My Top Ten Films of 2024
With 2024 having come to a close, I now get to write my favourite article of the year! Today, I will be counting down my top ten favourite movies of 2024. As a small note, there are many films I haven’t seen such as The Wild Robot or The Substance that I feel would have made my list if I’d seen them, but I have not. I will be going based on the 56 films I’ve logged from this year. Without further ado, here is the list!
10. A Complete Unknown A biopic on Bob Dylan’s life, A Complete Unknown is a stellar commentary on music and the times that are indeed a-changin’. Supported by award-worthy cast performances, great music, and a compelling narrative about what it means to be an artist, A Complete Unknown takes the award for biopic of the year.
9. Lisa Frankenstein I wanted to include either this film or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on this list as the resident ‘80s inspired horrorcore film, and Lisa Frankenstein just barely takes the spot. Carried by nostalgic set design and strong lead performances from a few up-and-coming young actors, Lisa Frankenstein is a film that any Tim Burton fan would adore.
8. Dune: Part Two Though Dune: Part Two was not the masterpiece for me that it was for a lot of other people, denying it as a great movie is still pretty bizarre in my opinion. Between the acting performances, the effects, the set design, and the Denis Villeneuve direction, there was never a chance this would be anything less than a great movie. Stay tuned for Dune: Messiah!
7. Heretic Here’s the film I wrote about last month! Heretic is absolutely not philosophy for philosophers, but it is a great starting point for those minorly interested in theological philosophy. Between this, the film’s unique concept, and the writing team’s ability to leave you on the edge of your seat, Heretic is undoubtedly one of the most thought-provoking films of the year.
6. Speak No Evil People tend to have issues with Americans remaking European films, but 2024’s Speak No Evil was so good that it largely dodged that criticism. Off the back of an award-worthy performance from James McAvoy, Speak No Evil told a gut-wrenching tale of a serial-killing couple and sits comfortably in my top 3 horror flicks of the year.
5. A Quiet Place: Day One As a sucker for the A Quiet Place franchise, there was never a chance that I was not going to like Day One, the prequel to the original films starring Joseph Quinn and Lupita Nyong’o, the latter having given a performance that I think is deserving of some buzz during award season. Day One, especially as post-COVID media, tells an important tale of finding things to live for after all hope seems lost.
4. Monkey Man Dev Patel’s directorial debut, Monkey Man took the action genre and flipped it on its head by telling a Bollywood-inspired tale that has been described as representing the anti-Batman: a poor Indian man who takes down corrupt elites. With brilliant choreography and jaw-dropping cinematography, Monkey Man should excite anyone about Dev Patel’s future as a filmmaker.
3. Civil War Directed by Alex Garland, Civil War did not go in the direction that many people assumed it to go and did not become a generic wartime film. Instead, Civil War was all about the passion of a craft (in this case, photography), and pushing yourself to limits far beyond what is healthy in order to achieve greatness. Mixing this in with themes of desensitization and the still very present concept of a war-torn United States, as well as strong performances from all actors involved, Civil War was one of the most creative takes I’ve ever seen on this overdone concept.
2. Late Night with the Devil About one horror film comes out every year that has me in awe the whole time; like with every passing scene I find myself in more shock at the lengths that this film has gone to disturb its characters with good horror. Late Night with the Devil was that film for me this year. Framed through the lens of a 1970s talk show headed by David Dastmalchian (who was made to play a ‘70s talk show host) as Jack Delroy, this film has you constantly on the edge of your seat, sucked into this world which feels so real. Barring a few AI-generated title screens, Late Night with the Devil truly just feels like a passion project rich with visceral feelings of ‘70s nostalgia.
1. Dìdi (弟弟) In 1st place, which comes as no shock to me, is a coming-of-age film. Something about this genre, when done correctly, can pull at my heartstrings like no other. Dìdi, which tells the story about young Taiwanese-American boy Chris Wang, has related to me in ways I didn’t know possible. Between Chris’ struggle to make friends and find love, his familial issues, and his changing for the worse in order to fix both of these problems, Dìdi covers much of the preteen experience in a way that is compelling to all ages. And the resolution of this film is something that got me even more in my emotions. Overall, Dìdi just feels like a love-letter to these emotions we’ve all felt as young teens and serves as a great lesson for people currently struggling with these issues. For these reasons, the film is the only movie I’ve scored 10/10 this year, and is proudly my film of the year. This year has been quite the year for films! Though there are many notable movies I have yet to see, I’m sure to have a second wave of 2024 film watching when award season comes around. Thank you all for reading and for spending 2024 with me. Happy New Year! For more of my reviews, you can go to letterboxd.com/omgmateo
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