10 Best Movies Of 2024

Summary

• 2023 was a great year for movies, giving 2024 the challenging task of matching that level.
• 2024’s best movies include highly-anticipated sequels, blockbusters, and streaming gems.
• While some of 2024’s best movies star very popular names, other titles feature promising up-and-comers.

Last year was unforgettable when it came to the movies that were released. July alone will always be remembered for “Barbenheimer,” but that was just one chapter in 2023’s impressive list of highlights. 2024 instantly had the tough task of living up to the previous calendar year, but so far, the world of movies hasn’t disappointed. While there have been some surprises at the box office, 2024 has featured some great quality films in theaters and on streaming.

Among 2024’s best of the best are a few franchise sequels, some fantastic original stories, and even a prequel that didn’t dominate the box office but deserves praise nonetheless. As we’ve learned time and time again, some of the best movies aren’t blockbusters. Whether they are streaming gems or indie titles that require digging deeper to find, it’s always worth considering movies of all sizes. Therefore, the team at Screen Rant put together their list of 2024’s best movies, tallied up the results, and came up with our ultimate top 10.

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The team at Screen Rant has compiled a list of 2024’s best TV shows. After tallying the results, here’s a list of the titles worth watching.

10 The Fall Guy

Written By: James Hunt, Deputy Lead Features Editor

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I’m a simple man: you put Ryan Gosling in a movie that allows him to display his charisma and comedic chops, I’m probably going to like it. Add in Emily Blunt, a very good dog, and a memorable scene involving a Taylor Swift song, and I’m going to love it. So that’s a big ol’ win for The Fall Guy.

Is this the best movie of the year? No, obviously not, hence it’s placement here (and we’ll get to what is the best soon enough). That said, The Fall Guy is perhaps the most purely fun theatrical experience I’ve had in 2024. It’s funny, it’s charming, it has some exciting set pieces that don’t skimp on the action (this is a movie honoring stunt performers, after all) while delivering humor, and is just a really good time.

David Leitch’s direction is, as we’ve come to expect from his action movies, superb. But it’s The Fall Guy‘s cast, and mostly Gosling and Blunt (though Aaron Taylor-Johnson is also wonderful), who make this really sing the way it does. The chemistry and banter are off the charts, and I wish the box office had been better so we could watch them do it all over again. Sadly, it isn’t, but I hope people watch this at home and fall for The Fall Guy like I did.

The Fall Guy PG-13

Director David Leitch Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Drew Pearce Cast Ryan Gosling , Emily Blunt , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Stephanie Hsu , Winston Duke , Hannah Waddingham , Teresa Palmer

9 Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

Written By: Mae Abdulbaki, Lead Critic & Features Writer

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Franchise fatigue is real, and there are only so many out there that actually maintain interest. The Planet of the Apes reboot series is one of them. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth installment in the franchise, is everything I want from a sequel years into its run. The characters are compelling; it proves it can move beyond Caesar’s time while honoring his legacy, and the story is intriguing. Not to mention that it’s exceptionally well-executed, and the special effects are stunning.

Nothing about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes feels tired. I expected it to run out of steam at some point, but it didn’t. Owen Teague’s Noa is a worthy franchise successor, and there’s so much humanity embedded into his character. While the push-pull dynamic between apes and humans is still very much in existence, the film introduces different ape factions and ideologies that prove engrossing. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is equal parts exciting, with suspenseful action-packed sequences, and grounded.

It gives time for characters to grow, balancing emotion with worldbuilding. What struck me the most about the film wasn’t the expansiveness of its world or the spectacular locations. It was the visceral emotions that accompanied Noa’s journey. When one of the main characters died, I felt it. It meant something. During Caesar’s funeral scene in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, I got goosebumps.

Somehow, this franchise keeps upping the ante without losing itself in over-the-top and unnecessary spectacle. The story has always been rooted in empathy and fighting oppression, no matter what form it takes, and the film — under the guidance of Wes Ball’s astute direction and Josh Friedman’s meaty script — continues in that vein as it opens up the world even further. Noa’s journey isn’t yet over, and I look forward to discovering what’s in store for him.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes PG-13

Director Wes Ball Release Date May 10, 2024 Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Patrick Aison , Josh Friedman , Rick Jaffa , Amanda Silver Cast Kevin Durand , Freya Allan , Peter Macon , Owen Teague , Eka Darville , Sara Wiseman , Neil Sandilands Franchise(s) Planet of the Apes Expand

8 Hit Man

Written By: Kara Hedash, Jr. Lead Features Editor

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I first became familiar with Glen Powell from Scream Queens, where he played the scene-stealing frat boy boyfriend, Chad Radwell. He would go on to pop up in some notable roles over the next few years, including 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. By then, it was clear that Powell had leading man potential, something Hit Man fully put on display. Not only did Powell shine as the male lead, but he also co-wrote the movie alongside Richard Linklater, which is an impressive feat in its own right.

Last working together on the underrated Everybody Wants Some!!, Linklater and Powell took a wild true story about a fake hit man named Gary Johnson and spun it into something truly unique. Hit Man serves as a thriller, crime drama, and sexy rom-com while giving Powell a hilariously fun batch of fake identities to play around with. The movie also dives into self-discovery and the struggles that often come with finding your identity, even if it’s intertwined with a bizarre storyline.

Of course, Hit Man wouldn’t have worked if not for the movie’s cast alongside Powell, especially Adria Arjona’s Madison. The chemistry between Powell and Arjona was seriously unreal, to the point that I think the casting director deserves a raise. From their very first scene together, Gary and Madison had an undeniable spark. But watching their complicated love story unfold amid Gary’s hit man ploy had me instantly invested. I knew Powell had charm, but damn, he used it like a superpower in this movie.

Honestly, it’s a shame that Hit Man didn’t get a theatrical release because it would have been a blast to watch on the big screen. Thankfully, we’re still in the summer of Glen Powell since the actor will be starring in Twisters in July. Powell also has a slew of other notable roles already booked, seeing as he’s one of the most sought after names in Hollywood, and deservedly so.

Hit Man
had festival screenings in 2023, but it wasn’t widely released until June 2024.

Hit Man R Where to Watch

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Director Richard Linklater Release Date September 5, 2023 Writers Richard Linklater , Glen Powell Cast Glen Powell , Adria Arjona , Austin Amelio , Retta , Molly Bernard

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7 Late Night With The Devil

Written By: Craig Elvy, Jr. Lead Features Editor

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Horror remains one of the few genres truly thriving in the post-pandemic era, and 2024 continues to bring forth innovative, exciting, quality, and cinematic terrors. The Cairnes’ brothers Late Night with the Devil is a fine example of the impressive purple patch horror is enjoying, with its boldly ambitious single-location premise conjuring an eerily authentic sense of claustrophobic voyeurism. Viewers will be forgiven for walking away from Late Night with the Devil feeling like villains for sitting and watching such horrors unfold, but that creeping sense of forbidden fun only makes the overall experience seem more dangerous, more taboo, more believable.

Late Night with the Devil is chock-full of memorable supporting characters, but the movie’s success undeniably hinges on the performance of its esteemed host. As Jack Delroy, David Dastmalchian walks a very thin line between a charming protagonist and a symbol of everything wrong with humankind. That’s the point, of course, but it’s a demanding balance few actors could hit with the required sincerity. That Late Night with the Devil never once collapses into the inherent campiness of its 1970s setting and never feels like it’s trying too hard is a testament to the depth of Dastmalchian’s performance.

Oddly, Late Night with the Devil’s refusal to take itself completely seriously is the secret weapon here. Had the Cairnes brothers played it straight, they would have given viewers every reason to laugh at the melodrama, the costumes, and the Twin Peaks-esque ending. By keeping a knowing wink in the eye and tongue firmly in cheek, everyone ends up laughing nervously together, not sure whether to smile, cry, or run away in fright. And isn’t that what horror should be?

Late Night With the Devil R

Director Cameron Cairnes , Colin Cairnes Release Date March 22, 2024 Distributor(s) Umbrella Entertainment , Maslow Entertainment Writers Colin Cairnes , Cameron Cairnes Cast David Dastmalchian , Laura Gordon , Ian Bliss , Fayssal Bazzi , Ingrid Torelli , Rhys Auteri , Josh Quong Tart , Georgina Haig

6 Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Written By: Mae Abdulbaki, Lead Critic & Features Writer

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When Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was first announced, I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical. How could director and co-writer George Miller top the titular character’s story from Mad Max: Fury Road? Well, it’s nice to know a prequel can erase any doubt about its quality by simply being fantastic. Furiosa’s origin story manages to feel fresh despite the return of certain characters from Fury Road, like Immortan Joe. Anya Taylor-Joy’s version of Furiosa is just as fierce and powerful as Charlize Theron before her, and it’s easy to believe her as the younger version of the same character.

Furiosa is very much a story of revenge, this time against Chris Hemsworth’s nearly unrecognizable Dementus, and it hits all the right notes. It even goes so far as to explain how Furiosa lost her arm in a harrowing, tension-filled scene. There’s very little dialogue, but that doesn’t deter the story at all. Furiosa’s cast is more than up to the task, delivering layered and, in the case of Taylor-Joy, emotional performances that make each moment sing. The action sequences aren’t a repeat of what was done in Fury Road, and the film’s vibe is very much its own.

It merely adds to the apocalyptic world in which the story is set. Miller clearly put a lot of thought into Furiosa when it would have been easy to phone it in. But the more expansive the Mad Max world gets, the more I want to see of it. Visually, Furiosa is a feast for the eyes. Its weathered, rugged landscape and eerie desolation complement the actions of its characters, the brutality and violence a contrast to the hopeful peach seed that Furiosa carries around with her. All in all, Furiosa is an impressive, immersive prequel that really packs a punch.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga R

Director George Miller Release Date May 24, 2024 Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers George Miller , Nick Lathouris Cast Anya Taylor-Joy , Chris Hemsworth , Tom Burke , Alyla Browne , Nathan Jones , Angus Sampson , Daniel Webber , Lachy Hulme Franchise(s) Mad Max Expand

5 I Saw The TV Glow

Written By: Graeme Guttmann, Senior News Editor & Critic

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Jane Schoenbrun’s We’re All Going to the World’s Fair introduced a bold new filmmaking voice with a copypasta horror saga that spoke both to the internet age and to a deeply personal narrative about gender dysphoria. This year, they returned with I Saw the TV Glow, a stunning masterwork of a follow-up and the second part in their “Screen Trilogy.”

It’s difficult to overstate just how well everything comes together in I Saw the TV Glow — from the soundtrack — Caroline Polachek’s “Starburnt and Unkissed” plays as Owen walks down the school hallways, a moment I’ll never forget seeing for the first time — to the neon-laced visuals and heart-on-its-sleeve influences like Twin Peaks and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it’s a brilliant amalgamation of nostalgia and the pain and joy that it brings.

Beyond that, though, is a deeply moving, quietly unsettling story about identity, the passage of time, and gender dysphoria. The lines of reality blur for Justice Smith’s Owen and Brigette Lundy-Paine’s Maddy: they become deeply obsessed with The Pink Opaque, a Buffy-esque show about two girls fighting the evil Mr. Melancholy and various other demons under his control. But who are Owen and Maddy really — are they actually Isabel and Tara, the two girls from the show? Are Owen and Maddy just the Midnight Realm versions of themselves being tormented by Mr. Melancholy?

I Saw the TV Glow‘s hotly-debated ending has been called both hopeful and distressing, but I think both of those things exist within the cathartic chest-burster of a finale. “There is still time,” is a refrain that rings throughout I Saw the TV Glow, and that’s as hopeful as anything. It’s a bold but necessary statement in a time where trans people face constant physical and institutional violence, forcing those who wish to live their true lives to second guess their very nature. Schoenbrun, through their storytelling, is asking for hope, even while knowing that pain can sometimes be a prerequisite to that. It’s a beautiful idea wrapped up in a package that is terrifying, uplifting, and a wonderful piece of cinema.

I Saw the TV Glow PG-13

Director Jane Schoenbrun Release Date January 18, 2024 Distributor(s) A24 Writers Jane Schoenbrun Cast Justice Smith , Brigette Lundy-Paine , Danielle Deadwyler , Fred Durst , Helena Howard , Ian Foreman

4 Inside Out 2

Written By: Simon Gallagher, Executive Editor

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If you watched Inside Out nine years and came out of it believing there’d ever be a sequel, you should play the lottery more. The emotional exploration into… well, emotions was arguably one of Pixar’s most self-contained stories, and despite its success, a sequel never seemed likely. But then, of course, puberty was the next step.

And Inside Out 2 feels like the writing team was waiting for the right story to percolate over that near-decade between the movies. Once again, while we’re watching a story about a child’s emotions, there is a commonality and an irresistible universality to the observations. This is Pixar’s family approach perfected.

The sequel is funny, uplifting, heartfelt, and most surprisingly, offers a meditation on legacy that will make parents crumble. There is always subtle artistry in Pixar’s best movies, and Inside Out 2 is such a refined achievement that there should be no question about why it’s smashed the box office.

Inside Out 2 PG

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Director Kelsey Mann Release Date June 14, 2024 Distributor(s) Disney Writers Meg LeFauve Cast Amy Poehler , Tony Hale , Maya Hawke , Liza Lapira , Lewis Black , Phyllis Smith , Diane Lane Franchise(s) Disney Expand

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3 Challengers

Written By: Jordan Williams, Streaming Movies/TV Features Editor

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Luca Guadagnino is already well renowned for his provocative filmmaking, and Challengers takes him into the sexual undertones and ruthlessness of the tennis world. With knockout performances from Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor, I was entranced from the moment the tennis began to the final moment of Tashi screaming at the match. If Zendaya doesn’t campaign for an Oscar for this role, I’ll be more shocked than Art seeing Patrick’s “signal” during Challengers’ ending match.

Far and away, Challengers is a great example of why we go to the movies. The sound, the epic star power, the scenes that you feel like you should look away from but simply can’t peel your eyes from, and the stylistic cinematography make it not just a marvel of filmmaking, but one of the most exciting cinematic experiences in recent years. As exhilarating as the tennis players’ love triangle is, Challengers keeps the adrenaline pumping through its quick cuts, witty dialogue, and the incredible score by Atticus Ross & Trent Reznor.

For a movie that had critics worried about sounding too “horny” in reviews, Challengers subverts audience expectations with its shocking lack of sex. Early on, Tashi compares the intimacy and dynamic of tennis to sex, and Challengers cleverly maintains this allegory for audiences throughout the next two hours. When they’re playing tennis, it’s most intensely that the movie dives into a love scene; when they’re actually flirting or becoming sexually intimate, it’s like a tennis match.

Challengers also proves itself a masterful exploration of pride, envy, lust, and lost potential, with each character using the other as a vehicle for their gratification and substitute for whatever they personally lack. The way that Guadagnino translates these themes into the characters, their goals, and motivations is entirely captivating. I’ve never watched a sports film that actually made me feel like a spectator at one of those matches in the movie theater, but as Tashi bounces back and forth between Art and Patrick and vice versa, Challengers makes itself one of the most unique and unmissable cinematic experiences of the year.

Challengers R

Director Luca Guadagnino Release Date April 26, 2024 Distributor(s) Amazon MGM Studios Writers Justin Kuritzkes Cast Zendaya , Josh O’Connor , Mike Faist

2 Civil War

Written By: Cooper Hood, Theatrical Features Editor

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I’ve long been a fan of Alex Garland’s work, and even though Men left a sour taste in my mouth, my expectations were still quite high for Civil War. Examining the warring sides of a crumbled democracy in a futuristic, but not all-that-unbelievable, version of America is a rich concept for someone like Garland to explore. Doing it through the lens of a photojournalist and ignoring the more significant world-building questions about the Civil War makes the movie so unique. Garland delivers a brutal depiction of war and the human cost and impact.

One of the genius aspects of Civil War is that the movie is not nearly as political as one would think given its subject matter. The movie and its characters are not concerned about debating who is on the right or wrong side of history here. Garland strictly wants to explore the many facets of war and what it does to people, whether they have been around it for years, as is the case for Kirsten Dunst’s Lee, or they are just now becoming exposed to it, like with Cailee Spaeny’s Jessie.

With a great premise, a terrific filmmaker, a stellar cast, and big-budget backing by A24, Civil War had all the ingredients to be one of the year’s best films. It is only through these different aspects working together as well as they do that Garland delivers something memorable, tense, and unflinching. Standout sequences like the sniper scene, Jesse Plemons’ cameo, and more can be bottled up as examples of what Civil War wants to communicate, and it is incredibly efficient at doing that.

Civil War R

Director Alex Garland Release Date April 26, 2024 Distributor(s) A24 Writers Alex Garland Cast Kirsten Dunst , Wagner Moura , Stephen McKinley Henderson , Cailee Spaeny , Jesse Plemons , Nick Offerman

1 Dune: Part Two

Written By: James Hunt, Deputy Lead Features Editor

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I loved 2021’s Dune, so my expectations heading into Dune: Part Two were higher than one of the Fremen on a spice binge realizing the Lisan al Gaib is among them. What Denis Villeneuve made somehow managed to exceed them.

With Dune 2, I am now fully convinced that, on a sheer production level and in terms of worldbuilding, this is the most impressive cinematic franchise we’ve seen since Lord of the Rings. The scale is staggering. Every element of how it’s crafted is just ridiculously good. There’s no part of it on that side you can pull out and criticize, and the world feels so fully formed that you are completely transported into it.

And none of it would really matter if the story wasn’t good. And, well, it’s good – and then some. I hope Disney takes notes for when it eventually remakes the Star Wars prequels in about 30 years because this is how you do a deconstruction of the Chosen One. Paul Atreides’ arc in this movie is brilliantly done – powerful, dark, twisted, complicated, and carried wonderfully by Timothée Chalamet in his best performance to date.

The rest of Dune: Part Two‘s cast is equally as good, and some even better. I would’ve liked more of Florence Pugh, but she still delivers in her screen time, and I’m excited to see where that story goes next. Austin Butler is horrifyingly, hauntingly good as the bald, black-toothed bastard that is Feyd-Rautha. But it’s Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem who impressed me the most, each giving incredibly layered performances as the heart, mind, and soul of this movie.

Look, Dune: Part Two would be a top 10 movie of 2024 based on the strength of its memes alone. Give me every single Lisan al Gaib tweet. Invent the Oscar for Best Memes and give it to Bardem’s performance. But Villeneuve’s epic has me looking at the director with widened, bright blue eyes as though he’s the Chosen One about to save cinéma, and I cannot wait to see what mad s**t he does in Dune 3. The only downside is going to be the wait, but I know it’ll be worth it.

Dune: Part Two PG-13 Where to Watch

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Director Denis Villeneuve Release Date March 1, 2024 Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Denis Villeneuve , Jon Spaihts Cast Timothee Chalamet , Zendaya , Florence Pugh , Austin Butler , Rebecca Ferguson Franchise(s) Dune Expand

Source: https://www.lsu.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment