I must say, 2024 was a pretty decent year for movies. There were some epic-styled powerhouses, sleeper mystery-thrillers, period subculture explorations, esoteric think-pieces, and plenty of international flair. As usual (and I know I say this every year), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences forgot a few come nomination time, but they got enough right to make the Oscars ceremony worth a watch. Plus it has Conan O’Brien hosting this year so, you know, there’s that to look forward to.
Below are the twelve films I found most worthwhile in the year that was 2024. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
12. Civil War
By not allowing us to choose sides, Garland has stripped us of much of what divides us in the first place: some other dipshit’s opinion about the state of the world. Just like the President’s opening speech, Civil War is a fantasy – a fabrication or speculation of what the world might look like if pressed too far – and it’s up to us to discern the truth from the lies and act accordingly once we’ve done so. READ THE FULL REVIEW.
11. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
The odyssey is a slow one, but its beauty is a moving tribute to a country and its people and offers a profound meditation on the individual’s place in the universe. READ THE FULL REVIEW ON PATREON OR SUBSTACK.
10. The Bikeriders
Authentically portraying subcultures is hard to do well (just look at any given ‘80s punk panic movie), but Nichols not only vividly captured the look of 1960s motorcycle rebels but also the take-no-shit attitude they proudly rode around with too. READ THE FULL REVIEW ON PATREON OR SUBSTACK.
9. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
This absurdist minor masterpiece mixes a razor-sharp critique of late-stage capitalism and the mistreatment of working people everywhere in such a way that it’s plain to see that Jude has no interest in playing by anyone’s rules. READ THE FULL REVIEW ON PATREON OR SUBSTACK.
8. The Old Oak
Through a series of generous acts of kindness, as well as ones of pure spite, Loach offers us a glimpse of forgiveness and understanding that mainstream cinema often has trouble conveying with any real sense of accuracy or feeling. READ THE FULL REVIEW ON PATREON OR SUBSTACK.
7. Evil Does Not Exist
For some, Hamaguchi’s unabashedly languid style may prove to be a chore. But for others, the creeping fatalism concealed in the brushstrokes of his pristine landscapes proves nearly irresistible. READ THE FULL REVIEW.
6. Conclave
Berger subverts preconceived notions by offering an intelligent and eye-opening look into the factionalism of high-ranking cardinals, the politics behind their ambition (or lack thereof), and the divide between progressive and conservative values in the Church. READ THE FULL REVIEW.
5. Kinds of Kindness
As mean-spirited as Kinds of Kindness is, and no matter how dark its humor may become, it still offers a rather entertaining and artistic glimpse into a variety of human frailties. READ THE FULL REVIEW.
4. The Girl with the Needle
Every speck of mud and every unclean garment is somehow highlighted to exemplify the poverty and desperation felt by these characters, and every shadow hides the unknown trauma of a thousand more stories. The imagery is so visceral that, with not much effort, you can almost smell the coal burning and the rubbish left out to rot. And if that weren’t enough, you can also taste the ether. READ THE FULL REVIEW.
3. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Grimonprez presents his visually stunning video essay – about the overthrow and 1961 murder of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba and the U.S.’s attempts to use popular American jazz musicians as propaganda tools in the region – with such artistically-driven revolutionary fervor that one can’t help but clench their fists and stand up to the lies they’ve long accepted as truth. READ THE FULL REVIEW.
2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Often, it’s when art mirrors life that cinema is at its most emotionally raw, and Rasoulof has proven once again his ability to mold controversial subject matter into something so visceral you have no choice but to feel it in your bones. READ THE FULL REVIEW.
1. The Brutalist
This is a movie rife with both beauty and ugliness, where the former is often buried deep within the latter. Make no mistake, though, when the beauty comes out to shine, it is absolutely radiant. READ THE FULL REVIEW.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.