Following up last year’s incredible run of films is no small feat, but 2024 took the task and ran with it. What started out as a somewhat slow year quickly picked up, leading to a list that has a little bit of something for every mood. I wandered deep away from my usual zone of films this year, watching movies I would usually shy away from and caught as many of this year’s offerings as I could. Each film on this list had a profound impact on me, each reminding me why I love watching and talking about film so much. From gothic vampire tales to 1980s gym rat revenge stories, this year will be one to remember.
No list would be complete without some runner ups, including: The Brutalist, Sing Sing, I Saw The TV Glow, Janet Planet, Nickel Boys.
10. The Last Showgirl – Gia Coppola
There truly isn’t a more perfectly cast actress in her role this year than Pamela Anderson as Shelly. I first saw this film at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year, prior to the film even having a distributor; it was also the first time the cast had seen the finished film. Gia Coppola directs the hell out of this movie, showcasing the hardships of being an aging woman with so much left to give to the world. My favorite moments come when Shelly wanders around Vegas landmarks, contemplating her life and how she got here.
9. The Seed of The Sacred Fig – Mohammad Rasoulof
A cat and mouse story in which the more I learned about its conception, the more astonished I became by it. Filmed in secret by director Mohammad Rasoulof in 70 days, the film spotlights real-world situations with footage straight from the source. There are many aspects of this film that blew me away—everything from the performances to the twist that had me on the very edge of my seat. The use of found footage that, although hard to watch, needs to be seen. Truly a film that stands its ground on what it believes, never relenting.
8. Love Lies Bleeding – Rose Glass
If there were ever a film that I claim was made for me, it’s Love Lies Bleeding. Rose Glass takes everything I love; jacked women, skullets, 80s style, and, most importantly, Kristen Stewart into some of the best 104 minutes of the year. There’s a lot to love with this film, but for me, the best moments are Jackie, played by Katy O’Brian, dealing with her body image issues. Striving for the most perfect body by any means necessary. Seeing a larger body on screen is a rarity, and seeing someone be unapologetic about taking up space makes it even more special to me.
7. All We Imagine As Light – Payal Kapadia
One of the best surprises this year for me has to be Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light; it’s authentic in its portrayal of feminine yearning, loneliness, and how we view love. I felt transported to the busy streets of Mumbai, filled with people but connecting with none. It’s one of those films that is felt with all of our senses; it’s a film for anyone who has experienced the ache of longing for love and life. Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha both capture two women who have differing thoughts on life but ultimately want the same thing, and their relationship in the film had me wiping away many tears.
6. Challengers – Luca Guadagnino
I know my Spotify hates to see me coming, especially after I watched Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers for the very first time. I’ve always been a tad on the fence when it comes to a film about sports, and when I saw this was a tennis film, I was skeptical. But who knew tennis could be this hot? There are moments in this film where I don’t know if I wanted to be them or be with them. I loved how Guadagnino takes the competitiveness of sports and weaves it wonderfully into this throuple of Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor. Everything about the film, from its Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score to the cinematography from Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, creates a sensual, high-stakes atmosphere.
5. Anora – Sean Baker
Sean Baker has been a filmmaker that I have only been into for the last couple of years, with The Florida Project being my favorite of his films. That is until I experienced Anora for the first time during TIFF this year. Mikey Madison as Anora is electric, and even mesmerizing. From the moment she is on screen I was swept away by her and her desire for a better life. What I loved most about her character was that she advocates for herself from the start, and even when others don’t see her worth, she sees her own. Baker balances the chaotic and infectious energy this film possesses well, creating some of the most memorable f-bombs of the year.
4. Dune: Part Two – Denis Villeneuve
Probably the most typical of my taste to be on this list is the second installment into Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi world adaptation, Dune: Part Two. Monumental in every sense of the word for me, from that sweet, sweet Hans Zimmer score to Paul’s “I’m Him” speech, there’s not a moment in the film that my jaw wasn’t on the floor. It’s one of those films that makes me feel lucky that I’m living at the same time as those who are creating it. Personally, the women of the Dune universe are what really hooks me, and Dune: Part Two showcases the power of those Bene Gesserit queens well.
3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – George Miller
First and foremost, I need to thank George Miller for creating a character like Furiosa to begin with, and then I need to thank him for making Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Female rage rocks, and female rage mixed in with some revenge and roaring engines rocks even harder. Anya Taylor-Joy takes the lessons Charlize Theron’s Furiosa speaks about in Mad Max: Fury Road and shows you why she fights so hard and ferociously. After watching this film, I felt like I could take on the world right alongside her. A special shout-out to Hemsworth’s delivery of “Do you have it in you to make it epic?”.
2. The Substance – Coralie Fargeat
Picture the credits of the film rolling and me crying because Elisabeth, one of the most beautiful women ever, also has a deep-rooted self-image issue. Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance captures thoughts and feelings that realistically I’ve felt my entire life in a way that I haven’t seen on screen before. Canceling plans, reapplying makeup you hate, clothes that looked good last week no longer fit right. Fargeat takes beauty standards and shows how far women are willing to go to achieve them. My stomach was in knots for basically the entirety of the film, mostly thanks to Denis Quaid’s eating habits. Demi Moore delivers one of the best performances of the year, bringing her own lived experiences to the forefront. It had me questioning if I were offered The Substance, if I too would have taken it?
1. Nosferatu – Robert Eggers
It’s hard for me to believe that the world seems to be in a vampire resurgence; as someone who has been a vampire girly for a long time, I couldn’t be happier. Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a deeply alluring film set in a dreadful yet beautiful atmosphere. I love how it focuses on female perspective, during a time period that treated women like demons for exploring their urges. How Orlok teeters on a line of a god-like figure or a scourge needing to be dealt with. Lily-Rose Depp delivers the most physical and downright horrifying full-bodied performance in this film, unlike anything I have seen. Eggers manages to transport you to a world and time that feels incredibly lived in with its costuming, sound, and bleakly stunning visuals.
