Best of 2024: Best Films


We’re cruising to the end of 2024 and as we do, I’m looking back at some of my favorite films and performances from the year. As well as a few of my least favorite. Each day between now and January 9 look for another installment in a different category. Let’s ring out 2024 by looking back on some of the best and worst of the year!

Today, it’s time to talk my favorite movies of 2024. Below is my Top 10 in ascending order. But, before we start, I’ll give 10 others that I liked a lot.

No. 20: The Wild Robot
No. 19: A Quiet Place: Day one
No. 18: Transformer One
No. 17: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
No. 16: Nickel Boys
No. 15: A Complete Unknown
No. 14: A Real Pain
No. 13: Inside Out 2
No. 12: Challengers
No. 11: Small Things Like These

No. 10: Longlegs
About:
One of my all-time favorite films is The Silence of the Lambs. This film from Osgood Perkins reminded me of that in the best ways. I liked Nicolas Cage as the creepy Longlegs, and Maika Monroe as the agent on his tail. This was a pleasant surprise.

No. 9: September 5
About:
I love the Olympics and I love journalism stories. This film, about the behind-the-scenes work of the ABC team covering the 1972 Munich Olympics, was a perfect fusion. I liked the tension and the way they brought this piece of history to life.

No. 8: Civil War
About:
One of the earlier releases of the year, it was a captivating and important film. I love the back-and-forth between Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny. This was one of the most engaging films of the year.

No. 7: Deadpool & Wolverine
About:
I know some people didn’t love it, but I did. I laughed a lot, and I enjoyed the action spectacle. The back-and-forth between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman was great.

No. 6: Saturday Night
About:
I haven’t always been a huge Saturday Night Live fan, but this behind-the-scenes story in the run up to the premier episode was captivating. It was funny, chaotic, and completely engaging. It made me go back and watch that pilot! One of the best from Jason Reitman.

No. 5: Sing Sing
About:
It’s been 30 years since The Shawshank Redemption. This is probably the most beautiful and hopeful prison-set film since then. It’s based on real people and a real program, with some of those people appearing in this story. I loved Coleman Domingo here.

No. 4: Nosferatu
About:
This gothic tale from Robert Eggers had some of the finest craft of any film this year. I’m still thinking about some of the shots here. I also loved Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgard in these roles. The best of a great year in horror.

No. 3: Wicked, Part One
About:
The big screen musical is part of the fabric of cinematic history, and this one delivered. The music and the production were gorgeous. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were magical on the screen. This was a delightful theater experience.

No. 2: Conclave
About:
Every year a film jumps up and surprises me. This year, it was Conclave. Edward Berger delivers a beautifully crafted tale here that really made me think and really moved me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and moved it up on this list a few times. It’s really 1B for me.

No. 1: Dune: Part Two
About:
It feels like this was released a million years ago, but really it was just March 1. I loved Denis Villeneuve’s craft in Part One, but I wasn’t taken with the story. In this one, the whole thing resonated. It was an exceptional blockbuster experience and stuck with me for 10 months as the best film I saw in 2024.

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