Sixty two new releases this year. My new record. Maybe I watched some I didn’t necessarily need too but hey we can’t go back now. Off the bat I can’t help but feel slightly underwhelmed while putting this list together. It definitely doesn’t feel as strong as the ten from last year. It feels like there’s really only five movies that I left watching super satisfied with.
How much of that let down is from my own behalf? Sure, I had mid to high expectations going into 2024 with what was to come; but most of what came out felt quite bad to mid at best. I don’t want to spend too much time being negative here but seriously there was a stretch in the middle of the year where it felt like big release let down after let down.
It feels like I’ve had such a strong grasp on everything that’s come out this year. I recall a few years ago just being like, fogged, wondering wait, how can you fairly say that is the best movie of the year, have you really seen everything? That world felt so big, to really harness following and keeping up with movie releases through the calendar year. And building up to it the past few years I’ve only gotten better and better, so now, I feel extremely confident with the pulse I have on these 2024 releases.
I believe It’s crucial to keep an open mind, because you really do never know. So I’m sure over the next couple months here I will stumble upon something that should’ve made it on this list, whether I just looked over it or wish I put something else in that 10th spot, I just don’t want to wait any longer, I need to move on from this and get back to studying.
Before I start there’s one asterisk. I Haven’t seen “I’m Still Here”. Best Picture and lead Actress nominee Brazilian production that I am really excited about watching. Could’ve had a strong chance from what I hear, cracking this list and would’ve loved to have more international inclusion. Maybe don’t release your movie two months into next year. Your fault, what a shame you missed Hunter Racicots Favorite 10 of the year am I right? And fuck Emelia Perez too while we’re at it.
Lets go:
10. The Apprentice
This Happened last year as well. Had a really hard time picking my tenth movie. Could’ve went a lot of different routes here. Any time George Miller makes a movie about cars in a dystopian future it’s pretty damn good hey? Alien: Romulus was maybe the best theater experience I had. Names like Conclave, Nickel Boys, Flow and A Real Pain I just didn’t enjoy as much as I did watching my tenth choice here; The Apprentice. Now again, Id love to fucking watch something International and put it on this list to feel more confident in this tenth spot but shit man, I think I gotta give it to the one I would recommend the most. I can’t believe I am putting it here but The Apprentice was hilarious. Definitely some of the best acting all year. Loved seeing Stan have the year he had and at the end of the day, this was just shot as a really cool fucking movie. It just feels like a camera was picked up, a wig and spray tan was thrown on and they ran with it. Fun stuff.
9. Hundreds of Beavers
I do have a problem and struggle with the release dates of movies. It claims to be made in 2022, but was only publicly released this year. To me that falls in the 2024 bucket because I can’t go back in time and change the 2022 lists.
I mean this movie is essentially 100 years old at its core. In the Chaplin/Keaton class but with a video game like energy. Definitely the funniest movie all year and I couldn’t believe the shit I was watching. Hundreds of Beavers brought on such a strong feeling of joy I could only get from watching a silent, slapstick production. A movie like this was not on my bingo card going into the year, but I am more than happy it’s on my list coming out of the year. Give it a try, if you don’t like what your seeing in the first 10 minutes, shut it off, but if you sort of enjoy the mayhem, leave it on and I am sure you’ll be left surprised.
8. Anora
Anora felt the least Sean Baker-esque of the four movies I’ve watched of his. I seriously can’t recommend Tangerine more and I think we all know how I feel about The Florida Project. Anora is still great but It felt like someone else could have made this movie, whereas the other projects he’s done there’s no shot in hell anyone else could replicate that authenticity.
The term breathtaking gets thrown around alot, normally for visually appealing stuff right? But the last five minutes of this movie, watching in a packed theater, on opening night was seriously breathtaking shit. Could hear a pin drop because of the strong ending that lands, sitting there, holding my breath, watching the scene unravel. Unreal theater experience I will never forget. That moment alone made the ten other opening night flops this year worth it.
7. A Complete Unknown
I’m still tangled up in blue if this movie really was good, or do I just love Tim Chalamet and Bob Dylan. The music itself is enough to get you on this list so it’s hard to be unbiased. Timothee has to be my favorite performance this year, absolutely proving me wrong thinking him as Bob was a poor casting choice. I think this movie has been great because it’s seemed to have really opened up the Bob Dylan doors for a younger generation, but is the movie alone great? Unlike Bob himself, the movie was a little bland at times. Sure nothing really happens but could another director have made this even better? In true folk light, what if there was a little bit more fictionalization involved? These are questions we’ll have to live with, but don’t think twice, it’s all right because we can say for certain, there isn’t a better Bob Dyaln out there than Timothee.
6. The Substance
I don’t think the story of 2024 at the movies can be told without The Substance. Sure, the ending left a sour taste in just about everybody’s mouth. I didn’t necessarily love it myself and yeah, this would probably be higher if it went a different route there. But with that said this is a seriously original movie that punches you right in the face from the beginning. This is a movie you recommend right here. Fuck off for a bit and have some fun. Tip of the hat to everyone involved for surpassing expectations and creating one of the most relevant movie of the year.
5. Nosferatu
Grown on me ever since I left the theater. Maybe the only movie on this list I am really excited about revisiting in the future. Man, I love Robert Eggers. I love the Nosferatu tale. I was grinning the whole time watching this. Non-stop smile. Nobody has ever rolled an R harder than Orlok in this movie. One of the twenty five or so movies going into the year we had known of, had a high expectation for and then being one of the only ones to actually deliver on that anticipation was enough for me. Looking forward to what’s to come for Lily Rose Depp. Keep on marching Eggers.
4. The Brutalist
Brass. Concrete. Brass and concrete. Unbelievable feat. I think this is going to clean up come March and rightfully so. The list of themes The Brutalist brings to light is quite impressive; war, architecture, abuse, drug abuse, power, the pursuit of greatness, religion, politics, but none greater than its portrayal of Immigration. I love the run time and god damn it do I love the intermission. I enjoyed learning about brutalism in anticipation of this and have come to realize it’s probably my favorite form of architecture. The score is horrifying. The acting is phenomenal. The Brutalist is an absolutely massive swing of the bat and I’m not sure this ones a grand slam but it’s a home run to create something with such scale for only 10 million dollars.
3. La Chimera
I love this movie so much. Shit like La Chimera is my favorite. Alot of fake cool shit out there but La Chimera is as authentically cool as it got this year. Theatrically released in North America this past March, I’m surprised it isn’t on more folks’ top of the year lists out there. Its just a really fucking cool movie. Josh O’connor is absolutely electric. It looks beautiful. The acting is beautiful. La Chimera asks really daunting questions all the while being very humble and grounded in its own right. I felt a paranormal, ghost-like presence while watching this and those are the feelings you wish to receive while watching a movie. Super excited to see what Alice Rohrwacher does next because I will be watching. I would love to be a part of a movie like La Chimera in my future.
2. Challengers
The sexiest movie without a single sex scene of all time. So much fun. This movie races from start to finish. Challengers has been second on my list since it was released and has officially ended the year holding it down. Josh O’connor is absolutely eclectic again. Tennis getting some much deserved respect as the cinematic sport it is! The score fucking rips. Zendaya finally leading her own movie was well worth the wait. So refreshing to get a sports story that’s not your standard run of the mill, you know how it’s going to end, rise and fall.
- Dune Part 2
Do we remember that if this wasn’t delayed as many times as it was, it was intended to be a 2023 release? What a brutal year this turns out to be if that’s the case. This has almost been the rock and strength behind all of 2024. It’s given me a certain level of comfortability just knowing it’s there. How great is 2023 with this in that lineup? Does it perform better at either year’s Oscars with a later calendar release date? Either way, to get Oppenheimer and this in back to back years is absolutely unbelievable. What a time to be alive ladies and gentlemen.
A whole tier above everything else released this year. I dont even know where to start with how powerful and just fucking strong this movie is. Move over Celine, Denis is Quebec’s (and should be the whole countries) national treasure now. The whole cast. The scale of it all. Feyd Fucking Rautha. I am still so fucking happy it was this amazing. Greg Fraiser. Hans Zimmer. Frank Herbert. The Harkonnens man fucking all of it move over Star Wars nobody cares about you any more. Dune Part 2. Say it again; Dune Part 2