This has been my biggest year of new release watches in my time of review writing. From festival premieres to streaming releases, I have seen a vast number of 2024 films. Like most years, there are some films that I have yet to watch that could end up on this list. Films like The Brutalist, I’m Still Here and Babygirl are ones that I have not watched that could easily end up here. Out of the 190+ new release films I’ve seen this year, these ten stood out as my favorites of 2024.

Honorable Mentions (in Alphabetical Order):

• An Autumn Summer
• Evil Does Not Exist
• Hundreds of Beavers
• It’s What’s Inside
• Late Night with the Devil
• Monkey Man
• Nightbitch
• Nosferatu
• Red Rooms
• Saturday Night

10. Heretic

Hugh Grant has always been a likable actor to me. Whenever he appears in a project, his presence and charm brings it to new heights. In Heretic, his charm is used to a disturbing degree, bringing the most demented and thought-provoking sequences of the year. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods craft one of the best screenplays of the year, delivering on the atmospheric thrillers and thematically resonant ideas on religion and practice. Being light on jump scares, this film relies heavily on scaring its audience through tension-building and monologues. Although there are tons of disturbing imagery, it’s the acting and script that terrify the most. Sophie Thatcher delivers another excellent horror performance, but it’s Chloe East who proves her strengths as an actress, blending innocence and confidence with ease. 2024 was another great year for horror, and Heretic is easily one of the best. 

9. Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys is one of the most avant-garde films to be released this decade, redefining filmmaking by finding more methods to tell a story. The POV shot has been done in prior features such as Hardcore Henry, but not to the level of passion and empathy as Nickel Boys. RaMell Ross becomes a new auteur filmmaker with this narrative debut, delving into the brutal points in our history through innovative storytelling. He perfectly blends indie filmmaking with an epic sense of scale, showing how the small moments can leave a big impact. Jomo Fray’s cinematography is euphoric, perfectly balancing the dual protagonists while absorbing the audience in beautiful and horrific imagery. Though her screen time is short, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor gives a towering supporting performance, embodying the fears and struggles of what it is like to live in the Jim Crow South. This isn’t only one of the most important films of the year on a historical front, but one of the biggest achievements in filmmaking this year. I hope to see it recognized by the Academy.

8. Hit Man

2024 was the year of the “Glenaissance” (despite losing out on People’s 2024 Sexiest Man Alive).  From the mainstream success of films like Anyone But You, Twisters, and Hit Man, Glen Powell saw a major increase in mainstream success and stardom. With Hit Man, Powell seamlessly transitions from Hollywood heartthrob to one of the most talented and versatile new actors of our generation. The role asks a lot out of Powell, and he delivers on every front. Though Richard Linklater is mostly known for his free-spirited direction, this movie sees him tackling multiple genres in a witty and entertaining manner. His depiction of identity and love through a comedic lens made for a relentlessly fun experience that I could not get enough of. While I wish this got a major theatrical release, I am lucky enough to have a film that works on an entertaining and thematic level. Hit Man proves that Linklater is still one of the best directors in the game and Glen Powell is the next big superstar. 

7. Inside Out 2

Most film-lovers have The Wild Robot as their favorite animated movie of the year, but I haven’t stopped thinking about Inside Out 2 since my screening back in June. Inside Out is one of my favorite Pixar projects due to its portrayal of human emotions, and Inside Out 2 successfully recaptures that element in ways I did not expect. Its depiction of anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) and the role it plays in the protagonist made for many emotional moments that I resonated with deeply. Outside of the dark subject matter, the film’s use of animation and humor worked on nearly every front. Sure, some may dislike Disney and Pixar for its focus on sequels and remakes, but if they are released at this high caliber, I welcome it every time. The film may not be a groundbreaking animated achievement, but the way it told such a deeply human story is what brings it into this list.

6. Sing Sing

I was eager for Sing Sing’s release since its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival back in 2023, and I am happy to say it did not disappoint. Sing Sing is one of the most humane films of the year, tackling the incredibly relevant topic of human rehabilitation with great empathy and resilience. Played almost entirely by a cast of prior convicts and non-professional actors, the movie brings a wide range of stories in an empathetic and moving manner. Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin give two of the best performances of the year, embodying their characters with their own lived experiences to create a riveting story from start to finish. The film’s tone is melancholic, but brings many moments of compassion and optimism that gives it a crowd-pleasing nature. While it tells a fictional story, many of the film’s themes can apply to real-world issues and act as a voice for change. Sing Sing is not only one of the standout movies of the year, but one that operates on more levels than just a moving picture.

5. Longlegs

I don’t think any movie had a better marketing campaign this year than Longlegs. Debuting a deeply disturbing trailer without revealing the title for months was a brave move, but worked out in the long run by being one of the most successful low-budget films of the year. The movie is worthy of its financial success, delivering one of the darkest crime thrillers I have seen in years. Maika Monroe proves that she is one of the best horror actresses working today while Nicholas Cage transforms into a horrific serial killer, blending comedy and dread in a manner that left me shook for days. Oz Perkins brings an incredible visual style, with the 3:4 aspect ratio paying homage to an older style of filmmaking and giving the film a disjointed feeling. While the script doesn’t delve into new material, Perkins’ atmospheric terror made this one of the best horror films of the year.

4. Challengers

Challengers is a film that confounded me on my first watch earlier in the year, and I have only grown more fond of it since. Director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes elevate this sports drama to more than its genre conventions. His use of different camera angles and editing techniques are brilliant, giving the film an energy I have never seen before. Trent Rezner and Atticus Ross deliver my favorite score of the year, with their electronic-dance soundtrack giving the movie a fast tempo and adding to the chaotic nature of the screenplay. Zendaya, Josh O’Conner and Mike Faist are some of the best young actors working today, and they play off of each other perfectly. The bisexual subtext that Guadagnino brings left me guessing who was going to end up with whom by the end, which made for an incredibly entertaining experience from start to finish. Although Challengers is centered toward a younger audience, there are a lot of rich themes and filmmaking elements that anyone can take away from the movie.

3. I Saw the TV Glow

Possibly the most complex film of the year, I Saw the TV Glow successfully manages to be an insightful look into queer identity and nostalgia through a horror lens. Though this isn’t a traditionally-told genre film, with its non-linear storytelling and visual ambiguity carrying most of the film’s emotional and spiritual weight. Although there is a terrifying presence attacking the characters, it is the personal anxieties of the protagonists that are the most frightening. The film is less worried about showing the audience something scary, but building something horrifying in the minds of whoever watches, which I found deeply unsettling. Justice Smith truly pushes himself as an actor, acting as a bystander in his own life while conveying the difficulties of living without identity. Even though it lacks a general message, I Saw the TV Glow’s ambiguity and strong visuals from Jane Schoenbrun made this a movie that failed to escape my mind throughout the year. 

2. Dune: Part Two

For most of the year, I failed to see a movie that would top Dune: Part Two as my favorite of the year. The first film blew me away with its spectacle and achievement in sci-fi world-building, but Part Two somehow manages to top everything that the first movie gave us. From the stunning cinematography to its experimental musical score, this moved me unlike most sci-fi epics produced this century. Not enough credit is given to Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, whose turn from a noble son to a powerful leader is beautifully portrayed. Where the first film acted as an introduction to the world of Arrakis, this movie acts more as a thematic depiction of the dangers of power and morality, told masterfully through Denis Villeneuve’s direction and script. Very rarely does Hollywood deliver a sequel as grand and moving as Dune: Part Two, and I truly believe it will stand the test of time as one of the greatest science fiction films ever made.

1. The Substance

For a movie to top Dune: Part Two, I needed to see something that I have never experienced before; something that would move me beyond filmmaking itself, and The Substance did just that. The film not only delivered some of the strongest and vibrant filmmaking I have seen in 2024, but it also moved me in its depiction of female insecurities and Hollywood’s perception of women. Although the film lacks subtlety, it makes up for it in its unique visual interpretation of its themes, with Coralie Fargeat proving to be an auteur filmmaker to look out for. Demi Moore is perfect for the lead role, delivering on the horror and dramatic moments in an equally compelling manner. Body horror always manages to get under my skin, and The Substance is one of the most effective films I have seen in that subgenre, blending visual and thematic resonance to a striking degree. More importantly, this movie provoked emotions out of me that I didn’t get out of any other film this year. Hyper-violent with technical brilliance, this is easily my favorite film of 2024.