As we wind down 2024 and look forward to a promising slate of films in 2025, let’s dive into the best 2024 films.
In the world of Superhero films, 2024 was more bad than good, with Sony continuing to release insufferable films in Kraven: The Hunter and Madame Web. The MCU and DC universes slowed things down this year, but made it count with Deadpool and Wolverine and a Christopher Reeve documentary.
Wicked, Conclave and Dune Part II helped usher in a staggering year for adaptations.
My favorite performers of 2024 are Timothee Chalamet, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Chalamet had an incredible year with his performances in Dune Part II and A Complete Unknown. John M. Chu‘s adaptation of Wicked shines based on the outstanding performances by Erivo and Grande. From the Ozdust Ballroom scene to the staggering rendition of Defying Gravity, Erivo is remarkable as Elphaba. Grande delivers my favorite comedic performance of the year as Glinda.
Before diving into the cream of the crop, let’s dive into a few honorable mentions.
Here’s a look back at 2023’s best films.
Honorable Mentions
- The Piano Lesson: This August Wilson adaptation starring an electric Danielle Deadwyler is the best streaming film of 2024.
- Inside Out 2: Adding several new emotions, specifically Anxiety, gives this long-gestating sequel life.
- Gladiator II: Denzel Washington chews all the scenery in this blockbuster sequel that doesn’t quite match original’s heart.
- Heretic: Hugh Grant delivers one of the year’s best performances in this A24 religious thriller that sees an older man test the faith of two Mormon missionaries.
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Anya Taylor-Joy channels Charlize Theron‘s resolve from Fury Road while Chris Hemsworth delivers the best villain performance of 2024.
Top 10 Best 2024 Films
10. Deadpool and Wolverine
Deadpool and Wolverine is the best comicbook film of the year
Relentless comedy, gratuitous violence and fantastic cameos (really more like supporting roles) translate into one of the better MCU installments since Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Deadpool and Wolverine is a buddy cop film that builds off of the incredible chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Wolverine is the grizzled veteran forced to put up with his wisecracking moron of a partner in Wade. Reynolds brings his usual manic energy to Wade. Jackman is the heart of the film.
There are some tonal clashes at times, but overall, Deadpool and Wolverine is easily the most funniest film of the year, making it one of the best 2024 films.
9. We Live in Time
When Almut (Florence Pugh) literally collides with Tobias (Andrew Garfield), they are sent on an adventure of love, cancer, and time in We Live in Time.
Pugh and Garfield are both fantastic. Their chemistry is electric from when Tobias’s eyes open following the accident. Almut and Tobias are opposites in many ways. Tobias isn’t the most confident person. He struggles to speak his mind. The few times he does attempt to persuade Almut, it doesn’t work well. Tobias tends to look ahead to where things could be instead of staying in the present.
Pugh’s ability to portray pain, fear, and determination is fantastic, and it certifies her as the best actress under 30. Garfield has less weight to carry. However, he does so much with a nod and a sheepish smile that says more than an Aaron Sorkin deluge of dialogue could convey. He rises to the occasion every time the volume needs to go up.
The nonlinear story hampers the film a little bit, but We Live in Time soars behind two of the year’s best performances.
8. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
The documentary movingly tells Christopher Reeve’s story. No film in 2024 made me tear up more than Super/Man The Christopher Reeve Story.
The documentary explores his rise to fame, his personal life, and his subsequent work as an activist for disability rights and spinal cord injury research.
Reeve’s resilience and determination in the face of adversity shines through. The secret weapon of this documentary is the marriage between Chris and Dana Reeve. Their commitment to one another shines bright.
7. The Wild Robot
This Dreamworks animated film is the best-animated film of the year making it a worthy additon to the best 2024 films list.
The Wild Robot tells the story of Roz (voiced by the incredible Lupita Nyong’o), a sophisticated robot shipwrecked on a remote island. Initially feared by the island’s animal inhabitants, Roz gradually earns their trust by helping them. She develops a close relationship with a goose who can’t fly but does everything she can for the youngling.
If you’ve ever felt lost only to find a new purpose, The Wild Robot will wreck you emotionally in the best way possible.
6. Nosferatu
Robet Eggers take on Nosferatu is one of the most gorgeous, horrific looking films of 2024. Eggers is a master at building tension and terror.
He finds the perfect vehicle for his tool chest in Bill Skarsgård‘s Count Orlok. Lilly Rose Depp should receive a nomination for her revelatory performance as Ellen Hutter. A young wife unable to distance herself from the evil that’s approaching. Nicholas Hoult is also great as Ellen’s husband, Thomas.
Hoult’s Thomas is key to translating terror of Orlok. Thomas must meet Orlok at the Count’s castle to close a deal for an old German house. Aaron Taylor-Johnson delivers a career-best performance as Friedrich Harding, a man who doubts the rumors of Nosferatu. Eggers muse Willem Dafoe also shines as a doctor who aids in Ellen’s treatment and believes in the stories of the Count.
The ending of Nosferatu won’t work for everyone and Dafoe’s performance can be a bit big, but the imagery conjured by Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke is unforgettable.
5. Conclave
Ralph Fiennes delivers a career-best performance, with Stanley Tucci matching him beat for beat in Edward Berger‘s excellent Pope election drama Conclave.
Following the death of the current Pope, Dean Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) oversees the thankless task of electing the next Pope. He’s also battling a crisis of Faith while trying to keep the peace between candidates vying for the Papacy. The candidates are divided between those who want to push the church toward a more progressive future and the Italian contingent who want to bring the church back to its conservative roots.
While not fast-paced by any means, Berger, Peter Straughan‘s screenplay, and Volker Bertelmann‘s string-heavy score make every scene in Conclave engrossing. Every 10 minutes, a new wrinkle is added that disqualifies some frontrunner candidates or calls into question the deceased Pope’s mysterious machinations.
Overall, Conclave is mesmerizing thriller that gives furtive ground for actors like Fiennes, Tucci and John Lithgow to shine.
4. A Complete Unkown
Outside of Wicked, A Complete Unkown features the best casting choices of the year.
Timothée Chalamet delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as Bob Dylan. He captures the nuances of Dylan’s nasaly voice and a man uncomfortable with being pigeon-holed. Matching him beat for beat is Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez. Every moment between Chalamet and Barbaro is electric.
Edward Norton should win the Best Supporting Oscar for his portrayal of Pete Seeger. Norton irons out the edges he usually brings to his role as this genteel man who first appreciates Dylan’s talent. Then, there’s Boyd Hoybrook as Johnny Cash, who is used in the film as a voice to encourage Dylan to explore.
Having helmed the Cash biopic Walk the Line, James Mangold knows how to make this period of music come alive. A Complete Unkown isn’t as comprehensive at getting into Dylan’s mind as Walk the Line did with Cash. Instead, Mangold uses the surrounding cast’s perception to determine what makes Dylan tick.
3. Saturday Night
Jason Reitman and his frequent collaborator Gil Kenan capture the tumultuous energy of risking it all for a dream of launching a sketch comedy show in Saturday Night.
The film follows Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) as he attempts to put the sketch comedy show together with only 90 minutes until they go live on the air.
Saturday Night shines on the backs of an unheralded cast and a snappy script constantly brimming with tension. LaBelle, Cooper Hoffman and Rachel Sennott are the standouts in this impeccably cast ensemble.The brilliance of Saturday Night is almost every scene is a disaster that looks like it will destroy Lorne’s career. However, when the clock strikes 11 p.m., everyone from the egotistical Chase to Andy Kaufman comes together to get the show on the air.
The interpretations of the original Saturday Night Live cast members are terrific without feeling like meek impersonations. Cory Michael Smith exudes the hubris of Chevy Chase. Ella Hunt nails Gilda Radnor’s voice. Dylan O’Brien, Lamorne Morris and Matt Wood are also excellent, as Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris and John Belushi.
2. Dune Part II
Dune: Part Two is a massive improvement in every way. Dune: Part Two retains the same measured pacing as the first film. However, Denis Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaights choose the right moments to change the tone, add an action sequence or change the cinematography. There’s a surprising amount of levity in the film, usually delivered by Javier Bardem, that cuts the tension at just the right moments.
Dune: Part II delivers the best cinematography since The Batman. It should come as no surprise that Greg Fraser was the cinematographer in both films. The sun-soaked barren wasteland of Arrakis contrasts nicely with the monochromatic style used for the Harkonnens. Hans Zimmer‘s score confirms that John Williams is the only composer better at creating moving themes.
Adding to Denis Villeneuve and Fraser’s visuals is an impressive ensemble cast. There are plenty of newcomers to the franchise. Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Léa Seydoux are the standout new additions.
However, Dune Part II is the 2nd best film of 2024 because of the performances by Zendaya, Chalamet, and Rebecca Ferguson. The film’s climax, where Paul Atreides steps into his power and confirms Chani’s worst fears, is powerful to watch. Zendaya is phenomenal at registering Chani’s fear without uttering a single word.
From music and visuals to performances, only one film is better than Dune Part II in the best 2024 films.
1. Wicked Part One
Jon M. Chu‘s directing, two incredible performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande armed with one of the best songbooks in musical theater make Wicked the best 2024 film.
The casting of Erivo and Grande is the best casting decision in years. Erivo and Grande are magic together as Elphaba and Glinda. Both are, without question, incredible vocalists, but the surprise is how stirring their performances are during the non-singing portions of the film. Erivo shines in showing Elphaba as the outcast who slowly grows into her power. Grande delivers one of the year’s best performances in Wicked. She stands out with incredible comedic chops as the narcissistic, used to having everything handed to her, Glinda.
At 2 hours and 45 minutes, Wicked Part One is as long as the musical itself. However, I barely noticed the film’s length thanks to the incredible production design, Chu’s energetic directing and Alice Brooks‘ stunning cinematography. The practical production design and Chu’s eye for creating impressive musical sequences for the silver screen are wondrous.
Wicked Part One also ends on a literal high note. The Defying Gravity sequence, starting with Elphaba realizing how she’s being used, is brilliant. Even though this is only part one of the story, Chu finds a way to make the climax feel like a satisfying full meal rather than just the appetizer.
Bonus Features: Nine Additional Films Worth Rewatching
- Transformers One
- The Fall Guy
- A Quiet Place: Day One
- Emilia Perez
- Trap
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Monkey Man
- Alien: Romulus
- Twisters
