible but is nonetheless a riveting and compelling ride. The editing and sound design is fantastic, generating a palpable foreboding and bewilderment. Schafer’s performance juggles angst, anguish, and terror with effortless ease. Steven infuses menace into the subtlest of gestures. Tilman’s peculiar narrative never coddles the audience nor offers any easy answers. This will undoubtedly frustrate some viewers. Those willing to surrender to its wacky wavelength are in for a cerebral, sensory, and disquieting viewing experience.
Hear more on Cuckoo from Laron Chapman and other Cinematropolis contributors on The Cinematic Schematic Podcast
Genre Film #4: Longlegs—Is It Overhyped or One of the Scariest Films of the Year?
You’d have to be blindfolded in an underground bunker to have missed the incredible marketing campaign for Oz Perkins’ Longlegs. Each TV spot is more creepy, intriguing, and indecipherable than the last. It was refreshing to go into a film with fervent anticipation without feeling like the trailers overshared or spoiled the experience. The story follows a young and socially awkward FBI Agent named Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) as she methodically tracks down an active serial killer coined “Longlegs” (Nicolas Cage) whose murders are satanic. This is a welcome return to the eerie, slow-burn horror-thriller procedurals of the 90s (Silence of the Lambs, Se7en). It gently guides viewers through the gates of cinematic hell while taking the scenic route to ensure they take in every frightening frame.
There is a lot to admire about Longlegs. While it is relentlessly bleak, it is also artfully constructed with some of the best cinematography I’ve seen all year—wide shots that tease sinister threats in the corners of the frames; close-ups that transport viewers in the characters’ tortured psyches. The film has a haunting, opaque atmosphere that amplifies its steadily built tension. It also features two powerhouse performances from Monroe and Cage. Monroe—who impressed in the films Watcher and It Follows— is particularly excellent here. Her haunted eyes convey a well of emotion and vulnerability and her deadpan delivery suggests a life of loneliness and isolation. Meanwhile, an unrecognizable Nicholas Cage is NICHOLAS-CAG-ING-THE-SHIT out of his performance—terrifying, fearless, and occasionally amusing. Still, for all of Longlegs’ considerable goodwill, its frustrating third act lacks imagination and daring, demystifying its complex themes. Rocky finale act notwithstanding, the film’s exceptional craftsmanship still leaves a chilling impact.
What Say You About the Top 4 Genre Films of Summer 2024?
What do you think about the top 4 genre films of summer 2024? Let me know by dropping your thoughts in the comments.
