Blockbusters are back—but are they better than ever? According to the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), global box office revenues rose by 29.4% to 33.2 billion USD last year, thanks to the release of box office hits such as Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Super Mario Bros. movie (the top three grossing movies globally in 2023). Obviously, this reflected cinema’s resurrection from the 72% plummet in global box office revenues during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. However, the film industry in 2024 had its highs and lows. With summer smashes and box office breakouts in the fall season, prospects remain optimistic for cinema in 2024—despite this, worldwide ticket sales have taken a 5% dip from 2023. With this in mind, here’s a brutally honest review of 2024 cinema—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to work out whether four of its breakout blockbusters are really worth the watch.

Wicked: Part I

Rewriting the narrative of the Wicked Witch of the West (later revealed to be Elphaba) from L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the revisionist musical Wicked attracted attention quickly following its 2003 Broadway run. Ultimately, it blew up into one of the longest-running and most lucrative shows on Broadway. This year, the cultural icon was brought to the big screen in a Thanksgiving release. Directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians [2018]; In the Heights [2021]), powerhouse actresses and vocalists Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande tackled the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, icons of the musical theatre repertoire, in the film adaptation. Despite a number of people who criticize the film’s extended run time and darker themes, an overwhelming majority of people praised Erivo, Grande, and Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero) for the nuance and flair they gave these classic characters. Nothing could’ve stopped Wicked from becoming popular: Wicked seems to fly by, defying its run time (and gravity) with its riveting, worthy additions, from compositional reworkings (Stephen Schwartz, Wicked’s original composer, himself tinkered with the film’s music) to smaller “Easter eggs” die hard fans will adore. As a result of its thought-out direction, Wicked wonderfully blends story and spectacle (which musical lovers will appreciate tenfold) as the vibrant Ozians dance through life. Wicked is certainly worth the watch.

Inside Out 2

Sequelitis is a disease common among many franchises across film—Inside Out 2 was quarantined from it. Inside Out 2, the groundbreaking follow-up to Inside Out (2015), was a historic hit. Grossing $1.699 billion worldwide, it pummeled through a host of box office records, including becoming the highest-grossing film of 2024 and the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Inside and out, it was the film’s innovation, freshness, and generational appeal that secured it all of these coveted successes. Inside Out 2 continues the story of Riley Anderson, the hockey-loving, good-natured girl who is all too lovable in part because of her relatable recklessness—now, she’s a teenager. Tackling universal topics with much more nuance and depth than those in Inside Out (2015), our hearts soar, melt, and ache for Riley as she navigates adolescence—in part because of the clever way in which new elements are weaved into the story. In the film, these include Riley’s changing belief system along with the poignant personifications of the new emotions in Riley’s mind—emotions experienced by adolescents universally. This vivid, vibrant coming-of-age film skyrocketed in popularity for a reason: Inside Out 2 is worth the watch.

Moana 2

If Inside Out 2 dodged sequelitis, Moana 2 was riddled with its symptoms. The 2024 animated film, a follow-up to Disney’s Moana (2016), was a major musical miss. Side effects include a lackluster plot, static characters, and that overall feeling that the franchise needn’t have been continued. Watching this movie in theaters, I questioned why this film was created in the first-place. Moana (2016), arguably an animated classic to the likes of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, was perfect: it teemed with wondrous curiosity and enthralling adventure on turquoise seas and verdant island landscapes. It was glorious—it makes sense why expectations were at low tide for its shabby sequel. Award-winning Broadway composer Lin Manuel Miranda had composed Moana (2016)’s beloved soundtrack and with it an outpouring of instant hits such as You’re Welcome and How Far I’ll Go, the latter of which received an Oscar nomination. However, he chose not to board the franchise’s latest seafaring expedition due to the plethora of new projects on his hands—hence, the sequel suffered. And, even if he had been there, I’m not sure if his genius composition would have compensated for what Moana 2 lacks in terms of content and sheer dynamism. Save yourself 100 minutes—Moana 2 is not worth the watch.

It Ends With Us

This year, Colleen Hoover’s viral 2016 romance novel It Ends With Us was adapted for the big screen. Directed by Justin Baldoni, it starred himself alongside veteran actress Blake Lively (Gossip Girl [2007-2012]). I am aware of the bookworm’s adage: “the book is always better than the movie.” Never having read the novel, however, the cinematic flair, inventive pacing, and heart-wrenching performance seemed to end at It Ends With Us (2024). The first half seemed to be an excruciating string of clunky dialogue and unremarkable performances from both Lively and Baldoni. Perhaps the final nail in the coffin was the amniotic throb of Lively’s unlikeable persona and repetitive acting. If you’ve dabbled in any pop culture surrounding the film (or Lively overall), you have been inundated with both. They scream in Lively’s performance and as a result drained much of the on-screen chemistry between Lively and Baldoni. The film’s use of tired tropes, Taylor Swift songs, and shirtless Baldonis to cater to the masses only further diluted its potentially poignant themes of love and abuse. While its overwhelming mediocrity was unbearable most times, areas of relief in the film were Jenny Slate’s stand-out acting and the intense scenes that touched on the film’s heavier topics, rare moments of clarity weaved into Baldoni’s largely uninspired direction. These strengths, however, weren’t enough: ultimately, I struggled to watch this common film for more than thirty minutes at a time. Save yourselves two hours: go binge watch Gossip Girl (Lively’s acting is nearly identical here): It Ends With Us is not worth the watch.