From 2005 through 2013 and then, after a brief hiatus, again from 2017-2023, I have punctuated each year with an increasingly complex Best of List. The fact is that I watch things, read things, and eat things, and above all, I love making lists. Over the next three weeks, I’ll pull from a year’s worth of notes, streaming stats, Instagram posts, and spreadsheet entries to put together a personal summary of my 2024 experience (your results may differ).
BEST OF FILM 2024 (Recap)
No other blogger is brave enough to pick their favorites before they ever see them. Here’s what I boldly thought I’d be writing about in December 2024 (when it was still an innocent December 2023). Try not to laugh at my 2023 innocence. Of all the years that I’ve predicted the Best Of a year ahead of time, this is easily the most complete list I’ve ever created. As of this writing, one hasn’t come out yet, but I’ve watched all of the remaining nine films, even if they don’t make my final list.
PREDICTED BEST MOVIES OF 2024 (As I Wrote About Them in Dec. 2023)
1. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (May): I put lots of faith in director George Miller even though we don’t see much from him on the big screen. This prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) is a long time coming. The trailer does just what it needed to do. It reminded us all how exciting the previous film was and told us to be in theaters in May to watch this exciting film. These type of films rarely make my “Best Of” films at the end of the year, but I look forward to the theater experience of them when they arrive.
Buy Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Blu-ray2. Joker: Folie A Deux (October): Director Todd Phillips brings back Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker and adds Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. I’m skeptical of the musical aspects of this film, but I questioned all aspects of the first film that I ended up liking quite a bit.
3. Dune: Part Two (March): I’m just a few chapters away from finishing the book and this second part comes with some great timing. I was excited to see this when it was supposed to come out in 2023. Director Villenueve’s adaptation is beautiful to look at, and the second portion of the book should provide lots of sandy action scenes.
4. Nosferatu (December): If I thought this was actually going to play in theaters in 2024, it might be my #1 film of the year. Directed by Robert Eggers and starring Willem Dafoe and Bill Skarsgard, this remake of the Dracula by Bram Stoker meets German opera films looks amazing just from the few shots we’ve seen. Few other films on this list check off as many boxes of my interests.
5. Civil War (April): Is this Alex Garland-directed movie a fictional film or a futuristic documentary? Alex makes some beautiful and thought provoking films like Men (2022) and Ex Machina (2014). This has a ton of potential but might be dragged down by real world headlines.
6. Drive-Away Dolls (February): We don’t have a Coen Bros movie for 2024. I can give you half of that with this Ethan Coen road trip film. Expect wacky hi-jinx and a caper with regular people caught up in a series of events that get out of their control.
7. A Quiet Place: Day One (Unknown): I liked the first film and didn’t watch the second one. Luckily this is a spin-off prequel that isn’t a continuation from that second film. There’s potential to the franchise and I hope it works out.
8. Madame Web (February): Sony tries to continue their Spider-Man franchise without Spider-Man. I wouldn’t have thought I’d have any interest in this until I saw what looks like a film that has something to it.
9. Imaginary (March): There’s almost no way I will see this in theaters. I didn’t think I would even have it on my radar until seeing a very effective trailer. I can imagine that by early spring this will show up on Peacock and be a good Saturday night flick. Horror films that aren’t sequels should be supported.
10. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (May): It’s been seven years since War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) ended the original trilogy. It’s easy to forget that there wasn’t a bad film in that batch. Director Wes Bell brings us into the future with this new entry that looks to bring the timeline closer to where we entered the Universe back in the original. There isn’t much substance to give away the plot here, but I’m excited to reenter the world of the apes.
BEST MOVIES OF 2024
My goal in past years has been to view at least 25 movies in the theaters. Last year I made it to 14, which was a “normal” year but ultimately a chaotic year personally. This year I made an effort to attend more films as a means to get out of the house. I went to 40 as of this writing and might hit 42-43 if the next week holds up to plans.
I used to limit this list to only theatrical films, but there are too many good films that get released across the streaming services. So this list is limited to 2024 releases (a slight fudge for limited release films that bled into January for wide release) that I have watched. As a point of comparison, I have watched 44 films from 2024 from which to pull out the Top Ten. I found time to watch 44 movies that were made 50 years ago. Those make their own list. Documentaries are relegated to their own list also.
The Best Movie of 2023: Oppenheimer (Directed by Christopher Nolan).
1. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Directed by George Miller): I’ve heard all of the criticisms. It was the fun popcorn movie that didn’t break the box office. It was full of action, but people wanted more plot. For me, it was a fitting (likely) end to the franchise, at least as directed by George Miller. I had more fun at the theater with this film than any other in 2024.
2. Love Lies Bleeding (Directed by Rose Glass): I knew this would be good, but I didn’t expect it to be one of the best films of the year. A film noir at heart, it is set in 1989 as a cultural touchpoint, so we know that most of the influences in the filmmaking come from that era. It’s hard to pin down this lesbian romance thriller. It rides a fine line between being unique while wearing the David Lynch and Coen Bros influences on its sleeve.
3. Dune: Part Two (Directed by Denis Villeneuve): In so many ways, 2024 was the year of the Dune franchise for me (see upcoming lists). Between the two movies, I finally read the first book and more. I watched the Lynch version and caught Part One at the theaters before Part Two. While not 100% faithful to the book, it was a satisfying conclusion to the two-part film series. The film understands what is still to come in a way that Herbert didn’t when he finished the first book. This is a beautiful film that will make great viewing on the big screen again at anniversary showings.
Buy Dune: Part Two Blu-ray4. Janet Planet (Directed by Annie Baker): There is always room in my heart for small stories that just unfold at a leisurely rate. This story of the misfit tween and misfit mother set in 1991 isn’t going to resonate with everyone. I found it charming and a perfect mid-summer relaxed movie.
5. I Saw The TV Glow (Directed by Jane Schoenbrun): This is the other end of the coming-of-age spectrum than Janet Planet. Both are thematically about living the life of your true self at their hearts. This posits it as more of a horror show. The story is a thin-veiled symbolic journey of a transgender youth. It’s striking, weird, and I loved it.
6. Wild Robot (Directed by Chris Sanders): In a year with some decent Pixar offerings, this Dreamworks movie was the best animated film of the year for me. A modern take on the classic The Ugly Duckling story with the lesson to once again be yourself. It might not be the best animation of the year, but Roz makes it one of the best films of the year.
7. Kinds of Kindness (Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos): This film probably ends up in most people’s Top Ten or Bottom Ten. The three related stories give an impression more than tell a coherent story. What control do we have over our own lives and how do you take back that control if you don’t have it? Each year, Jesse Plemons continues plugging away as one of the most interesting actors out there.
8. Tuesday (Directed by Daina O. Pusic): This tricky little film deals with the impending death of a daughter and how we deal with loss and death with dignity. At the same time, it is oddly the most uplifting film I watched this year. Definitely the best film of the year with a size-shifting Macaw.
9. Didi (Directed by Sean Wang): This coming-of-age film set in 2008 works best when it’s being weird (talking fish, etc). I was disappointed that the bones of the story didn’t deliver on the same level. It doesn’t have to solve major questions, but it sets itself up to at least provide some closure that doesn’t happen.
10. Late Night With The Devil / Longlegs / Cuckoo (Directed by Cameron and Colin Cairnes / Oz Perkins / Tilman Singer): These three films represent different tributaries of the horror genre river. They all straddle influences of the past while pushing their genre into new arenas. They have varying influences they wear on their sleeves from Brian De Palma, David Lynch, and Jonathan Demme. Cuckoo is probably my 10a choice as my favorite experience of the three, but they all have their strengths. When people watch Smile 2 and tell you that the horror genre is in a rut, then tell them to check out the fringes. All of them exist in the real world with casual elements of the supernatural. These all excite me for the future.
Honorable Mention: Kill (Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat): I couldn’t find room for it in the Top Ten. Mostly it just doesn’t fit among any of those entries. This Indian thriller takes place 95% on a train that is being hijacked. It’s a combination of a heist film meets Jackie Chan action film as imagined by Quentin Tarantino. It was my most entertaining filmgoing experience of the year. I hope you can see it in a theater at some point. My experience was saying “Holy shit.” about 25 times over the 105 minutes. I am instantly a fan of star, Lakshya, who I will seek out in other films to come.
BEST MOVIES I DIDN’T SEE IN 2024
Last year, I did my best follow-up ever. I eventually watched all ten of my ten “Best Movies I Didn’t See.” This list acknowledges that I’ve missed some incredible films in 2024 and I’ll get around to some of them by 2034. The films off this list from last year like Poor Things, Anatomy of a Fall, and Killers of the Flower Moon all would have been heavy contenders for the Top Ten of 2023 if I had watched them before creating the list. Some of these suffer from either limited releases, bad timing against my schedule, or late-in-the-year release that I just haven’t caught up with yet.
The Best Movie I Didn’t See in 2023: Past Lives (Directed by Celine Song).
1. All We Imagine As Light (Directed by Payal Kapadia): Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival this past year. I have only read great things about this film from India. There is a momentum for Bollywood over the past couple of years, and this might help expand theatrical releases for these films.
2. Nosferatu (Directed by Robert Eggers): This film is just a victim of bad timing. My prediction is that when I finally see this in theaters at some point between Christmas and New Year’s Day, it will be a top three to four film of the year. The new trailers and reviews have done nothing to sway me from my prediction that this Eggers film will be his best.
3. A Real Pain (Directed by Jesse Eisenberg): I’m intrigued by the trailer. Mostly I’m a big fan of Kieran Culkin. The public reviews aren’t all positive, but the critics are clearly positive about the film.
4. A Different Man (Directed by Aaron Schimberg): This is one of those films that I don’t read about, don’t know the director, but the minute I see the trailer, I know it’s a director I will seek out for years. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but this looks like a wonderfully touching and thoughtful film.
5. The Substance (Directed by Coralie Fargeat): The era of the body horror film is upon us. This appears to be a pretty surface level satire, but the reviews keep it on my list.
6. Flow (Directed by Gints Zilbalodis): You had my interest at “animated cat film.” The post-apocalyptic aspect is just frosting on the cake.
7. Kneecap (Directed by Rich Peppiatt): This film has done what few others have for me, it has overcome what I think is a terrible trailer. I had confusion and was doubting what this film was really about after seeing the trailer a couple of times. The more reviews I’ve read, the more I want to give the film a chance.
8. Anora (Directed by Sean Baker): This could be the breakout film of the year or it could be derivative drivel. I’m leaning towards somewhere in the middle but hedging my bets since it is on so many other Best Of lists.
9. The Brutalist (Directed by Brady Corbet): This Adrien Brody film is here as a placeholder. If it had been out before the time of this writing, I would have seen it. Since it comes out between my Best Of list and the start of 2025, it won’t make my list next year unless I change my personal rules.
10. Megalopolis (Directed by Francis Ford Coppola): I don’t expect this to be good. Maybe intellectually interesting at best. I will watch it the way I follow the later careers of Spielberg and Scorsese, to see how their vision of the world changes in later life. There’s very little about the film that has garnered my attention other than Coppola’s obsession with getting it to the screen.
BEST DOCUMENTARIES I WATCHED IN 2024
I started my Documentary Project in 2020. I was more immersed in it back then with 180 docs watched but I had fallen off to 40 documentaries in 2023. I made a comeback to 58 this past year. I previously ranked the best documentaries of the current year and the past years separately. I’m combining this list just to represent the best that I watched this past year.
Best Documentary 2023: American Buffalo (2023).
1. Jim Henson Idea Man (Directed by Ron Howard) (2024): This doesn’t break any new ground for fans of the Muppets. It’s my favorite of the year because it just makes me feel good. I often classify documentaries as ones that delve deeper into subjects that I know of very cursory or ones that tell the complete story of something that happened in a way the reflects upon our present. There’s another type that I have come to enjoy and that’s the purely nostalgic documentary. The footage here is amazing. (Playing on Disney+)
2. The Sixth (Directed by Andrea Nix Fine, Sean Fine) (2024): The movie hits you on a very visceral level, no matter your politics. The footage is mostly first person, and it’s up close and personal. The January 6th riots might be four years in our past, but this documentary doesn’t feel dated a bit. It might not change your political view of what happened as much as your humanity view of what happened. (Playing on Amazon Prime)
Buy My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock3. My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock (Directed by Mark Cousins) (2024): This is the rare documentary that is good for beginners and for expert level Hitchcock fans. It doesn’t spoil the important elements of his films. In fact, it might be just a little too much of a sampler platter for the uninitiated. I love that decades after his death, one of my favorite documentaries still sheds new light on the man’s films. (Playing on DVD)
4. Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in Two Pieces (Directed by Morgan Neville) (2024): Where are these documentaries are coming up with such incredible old footage for these stories? I didn’t think I’d learn much new about Steve Martin, but I certainly didn’t realize how much Martin doesn’t fit easily into a Hollywood box. This is a charming two-part story. (Playing on Apple+)
5. STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. (Directed by Jamila Wignot) (2024): An amazing treasure trove of footage that I never knew existed, and the amount of work that had to go into acquiring the rights to all of the music used in the film is breathtaking. At four hours, that’s enough to tell the STAX story, but you are left wanting more and more of the funk and soul music that came out of this studio in the ’60s and ’70s. The soundtrack alone puts this at the top of the year’s offerings. (Playing on MAX)
6. The Beach Boys (Directed by Frank Marshall) (2024): Can you tell the story of the Beach Boys without all of the Beach Boys? The answer here is a definitive, sort of. It’s a version of their history. The archival footage is amazing, bordering on breathtaking as you listen to their harmonies. Ultimately, you leave the film with the sense that a piece is still missing. It’s still worth the journey. (Playing on Disney+)
7. Sugarcane (Directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie) (2024): This feels like National Geographic going out on a limb as far as their brand of nature-related documentaries go. This is the tragic story of the abused and missing children from the native Indian schools in Canada. It’s a story of children ripped from their parents over the course of decades. It’s also the story of the strength of the modern tribes to overcome the tragedies. It’s powerful, and I found it emotional to watch all at once. (Playing on Hulu)
8. I’m Just Here for the Riot (Directed by Asia Youngman, Kathleen Jayme) (2023): The second “riot” film on the list is an unique look at the 2011 riot in Vancouver after the Game 7 loss to Boston. The origins and thoughts of the participants are interesting for viewers who wonder how “innocent” bystanders can get caught up in violence. I enjoy these type of stories from ESPN’s 30 For 30. (Playing on ESPN+)
9. Leonardo Da Vinci (Directed by Ken Burns) (2024): While we await The American Revolution, Ken Burns drops four hours of the amazing, interesting, fantastic life of Leonardo Da Vinci. Truly the life of a curious man, these four hours feel like they gloss over all of the important things the man did in his lifetime. I would have enjoyed more of a perspective of what was happening in the world and with his peers, as Da Vinci spent most of his lifetime in Italy. The quality and storytelling that we’ve come to expect from Ken Burns. (Playing on PBS)
10. American Coup Wilmington 1898 (Directed by Brad Lichtenstein, Yoruba Richen): The third film centered around a riot. This one was the most shocking and deadly. It also happens to be the one that isn’t taught in our history books. Covered up on many levels since 1989, the race war caused by the Black vote in the election is as much a story about what happened as it is on how it has been covered up. American Experience had a number of powerful stories this season that could have made the list, but this one has stuck with me the most. (Playing on PBS)
BEST MOVIES OF 1974
I have previously taken yearly deep dives into 1970 through 1973. The experience builds upon itself as I see patterns and connections from year to year. The examination of 1974 came into focus better for having done the previous years. The Watergate scandal caused the resignation of President Nixon, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s homerun record, and the price of gas skyrocketed to 53 cents because of the oil embargo. I watched 50 films from 1974, which I know is just scratching the surface, and first viewing or tenth viewing, here is what sticks with me.
Buy The Godfather Part II1. The Godfather Part II (Directed by Francis Ford Coppola): It would be harder to find a “Best Of 1974” list that doesn’t have this as the #1 film of the year. I enjoy Part II more than the original in many ways. The most important part of the story is Al Pacino’s journey. This isn’t a Mafia film any longer. It’s the story of the American Dream that just happens to be about gangsters. The ending is still one of my favorites of the decade.
2. Young Frankenstein (Directed by Mel Brooks): What a year for Mel Brooks. This film shows a level of control of the film that he hadn’t shown previously or since. For me, this is his peak. The laughs here are more genuine and less forced.
3. The Conversation (Directed by Francis Ford Coppola): It’s odd to have a best of list with two films by a director, but what about a year when two directors take up four spots on the roster. It’s hard enough to make a Best Of list for Gene Hackman, but his role here as a surveillance expert is a Top Three.
4. Chinatown (Directed by Roman Polanski): I am obliged to mention how much we all detest the human being that Roman Polanski is, while at the same time, I have to separate out the director and say, “Damn, he can tell a story.” Jack Nicholson has a lifetime of roles, but maybe he hasn’t been any character in his bones more than Jake Gittes.
5. Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Directed by Tobe Hooper): There’s no way to underplay how important this movie was to multiple future genres of film. In lesser hands, this would have been a mess. In the hands of Tobe Hooper, the film is a relentless ride that manages to tell a story with sound design, camera angles, and least of all, acting.
6. Blazing Saddles (Directed by Mel Brooks): There’s no denying the humor and how influential it has been on this particular genre of films. I saw it on the big screen this year, and I’m not sure it’s an overall brilliant film. The western spoof gets lost in the effort to tell another joke each scene. I would have liked the actual story to play out a little more. It’s still one of the more audacious movies of the decade.
7. The Parallax View (Directed by Alan Pakula): This political thriller was possibly the biggest surprise of the 1974 films. The brainwashing of Conservatives had a bit of resonance in this political climate. There is no denying Warren Beaty’s level of stardom. In my mind, only Redford and Newman are more mesmerizing on-screen in the ’70s.
8. Black Christmas (Directed by Bob Clark): You can argue if it’s the first slasher film, but you are missing the excellent script and editing. I love that this film is getting a new life recently.
9. Alice in the Cities (Directed by Wim Wenders): I’m rarely disappointed with a Wim Wenders film. He’s got a quiet way of building characters and plot that reel you in. This Road Movie is no different. The spirit of America and Europe on display here captures the state of the world in 1974.
10. Phantom of the Paradise (Directed by Brian DePalma): This updated Phantom of the Opera story still feels unique. In the years since, no director has been able to create a horror, romance, musical the same way. Adding the layer of a corrupt record industry makes this even more intriguing.
There were plenty of 1974 movies that I just didn’t get around to yet. The best of the bunch I didn’t watch include The Longest Yard, Death Wish, and The Great Gatsby.
BEST TRAILERS OF 2024
Going to the theaters more meant more trailers. What I found is that there are often only 4-5 trailers in heavy rotation at any given week. I rely on YouTube and Google to fill in the holes of hundreds of other releases that come out in a year. From my limited selection, here are the best trailers / mini-movies of the past year.
2022 Best Trailer: Marcel The Shell With Shoes On.
2023 Best Trailer: Asteroid City
1. Longlegs (Directed by Oz Perkins): This is just an insanely good trailer. This does what the very top-tier trailers are able to do – it packs in plenty of clips of the film, gives you the sense of the story and tone of the film, but doesn’t spoil even some very basics of the plot. I probably saw this trailer a half dozen times in theaters and each time the crowd had a hush by the end of it.
2. Thunderbolts (Directed by Jake Schreier) (2025): There are teasers, there are trailers, and then there’s whatever next level that this plus three minutes purports to be. It’s not “teaser”; it’s practically a scene and a recap all in one. I was already their customer before this, but now I might be there first weekend. We’re all turning to each other now saying, “Was the Bucky?”
3. Deadpool & Wolverine (Directed by Shawn Levy): What you see is what you get. They probably didn’t need to do anything other than put up the movie title and release date. The trailer captures what you get in the film, and somehow, even though it spoiled some great lines, I wasn’t disappointed when I saw the film. If anything, this trailer makes the film look too mainstream of a superhero film. The bonus addition of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” puts this over the top.
4. Cuckoo (Directed by Tilman Singer): Maybe Neon just knows how to do trailers. The sound design of this trailer is really good. It certainly mirrors the mood of the film. There are a few too many spoilers here for important points of the film, but as a whole, it might be more cohesive than the actual film ended up being. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like both.
5. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Directed by Nick Parks): Feathers McGraw is one of the best villains in animated history, and he’s back. This trailer didn’t need to show me so many plot elements, so I haven’t watched it a second time. It made enough of an impression to sit in the Top Five.
BONUS: Sasquatch Sunset (Directed by Nathan and David Zellner): I don’t even know what to say about this trailer. I spent most of it waiting for the clue that it was a beef jerky ad or that it would turn into a fake trailer airing inside of a Deadpool movie. I don’t know much about the actual film. I think it came out. I think it was quickly forgotten. We’ll always have this odd trailer.
This next group is my most uninformed list of the year. I am more ignorant of upcoming films than you might imagine. If I see a trailer or read a review, I’ll write the name down. Then the waiting game starts, and I might be surprised when I see it on streaming or on the marquee at my local theater. From last year’s list I was better than usual. Four were really good, three were decent, one didn’t come out and only two were overall terrible. Here are the films that are at the top of my radar for 2025.
BEST MOVIES OF 2025
1. Star Trek: Section 31 (January): Do I have too much faith that this franchise can matter again? It’s been almost nine years since we had a Star Trek film in theaters. This is a streaming release on Paramount+, which would typically fill me with doubt. Casting Michelle Yeoh in the lead role is how you go about making this break big.
2. Eddington (TBA): Shawn, there’s a western coming out in 2025. Okay, it’s at least the Top Ten. It’s directed by Ari Aster. Then we’re talking a Top Five film. It stars Austin Butler, Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, and Emma Stone. It’s either my #1 or #2 film of the year. My radar isn’t always trustworthy on these picks, but I can almost guarantee you’ll see this on my Best Movies a year from now.
3. Bugonia (November): This list is pretty safe this year. I’m probably going out on the biggest limb to say that director Yorgos Lanthimos will have a hit. I shouldn’t define anything he does as a “hit” because his audience is not mainstream. Bringing back Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons is a good first start.
4. Captain America: Brave New World (February): I’m not ignoring the negative stories coming out about this already. The fact is that Iron Man and Captain America are the best film franchises within the MCU, and I’m all about a reboot.
5. Thunderbolts* (May): I don’t have faith in this being a true #5 Best of the Year as much as I might be looking forward to it that much. That is a big reflection on Florence Pugh’s appearance in the film.
6. Superman (July): I have been burned on DC Universe films before. Look how high I put Joker: Folie a Deux last year. If anyone can capture what I want to see from a Superman film, it’s likely James Gunn. I just hope he makes it fun.
7. Presence (January) / Black Bag (March): I lean heavy on my trust for directors I like to hit more than miss. That’s the reason that Steven Soderbergh is on here with two genre-defying films that I can’t place, but I’m always there when his name is attached.
8. Hard Truths (January): I’m likely the biggest fan of director Mike Leigh that is reading this list. It’s been going on seven years since his last film. I’m here for the gritty British realism of his movies.
9. Wicked: For Good (November): I felt like the first film was a good prequel to what is probably the more exciting of the two halves of the story.
10. 28 Years Later (June): I have faith that Danny Boyle still has a good movie in him and that the zombie genre still has room for new ideas.
Thanks for making it through the first episode of this year’s multi-episode finale. Next week: Television/Streaming lists.
”Whatever you do, however long it takes, promise me you’ll find your way home.” – Mary Jabassa, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Stay Hard.
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