2024 was a punishing year for the film industry. The aftershocks of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes still lingered, manifesting in a sparse release schedule and a production landscape that struggled to regain momentum. But that’s not all – the industry faces an uncertain future, with looming media consolidation, AI’s ongoing threat to creative jobs, and executives and agents increasingly hesitant to take risks.
And yet, amidst this turmoil, cinema continued to thrive. Some of the year’s most outstanding films emerged from the independent and international scenes, while others managed to subvert the dysfunctional Hollywood system, yielding bold, innovative, and unapologetic works of art.
What unites the best films of 2024 is their unwavering commitment to creative risk-taking. Whether pioneering new artistic techniques, challenging conventional industry wisdom, or issuing powerful political and sociological statements, these 10 films stand as a testament to the transformative power of cinema, defiantly resisting the suffocating grip of creative cowardice.
- Kill
Warning: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s ‘Kill’ is not your grandma’s Bollywood film. There’s no singing, no dancing, and definitely no romantic montages. Nope, this one’s a full-throttle, adrenaline-fueled, and utterly savage action ride. Imagine ‘The Raid’ on steroids (and a train), minus the boring bits. Bhat’s ‘Kill’ is like a high-octane shot of espresso for your eyeballs – it’s fast, furious, and will leave you breathless and begging for more.
The characters are about as deep as a kiddie pool, and the plot is pretty much just a fancy excuse for good guys and bad guys to duke it out. BUT, and this is a big but, that’s not a bug, it’s a feature!
‘Kill’ hijacks the trope of Indian train robberies and transforms it into a heart-stopping, action-packed thrill ride. With clever nods to iconic action flicks from the 80s to the 2010s, Bhat masterfully ramps up the intensity, refusing to let up until the very last punch is thrown. The result? An electrifying, adrenaline-fueled spectacle that will leave you gasping for breath. Best pure action movie of 2024.
- No Other Land
In the embattled region of Masafer Yatta, West Bank, Basel Adra has witnessed a lifetime of brutal attacks by Israeli settlers. Since 2019, Adra has bravely documented these human rights atrocities on his cellphone, accumulating a damning archive of footage. His recordings expose the systematic destruction of Palestinian livelihoods: wells sabotaged, homes bulldozed, and innocent civilians shot and paralyzed.
Adra’s quest to share his footage with the world led him to collaborate with Yuval Abraham, a left-wing Israeli journalist. Together, they partnered with two filmmakers – one Palestinian, one Israeli – to produce ‘No Other Land’ a searing documentary that lays bare the injustices faced by Palestinians. This powerful film also offers a nuanced portrayal of an unlikely cross-cultural friendship forged in the pursuit of truth.
Despite garnering numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Gotham Awards, “No Other Land” remains without international distribution. It’s a shocking oversight, considering the film’s urgent message and courageous storytelling. Film distributors have a unique opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to social justice and artistic bravery by sharing “No Other Land” with the world.
- Nosferatu
Robert Eggers’s films are a masterclass in contradictions. They’re a delicate balance of darkness and whimsy, intellectualism and irreverence, and a dash of playful perversity. His latest, Nosferatu, is no exception – and, in my opinion, his most mesmerizing work to date. Eggers’s reimagining of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 classic is a sumptuous, sensual, and downright unsettling experience. It’s a film that’s both arousing and repulsive, haunting and strangely effervescent.
With Nosferatu, Eggers whisks us away to a 19th-century world of vampires, meticulously crafted with phenomenal sets, electrifying theatrics, and a tour-de-force performance from Bill Skarsgård, who’s transformed into a creature both captivating and terrifying.
- Perfect Days
Who woulda thunk that a film about a Japanese toilet cleaner would be a cinematic gem? It’s a premise ripe for fetishization, but Wim Wenders’s masterful direction weaves a contemplative spell that’s nothing short of enchanting. As I surrendered to the film’s meditative rhythms, ‘Perfect Days’ transformed from a quirky character study into a profound ode to the beauty in the mundane. Rather than a glossy tourism brochure, Wenders’s film presents a compelling case for mindfulness, urging us to slow down and appreciate the often-overlooked wonders of everyday life.
- Hitman
2024 has been Glen Powell’s proving ground, and while ‘Twisters’ showcased his charm and ‘Anyone But You’ misfired with a rom-com miscast, ‘Hit Man’ emerges as his standout performance of the year. With its understated elegance and Richard Linklater’s signature subtlety, it channels the sophistication of Old Hollywood, a far cry from the blockbuster wannabes Powell’s tackled before. Paired with the sultry Adria Arjona, Powell delivers a charismatic performance reminiscent of George Clooney’s breakout role in ‘Out of Sight.’
- The Wild Robot
Imagine a family that defies convention – a curious robot, a scrappy fox, and a lost gosling – coming together to form an unbreakable bond. DreamWorks’ ‘The Wild Robot’ is a poignant celebration of found family, community, and motherhood, wrapped in a visually breathtaking package. With outstanding voice performances from Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Mark Hamill, and a talented ensemble cast, this animated masterpiece is elevated by Kris Bowers’ sublime score. Matt Berry, in particular, brings scene-stealing charm to the film. ‘The Wild Robot’ is a gift to animation fans, a beautifully crafted tale that will leave you enchanted and inspired.
- Dune : Part 2
Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation of ‘Dune’ was a remarkable achievement, transforming Frank Herbert’s notoriously unfilmable novel into a grounded, visually stunning epic. While it may have lacked the eccentric charm of David Lynch’s earlier attempt, Villeneuve’s vision found its own distinct path through the complexities of Herbert’s sci-fi saga. Happily, ‘Dune: Part Two’ builds upon this foundation, expanding its modular, industrial production design while deepening its character relationships. Timothée Chalamet brings a suitably petulant air to Paul Atreides, the future genocidal messiah-king, while Austin Butler makes a menacing Feyd-Rautha. However, the true surprise of Part Two lies in its focus on Zendaya’s Chani, whose journey becomes the emotional core of the film. As Chani navigates her love for Paul alongside the existential threat he poses to her people and the galaxy, Villeneuve takes a bold risk: ending a major sci-fi blockbuster on a call to genocide. It’s a daring move that will leave audiences reeling.
- The Brutalist
In ‘The Brutalist,’ director Brady Corbet unleashes a cinematic behemoth that shatters the façade of the American Dream. This unflinching epic reminds us that the very foundations of this nation were built on the backs of immigrants, only to be met with systemic cruelty and oppression. Corbet’s scathing vision of America’s dark underbelly is a gut-wrenching expose of the capitalist rot that has infected the country’s core.
With its unapologetic subject matter and hefty runtime, it’s tempting to approach ‘The Brutalist’ with trepidation. But fear not – Corbet’s masterful direction and a trio of tour-de-force performances from Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce will leave you utterly entranced. In fact, you’ll be begging for more – this behemoth of a film could easily have gone on forever, and we wouldn’t have complained.
- All We Imagine As Light
Payal Kapadia’s narrative debut is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of the injustices faced by women in India. The film follows the lives of three women working at a Mumbai hospital, each navigating unique struggles that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. Prabha, a nurse, is coping with the emotional aftermath of her husband’s relocation to Germany for work. Anu, a young woman, is secretly dating a man from a different faith, hiding their relationship from the world. Parvaty, a cook, is facing the very real threat of eviction from her longtime home, as greedy developers seek to push her out.
Kapadia’s nuanced and empathetic portrayal of these women’s lives avoids preachiness, instead allowing the dynamics of inequality and oppression to unfold naturally. Through subtle yet powerful storytelling, Kapadia sheds light on the ways in which women are uniquely maligned in Indian society, facing injustices that intersect with caste and class
The film’s cinematography, handled by Ranabir Das, is breathtaking, capturing the vibrant essence of Mumbai with a reliance on natural and preexisting light sources. The camerawork is intimate and observational, drawing the viewer into the lives of these women and creating a sense of immediacy and urgency.
A pivotal sequence set in a remote beach town brings the women’s journeys to a liberating crescendo, as they renegotiate their relationships with the men in their lives – whether those men are tangibly present or not. These moments of pure liberation are a testament to the enduring power of female solidarity and resilience.
- Anora
Sean Baker’s subversive masterpiece is a raunchy, topsy-turvy Cinderella tale that defies expectations. This wildly entertaining film follows the whirlwind romance between an exotic dancer and the privileged son of a Russian oligarch, careening from madcap comedy to heart-wrenching tragedy with breathtaking ease.
In this raucous game of survival, the loudest voice prevails – at least for a while. Mikey Madison’s fearless protagonist dares the audience to cheer on her unapologetic agency and grit, as well as the bold tactics she employs to shield her emotional vulnerability.
Her body may be a commodity, but her heart is strictly off-limits. Even in his most mainstream outing to date, director Sean Baker proves himself the 21st century’s most astute observer of the human condition, using his films as a lens to examine the hidden dynamics of modern society and the economy that drives it.
A deserving winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, this cinematic firecracker is the most electrifying movie experience of the year.