Courtesy Image / Universal Pictures
Dramedy Anora, directed but Sean Baker, was last year’s best film.
After watching 237 feature films at theaters and on streaming platforms in 2024, here are my 10 favorites plus a few honorable mentions.
1. Anora
Written and directed by Sean Baker (The Florida Project), the arousing dramedy follows Anora (Mikey Madison), a headstrong, young stripper who’s swept off her six-inch stilettos by Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the immature 21-year-old son of a rich Russian oligarch. When their spontaneous marriage is met with disapproval and Vanya bails from the messy confrontation, Anora and three Russian and Armenian henchmen comb Brooklyn looking for him. Hilarious and heartfelt, Madison is a revelation as the title character dropped into a modern-day, adult version of a romantic fairy tale. Pretty Woman’s got nothing on Anora, the best film of 2024.
2. Conclave
Set inside the Vatican, this unassuming thriller tells the story behind the election of a new pontiff by the College of Cardinals, led by British Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes). Politics take over as the cardinals congregate and position themselves to find the votes needed to lead the Catholic Church. Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), Conclave is a slow-burning, fascinating and unpredictable narrative anchored by a colossal ensemble cast.
3. September 5
Set during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, the historical drama recounts when a Palestinian militant group took members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage inside the Olympic Village. The film is told from the perspective of the ABC sports crew who had to quickly pivot to hard news when the tragic event started to unfold. Told with palpable urgency and emotion, September 5 is a gripping film about journalists doing their jobs amid high-pressure conditions.
4. Dìdi
The coming-of-age dramedy set in 2008 follows Chris Wang (nicknamed “Dìdi”), a 13-year-old Taiwanese kid searching for happiness while living in Fremont, California, with his mother, grandmother and older sister. Desperate to fit in, Dìdi turns to social media, new skater friends and a potential love interest to break out his pubescent rut. Writer and director Sean Wang (Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó) offers a genuine and oftentimes uncomfortable take on boyhood through humor, angst and vulnerability. It’s a familiar narrative, of course, but one that soars above most similar coming-of-age films.
5. Challengers
For someone previously unmoved by the work of Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (Bones and All), it was a surprise that one of his two 2024 films (Queer being the other) registered so high on this list. Challengers situates a love triangle in the world of professional sports, where two tennis players and friends (Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist) have been vying for the attention of the same tennis superstar (Zendaya) for more than a decade. The animosity and adoration inside the entanglement radiates, and screenwriting newcomer Justin Kuritzkes’ script brims with devilish wit and excitement. Game, set, match.
6. Memoir of a Snail
The best animated film of 2024 comes by way of Australian stop-motion animator Adam Elliot, who hadn’t released a feature since his 2005 masterpiece Mary and Max. In Snail, Elliot follows the adventures of Grace, a young girl in 1970s Melbourne, who is separated from her twin brother after a series of tragedies and starts battling her trauma by hoarding snail keepsakes. Far too woeful for children, Snail leaves a trail of complex themes about death and despair while offering hope to those who embrace their own oddities.
7. Emilia Pérez
Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Emilia Pérez, from French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (A Prophet), is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Part crime thriller, eccentric musical and campy Spanish-language novella, the film tells the story of a dangerous cartel kingpin (Karla Sofía Gascón) who hires a lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) to help arrange a new life as a trans woman. Debate has swirled around the film’s polarizing impact on trans representation in Hollywood, but Emilia Pérez pulls no punches with its incredible visuals and gender- and genre-bending bravado.
8. A Real Pain
Actor and second-time feature film director Jesse Eisenberg tells the story of two cousins, David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), who travel together to Poland to learn more about their Jewish heritage after the death of their grandmother. However, David and Benji aren’t exactly living on the same wavelength, which adds bumps to their journey. Funny and sincere, A Real Pain gives Culkin a foundational character he consumes with his whole heart. It’s the best performance of his career.
9. The Girl with the Needle (Pigen Med Nålen)
The psychological horror film from Denmark is even more disturbing when you learn that it’s inspired by a true-crime story. The script follows a young and impoverished seamstress (Vic Carmen Sonne) who takes a job as a wet nurse for a woman (Trine Dyrholm) who finds homes for unwanted children in Copenhagen. Shot in somber black and white, Swedish-Polish director and cowriter Magnus von Horn (The Here After) takes viewers into frightening corners where darkness reigns.
10. Música
The romantic comedy genre is given a significant boost of creativity and charm with Música, a film by online content creator, actor, writer and debut director Rudy Mancuso. In real life, Mancuso was born with synesthesia, which allows him to interpret everyday sounds into music. Música features this perceptual phenomenon and how it affects the life, relationships and dreams of a young, Brazilian puppeteer named Rudy (Mancuso). While there’s some typical rom-com comfort to be found in Música, the movie consciously avoids cliches and plays to its own syncopated beat.
Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): Civil War, Nickel Boys, Nowhere Special, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, Saturday Night, Smile 2, The Substance, Tuesday, Will & Harper
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