2023 was a challenging year full of many changes for me; 2024, on the other hand, was a chance for me to get back into the space I love so much. I spent a lot of the year growing, from being back in school full-time to writing reviews regularly (thank you, Dave, for putting up with me). With that, I made the time and effort to watch many excellent films. This year is a broad one, filled with just about every genre and style of movie you could find—musicals, horrors, action legacy sequels, a CGI monkey biopic, and some of the most creative filmmaking in quite some time took the theaters by storm and showed consistency in general audiences longing to be back in cinemas. My top 10 of the year reflect 2024 in a way that shows not only consistency in quality films returning but also just how inventive filmmakers were this year. Without further adieu, here are my top 10 films of 2024.
Honorable Mentions: Dune Part 2, Saturday Night, Longlegs, A Real Pain, Gladiator II
10. Better Man
2024 is a year when a few movie musicals are battling it out for awards, while the best one might just be one about a British pop star who, if I’m being honest, I knew nothing about. However, I feel like that is precisely what Williams would want as Better Man isn’t just one of the most electric musical biopics in years; it’s also one of the most honest as Williams lays out what he thinks of himself as a performer, the music industry, and his messed up place in it all as someone coming to terms with how little he has respected an industry and art that has given him so much. The odd premise works so extravagantly well as Michael Gracey has such a vision for musical numbers. Every significant number is done in a way that goes above and beyond, and the attention to detail (the “Rock DJ” sequence being mostly practical, closing down Regent St. in London, and using 500 dancers, is wild) is unmatched. Better Man is the year’s surprise and one of my favorites.
9. I Saw the TV Glow
As someone who is, admittedly, not a big fan of We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (I don’t hate the movie; it just wasn’t for me), I entered Jane Schoenbrun’s newest film with caution, and I have to say, the reviews out of Sundance were not helping as much as one would think. Truthfully, it worried me more about seeing the film because most people hardly ever want to be on the wrong side of the consensus. It took me a while to see this movie, but when I finally did, I was entranced throughout. Schoenbrun’s direction takes such a monumental step as they can control every scene in entertaining, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking ways. The creation of “The Pink Opaque” (the show within the film) highlights the depth the director went to perfecting every little bit of this film. However, it’s the last 15 or so minutes that propel I Saw the TV Glow from good to great. Are they giving you the film’s thesis on a silver platter? Sure, but it works because of Schoenbrun’s fantastic script and direction, and it features one of the best performances of the year from Justice Smith. The words “There Is Still Time” will never hit me the same. Not to mention, it’s probably the best original soundtrack of the year, nonstop bangers.
8. Sing Sing
Sing Sing has had the most bizarre release schedule, which is a shame because it is one of the year’s most beautifully told, acted, and well-made films. The story of RTA (Rehabilitation Through the Arts) and, more specifically, Clarence Maclin’s actual time in RTA is told with an authenticity that is rarely seen in film nowadays. Almost all of the characters in the film play themselves and are nearly all former incarcerated men, aside from Colman Domingo, who has been delivering consistent top-tier performances ever since he was finally able to showcase his skills as a performer on the big screen.
7. A Different Man
A Different Man is up there with another film on my list in contention for being the funniest movie of the year, but the humor isn’t what you would expect. It’s dark and disturbing but never crosses the line of being in poor taste. It is self-hatred to the most extreme extent, led by career-best work from Sebastian Stan, who continues to deliver clever and captivating performances. Adam Pearson is also fantastic in the year’s most charming and charismatic role. A Different Man might have been one of the most underseen films of the year, but there is so much depth, life, and despair, making it one of my favorites.
6. Nickel Boys
I would love to give some elaborate reasoning as to why Nickel Boys is here on my list, but it is a film one must experience themselves. Like a film that will show up later on my list, the filmmaking style that RaMell Ross opts for shouldn’t work; in the past, it hasn’t. It is a film of changing perspectives and first-person camera work that, in the wrong hands, could have been more of a gimmick than an advantage; however, Ross understands the frame and the scene in a way that makes almost every shot feel as immersive as he intends. Alex Somers and Scott Alario also do some heavy lifting, creating one of the year’s best scores (something I have come to expect from Somers, who might be the most underrated composer in film), one that magnificently enhances every scene. This is one that, even though the story is difficult to endure, deserves to be seen several times. RaMell Ross’s direction and film handling are the best of the year.
5. The Wild Robot
DreamWorks needed a win more than almost any studio, and, at just the last second, they hit one out of the park. It is a highly emotional (no film in this year or the past few years has made me cry this much) and uplifting film of family and community, mainly by a group of animals in a world where the water has risen and forced different species to interact (the fact that this and Flow released in the same year is pretty wild). Lupita Nyong’o’s and Pedro Pascal’s voice work is incredible, the animation is breathtaking, and the story doesn’t pull many punches, being as honest as it is thoughtful. A truly remarkable film.
4. Nosferatu
As much as people want to lump him in with other horror directors working – all of whom bring something completely different and original to the screen – there isn’t another Robert Eggers. His attention to detail, especially regarding period works, is immaculate, and every bit of him as a director is displayed in Nosferatu. It’s the most assured the director has been behind the camera, and it shows as his latest film almost feels like a culmination of everything he has done throughout his career so far. Nosferatu plays out like the horror myth Eggers wants it to be and the attention to detail that he has with every one of his films provides a level of authenticity that isn’t seen much in an era of film that is so reliant on over-exposure; muted colors, and CGI that forces you to suspend disbelief to the edge. The performances are also top of the line with Lily Rose-Depp shining like never before in a role that is as demented as it is seductive; like Nicholas Hoult’s Thomas, there are moments involving Rose-Depp that are so hard to watch, but you can’t take your eyes off of her. The same can be said for Bill Skarsgård, who, even though he is now typecaste as a weirdo freak, gives a truly haunting performance down to the impeccable voice work (where he came up with that voice, only he will know). But what is most excellent about Nosferatu is the longing and love that was put into the script, the plot, and the filmmaking. For a director as consistent as Eggers, I am sure he will make more films at or even above this level; however, it’s clear to see this being one of those moments in a director’s career where it all masterfully comes together.
3. Flow
Flow is one of those films that, as you’re watching it, you start to feel like you’re having a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There has never been anything quite like Flow, and to be honest, there probably never will be again just because nothing about this film should work. There is no dialogue, human characters (or even human-like characters), and the 3D animation looks more like something you would see in an old-school version of Zelda than on the big screen in 2024. However, everything that director Gints Zilbalodis (who also works on the music for the film) does manages to work to the greatest extent. Regardless of dialogue, the story brings forth immense depth and nuance. The pathos evoked surrounding family, community, sacrifice, and allowing yourself to be helped during times of crisis all meld to create a heart-wrenching film with a final scene I won’t soon forget. It is very Miyazaki-esque in terms of taking a simple story and making something otherworldly, beautiful, dark, tragic, and wholly authentic.
2. The Brutalist
Brady Corbet crafts a genuine masterpiece about the highs and lows of the American Dream. Adrien Brody has never been better, and Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, and Joe Alwyn all have moments to shine. The craft of The Brutalist is impeccable, from unbelievable cinematography to a score that sticks with you long after the film is over. The comparisons to American epics are valid as this old-school film (I mean an Overture AND an Intermission??) shows that some filmmakers just get it.
1. Anora
Anora is the type of black comedy I love – and one of the reasons I have become such a fan of Sean Baker’s work. The connections to Uncut Gems were seen, felt, and heard throughout the chaotic moments of trying to keep up with the characters. However, Anora isn’t built on the chaos; it’s more than just a couple of hilarious fight scenes and screaming matches between the characters. It’s poignant, grimy, and brutally honest. Ani (or Anora) overcomes her working-class struggles to get a taste of “the good life,” only to have it ripped from her in the end, and there’s nothing she can do about it. She wants to fight it and keep what she deserves, but she is fighting from so far behind that it becomes pointless even to try. The film’s message is bleak, a staple for Sean Baker as a writer, and it makes the funniest film of the year and the most difficult to watch. However, throughout all the humor is immense pain, and the ending of Anora will stick with me forever, which is why this is my favorite film of the year. It is a moment of reflection where both Ani and the audience can reflect, and she is finally able to release all the pain that has been building. Baker’s writing, directing, and editing are top of his game, and Mikey Madison (who should win the Oscar) and Yura Borisov give two of the best performances of the entire year.
