The 25 best movies of 2024
DexertoSomehow, the end of the year has returned, so we thought that now was the perfect time to take a look at the best movies of 2024.
It’s been quite a year for cinema; there have been some awesome action movies, dynamic dramas, and sensational sequels. Horror and animation have both dominated the box office, while superhero movies (or one at least) have managed to cling on just about. But what were the best movies of the year?
Well to work this out, we used popcorn to bribe each member of the TV and movies team into nominating ten movies from 2024 (based on US releases). After that, the senior team got to work refining the list, and after several intense hours of debate (which mostly involved yelling at each other), they emerged with a list of what they consider to be the most fantastic flicks of the year.
Now, not all of our favorites are going to get their flowers (sorry , Trap fans) but if you didn’t get a ticket for these films when they were in theaters, you messed up.
Note: We’re well aware that it’s November, and there are lots of movies still to be released – Mufasa, Sonic 3, and Kraven immediately spring to mind – so keep this list bookmarked, as we’ll be updating it throughout what’s left of 2024.
25. Dune: Part Two
Warner Bros.Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgård, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem
What it’s about: Following the Harkonnen attack on Arrakis, Paul must learn the ways of the Fremen in the hopes of uniting the tribes if he ever wants to take back his birthright.
Why we like it: If we were ranking the movies of 2024 by ambition, then Dune: Part Two would top the list. Everything about Villeneuve’s second trip to Arrakis is bigger and bolder than the first – from cinematographer Greig Fraser’s sweeping visuals to the grandiose action scenes and Hans Zimmer’s bombastic booming score.
Yet arguably, what makes this film truly great is how Villeneuve confidently takes author Frank Herbert’s text and the labyrinthian lore of Dune and makes it into something everyone and anyone can understand. My favorite part, though? Austin Butler’s creepy Stellan Skarsgård impression.
Read our Dune 2 review here.
Words by Tom Percival
24. Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle
©2024”HAIKYU!!”PROJECT ©H.FURUDATEDirector: Susumu Mitsunaka
Cast: Ayumu Murase, Kaito Ishikawa, Yuki Kaji (Japanese) / Bryson Baugus, Scott Gibbs, Clint Bickham (English)
What it’s about: The Wildcats and the Crows finally face off in a match that epitomizes youthful competition and the beauty of our high school years.
Why we like it: If there’s one game Haikyuu!! fans were waiting for, it’s this one, and the big screen gives everyone a chance to shine. The thrilling plays and dramatic strategizing are heightened through memories of how each player got here – a reminder that everyone has a story to tell on the court and off.
Words by Anthony McGlynn
Read our Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle review here.
23. Rebel Ridge
NetflixDirector: Jeremy Saulnier
Cast: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, James Cromwell
What it’s about: Terry Richmond, an ex-Marine, cycles to Shelby Springs to bail his cousin out of jail. When he’s rammed off the road by two cops, they detain his money and refuse to give it back, as ordered by their corrupt chief. He’s left with one option: “I gotta haunt these motherf**kers myself.”
Why we like it: Rebel Ridge is one of the best movies Netflix has ever released: a smart, teeth-gnawingly tense, and cathartic actioner that feels like the 21st century’s first proper answer to First Blood, with an intelligent, no-less badass lead and Johnson at his smarmiest and best. Did I put too much sauce on that? “Nah.”
Words by Cameron Frew
22. The Apprentice
Briarcliff EntertainmentDirector: Ali Abbasi
Cast: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova
What it’s about: The Apprentice is an origin story about Donald Trump’s ascension up New York’s property ladder, as well as his entry into high society, all with the help of notorious lawyer Roy Cohn.
Why we like it: The Apprentice announces itself as a “classic American horror story” but the movie also manages to be a disturbing cautionary tale about the dark side of the American Dream. Sebastian Stan imbues Donald Trump with just enough charm and charisma to explain his success. However, the film also posits that Roy Cohn ultimately made the man we know today, drawing a line from his words, advice, and life lessons directly to the White House.
Read our The Apprentice review here.
Words by Chris Tilly
21. Kinds of Kindness
Searchlight PicturesDirector: Yorgos Lanthimos
Cast: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe, Hunter Schafer
What it’s about: A trilogy of stories woven into one overarching thread, a man tries to take his own life, a cop’s wife returns home a different person, and a woman looks for someone supernatural.
Why we like it: If you’re a fan of Lanthimos’ earlier work like Dogtooth and The Lobster, you’re going to love Kinds of Kindness. Much more grounded in reality than The Favourite and Poor Things, this triptych of tales still isn’t for the faint of heart. I actually can’t pick a favorite of the three… Stone and Plemons have clearly studied at the Tilda Swinton school of chameleonic acting.
Read our Kinds of Kindness review here.
Words by Jasmine Valentine
20. Maria
NetflixDirector: Pablo Larraín
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Haluk Bilginer, Alba Rohrwacher, Kodi Smit-McPhee
What it’s about: Following the final days of opera singer Maria Callas before her death, a fictional camera crew recounts her life through a tour of 1970s Paris.
Why we like it: I saw this a month before writing this piece, and I still feel like I’m crying. Jolie looks to be Mikey Madison’s stiffest competition in the race for Best Actress, thanks to her emotionally eviscerating portrayal of Maria Callas. The third in his 20th-century women trilogy, Larraín is an expert at choosing a moment in time and painfully unpicking it, and the results are arguably his best of the bunch.
Words by Jasmine Valentine
19. Gladiator 2
Paramount PicturesDirector: Ridley Scott
Cast: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal
What it’s about: The son of Maximus returns to the arena a decade or so after his father’s death, ready to avenge his fallen wife and take down the Roman army, all while trying to survive under the watchful eye of gladiator showman Macrinus.
Why we like it: Gladiator 2 was one of my personal most anticipated movies of the year, and it didn’t disappoint. It brought Ridley back onto the good side of many waning fans and brought in some of Hollywood’s hottest current talent to make the historical drama dramatic again.
No, it’s not perfect, but with the bloody violence and scheming characters, there’s an element of opera to Gladiator 2 that can’t be ignored. And that’s all without mentioning Denzel Washington, who elevates the movie to dastardly heights. Come for Paul Mescal in a tunic; stay for flesh-hungry monkeys.
Read our Gladiator 2 review here.
Words by Jessica Cullen
18. Blink Twice
Warner Bros.Director: Zoë Kravitz
Cast: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater
What it’s about: Tech billionaire Slater King invites cocktail waitress Frida to join a group of friends on his private island. But what starts out as a dream vacation soon turns into a nightmare when Frida notices strange occurrences, descending into a sinister struggle for survival.
Why we like it: Kravitz strikes the perfect balance of social commentary and entertainment in her directorial debut. Ultimately, Blink Twice is about abuses of power and the female experience, but it’s never preachy, instead weaving these themes into a truly suspenseful, entertaining, and trippy ride. All of this culminates in an ending you won’t see coming but will find cathartic. If nothing else, it’s the most accurate portrayal of the phenomenon all smokers will know too well: keeping track of your lighter.
Read our Blink Twice review here.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
17. Hit Man
NetflixDirector: Richard Linklater
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao
What it’s about: Based on the true story of Gary Johnson, Hit Man follows a shy college professor who goes undercover with the New Orleans police as a fake hitman. Along the way, though, he falls in love with a prospective client, and things get very complicated very quickly.
Why we like it: Despite its relatively novel premise, Hit Man feels like a triumphant throwback to the character studies of the 90s. It’s a film that embraces the weird and wonderful without needing to resort to over-the-top action or silly spectacle.
Instead, it relies on the natural charm of its leading man, Glen Powell – who’s clearly having a lot of fun stretching his acting muscles (instead of just his abs) – to tell a brilliantly dark story that’s got a surprising amount of depth for a Netflix comedy.
Read our Hit Man review here.
Words by Tom Percival
16. Conclave
Focus FeaturesDirector: Edward Berger
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Carlos Diehz
What it’s about: When the Pope dies, Cardinal Lawrence organizes a papal conclave to elect a new pontiff. As days pass and votes mount, candidates rise and fall under the weight of their scandals and hunger for power – but they must choose a new Holy Father, whatever it takes.
Why we like it: These wannabe popes are devious contradictions; as James 1:26 says, those who do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion. But that’s part of Conclave’s unique, brilliant alchemy: its drama is divine, as tasty as a whisper, and rich as any parable. Certainty may be a sin, but this is undoubtedly a banger.
Words by Cameron Frew
15. Strange Darling
Magneta Light studiosDirector: JT Mollner
Cast: Kyle Gallner, Willa Fitzgerald, Barbara Hershey
What it’s about: Following a twisted one-night stand, a sick serial killer hunts his prey in a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse.
Why we like it: Strange Darling does for serial murder movies what Pulp Fiction did for the crime genre, messing with chronology and hopping back and forth in time to add twists, turns, and depth to what’s ultimately a quite simple story. Writer-director JT Mollner’s ingenious approach to the material is matched by a pair of star-making turns from his leads, with Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald delivering two of 2024’s very best performances.
Read our Strange Darling review here.
Words by Chris Tilly
14. I Saw the TV Glow
A24Director: Jane Schoenbrun
Cast: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine
What it’s about: In 1996, Owen is entranced by The Pink Oqaque, a hazy, late-night YA series. He befriends Maddy, a troubled teen and fellow fan, but as years pass by the line between reality and fiction starts to blur as much as their sense of self.
Why we like it: One of the decade’s rare, true masterpieces; a movie that reckons with the flesh-and-heart-festering fears of a generation in horrifying, singular fashion. It’s also beautiful; a haunting balm for those who’ve sought refuge in a story, a fable for those who’ve lost touch with (or over-depended on) the comfort of that obsession. As the credits rolled, I couldn’t speak, nor could I move – as the tears dried into my face, I simply saw the TV’s glow fade to black.
Words by Cameron Frew
13. The First Omen
20th Century StudiosDirector: Arkasha Stevenson
Cast: Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga
What it’s about: An American nun travels to an orphanage in Rome where it’s increasingly clear the Devil is at work.
Why we like it: The Omen might be usurped for the best installment of its own franchise. The mystery underpinning Stevenson’s prequel is engaging, becoming ever more so as the clues arrive. Visceral, erogenous imagery pops out like intrusive thoughts, dragging us into the seedy underbelly. Something wicked isn’t coming; it’s here.
Read our The First Omen review here.
Words by Anthony McGlynn
12. Furiosa
Warner Bros. PicturesDirector: George Miller
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke
What it’s about: Years before the events of Mad Max: Fury Road, a young Furiosa attempts to avenge her mother’s murder at the hands of the sadistic Dementus.
Why we like it: Most people went into Furiosa hoping for two things. One: a killer villain performance from Chris Hemsworth and an action-packed ride through the wasteland. Furiosa delivered both in spades.
Hemsworth is a scenery-chewing antagonist for the ages, screaming and kicking and smiling his way into our memories. Furiosa’s adrenaline-fuelled race through the desert is nothing short of spectacular, following perfectly from Mad Max’s blood soaked and sandy chaos.
Read our Furiosa review here.
Words by Jessica Cullen
11. Twisters
Universal PicturesDirector: Lee Isaac Chung
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane
What it’s about: Retired storm chaser Kate Carter is called back into action by her old friend, who’s working on groundbreaking technology that will allow meteorologists to predict dangerous tornadoes. However, when Kate meets charismatic social media star Tyler Owens, she realizes she might not be working for the good guys.
Why we like it: Twisters or Twister$, as it’s come to be known in at least one group chat I’m in, blew audiences away when it roared into theaters this summer. While many expected a cheap cash-in (myself included. Sorry, I’m a cynic at heart), the naysayers were silenced by Isaac Chung’s category-5 movie, which balanced gale force spectacle with memorable characters and a tender romance.
When you combine that with Edgar-Jones and Powell’s incredible chemistry, you’ve got the perfect conditions for the storm movie of the century. If we had one complaint, it’s that Spielberg denied us that kiss! I guess it proves everyone makes mistakes.
Read our Twisters review here.
Words by Tom Percival
10. The Wild Robot
DreamworksDirector: Chris Sanders
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry
What it’s about: ROZZUM Unit 7134 (“Roz” for short), a domestic service robot, crash-lands on an island inhabited exclusively by animals. She struggles to find a purpose until she accidentally crushes a goose nest, leaving a single egg. Together with a lone fox, she raises the young gosling until it’s time for the migration.
Why we like it: The Wild Robot made me cry not once, not twice, but thrice – it may even be DreamWorks’ best film since Shrek 2. It has the studio’s magic sauce: a jaw-dropping voice ensemble (you won’t recognize them until the credits, and then you’ll shout, ‘That was them?’), dazzling visuals, and an irresistibly emotional story that speaks two universal, all-ages languages: love and kindness.
“Sometimes to survive, we must become more than we are programmed to be.”
Words by Cameron Frew
9. Woman of the Hour
NetflixDirector: Anna Kendrick
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Tony Hale
What it’s about: Based on the real-life TV appearance of Rodney Alcala (aka the Dating Game Killer), the film follows Cheryl Bradshaw, a young woman who finds herself on a dating show and comes face to face with an undiscovered serial killer.
Why we like it: As is the case with most years, true crime was a go-to throughout 2024, with a countless supply of documentaries and horror movies surrounding killers. But Woman of the Hour was one of the most earnest and careful explorations of a real-life case yet, and Anna Kendrick’s impressive directorial debut proved she really has something to say.
The case of Rodney Alcala is a lengthy and truly awful example of human nature, but Kendrick perfectly examined his character through one main event: his real-life appearance on a dating show. It’s an intense journey from start to finish but truly succeeded in giving us the scariest scene of 2024.
Read our Woman of the Hour review here.
Words by Jessica Cullen
8. Deadpool & Wolverine
Marvel StudiosDirector: Shawn Levy
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen.
What it’s about: When Deadpool learns that the TVA plans on pruning his dying timeline, the Merc’ With A Mouth goes on the hunt for the only person in the multiverse who can help him save the day: Wolverine.
Why we like it: The MCU’s been in a rough spot for a while now, and Kevin Feige turned to Marvel Jesus, aka Deadpool, to save the day. Did Deadpool deliver? Did he ever! Wild, irreverent, and profane, the Merc’ With A Mouth’s first foray into the wider Marvel Universe was a resounding success and every bit as filthy and violent as its predecessors.
Even better, the film performed a miracle and gave us what we’d been waiting for for over two decades: Hugh Jackman’s derriere in yellow spandex. He might not convert non-believers to the church of Marvel, but Deadpool has risen, and he’s here to save the MCU from its sins.
Read our Deadpool & Wolverine review here.
Words by Tom Percival
7. Anora
NeonDirector: Sean Baker
Cast: Mikey Madison, Mark Eidelstein, Yuriy Borisov
What it’s about: A sex worker from Brooklyn meets and marries the son of a Russian oligarch, but trouble brews when his family finds out and makes it their mission to get the union annulled.
Why we like it: Through his movies about sex workers and figures on the sidelines of society, it feels like writer-director Sean Baker has been working towards Anora throughout his career. The result is his most complete work to date; a beguiling character study bursting out of a wild account of young love, and a film that’s funny, tense, sad, then ultimately profound via one of 2024’s most thought-provoking endings.
Words by Chris Tilly
6. Love Lies Bleeding
A24Director: Rose Glass
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brien, Ed Harris, Dave Franco, Jena Malone
What it’s about: Gym manager Lou falls head over heels for bodybuilder Jackie when she mysteriously arrives in town. However, Lou’s criminal family grabs hold, leading to more violence than love.
Why we like it: Be still my lesbian heart. Remember how Wachowski’s Bound managed to infuse life-threatening crime with a happy sapphic ending? Glass manages more of the same here, only upping the visual ante. It’s full of humor, gym sweats, and psychedelic hallucinations – and she doesn’t hold back on the gore either. Personally, it’s a K Stew performance I’ll never forget.
Read our Love Lies Bleeding review here.
Words by Jasmine Valentine
5. Wicked
Universal PicturesDirector: Jon M. Chu
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum
What it’s about: A prequel (of sorts) to the Wizard of Oz, Wicked tells the story of Elphaba and reveals the real reason she became the Wicked Witch of the West.
Why we like it: Adapting what’s widely considered the greatest stage musical of all time was always going to be a tall order, but Jon M. Chu proved he had the heart, brains, and courage to get the job done. Technically, it’s wonderful: the music is gorgeous, the choreography intricate, and the production design immaculate (although it doesn’t always look it).
Yet what really makes Wicked sing (pun intended) is Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s magical double act. The pair just have such enchanting chemistry that it’s hard not to fall under their spell and that captivating charm bleeds into the rest of the film. If you’ve been putting off seeing it, don’t because I promise you you’ll be blown away like Dorothy’s house.
Read our Wicked review here
Words by Tom Percival
4. The Substance
MubiDirector: Coralie Fargeat
Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid
What it’s about: Elisabeth Sparkle is 50 years old – in showbiz, she’s past her sell-by date. However, there may be a solution: the substance, a mysterious drug that births a younger, better version of herself who immediately finds all of the fame she lost. She (well, they) just has to remember one thing: “You are one.”
Why we like it: Fargeat never respects the balance, and that’s the pumped-up, pulpy beauty of The Substance; diabolically funny, disgusting, and deeply tragic, with a career-best performance from Moore, a star-certifying turn from Qualley, and Quaid at his most exquisitely despicable. Here, self-loathing and narcissism are two sides of the same coin; it’s not about the (body-)horror of aging, but rather the fragility of one’s worth, in our eyes and theirs.
Read our Substance review here.
Words by Cameron Frew
3. Longlegs
NeonDirector: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt
What it’s about: FBI agent Lee Harker uses her uncanny instincts to investigate an ongoing series of strange killings by the serial killer known as Longlegs. But as she digs deeper, she finds herself more connected to the case and killer than she could have ever imagined.
Why we like it: Accusations of being “overhyped” and “not scary enough” are too harsh for a movie like Longlegs. Simply put, it’s terrifying, atmospheric, and original, and that should be enough to earn its place on any best-of-the-year list. Maika Monroe is magnetic as a put-upon FBI agent, and although Cage’s appearance as Longlegs might have been overused, he completely transformed.
The craft behind the movie only served to make it more tense, more disturbing, and it truly worked. It raised a lot of questions it didn’t necessarily answer, but that just makes Longlegs one of the most enigmatic and unforgettable horror movies of the year, and earned Oz Perkins a place on everyone’s radar (if he wasn’t there already).
Read our Longlegs review here.
Words by Jessica Cullen
2. Challengers
Amazon MGM StudiosDirector: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist
What it’s about: A tennis star whose career was cut short by injury tries to end her husband’s losing streak by seeking help from her ex, who just happens to be his former best friend.
Why we like it: Challengers is one of the best sports movies ever made, thanks to some pulsating tennis that puts the audience slap-bang in the middle of the matches. That athletic action is underpinned by high drama, with games on the court fuelled by a love triangle off it, between rising stars Zendaya, John O’Conner, and Mike Faist. All three of whom the camera adores. The result is the sexiest film of the year, and one of director Luca Guadagnino’s very best.
Read our Challengers review here.
Words by Chris Tilly
1. Terrifier 3
Signature EntertainmentDirector: Damien Leone
Cast: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, Samantha Scaffidi
What it’s about: After surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother Jonathan attempt to recover, only to be thrust back into a nightmare when Art makes his return. To make matters worse, it’s Christmas… and Art’s got his accomplice, Vicky.
Why we like it: Even if you’re not a horror fan (sorry for your loss), there’s no denying the artistry that goes into creating eye-wincingly gruesome, extravagant kills in the Terrifier movies. With a bigger budget to play with, Leone’s threequel takes things up a notch, resulting in some of the grisliest scenes ever to hit the big screen.
But what elevates Terrifier 3 beyond the guts and gore (and glass shards) is the heart of this chaotic circus. Art is a villain of the ages, at once a demonic killer and loveable clown; a nightmare with a wink. Thornton’s performance reaches fever pitch in this installment, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with zero dialogue.
It’s for all these reasons and more that Terrifier 3 is not only the best horror of 2024 but the best movie overall (and arguably even the best Christian flick if you squint hard enough).
Read our Terrifier 3 review here.
Words by Daisy Phillipson