The box office in 2024 was dominated by sequels (9 of the top 10 were sequels, the only exception being Wicked), but was largely bereft of the usual MCU domination, with the only release being Deadpool & Wolverine, and the release of legacy sequels seemed to slow down, at least for now. But much of the awards discussion has centered around independent and international movies and some strong auteur films. Here are my favorite films of the year:
Honorable Mentions (In Order)
The Greatest Hits; The Brutalist; Kinds of Kindness; Look Back; Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Juror #2; A Different Man; Challengers; It’s What’s Inside; A Real Pain; Nosferatu
Did Not See
Hard Truths; Sing Sing; I’m Still Here; Dahomey; Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World; The Room Next Door; All We Imagine as Light; Oh Canada; Black Box Diaries; The Beast
15. Smile 2
Directed by Parker Finn; starring Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Lukas Gage
Smile 2 is the rare sequel that clearly outdoes the original. From the fun opening scene to the memorable ending, Finn proves that he’s more than just a one-hit wonder and is an up-and-coming horror director to watch. He fully makes use of his larger budget here, continuing the story of the murderous curse that passes from one victim to the next. The filmmaking is stylish, confident, original and ambitious, and the movie preserves Finn’s knack for ambiguous and shocking endings. Naomi Scott’s performance as a world famous popstar struggling with substance abuse issues and survivor’s guilt is complex, physical, and consistently impressive as an all-time great scream queen. It will be fascinating to see where Finn goes next and what he can do with material outside of this world.
Now streaming on Paramount+.
14. Rebel Ridge
Directed by Jeremy Saulnier; starring Aaron Pierre and Don Johnson
Rebel Ridge is a throwback movie, a 2020s version of a classical western in its construct, but with modern themes of racism and a damning indictment of the consuming grasp of civil forfeiture laws. Pierre plays a Marine veteran with a mysterious past who is passing through a small town in Louisiana when he gets picked up by a couple of corrupt cops and gets entangled in the sticky web of the American legal system. The film is much more pensive and far less bloody than you might anticipate for a film directed by Saulnier. Pierre is legitimately great in this starmaking First Blood-esque performance. Rebel Ridge is a refreshing mix of legal thriller, detective mystery and old school action flick, which unfortunately got buried among the deluge of other streaming movies this past year.
Now streaming on Netflix.
13. Transformers One
Directed by Josh Cooley; starring Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Keegan-Michael Key, and Scarlett Johansson
Forget Wicked – for my money, the best prequel to existing popular IP committed to film in 2024 was Transformers One, an animated science fiction romp that delves into the origin stories of Optimus Prime, Megatron and Bumblebee with heart and humor. Like all great prequels, the movie stands on its own. Even if you did not grow up playing with Hasbro toys or have never heard of a Decepticon, you will be able to enjoy the masterful voice acting and the cutting themes of friendship and loyalty and bravery that peak with a valiant and sweeping third act. Maybe Disney should be taking note – it might be a more effective formula to turn live action movies into animated films, rather than the other way around.
Now streaming on Paramount+.
12. Longlegs
Directed by Osgood Perkins; starring Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, and Alicia Witt
Incredibly crafted and executed by Perkins, Longlegs shows off some amazing cinematography, really cool shots and techniques, and eerily effective sound design. Though the film is ominous from start to finish, it’s also extremely restrained, so it is the sense of dread rather than the grisly kills that highlight the film. Monroe plays a disturbed FBI agent investigating a series of murder-suicides in Oregon in the 1990s, and the result lives up to the much-hyped trailer. Longlegs turns out to be much more a procedural thriller in the vein of Silence of the Lambs, Seven, or Zodiac, and even though the second half comes apart a little bit (and fails to match the terrifying first act) Cage as the titular Longlegs becomes one of the most unique cinematic serial killers in recent memory.
Now streaming on Hulu.
11. Kneecap
Directed by Rich Peppiatt; starring Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, and DJ Próvaí
Musical biopics may be a tired out genre but Kneecap busts the conventions as a rawer, realer version of a Lonely Island feature. Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara play fictionalized versions of themselves as young hooligans growing up in Belfast who were taught to speak Irish by their dads. They are discovered by a music schoolteacher (DJ Próvaí) and end up forming a hiphop group that performs almost exclusively in Irish, with their signature balaclavas. The songs are complete earworms, and the acting is so authentic that it is hard to believe these are not professional actors. More importantly, this is a wild and cocaine-fueled ride that has such vivacious and infectious energy and such great beats that easily cover up any of the storyline’s flaws. The film effectively draws on its sense of place and culture, with a great sense of humor to boot (“it’s like I discovered the Beatles. If the Beatles were shit”). But mostly, Kneecap is a reminder of how powerfully subversive and independent hip hop can be at its roots.
Now streaming on Netflix.
10. Nickel Boys
Directed by RaMell Ross; starring Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson
Despite the lack of Academy nominations, Nickel Boys has a strong case as the best directed film of 2024. As a dramatic two-hander about two black teenage boys sent to an abusive reform school in Florida, much of the discussion of this film has centered around its form – you may have seen 4:3 aspect ratios and first person POV films before, but never quite like this. Yet the weight of the story is in its substance as much as its style – deliberate, cautious, and unyielding. There are twists and reveals, along with a flashback structure that does not make much sense until the end, but the film stands its ground and communicates a story that feels familiar and groundbreaking at the same time. Ross’s use of certain symbolic motifs like the alligator gives the film a sturdy sense of place and history but also serves as a metaphor for the violent and reptilian-like systems that were in place in this very country not so long ago.
Now available to rent.
9. Dune: Part Two
Directed by Denis Villeneuve; starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, and Austin Butler
Dune: Part Two was the best theatrical moviegoing experience of 2024, and not just because of its infamous popcorn bucket. It is a spectacle in every sense of the word, visually stunning in every shot and engrossing with every beat of its score. Villeneueve’s epic sci-fi is a continuation of the famously “unfilmable” Frank Herbert novel and surpasses every expectation in scope and execution without chipping or shattering. Many films fail to justify its huge budgets, but here every penny shows up on screen, in the excellent cast, the marvelous production design and detail, and in every exciting set piece, whether it is a tense hand-fought duel or the triumphant riding of a giant sandworm. The greatest achievement here might be the film’s ability to retain the complexity and mysteriousness of the source material, while being accessible enough to a broad audience.
Now streaming on Netflix.
8. Snack Shack
Directed by Adam Rehmeier; starring Conor Sherry, Gabriel LaBelle, and Mika Abdalla
Snack Shack is a 90s coming of age film that is both nostalgic and a breath of fresh air, with a more modern twist on Linklater-esque vibes. The entrepreneurial energy of the two leads Sherry and LaBelle, as teenagers working the snack stand at a community pool over summer break, sets the tone for the entire movie, though LaBelle is particularly irrepressible. The irreverent humor (“fuckdog” and “shitpig” are exactly the kind of vernacular that a 1990s 13 year old would come up with), joyful friendship, and growing pains are all on display, entertaining and larger-than-life but not unbelievably so. The specificity the film brings to each scene and line of dialogue help it to overcome any indie film tropes. Although the last act does take an unexpected turn that feels like it’s from a different film, overall Snack Shack is a sweet and sincere summer vibes hangout movie. and just like a young teenage summer, you don’t want this movie to end.
Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
7. Conclave
Directed by Edward Berger; starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini
Conclave is a church procedural with bite, full of palace intrigue about the spiritual but primarily institutional process famously shrouded in secrecy and mystery – the papal election that occurs once a sitting pope dies. Berger is able to bank on the inherent drama of the situation while deftly playing with the viewer’s perception and preconceptions – most critically, he’s able to reflect interiority and tension in an interesting and pulpy way (it was not surprising to see that this was based on a Robert Harris book, with its melodramatic contrivances and all). There is an absolutely stacked cast and some scenery chewing performances but most impressive is how the film never for a minute ceases to be watchable, and is mostly quite riveting – an incredible accomplishment for this kind of talky film that justifies the 12 Angry Men comparisons. If all this makes the film seem rather high falutin, it really is not. Conclave is fun and gossipy – to paraphrase the popular Letterboxd reviews, this is like “Mean Girls but with Popes”.
Now streaming on Peacock.
6. Evil Does Not Exist
Directed by Ryūsuke Hamaguchi; starring Satoshi Takata, Ryuji Kosaka, Ayaka Shibutani, and Hazuki Kikuchi
Hamaguchi is becoming one of my favorite directors. Between Drive My Car and now Evil Does Not Exist, he proves that he can make a masterpiece regardless of the runtime. This environmentalist parable about a group of villagers contending with an encroaching real estate developer, is enchanting from start to finish. However, the high point is the town hall meeting set piece, which is reminiscent of Cristian Mungiu’s R.M.N. in more ways than one. The themes of urban corporate greed and sustainable tourism seem simple at first but Hamaguchi employs several point-of-view shifts that explore the different layers of what it means to strike that key balance, and what happens when that balance is lost. The ominous score is one of the best in recent memory, and the ending is as indelible and enigmatic as we’ve seen in a long time. Evil Does Not Exist is easily the most unsettling movie of the year.
Now streaming on the Criterion Channel.
5. Anora
Directed by Sean Baker; starring Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, and Yura Borisov
Baker has become a must-see director, tweaking and refining his unique formula of sex worker-driven, unmistakable gritty texture, neon-lit, location-focused (this time in Brighton Beach) social class comedy drama. Anora is his biggest film yet, equal parts drug-fueled stripper-filled party energy and sometimes descending into the farcical convolutions of the modern day America de facto caste system. In it, Madison plays Ani, a stripper who falls into bed with a young son of a Russian oligarch (Eydelshteyn) in a whirlwind romance that quickly goes off the rails. Borisov is wonderful, with an interiority and sensitivity that belies his character’s immigrant thuggish stature. But Madison is transcendent – with a sexy, smart, and vulnerable performance that is one of the best of the year. The film twists and turns in a wild ride, veering into screwball comedy at times. The cherry on top (see what I did there) is the *chef’s kiss* ending scene that will linger with you long after the credits stop rolling.
Will be streaming on Hulu on March 17.
4. The Wild Robot
Directed by Chris Sanders; starring Lupita Nyong’o, Kit Connor, and Pedro Pascal
Sanders’s film adaptation of the popular children’s book The Wild Robot is an animated film for the ages. The main character, Roz (voiced by the brilliant Nyong’o) crash lands on an island uninhabited by humans. Roz makes it her mission to ensure the survival of an orphaned baby goose Brightbill (Connor), What ensues is a bionic fish-out-water story that we haven’t really seen on this scale since The Iron Giant. The Wild Robot is a beautiful mother-son story and a moving found-family movie, with two main messages: first, kindness is a survival skill, and second, we sometimes need to change our programming to survive. Kris Bowers’ rousing score is phenomenal in reflecting the full range of emotions of the story. The film is visually breathtaking, using a groundbreaking method of combining hand-drawn animation with CGI in a “painted animation” style recently developed by DreamWorks. The Wild Robot is a touching tale about parenting, belonging, and the great feats that kindness can achieve.
Now streaming on Peacock.
3. Didi
Directed by Sean Wang; starring Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, and Chang Li Hua
Wang’s deeply personal, semi-autobiographical story is, in his words, a “thank you, I’m sorry, and I love you” to his family and friends of his 13 year old self. This is a picture perfect mid-aughts teenage coming-of-age movie, with Asian American cultural touchstones and incredible period detail from the technology (AIM, MySpace, YouTube, and texting on dumbphones) to the dialogue that is so accurate it will make you cringe. The story follows Chris (Wang), who struggles to navigate the social pitfalls of an American preteen during the summer before his high school. The real secret weapon here is the gravitas of Joan Chen. Wang’s immensely nostalgic feature directorial debut combines the awkward honesty of Eighth Grade, interpersonal dynamics of Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret, the timeless accessibility of Stand by Me, and the raw authenticity of Minding the Gap. It also serves as a reminder to be grateful that you aren’t a teenager anymore.
Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
2. Robot Dreams
Directed by Pablo Berger; starring Ivan Labanda
It’s been a great year for animated robots, with Robots Dreams being the third film on this list after The Wild Robot and Transformers One. Berger’s latest film Robot Dreams is described in the first line of its Wikipedia entry as “animated tragicomedy”, which feels both accurate but also completely insufficient. The film is an unlikely buddy story about a lonely dog and his best friend, a mail-order robot, with fun montages and the best dance scene of the year taking place through the animal anthropomorphic New York City. The animation is a throwback, with simple, 2D animation that feels like it belongs on a 1990s cartoon channel, but the simplicity only serves to underline the characters and their emotions. Like the other celebrated foreign animated film of the year Flow, not a single line of dialogue is spoken throughout. It captures that melancholic feeling of being alone in a crowded metropolis, the excitement of being the center of the world where you and your partner are the only two people that matter. The simpler the canvas, the more clear the reflections on the vicissitudes and unpredictability of life. In the end, we are left with the realization that sometimes, life is but a Robot Dream.
Now streaming on Hulu.
1. How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
Directed by Pat Boonnitipat; starring Putthipong Assaratanakul and Usha Seankhum
Boonnitipat’s critically acclaimed tearjerker How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (in Thai, Lahn Mah) centers on a multi-generational family: the matriarch and grandmother Amah (78-year old newcomer Seamkhum), her three adult kids, and the grandson and protagonist M (played by Thai pop artist Billkin). Amah is lonely and living by herself when her children discover that she has cancer. As M realizes that there might be some financial upside in moving in and taking care of his grandmother, Amah in turn is suspicious of his newfound goodwill. One piece of advice M receives is: “Stay with your grandparents long enough that you don’t smell them anymore.” Over the course of the film, that’s what the audience proceeds to do, taking this strange old lady and becoming familiar with her – becoming family with her. The film has a wry sense of humor, but be warned – the ending of the film will hit you like a freight train (or at least like a porridge cart). How to Make Millions delves into just how complicated family dynamics can be, and will make you want to spend time with your loved ones while you can. To paraphrase M, “”How to Make Millions, you’re my first place.”
Now available to rent.
