I may have forgotten to do one of these lists last year, which is pretty disappointing to me, since even though I have very few people following these posts, I like to keep a sort of historical record of the things I used to think. It's always fun to look back on previous lists I've done to see how much my opinion has changed over time, like when I put The Perks Of Being A Wallflower as my #2 favorite movie of 2012, only to rewatch it and give it something along the lines of 5/10.
Anyway, this isn't a post about 2023 - though I may need to work on getting one of those out soon - because I'm looking back at the most recent finished year, which had a whole bunch of interesting and surprising movies. In spite of having no perfect score-worthy movies, 2024 may well be the best movie year of the decade so far, and to reflect that I've decided to make this list into a true behemoth. I'm doing a top 50.
As usual, this is all opinion, and I'm going to try to keep my thoughts pretty minimal. I don't feel like spending 3 days typing this thing up, after all. So without further adieu, here's a big ole list of some movies I liked.
50. Deadpool & Wolverine
I've been over superhero movies for over a decade now, but occasionally one will slip through the cracks and I'll find myself actually entertained by them. While I'm about as big of a Ryan Reynolds fan as I am a fan of the MCU (my nice way of saying I think he sucks), the allure of Hugh Jackman playing his most iconic role again was too tempting for me to ignore. Nothing mind-blowing here, but it was a fun time.
49. Thelma
I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something slightly off about this movie and I think that's what kept me from loving it as much as I easily could have. But in the end, seeing a 90+ year-old June Squibb scootin' around trying to get her money back after having been scammed is still a lovely time no matter which way you slice it. It's no masterpiece, but it's very charming and loveable.
48. The Apprentice
I don't like to talk about politics, so divorcing myself from that, this was just an interesting biopic with an absolutely amazing supporting performance by Jeremy Strong. I'm writing this currently an hour-and-a-half before the Oscar ceremony, and while I know it's pretty well guaranteed Kieran Culkin will take it, I deep down want to see Strong win it for this. A pretty middle of the road movie in a lot of ways, but some of the acting is genuinely terrific.
47. It's What's Inside
Another movie I watched on Netflix, this one definitely more high-concept, although it also almost entirely takes place in a single location. A fun sci/fi social experiment of a movie that sees people playing a "game" that might not be in their best interests, I really enjoyed the cast and the twists and turns this one threw at me.
46. Rebel Ridge
Jeremy Saulnier is a wonderful throwback director who never fails to deliver classic thrillers that feel like the kind of thing you might pick up as a rental decades back. A very charismatic lead performance helps keep this slightly over-long thriller from wearing you down as it plugs along, and it's cool seeing Don Johnson in a good role again. That doesn't happen very often.
45. Dune: Part Two
Some people would probably consider it almost blasphemous that a big fan of sci/fi like myself finds Dune as a story inherently dull, but here we are. Keeping that in mind, this is definitely a more interesting movie to me than the first Dune, and I really enjoyed some of the character moments. It's a grand epic that I probably would have enjoyed more had I seen it in a more cinematic setting, but I still think it's worth watching at home, and I do plan on watching it again in the future.
44. Snack Shack
I have very little to say about this one, I just think it's a very effective coming-of-age buddy-comedy drama. Nothing that will blow your mind, but I really enjoyed the performances, and while it's pretty formulaic, the humor and emotional beats hit perfectly. Very solid movie.
43. Hit Man
Richard Linklater is pretty hit-or-miss for me, and while this is by no means one of his best movies, I think it definitely stands up as one of his better projects since Everybody Wants Some. It's a bit all over the place tonally, but it's all anchored by an incredibly charismatic Glen Powell, who is the kind of actor with the star power required to carry a movie like this. It's funny, dark, and does a great job at keeping you guessing the whole way through.
42. The Beekeeper
Basically Thelma, but instead of a low-stakes comedy about a 90-year old grandma, this is a high-stakes actioner about Jason Statham getting sweet, sweet revenge. Also, he's a beekeeper, which is apparently something that scares the crap out of Jeremy Irons, who hilariously only seems to exist in this movie to hype up Jason Statham. This movie is pretty much trash, but I really like trash sometimes.
41. Didi
Another coming-of-age comedy/drama that hits all the right beats, Didi is a very sincere and touching movie that's all held together by a strong sense of family. I can't recall her name (and because I'm incredibly lazy I don't plan on looking it up), but the woman who plays the main kid's mom is wonderful in this movie, and I think really anchors the movie in a very real and tender way.
40. Daughters
The only documentary I think I saw all year, I really made it count with this one. This is about fathers in prison who, through a special program, are given the opportunity to reconnect with their daughters via a father-daughter dance. It's very raw, very real, and gives you a lot of hope for an otherwise pretty awful prison system we've got.
39. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
I didn't go into this with any sort of expectations, and walked away enjoying it as much as I could have possibly hoped from a strange little coming-of-age(?) vampire movie. It does a good job at blending genres, taking itself just seriously enough to keep the stakes (ha!) high without sacrificing humor. A solid little movie.
38. Wicked
I didn't expect to enjoy this movie at all, and with a runtime of over 2 and a half hours, there was no way I was ever going to sit down to watch it in theaters, but by the time I finally got around to it, I was pleasantly surprised. It's not a movie I can see myself going back to terribly often, but I might plug it in again someday, which is a huge compliment coming from me, who usually doesn't care much for musicals.
37. The Piano Lesson
It took me two tries to get through this one, as I was pretty uninterested the first time I sat down with it, but I'm so glad I started it back over again and gave it a fair shake, because this movie gets pretty amazing near the end. Blending all sorts of unexpected elements (I won't spoil them for you) into what seemed like was just a pretty straight-forward stage drama, this movie really managed to suck me in by the end and delivered the goods.
36. The Order
Sometimes I watch a movie and just know it's one I'll enjoy even more the second time, so I'm going to put this one here knowing full well it's probably a top 25 movie for me here, but man this was a solid thriller. Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult are great, I loved the atmosphere and action sequences, this is the kind of movie I fully expect to become really popular in the future once more people discover it on streaming.
35. Red Rooms
This movie made me feel slightly sick, which is hard to do. It's especially hard to do when you're dealing with a film that doesn't show you the most sickening parts. It's a very disturbing character study with a fantastically cold lead performance portraying a descent into a sort of voyeurism that I can only hope a majority of the people watching it could never fully relate to. It's really good, but also pretty hard for me to put this one much higher.
34. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
I really enjoyed the first full-length Wallace & Gromit movie from about 20 years ago, so I went into this with decently high expectations and still walked away pleasantly surprised. This is a very light movie with some genuinely funny moments, and it just the kind of palette-cleansing movie you can put on any time and be all the happier for it.
33. Love Lies Bleeding
It's taken me most of the year to come to terms with how I feel about this movie, and the result is that I still don't fully know. But in a way, if a movie is able to worm its way into my brain for this long, it must have done something right. Another movie held together by the performances, I was particularly drawn to Kristen Stewart here, who has again proven to me that she's a lot better of an actress than I used to give her credit for being.
32. Late Night With The Devil
AI controversy be damned, this is a really fun and effective horror movie. David Dastmalchian (if that's how it's spelled) gives a great lead performance, proving he's more than just a creepy face -- he's actually a really good actor, too. I loved the way this movie was shot, and while the ending is a bit of a foregone conclusion, sometimes the journey really is more important than the destination.
31. Twisters
Probably one of the best summer blockbusters we've had in years, this is the kind of disposable spectacle trash movie that I absolutely crave nowadays. I was never much of a fan of the original Twister, so I was grateful this movie wasn't just a giant callback machine, but instead gave us original characters and an engaging (enough) story. It actually even made me like the original a little more, too. That's the good stuff.
30. Babygirl
I can't say I went into this movie with the highest expectations, and seeing as I'm not exactly the target audience for a sexed-up movie like this, I can say that it worked a lot better than I anticipated. Great performances, Kidman hasn't been this good in a long time, and I really enjoyed Banderas here. It's a smutty little movie with a lot to offer as a psychological study and pseudo-thriller.
29. The Wild Robot
I'm slightly torn on this movie, because while I know I found it highly engaging and emotional at the time, it's hard for me to pretend this is a film that I'm going to come back to very many times, or even necessarily find as satisfying on a rewatch. All that out of the way, this was a very effective theatrical experience for me, I loved the music, animation, and voice acting, and while the story was pretty formulaic, I'm willing to forgive it for just telling that familiar story very, very well.
28. A Real Pain
Not the most original of movies, this isn't just one that's made so good by what it does perfectly but also what it doesn't do wrong. There are moments in this movie that work so well, and so few that miss the mark or give in to the typical pitfalls of the buddy comedy genre. Kieran Culkin is great, and I even enjoyed Eisenberg here. It's a funny movie with a lot of heart, and doesn't do anything to irritate me, which is always a relief. Oh, and Culkin just won the Oscar. Good for him.
27. Exhuma
This is an odd duck. A horror movie that blends surreal fantasy elements and has one absolutely bizarre 2nd act turn that makes it almost feel like two separate movies. In a sea of strong horror movies, this doesn't rise to the very top, but that's more of a testament to how great horror was in 2024 than any kind of insult to this one. Definitely worth checking it, it's really weird and cool.
26. Oddity
From the opening moments, I was pretty well hooked. While it leans a little too heavy on twists from time to time, this is a movie that is able to build atmosphere like nobody's business. There's a sense of dread hanging over this movie from the very start, and the amount of time spent building that tension is perfect before it gives you payoffs for it. It's got some flaws, but overall this is a very memorable horror movie I hope to rewatch before too long to see how well it holds up.
25. Gladiator II
The original is better. It was always going to be better, it's a classic. But that doesn't mean we have to ignore how much fun this sequel is. There are so many problems with this movie, but at the end of the day it's just a lot of fun, and I loved seeing Denzel absolutely crush it in one of his best performances in years. I'm still sad he didn't get his 10th Oscar nomination for this one.
24. Look Back
Not even a full hour long, this anime based on the one-shot manga by Fujimoto (the guy who did Chainsaw Man) is an emotional roller coaster, and a beautifully drawn film. I haven't read the manga it was based on yet, but you don't need to in order to enjoy it. It's depressing, beautiful, at times even uplifting, and it does all that in an hour. Pretty impressive, if you ask me.
23. Saturday Night
Finally, Jason Reitman makes a good movie again. While I have no particular fondness for SNL of any era, there's something addictive about this movie and watching all the chaos and madness behind the scenes of its first ever episode - while likely heavily dramatized - makes for a highly entertaining and well-paced experience. Great performances across the board, a strong script, and no, you don't have to enjoy SNL to like this movie: but it might help.
22. Sleep
This is a weird, weird movie. Sort of like Safe by Todd Haynes, this is a movie all about the escalation of a medical and mental issue, but this time with a creepy sleepwalking twist. Not only is this a solid horror-ish psychological drama, but it's also kind of hilarious. The use of comedy in this movie was unexpected, and did a great job at giving it a unique tone that I just couldn't get enough of.
21. Riddle Of Fire
Finally, I've got a movie that's about kids that isn't a coming-0f-age story. And honestly, movies about kids are generally something I stay away from, but this is one I could recommend whole-heartedly to fans of slightly absurd fantastical adventures. Sort of built like a video game fetch quest (which is definitely intentional), this whole story hinges on whether or not you can buy into the silly premise and how willing you are to give in to how bizarre it all is. I had a wonderful time, an unexpected little gem.
20. Flow
A silent animated movie about a group of animals who find themselves aboard a boat that's floating through a sort of fantasy world that's become flooded, this one definitely came out of nowhere and kinda blew me away. It's beautiful, emotional, and is able to get into the minds of characters who never say a word. It's really quite something, but it's not the kind of movie you can go into super casually, it's best experienced paying attention and fully immersing yourself into the world it's created.
19. The Bikeriders
Jeff Nichols is always right on the cusp of greatness in my mind, and while this isn't the best thing he's ever done in my book, I will say it's the one that most closely resembles an all-time classic. Very reminiscent of Goodfellas (though obviously not as good), this movie is a chronicling that puts atmosphere and performances center stage. I'm a big performance guy, so this appealed to me, and it's nice seeing Tom Hardy in such a strong role again. I feel like he hasn't been getting enough love lately.
18. The Brutalist
I'm writing this now after the Oscars have finished, and this one didn't win Best Picture, but it is definitely a movie I couldn't have been irritated at all about winning if it had. Another movie marred by AI controversy, I don't really have anything to say on that subject, but I will say this one flew by in spite of its 200+ minute running time, and the performances, music, cinematography, art direction, etc etc were all terrific. I had a couple issues with the direction the script went later on, particularly with one scene, but all-in-all this is the kind of American epic I could easily see being looked back at as one of the greatest of the decade -- even if I don't quite think it's at that level for me.
17. Anora
And here's the movie that did win the big prize. This movie gives you a bit of emotional whiplash as it flies back and forth between being one of the funniest movies of the year and being one of the saddest and most melancholic. Packed with great and memorable performances, I'm not upset at all about this one winning Best Picture, or pretty much any of the awards it took home. Definitely happy we bought this one, because I will be wanting to watch it again in the future.
16. Challengers
Since we're on the topic of Oscars, where's the love for Challengers? This movie had crazy good music, editing, writing, and acting, but walked away empty-handed, which feels very strange in my opinion. Luca had two movies from 2024, and while I haven't watched Queer just yet, this one alone makes it a standout year for him as a filmmaker. Loads of fun, a super engaging watch, and it's not nearly as smutty as the marketing might have you think.
15. I Saw The TV Glow
I was a little lukewarm on this movie when I first watched it, but as time has gone by I've thought about it more and more, and while I find the metaphor of the trans experience a little on the nose, it's really the atmosphere and tone that I was most drawn to. This movie is very visual, has some truly upsetting turns in the story, and the way it depicts aging (while questionable for the makeup design) definitely hit home. An odd film that I think is definitely worth checking out.
14. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Obviously Fury Road is a better movie. It's almost impossible for it not to be, considering it's one of the best movies of the past 20 years. But that doesn't mean this one wasn't an absolute blast and a joy to watch. Leaning pretty heavily into campiness, especially in regards to Chris Hemsworth's unhinged performance, this prequel focuses more on storytelling than Fury Road did, but still delivers with the action sequences. It's a big, loud, visual experience that's almost definitely going to appeal to fans of its predecessor.
13. Cobweb
Not to be confused with the horror movie Cobweb that came out the year before, no, this Cobweb is about people who are making a horror movie, so it's totally different. I'm a big sucker for movies about movies, so this was pretty much a lock for me to enjoy, but with Kim Jee-woon directing and starring Song Kang-ho (who I genuinely consider one of the top 3~ greatest actors of his generation), this was even more of a slam dunk. It's funny, wild, has some great visuals, strong characters...really, it's just bizarre to me that this hasn't gotten more attention as being one of the most purely entertaining films of the year.
12. Memoir Of A Snail
The newest miserable stop-motion animation from Adam Elliot, this one doesn't quite pack the emotional punch that Mary And Max did, but probably offers more humor. Regardless, this is a very rich and rewarding movie for fans of this particular art style (not everyone enjoys Claymation, after all) and might even be worth checking out for people who want a more emotional journey from their animated films.
11. Conclave
While I can definitely point to the finale as being a bit odd in nature, that's not even close to enough of a reason for me to dismiss what I otherwise consider to be a pretty perfect mystery/drama about the election of the next Pope. It's a long process, highly political in nature, and the entire movie hinges on the writing and acting, which is good news when your movie has Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, and Stanley Tucci in major roles. I really enjoy the music, I'm always a fan of politics in film, and I inherently find the deep dive into the psychology and ego of people seeking to take on a role like the Pope to be fascinating, so this really scratched all my itches in a lot of ways. Some people say it's boring, but I find it highly engaging.
10. Maxxxine
By far my favorite of the Ti West trilogy, and I was a fan of both X and Pearl. All the performances here are the appropriate level of over-the-top, it's packed with humor and tension, and I was 100% on board with whatever it threw at me next from the word go. Kevin Bacon is cartoonishly gross and funny here, but I think the real standout is the atmosphere and Giallo influence. More than most movies that try to claim the Giallo moniker, this one earns it with its dedication to the trappings of that particular sub genre. This was just a wild ride and I loved it from start to finish.
9. A Different Man
A genuinely odd movie in tone and atmosphere, there's a surrealist quality to this film that I found very engaging, and the performance by Sebastian Stan holds up as one of the best lead performances of the year. Let's also highlight Adam Pearson, who is effortlessly charming and whose entrance into the movie immediately sets the story in a completely different direction. It's weird, funny, dark, and wholly engaging across the board. I'll definitely be checking this one out again later on.
8. Sing Sing
I really liked this one from the moment I saw it, and I still believe it could have won Best Picture had A24 backed it as their primary Oscar-frontrunner, though I can't say I'm disappointed by them focusing so heavily on The Brutalist instead. Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin give two of the best performances of the year, and casting so many of the actual people to play themselves in the movie only helped to give it a more authentic, documentarian feel. This is an emotionally-charged movie about people using art for escapism, and it's one of the truly great films of the year.
7. Heretic
I was interested in this movie from the trailers, but I never expected a horror movie starring Hugh Grant to be such an incredible and thoughtful film. This movie is dark, cynical, and manages to turn theological discussion into a deeply fascination examination of the characters involved in it. Not only is this very dialogue-heavy, but it's completely drenched in atmosphere, and has some genuinely creepy moments and an awesome production design. Hugh Grant looks like he's having a blast with this role, which is equal parts charming (as could be expected), funny (also to be expected), and truly menacing (not so expected). One of the performances of the year, for sure. It's one of the best horror movies of the past few years, but I've got a few more to talk about in a second, so I'm not closing that discussion just yet.
6. The Substance
Probably the most unsubtle, sledgehammer of a movie that's come out in years, The Substance isn't so great because it has some deep message, but because it leans to heavily into the extremism of its subject matter and doesn't back away for a single second. With an absolutely fantastic lead performance by Demi Moore (quite possibly the performance of the year), even the supporting performances by Qualley and Quaid are completely eclipsed by how committed Moore is to this movie. Then you tack on the striking visuals and knockout makeup effects, you've got one hell of a memorable movie, and the final act is definitely one of the most wild and entertaining finales I've seen in quite some time.
5. Longlegs
Oh look, another horror movie! Yeah, in case you didn't notice, this was a really strong year for horror, and Longlegs is possibly the most genuinely creepy of the bunch. Nicolas Cage continues his killing spree, giving a bone-chilling performance here, but it's really the atmosphere and sense of dread that's looming over this movie that I found most engaging. This is a dark, dark story, and the visuals, direction, acting, and every other aspect of this movie do nothing but enhance that tone. It was one I watched close to a year ago at this point, and I still think about it pretty regularly, which is exactly what I want out of a horror film. It sticks with you.
4. Ghostlight
Much like Sing Sing, this movie is all about people using art (and again, stage plays) as a means to escape reality and express/find themselves. When I said Demi Moore might he the performance of the year, I wasn't willing to make that a bold declaration of fact just because of Keith Kupferer, who might have hit me harder with his performance here than anyone else has in years. There's a scene near the end of this movie that...well, I don't want to spoil anything, but watching this man process grief throughout this film is genuinely masterful. It's a beautiful, melancholy, and inspiring movie that I can't get out of my head. I don't even know if I need to watch it again, because so much of it is burned into my mind, and even just thinking about it I'm getting a little emotional, so I'm cutting it off there. It's great.
3. Hundreds Of Beavers
I was a big fan of the previous film by this crew (Lake Michigan Monster, please check it out, it's a wild ride), but in every single way this is an improvement. Committing fully to the silent film aesthetic, this movie still manages to be fast-paced and hilarious in ways you might not expect from a silent black and white movie. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say off the top of my head that this might be the funniest movie of the decade so far. It's fun to look at, it's constantly pushing itself to go further and further in creative ways, and never once becomes boring, redundant, or anything less than an absolute blast to sit through. It's over-the-top in all the best ways.
2. Perfect Days
And now we go from the least subtle to the most subtle. Wim Wenders doesn't make a single wrong step with this movie about a Japanese toilet cleaner going through his daily life, and saying that I was as fully immersed and engaged in this story as I was with anything else this entire year is a testament to his skill as a storyteller. All of this would mean nothing though if it weren't for the deeply human and fully realized performance by Koji Yakusho. In so many ways, this feels like a boring movie that I wouldn't ordinarily enjoy so much, but I was completely sucked in from start to finish. It's subtle beyond belief, life-affirming, emotionally engaging and mature. And it was almost my #1 of the year.
1. Nosferatu
But yeah, Nosferatu happened and Perfect Days was instantly dethroned. It's only fitting that in a year so drenched in great horror movies that my favorite of said year would be a horror, and I couldn't possibly pick any other in this top spot. I'm a huge fan of Robert Eggers, I'm pretty much all-in on whatever project he takes on next (the fact that The Northman is easily my least favorite of his films and I'd still give it like a 7-8/10 sort of speaks for itself), and this is as fleshed out and uniquely Eggers as I could possibly hope for. I loved every visual aspect of this movie (yes, even the 'stache), but I expected that. What really blew me away was Lily Rose Depp, whose casting had me slightly disappointed at the time because I had hoped to see Anya Taylor Joy here, but quite frankly I'm not sure if ATJ could have done as well as Depp here. She was incredible, and wasn't the only actor here who completely smashed it. Yet again, Skarsgard takes on an iconic film role and completely reinvents it, oozing with menace and genuine evil. This is pretty much a perfect movie, and just had to be at the top of my list.
Thanks for reading/browsing/skipping to the end to see the top 10, and hopefully I'll start writing some more again before too much time passes.
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