Shane is back writing for the site! He begins with a look back at 2024 in film with his 10 favorite films.
2024 was quite the year for me. It was packed with personal struggles that made my relationship with movies shift. I found myself rewatching films that made me feel comfortable. At some point, I made a conscious choice to watch more films that allowed me to escape what was going on around me. Just get out of my own head for a couple of hours.
In no way is my list all-inclusive, I still have some films to catch up on from 2024. That said these films are what I was drawn to the most. Ones that I feel I will go back to in the future. So, this is my list of my Favorite Films of 2024, not necessarily The Best Films of 2024.
Honorable Mentions: A Real Pain, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, The Wild Robot, Alien: Romulus, Twisters, Snack Shack, The Fall Guy
My Favorite 10 Films of 2024…
10) Juror #2 (dir. Clint Eastwood)
Clint Eastwood’s last film was released in a handful of theaters. Another insane choice by Warner Bros. What’s worse, this is the perfect courtroom programmer that they truly don’t release anymore. Doesn’t bode well for this type of film if Eastwood’s name can’t get it into theaters. Ridiculous. Great film though.
9) Smile 2 (dir. Parker Finn)
The most intense film of the year. I could barely sit still and was on the edge of my seat grabbing the hand rest the whole time. Star Naomi Scott, displayed an impressive range of emotions as an alcoholic in recovery who really knows how to chug a glass bottle of Voss.
8) Trap (dir. M. Night Shyamalan)
Does this film make any sort of logical sense at all? Are there multiple glaring plot holes? Yes, and yes. I don’t care one bit. It’s a blast watching Hartnett dip between total psycho and doting father. Another rewatchable that’s just an all-around good time.
7) Rebel Ridge (dir. Jeremy Saulnier)
I watched this on Netflix. Repeat. I watched one of the best action-thriller films of the year on Netflix. It’s ridiculous. Rebel Ridge should have been released in all the theaters across America.
6) Civil War (dir. Alex Garland)
I have anxiety in general, but this film gave me the most anxiety I’ve had in a theater all year, in a good way. The gunfight scenes were viscerally imagined. Everything about the film felt utterly realistic. One scene in particular had me on the verge of a full-blown panic attack. You know the one; “What kind of American are you?”
5) Dune Part 2 (dir. Denis Villeneuve)
“Lisan al Gaib!” The most visually stunning film of the year. The scene where the Harkonnens float up the ridge had me levitating. Pure cinema.
4) The Substance (dir. Coralie Fargeat)
This is a fun and bonkers film with disgusting (in a good way) make-up effects. It’s so wild to me that this film is nominated for multiple Oscars. A body horror film with wild gore that tears down the beauty standards put upon women. Can you imagine Stuart Gordon, Frank Henenlotter, or Brain Yuzna film being nominated for Best Picture and Best Director in the 1980s? Add in Demi Moore whose basically leading the Best Actress race. What a time to be alive.
3) The Brutalist (dir. Brady Corbet)
As advertised, this is one of the best films of the year. Adrien Brody plays sad and depressed better than just about anybody; it’s something in the eyes. The Brutalist hive, rise up!
2) Challengers (dir. Luca Guadagnino)
I’ve watched Challengers 3 times now. Such a rewatchable film. Zendaya and Mike Faist are serving here, haha, but the real star of the show is Josh O’Connor. He dominates every scene. At this point, I will watch any film he’s in. The Reznor / Ross score is an all timer, how it was not nominated for an Oscar is baffling.
1) Anora (dir. Sean Baker)
This film is special. Dramatic, zany, comedic, frenetic and tragic. At first glance, you might think it is the standard fairy tale story but it’s much more than that. It’s about the dark and depressing disparity between the haves and the have-nots. And I must mention like everyone else has, Mikey Madison is truly remarkable in this. The actress embodies the character of Ani in every way. Fingers crossed Madison comes away with an Oscar.