Before 2025 gets into full swing, I’ve put together a list of the best movies of 2024. It was a down year for movies in terms of high-end quality and quantity of notable releases (for a variety of reasons). Nonetheless, here are some top tier titles that I would recommend checking out.
Note: This list sadly excludes The Brutalist, which has yet to hit screens in Vancouver, and Wicked … because I can’t do it.
~~10.5 Kneecap~~
This was one of those “surprise” movies that I couldn’t not include. After initially being drawn in by Michael Fassbender (as Arló), I can say it’s not a best picture nominee, but there are a couple of good laughs throughout. This semi-autobiographical story of a local Irish rap group preserving their celtic language through music might be the biggest hidden gem of 2024.
~~10. A Complete Unknown & The Apprentice~~
These two share the ten-spot. I like biopics, but what elevates these titles is how Bob Dylan and Donald Trump are approached as characters, and not historical figures. I don’t care if your biopic is 100 per cent factual if it makes up for it in other ways — and that boy Timmy-C can sing.
Something I’ve learned: if Scoot McNairy or Jeremy Strong are in your movie, it’s probably going to be good.
~~9. A Real Pain~~
Aside from above-average directing, this doesn’t really feel like a departure for Jesse Eisenberg or his co-star… but Kieran Culkin, man. Aura.
~~8. The Substance~~
I’m not really into horror, and while I don’t think it’s accurate to say this is a “scary” movie, it’s the wildest one on the list. Has some icky moments, but overall feels fresh, original, and is undoubtedly compelling. Dennis Quaid eating shrimp is nightmare material.
~~7. Nosferatu~~
A very wet movie, like walking to Building K in January. Has a few jump scares, but I feel similarly about this movie as I did with the title previous; it’s not that scary. Anything with vampires is spooky, of course, but I enjoyed it more as a period piece. Deserves to be higher on the list, but the following are very much the top-six.
~~6. Conclave~~
Slow burn. If you invest in the first half, the ending is highly rewarding and makes the exposition extremely worthwhile. Edward Berger is an inventive enough filmmaker that it all pays off. Everyone say it with me: give Ralph Fiennes his Oscar!
~~5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga~~
I loved this turn from Chris Hemsworth, and hope to see him in more grounded roles in the future. Not that this is exactly a grounded performance, but it’s one that makes you question yourself: “wait, that’s Thor?”
~~4. Sing Sing~~
Colman Domingo is one of today’s can’t-miss performers. Some platforms have this listed as a 2023 release, but Domingo was nominated for 2024’s Best Actor in a Drama at the Golden Globes, so it’s staying here! The majority of the cast are former inmates within Sing Sing Correctional Facility playing themselves, giving the movie an authentic, gritty feel. If you’re a drama student, you need to watch this movie.
~~3. Anora~~
I’m a big Sean Baker guy. I liked The Florida Project (2017), and really liked Red Rocket (2021), so I was heavily anticipating this one, which didn’t disappoint. Grabs you by the shoulders and doesn’t let go.
~~2. Challengers~~
I preferred this movie, Luca Guadagnino’s first of two movies this year, compared to Queer, which was too artsy for me to understand. Movies that construct a narrative through multiple timelines hold a special place in my heart. Guadagnino knows how to challenge us as an audience (no pun intended). None of the characters are likeable, they all suck, and we’re not force-fed any conclusions about any of them.
Tashi Duncan ain’t shit though.
~~1. Dune: Part Two~~
Zendaya gets the distinct pleasure of being in the top two movies on my list, a real honour for her. This came out early in the spring, and I don’t feel like it ever got topped. Insane score, cinematography, editing — and Austin Butler is a bat-shit weirdo. It’s crazy to me how Timothée Chalamet is getting more acclaim for his Dylan portrayal than for Paul Atreides, which is, to me, the superior performance.
