The 25 best movies of 2024
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25. Trap
Director:M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest might not have a mind-bending twist at its conclusion, but it does have all the other tenets of the director’s best movies: a gripping plot, moments of laugh-out-loud comedy, and some surprisingly emotionally resonant performances. Josh Hartnett stars as Cooper, a firefighter and doting dad accompanying his tween daughter Riley to see her favorite singer, Lady Raven (played by Shyamalan’s real-life daughter Saleka), perform live.
M. Night Shyamalan explains why he filmed Trap’s concert for real with thousands of extras: “I want it to feel alive and messy”
Things get complicated when Cooper finds out the concert is actually a ploy to entrap a notorious serial killer known as the Butcher – because Cooper is a family man with a very dark secret… Shyamalan gives one of the year’s best line readings in his cameo as a nepotism hire in Lady Raven’s touring crew, and cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (who also worked on Challengers) works his magic to turn a Philadelphia arena into the perfect backdrop for a tense cat-and-mouse chase.Emily Garbutt
Check out ourTrap review
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Director:George Miller
Directed by the same filmmaker who helmed the original Mad Max movies, the legendary crafter of these dystopian worlds, George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga motored onto screens this year giving us the necessary background to Mad Max: Fury Road’s most interesting character. Starring Anya Taylor Joy, the movie follows Furiosa’s journey as she is snatched as a child from her mother in The Green Place, soon becoming Immortan Joe’s one-armed Imperator.
Chris Hemsworth’s brilliant turn in Mad Max prequel Furiosa proves he’s the most impressive actor to emerge from the MCU
But what really steals the show is an unrecognizable Chris Hemsworth as the twisted and callous villain Dr. Dementus, as well as a tough but sweet love interest in Tom Burke as Praetorian Jack, reminiscent of Tom Hardy’s Max. Although it may not be as gripping as its predecessor, Fury Road prequel Furiosa is far more brutal and has some of the most well-choreographed chase scenes we have ever seen. But ultimately it is a tale of love, loss, and revenge in Miller’s sandy apocalyptic land.Megan Garside
Check out ourFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagareview
Director: Tim Burton
The sequel we never knew we needed, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a return to the delightfully macabre world created by Tim Burton back in 1988. Michael Keaton reprises his role as the titular Betelgeuse, with Winona Ryder back as Lydia, and Catherine O’Hara returning as Delia. Newcomers to the cast include Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe, all playing a colorful cast of characters with obvious relish.
Beetlejuice 3? After watching the new sequel I’d rather see a spin-off for its best new character
With all the wacky fun of the original, along with that deliciously dark twist that makes the series such gothic fun, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice launches us back into Burton’s imagination – but that poignant heart is still there, too, with the sequel exploring grief and family estrangement via the strained relationship between Ortega’s Astrid and her mother Lydia. But, above all else, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a wonderfully ghoulish playground for Keaton’s dastardly spirit, and it’s joyous to see him back in all his pinstriped glory.Molly Edwards
Check out ourBeetlejuice Beetlejuice review
Director:Damien Leone
Terrifier 3 director Damien Leone and cast say the franchise wouldn’t exist without the fans: “They’re the biggest part of this”
With a much larger budget to work with, Leone ups the ante with even more murders and throws a spanner in the works by including another villain in the shape of Terrifier victim Victoria. For the squeamish, Terrifier 3 is an all-out nightmare, but for horror fans it is a dream full of some of the most creative kills the cinema screen has seen, inspired by medieval torture methods. Thanks to horror icon Art, it looks like it will be a bloody Christmas this year, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.Megan Garside
Check out ourTerrifier 3 review
Director:Sean Baker
Sean Baker might have made the funniest movie of the year with Anora, but the director’s latest comedy-drama is also one of the most devastating. Scream’s Mikey Madison plays Ani, a stripper from New York’s Brighton Beach who attracts the attention of Vanya, the young son of a Russian oligarch. Vanya takes a real liking to Ani and the pair get hitched in a Vegas shotgun wedding, but his parents aren’t best pleased when they get wind of their son’s escapades and Vanya’s godfather and two of his goons set out to dissolve the marriage.
Sean Baker and Mikey Madison on the Scream star’s new movie with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score
There are shades of Uncut Gems here, along with the bittersweet comedy of Red Rocket, Tangerine, and Baker’s other films about the lives of sex workers. Madison anchors the movie with a heartbreakingly nuanced performance, while Mark Eidelstein and Yura Borisov are standouts in the supporting cast as the immature Vanya and mournful henchman Igor.Emily Garbutt
Check out ourAnora review
Director:Lee Isaac Chung
Twisters feels exactly like the kind of straightforward, good old fashioned movie we’ve been missing amid the franchise takeover. Neither remake nor sequel, Twisters nevertheless follows in the tradition of the ‘96 original. The premise is very similar (and simple): there are some cool storms in town, and a daring group of scientists are on their trail. Starring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones, the movie follows the storm chasing Kate (Edgar-Jones) who might have invented a way to neutralise twisters.
Is Twisters a sequel or reboot? Director Lee Isaac Chung has his own take – and also shares reaction to Tom Cruise’s surprise premiere appearance
When one expedition goes devastatingly wrong, though, Kate loses her taste for inclement weather – but has her passion reawakened by cowboy scientist Tyler (Powell). The chemistry between the duo is palpable, and the carnage wreaked by the twisters themselves is awesome in the literal sense of the word. “This theater isn’t built to withstand what’s coming!” says Anthony Ramos’s character near the end of the film – and, yes, he’s right.Molly Edwards
Check out ourTwisters review
Director:Pablo Berger
Robot Dreams is not the film you think it is, and it’s all the more moving as a result
Check out ourRobot Dreams review
Director:Zoe Kravitz
Zoe Kravitz’s daring directorial debut balances laughs, thrills, and spine chills as it sees Naomi Ackie’s Frida unknowingly stroll into a nightmare when she agrees to tag along on a trip to tech billionaire Slater King’s island. Initially, it’s a sun-soaked comedy à la The White Lotus, as Frida and her bestie rub elbows with King’s elite pals. But when the female guests realize they’re losing chunks of time, Frida starts investigating their charismatic host and uncovers sinister secrets.
Zoë Kravitz’s unflinching, darkly funny Blink Twice is the most affecting horror movie of the year
Weaponizing Channing Tatum’s charm, Kravitz creates a terrifying baddie in King; a man whose immense wealth and power has gone to his head and twisted him into something dark. It’s not subtle, which might not’ve gone down so well in the hands of a lesser filmmaker, but her unwillingness to pull any punches is what makes Blink Twice so impactful. “Forgetting is a gift”, King says? We haven’t managed to shake this one off.Amy West
Check out ourBlink Twice review
Director:Shawn Levy
Marvel often gets hit with critiques about the films “not being good since Endgame” or “peaking at No Way Home,” and it’s hard not to believe that Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds heard said criticisms and took them as a challenge. The result is a wildly unconventional superhero movie that breaks the fourth wall in such a clever way that it blends almost seamlessly with the MCU’s (sometimes convoluted) multiverse set-up.
Deadpool and Wolverine director was “completely shocked” at the creative freedom Marvel gave them for the superhero sequel
It’s bright, nerdy, far from family-friendly, and asks the viewer to think about redemption and what being a hero even really means. It’s not the suit or the recognition or the universe you belong to, it’s what’s in your heart that matters (bonus points if the suit is really cool, though). Overall, it’s a love letter to superhero movies and the people who make and enjoy them, and a nice reminder of why we love Marvel movies in the first place.Lauren Milici
Check out ourDeadpool & Wolverine review
Director:Damian Mc Carthy
This year has been a major win for low-budget horror movies and Oddity is one of the best of them. Directed by Caveat’s Damian Mc Carthy, the movie follows an eccentric blind medium named Darcy who uses haunted artifacts to solve the vicious murder of her twin sister. Playing on the very human fear of the paranormal and the unknown, Oddity makes the most of its limited set and cast, putting the audience right in the horror by cleverly placing heart-pumping jump scares around the most unexpected corners. But aside from the scares, the movie is really an exploration of grief and loss as experienced by Darcy, played by Carolyn Bracken who also portrays her sister too. If you yourself have a sibling, this one will pull at your heartstrings as Darcy desperately tries to uncover the mystery around the twin’s demise, which in the end, ultimately highlights who the real monsters are in the world.Megan Garside
Check out ourOddity review
Director:Greg Kwedar
Greg Kwedar’s understated prison drama will creep up on you. Set in the Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison in New York, it follows a group of incarcerated men who put on shows through a drama programme at the prison. Colman Domingo leads the cast in heartbreaking form as Divine G, a creative genius serving time for a crime he did not commit.
Euphoria star Colman Domingo may be the lead of new A24 prison drama Sing Sing, but the former prisoners within its cast are the secret to its success
However, it’s Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin who steals the show here, playing a younger version of himself alongside several other real-life alumni of the program. On the surface it’s a drama about a group of people coming together to find light in a dark time, but underneath, Sing Sing has a lot to say too about the state of the US prison system – and will linger with you long after the credits roll.Fay Watson
Check out ourSing Sing review
Director:Richard Linklater
Director Richard Linklater says his new Netflix film Hit Man is his answer to a “sexless” Hollywood
As well as being capable of getting your pulse rising, Hit Man is also incredibly funny – cue Powell’s many, many creative disguises of which you are sure to have a favorite. It’s smart too, exploring ideas around identity and whether humans really are capable to change. The collaboration of director Richard Linklater and Powell (who also co-penned the movie) is truly a dream, so let’s hope it’s not long until they work together again. And, of course, you must always remember that “all pie is good pie”.
Emily Murray
Check out ourHit Man review
Directors:Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
The true marker of an excellent documentary is can you enjoy it even if you know nothing about the subject matter? Well, with this affecting Christopher Reeve documentary even if you are unfamiliar with the Superman actor, you’ll still be touched by both the highs and lows of his story, which are brought to life here in a moving fashion.
The most emotional moment in the Christopher Reeve Superman documentary came from a poem his son accidentally found the night before filming
Exploring Reeve’s life both before and after a tragic accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, nothing was off the table here, which makes this documentary ring true with authenticity. It’s an emotional account that will be sure to leave you in tears and it’s as much a love letter to Reeve as it is to his wife Dana, whose work as a disability advocate is also honored here. It’s a fitting tribute to two real life superhumans.
Emily Murray
Check out ourSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story review
Director:Jane Schoenbrun
What looks like a relatively mild coming-of-age story on the surface is actually a beautiful, devastating tale about identity and authenticity. The film explores the trans experience through the lens of two queer teens in the 1990s to 2000s, Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) who connect over their favorite childhood TV show, The Pink Opaque.
New horror movie with great Rotten Tomatoes score is a dark, dreamy exploration of identity and queer fandom
There’s a special kind of melancholy that surrounds the film that is both magical and soul-crushing, with the viewer forming an immediate attachment to the two main protagonists and spending an hour and 40 minutes hoping and praying that things will get better for them. Writer and director Jane Schoenbrun doesn’t let up, however, because even though the TV show itself is a fantastical, neon pink dream where monsters get defeated and everyone wins – real life is not.Lauren Milici
Check out ourI Saw The TV Glow review
Director:Edward Berger
What really happens when a papal conclave converges to elect the next pope? It’s an event that’s always been shrouded in secrecy, and the key focus of Edward Berger’s (All Quiet on the Western Front) new thriller Conclave – and we’re now convinced it would be just as cutthroat and scheming as this film makes it seem. Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (played by the wonderful Ralph Fiennes) is the man in charge of bringing cardinals from across the world together to find their new candidate, but he soon finds himself uncovering secrets and navigating scandals from all directions.
A thriller that’s essentially Mean Girls in the Vatican has become a cult hit online – and for good reason
A stellar supporting cast round out the story including Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini, as it all comes to a very dramatic conclusion. And as it’s aptly put in the film, “The men who are dangerous are the ones who do want it.“Fay Watson
Director:Arkasha Stevenson
When The First Omen was initially announced, there was much debate about whether the iconic 1976 horror movie The Omen needed a prequel, as over recent years some modern add-ons to iconic horror franchises (cough The Exorcist: Believer cough) have fallen flat. Alas, to horror fans’ delight, The First Omen is a stylish and haunting addition to the franchise, worthy of its predecessor.
The First Omen star Bill Nighy reveals the biggest thing that attracted him to the horror prequel: “It explodes expectation”
Starring Nell Tiger Free, the film follows one young nun who begins to question her fate when she uncovers a terrifying underground conspiracy in Rome linked to her own immaculate conception. From its stellar cast to its imposing cinematography, the movie is just the right amount of elevated horror and touches on important subjects from femininity and reproductive rights to religion and institutional abuse. This makes The First Omen not only one of the best horror movies of the year but one of the best movies of the year period.Megan Garside
Check out ourThe First Omen review
Director:Kiyotaka Oshiyama
If you watch just one anime movie this year, make sure it’s this instant classic on Amazon Prime
The hour-long feature is certainly masterfully animated, but its greatest weapon isn’t its style. Instead, it’s the way the unique blend of charm, creativity, and suffocating melancholy clings to you throughout. Look Back, then, is that rare movie that leaves an indelible mark on your soul and changes how you perceive the people around you. It’salready got Hideo Kojima’s seal of approval, and its final 20 minutes is something I’vegenuinelythought about every day since watching it. Now it’s time for you to see what the fuss is about.Bradley Russell
Director:Chris Sanders
If you didn’t cry in a cinema this year, you didn’t watch The Wild Robot. After washing up on an island, robot Roz (Lupita Nyongo’o) takes goose Brightbill (Kit Connor) under her wing as he prepares to join the winter’s coming migration. As the reality of Brightbill flying the nest sets in, the ‘ROZZUM’ unit simultaneously grapples with the guilt of the accident that left Brightbill an orphan and the heavy burden of being a new ‘mother’ – an arc that soon steers The Wild Robot into modern classic territory. Packed with gorgeous painterly visuals and a devastating emotional core, the DreamWorks animation delivers both a feast for the eyes and a challenge for the tear ducts throughout. As The Wild Robot proves, family can mean many things – but few have expressed it as sharply and as sweetly as this.Bradley Russell
Check out ourThe Wild Robot review
Director:Jon M. Chu
With physical sets reminiscent of Old Hollywood extravagance, 100-watt star power in the form of Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh, and powerhouse performances from leads Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Wicked is nothing less than a musical marvel. Jon M. Chu’s adaptation is almost completely faithful to the beloved Broadway show, an alternate take on the Wizard of Oz story based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, only expanding in a few areas to make up its massive 164 minute runtime.
Wicked director says he knew he’d captured movie magic with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande on the very first day of shooting
All of the famous tunes are accounted for: the perfectly pink ‘Popular’ will dazzle you, toe-tapping ‘Dancing Through Life’ will have you shimmying in your seat, and ‘Defying Gravity’ will leave you teary-eyed. Part 2 is still to come next year, but Part 1 feels like a complete movie in its own right – charting Elphaba’s transformation from maligned student to all powerful “wicked” witch. You’ll never bring her down…Molly Edwards
Check out ourWicked review
Director:Rose Glass
If Rose Glass’s debut Saint Maud - dripping in loneliness, supernatural chills, and Catholic guilt – was about self-destruction, her equally sensational, ‘80s-set follow-up Love Lies Bleeding is about how we destroy one another. Featuring a never-better Kristen Stewart (who channels every fan-familiar tick and scoff into her skittish, scuzzy Lou) and superstar-in-the-making Katy O’Brian, it delves into the neon-lit world of bodybuilding, roid rage, and toxic love, as the latter, Jackie, gets tangled up in the machinations of the former’s violent crime family.
Love Lies Bleeding star Katy O’Brian talks facing her fears and working with Kristen Stewart on gory thriller from Saint Maud’s Rose Glass
It’s sexy, sticky, gory, goofy – think Paul Verhoeven, Bound, the B-movies of a forgotten era – and groundbreaking, too, as it centers queer women who are so much more than cinema’s favorite yearning, ill-fated stereotypes. They’re passionate, flawed, sweet, strong, twisted, and larger than life – a rather literal observation in Jackie’s case, in fact, as Glass goes two-for-two on surrealist endings. Delicious.Amy West
Check out our review ofLove Lies Bleeding
Director:Oz Perkins
Nicolas Cage’s new horror movie Longlegs is certainly terrifying, but not in the ways you were probably expecting
Though Longlegs falls apart in its third act, the movie overall is saved by Maika Monroe’s performance as FBI agent Lee Harker, who is a more haunted version of Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling, and her interactions with Longlegs himself – which will keep you up at night.Lauren Milici
Director:Coralie Fargeat
Coralie Fargeat’s goopy, fleshy sci-fi horror is equal parts shocking and emotionally devastating – making for one of the most unique experiences you will ever have in a movie theater. What starts out as a story about a woman who’s been aged out of Hollywood turns into a nightmare of epic proportions, complete with blood, gore, and chicken wings.
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley’s new body horror is a fleshy commentary on societal pressures – and the most unique experience you’ll ever have in a theater
Fargeat takes the concept of body dysmorphia, tells the viewer it’s perfectly normal to have it, and then turns it into an absurdist concept that boils down to the fact that we’re all just sacks of meat – and therefore we’re wasting our time picking apart our looks and hating ourselves. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are the perfect antidote to each other, so much so that the audience forgets that they’re meant to be two halves of the same flawed human being.Lauren Milici
Check out ourThe Substance review
Director:Luca Guadagnino
Told through dual timelines that supplement the events of Phil’s Tire Town Challenger with flashbacks to the trio’s tumultuous relationships (and tennis careers), Guadagnino presents a study of three complicated and compelling characters who bounce off each other with endless chemistry. Soundtracked by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' thumping techno score and thrumming with an undercurrent of homoeroticism, the sexual tension in this movie is tauter than the strings on a tennis racket.Emily Garbutt
Check out ourChallengers review
Director:Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott did the impossible with Gladiator II, crafting an epic sequel that’s both a fitting follow-up to his breathtaking Oscar-winning 2000 original and a great movie in its own right. Paul Mescal steps into Russell Crowe’s shoes this time around as Lucius Veras, the son of Connie Nielson’s Lucilla and the late Maximus.
Gladiator 2 feels like Hollywood rarity – a totally necessary sequel that completes Maximus’s story
Check out ourGladiator II review
Director:Denis Villeneuve
When first reactions for director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel Dune: Part Two first landed online, many were comparing it to the likes of The Empire Strikes Back and The Dark Knight. Apparently, it wasthatgood. And for once, the hype really was lived up to as every single minute of this nearly three hour long epic is absolutely sublime.
Emily Murray
Check out ourDune: Part Two review
As Entertainment Editor at GamesRadar, I oversee all the online content for Total Film and SFX magazine. Previously I’ve worked for the BBC, Zavvi, UNILAD, Yahoo, Digital Spy and more.
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