I'm throwing in the towel early this year. Every year is a good year for movies, but the discourse around a lot of the major films got pretty toxic around awards season, and I'm ready to be done. Also, with the downturn in the industry, it feels like distribution woes are worse than ever, and I'm probably not going to get ahold of the last few remaining titles on my to-watch list any time soon. Foreign films are great, but I don't have much interest in chasing after them lately.
A few caveats. My criteria for eligibility require that a film must have been released in its own home country during 2024, so film festivals and other special screenings generally don't count. Picks are unranked and listed in no particular order, previously posted reviews are linked where available, and the "Plus One" spot is reserved for the best film of the previous year that I didn't manage to see in time for that previous list. And here we go.
Challengers - I have no interest in tennis, or most sports in general. However, in "Challengers" the tennis is standing in for the sex, and the film's ever-evolving relationships involving Josh O'Connor, Zendaya, and Mike Faist make the tennis matches positively breathtaking to behold. Luca Gudagnigno continues to direct the most sensual screen romances of anybody currently working, and we're lucky that he's such a prolific filmmaker. I want to see all three of the lead actors working with him again as soon as humanly possible.
Anora - The backlash against "Anora" was swift after it won the Best Picture Oscar. Frankly, movies this rude, this anarchic, and this uncompromised do not usually win the big awards, no matter how deserving. And "Anora" is deserving. It refuses to be easily categorized, to stay in its own lane, or offer any easy answers. What kept it in my list all year was that it felt like a film that couldn't be made at any other time than in 2024. Also, it's so much fun to watch, and totally unpredictable the whole way through.
Love Lies Bleeding - The new Rose Glass crime thriller is a scummy piece of work. Everyone looks terrible, with the exception of Katy O'Brien playing a lesbian bodybuilder who is the new girl in town. I've seen O'Brien in several other big films and shows over the past few years, but so far Glass is the only director who understands what to do with her, and the kind of role that really gives her a chance to shine. Paired with an intense Kristen Stewart, O'Brien has no trouble anchoring one of the best movies of the year.
The Substance - Many of the films on this list are very visceral, emotionally fraught, unsubtle genre films. And there's no film that fits that description better this year than "The Substance," which brings back '80s body horror in a big way. Even before the birth of Monstro Elisasue, "The Substance" is relentless in its pursuit of squirm-inducing sights and sounds and suggestions. I'd call it Cronenbergian, but Coralie Fargeat has a far more playful sense of humor, and Demi Moore adds a star quality that is entirely singular.
Hard Truths - Marianne Jeanne Baptiste gave the best performance of the year. Pansy is one of the most memorable, miserable screen creatures I have ever seen, and one of the most poignant once you realize that what she isn't saying - or shouting - is as important as what she is. It never fails to amaze me how Mike Leigh's best movies function as empathy generators, showing that even the most horrible and impossible people can be deserving of love and sympathy. And there's always another side to everybody's story.
Nickel Boys - We consume more visual media with a first person POV than ever before, mostly thanks to gaming and livestreaming. However, it feels like we're only beginning to explore the possibilities of the first person POV narratively. That's why "Nickel Boys" made such an impression. It found a way to transcend the gimmick, and get the viewer to inhabit the world of the title characters in a novel, meaningful way. It doesn't work for everyone, unfortunately, but for me "Nickel Boys" was a valuable experience.
The Girl With the Needle - A Danish film made by a Swedish-Polish filmmaker, but the story feels universal in its wartime bleakness and depictions of casual cruelty. The content is horrific, but I found the depiction of two women grappling with the most painful parts of motherhood as they try to survive in difficult times to be absolutely enthralling. The lead actresses, Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm, both turn in difficult, psychologically complex performances. Dyrholm's maternal monster is one I won't soon forget.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig - A sobering look at one family's descent into paranoia and self-destruction, presented in contrast to the recent social upheaval in Iran. I was especially impressed with the use of real social media posts during the demonstration sequences, emphasis on the thin line between the oppressors and the oppressed, and how quickly the situation escalates to dark extremes. There were several good depictions of life under authoritarianism at the movies this year, and this one hit me the hardest.
The Brutalist - I think I appreciate this one the most for its ambition, for wanting to make grand, sweeping statements about the American experience, and having the right people involved to pull it off. Brady Corbet deserves plenty of credit for getting the film made, and refusing to compromise on the running time. I liked the ambiguous ending just fine. However, it's Adrien Brody's performance that's going to haunt me, and Lol Crawley's towering feats of cinematography that I won't be able to forget anytime soon.
My Old Ass - Finally, the movie I had the best time with this year was this very personal, very offbeat, very nostalgic little existential dramedy about a girl's last summer before leaving home. It's a summery, beautiful hangout film for long stretches of time, with delightful fantasy sequences, engaging conversations, and sweet moments of discovery. The laughs and the heartache snuck up on me in the best way. And while I understand why some of the LGBT folks raised eyebrows, I like that our heroine is still figuring herself out.
Honorable Mentions:
Small Things Like These
Plus One - Chicken for Linda
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