My 10 Favorite Movies of 2024
Which movies did I enjoy the most from last year?
There’s something readers may not know about me: I have a master’s degree in film & media studies. I studied, taught, and wrote about film history and theory a decade ago. Although I moved on to a different career path, movies are still an important part of my life. I have run a successful and still-thriving Zoom movie club (we’re celebrating our 5-year anniversary at the end of the month), and many episodes on my podcast (Rock in Retrospect) spotlight recent music movies. But perhaps more importantly, I frequently see movies in theaters. I use the hell out of my AMC A-list membership and go many times each month. Luckily, that membership paid off as I not only see the latest movie releases, but I also get to see a lot of movies that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. These are also the movies that I likely would’ve put on my Letterboxd watchlist and not watch for many years. They are also among my favorite movies in any given year.
I am also one of those people who tries to see every single film that’s nominated for the Oscars each year. I am happy to report that I have seen all 50 films—features and shorts—and completed what’s often known as the ‘Oscars death race.’ This is when you try to watch as many films nominated at the Oscars before the telecast. This is often challenging as there’s always a few movies that nearly impossible to find—unless you find a nearby theater showing a movie or go to shady lengths on the internet (many take the latter route). This is the first time I was able to complete the race before the telecast: how exciting! I hope to do this again next year, if it all works out that way.
This article is a ranked list of my top ten films from 2024. I wrote this article the morning of the 97th Academy Awards and provide a brief write-up of my thoughts on each film. 2024 was a particularly good year at the movies, and it was hard to narrow down to just 10 films. These are the movies I would rewatch and find more things to love about them.
Here are my 10 favorite movies from last year:
10. Kneecap – The best way to describe Kneecap is that it’s the Irish hip-hop version of A Hard Day’s Night. Both films capture the youthful energy and kinetic spirit of these group’s earliest years. More importantly, both films feature the musicians playing metafictional versions of themselves. Despite their personal flaws and highly questionable decisions in their personal lives, they are so likable that you overlook them. Unlike A Hard Day’s Night, Kneecap is a highly political film featuring the members of the group supporting the passage of the Irish Language Act (to officially make Irish an official language in Northern Ireland). They are also introducing their native language to a new generation thanks to their catchy and inventive brand of hip-hop. Those songs have seriously been stuck in my head since I saw it last summer…and I barely know any Irish. Featuring the always-fantastic Michael Fassbender in a supporting role, Kneecap is a delightful, boisterous, and often messy film that captures the power of an important and supremely urgent musical force.
09. Challengers – Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers depicts one of the wildest and most fascinating love triangles in recent memory. Set in the world of professional tennis, the film showcases the talents of Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, three of the hottest up-and-coming actors in contemporary Hollywood. The film’s nonlinear narrative structure might not be to everyone’s taste, but I found the story to be very well-crafted. From a more technical aspect, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the tennis sequences are so captivating. But it’s Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ hard-hitting and techno-inspired score that gives the film an extra boost and helps make Challengers an enthralling cinematic experience. It’s stunning that the score did not receive an Oscar nomination. That’s a huge “don’t go there.” Also, Zendaya and O’Connor were robbed of Oscar nominations!
08. Late Night with the Devil – I remember going to see, ironically, a late-night screening of this movie last spring and did not know what to expect. I was not prepared for the things I would witness over the course of 90 minutes. An ode to found footage cinema, Late Night with the Devil depicts a taping of a late-night show that goes to absolute hell. David Dastmalchian, who usually plays supporting parts, shines in the lead role as a late-night host who is slowly descents into darkness and, eventually, madness. It’s one of the year’s best performances and his work on his film is criminally underrated. This is one of the cleverest and highly stylized horror films of last year and deserves more love and attention.
07. Black Box Diaries – Shiori Itō has to be one of the bravest people on this planet. She was the victim of sexual assault by a powerful and highly influential Japanese tycoon. A journalist, Itō embarks on a journey to tell her story and seek justice against her perpetrator. The use of first-person narrative gives the film a raw and intimate feel that shook me to my fundamental core. As the film discusses, sexual assault victims have very few rights in Japan and those laws need to amended and revised. It’s disgusting how many civilians, the press, and the legal system treated Itō. Hopefully future victims do not experience what Itō went through. Black Box Diaries was the most powerful and unnerving documentary I saw last year.
06. Conclave – Edward Berger is one of the best directors working today. I greatly enjoyed his previous film All Quiet on the Western Front, which won 4 Oscars, and his latest Conclave is equally great. Featuring an all-star cast of talented and seasoned actors, the film depicts the search for the next Pope, arguably the most famous and influential figure in the world. Not only is the film incredibly well acted, but the screenplay and editing are top-notch. This is so tightly put-together that I became awed by the sheer brilliance of its simplicity. Part-Succession, part-Knives Out, Conclave has an old-school vibe that makes it one of the year’s best.
05. Memoir of a Snail – Anytime Adam Elliot releases anything, it’s an event. Famous for his stop-motion animated works Harvie Krumpet and Mary and Max, the Australian animator is one of the most imaginative filmmakers today. Elliot’s film, largely autobiographical, centers on a brother and sister who experience pain and tragedy throughout their childhood (which carries over into their adulthood). Yes, it’s very dark bleak, but the film covers a lot of important themes found in Elliot’s other works (e.g., religion, homophobia, class). This is what Elliott calls ‘clayography,’ an utterly unique style all his own. This is my personal favorite of those nominated in the Best Animated Feature category in this year and one that seems to have fallen under-the-radar. This is
04. The Apprentice – Given today’s political climate, it’s incredibly dicey to make a film about Donald Trump. Yet only a non-American could direct something as audacious as The Apprentice. Ali Abbasi, known for Border and Holy Spider, helps us try and understand the mythology of Trump by focusing on his earliest years as an inspiring tycoon and his relationship with the infamous lawyer Roy Cohn. The film’s dark aesthetics, punk-and-alternative soundtrack, and disturbing narrative elements makes this an unflinching experience. Heck, this is an American horror story that Ryan Murphy only dreams he could create. Sebestian Stan and Jeremy Strong give electrifying performances and they both deserved their Oscar nominations (Stan, in particular, had a banner year along with A Different Man). This is an actor’s movie and they both knocked it out of the park. No matter where your politics line up, you should see this movie.
03. A Real Pain: As you can tell from my top five, the cast of Succession had a phenomenal year at the movies. Kieran Culkin is likely to have the best one as he’s poised to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his dynamic performance in A Real Pain, a comedy-drama directed by actor Jesse Eisenberg. Culkin is essentially playing an extended version of Roman Roy and himself, but…who cares. He’s great in everything and the man has so much charisma and energy. I find it impossible to dislike him and I bet most people feel the exact same way. Eisenberg’s comedy-drama is a beautiful film about historical trauma, childhood memories, and ethnic identity. The film is so well-written with a cast of characters that you want to get to know and genuinely care about. These are imperfect people who often do terrible things to one another, yet they still love another. That’s family and that’s life. A Real Pain is a gem of a movie.
02. The Substance – When I saw The Substance in theaters last September, I remember people walking out during the screening. It’s a shame because I was glued to the screen almost the entire time. Demi Moore gives a career-best performance as an aging actress-turned-fitness guru who buys a black-market drug to get a younger version of herself (in the form of Margaret Qualley, who deserves a big shout-out as well). Without going too deep into the story, this is simply a film that demands your attention. It’s done in such a visual and stylized way that I became enamored with it all. Frankly, I do not think I’ve seen a film so radical, bombastic, and utterly inventive in a very long time. This is not for the faint of heart, as the film features gory and graphic imagery, but there’s a sense of beauty too. This is one that generations will look back and call one of the all-time greats.
01. Anora – This is my absolute favorite movie of 2024 and by a wide margin. Anora is the cinematic equivalent of a roller coaster: it’s thrilling, hilarious, and more importantly speaks to the current economic and social conditions we currently live in. Featuring a star-making performance from Mikey Madison as the title character, Anora centers on an exotic dancer who becomes smitten with a Russian oligarch’s son. They get married and, well, things get very interesting from there. A romantic comedy-drama, the film moves at a frantic pace that never lets up, and I found absolutely hypnotic. Also…Igor, played by the fantastic Yura Borisov, might be my favorite character of the entire decade so far. He’s a man of few words with a strong-yet-silent presence that made him stand-out. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of writer-director Sean Baker. He made yet another masterpiece that proves his films rarely, if ever, miss.
Other movies I really enjoyed, in no particular order:
A Complete Unknown
A Different Man
The Bikeriders
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Good One
Ghostlight
The Last Showgirl
Strange Darling
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Wicked
The Wild Robot