Hello, everyone! With the year of 2025 in full swing, it’s time to exam the “worst” and “best” movies of the year. It took me a little bit longer than expected to get this particular list done (longer than intended due to my back catalogue of 2024 movie reviews that needed to get done), but here we are and I’m happy to share it. In truth, 2024 saw a number of pretty “good” films.
I’ve already posted my list for my Top 10 Worst Movies of 2024 and now I’m ready to share with my list for what were the best movies of the year 2024. Whether the source material was solid (original or adapted), clever writing, great direction, visually impressive presentation, creative world building, great thematic / messages, superb performances, or even well-drawn-out characters, these movies were (at least to me) the “best of the best” of the year. But before I begin with number 10, take a look at some honorable runners-ups that almost made it on my top ten best movies of 2024.
Runner Ups
(click on the picture for full review)
TWISTERS
“If you feel it, chase it”
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3
“Another “gold ring” for Team Sonic”
HERETIC
“Question everything”
And now….my top ten!!!
10 – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Review Score: 4.3 Out of 5
Review: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review
There is no doubt that the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy (2011-2017) was met with universal acclaim, with many proclaiming the journey of Caesar (from birth to death and everything in-between) encapsulating such a rich and detailed work in a way that was sophisticated and entertaining at the same time. In 2024, a new Planet of Apes emerged and brought with it a new tale that was set within the film universe of the previous trilogy in the movie Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Director Wes Ball’s latest film takes what was previous presented in the reboot Planet of the Apes trilogy and sows the seed of “new life” within that movie universe, planting a new tale that definitely honors its past and looks towards the future in both some intriguing and visual striking ways. The continuation result still manages to come out on top, with special thanks from Ball’s direction, a wonderful world building inclusion, some poignant philosophical meanings and interpretations, a great presentation, fantastic visual effects, and cast of acting talents that are steadfast and strong with equal measure found within their respective characters. Yes, it goes without saying that it can’t rival or surpass the cinematic palpability the previous trilogy, especially Matt Reeves’ two installments, but it does give a strong start to a brand new narrative thread in the Planet of the Apes saga. It was familiar and something could’ve been slightly handled differently in a few areas, including narrative threads, but, as a whole, I felt that film was successful as a great starting point for a new narrative in an already established movie world. The world building was fantastic, the visual effects were terrific, and the cast was solid across the board. Given the integrity that this feature holds and the potential it has for what may come, I certainly do welcome (and hope) that such sequels will come to fruition sometimes soon. In the end, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a great return to this cinematic world, with a large focus on storytelling, world-building, and setting up the exciting new starting point in the long-running franchise. Just as Proximus Caesar shouts to his subject with plenty of vim and vigor……“What a wonderful day!”
9 – Inside Out 2
Review Score: 4.3 Out of 5
Review: Inside Out 2 Review
2015’s Inside Out was a massive success for Pixar, showcasing the absolute “best of the best” of what this animated studio had to offer with its cartoon motion picture projects and producing one of the most memorable (and emotional) endeavors in their library catalogue. Nine years later, Pixar came back to the central character of Riley, now entering her teenage years, with her core emotions confronted with new ones in the movie Inside Out 2. Director Kelsey Mann’s latest film takes what was previously established in the 2015 animated film and expands upon it, creating a new adventure for Joy and the rest of her “core emotions” to navigate through Riley’s inner subconscious teenage mind, while dealing with her newer puberty emotions that comes with her coming of age. It’s a classic recipe of lessons to be learned with a comforting tale of growing up and discovering various emotions during your early teen years. The film is indeed a welcoming one that shines brilliantly more than other sequels do, especially Mann’s direction, a satisfying story, thematic messaging, stunning animation, fun characters, and great voice talents all around. To me, the movie was still a sincere and fun cartoon motion picture that was gorgeously animated, beautifully voice acted, and completely tender within its discoveries of heart and humor. I still think that the first film is still slightly better, but only by small margin as this follow-up endeavor is hold up and does a great job in trying to recapture what made the first Inside Out truly special and magical. It’s a worthy sequel to its predecessor. Is there room for a possible third Inside Out installment to cap off a potential franchise in trilogy style? Possible, but, like this one, it should be well thought out and have a lot of credence to warrant such an endeavor. Overall, Inside Out 2 is a solid return into the internal mind of Riley and her emotions, entertaining viewers with another engaging and heartwarming chapter into a young girl’s development of choices and growth.
8 – Civil War
Review Score: 4.3 Out of 5
Review: Civil War Review
Director Alex Garland has proven the mantra of “quality, not quality” the correct way, with his film releases being minimal in compared to other rising filmmakers of today yet still proves to be quit effective in the features that he shapes and crafts. In 2024, Garland released Civil War, his fourth film, and showcasing a different side to his taste and genre likings, ditching sci-fi drama and lovecraftian thrills for a more political movie landscape. He certainly does so with great vim and vigor, taking a stab at political intrigue in a wartime United States of America, weaving a narrative yarn of journalism integrity and the harsh reality that they must survive to capture those singular moments of what they lived through. The movie itself is quite a compelling piece of entertainment, with special thanks from Garland’s direction, a sharp script, several poignant political commentaries, hard-hitting thematic messaging, a solid presentation, and some great acting from the cast. I felt that the film was truly engaging and intriguing to watch. Naturally, the heavy real-world subject matter certainly hits “close to home” and such political background themes and commentary messaging is raw and grounded in realism, which does work in Garland’s favor and helps generate such a mesmerizing endeavor. Plus, the film’s cast was solid across the board, and I think they all did a great job. Is Civil War Garland’s best work? Well, I still think Ex Machina is, but this particular movie is still up there as another win for the acclaimed A24 director, and I did find it more enjoyable than Annihilation. In short, Garland’s Civil War is fantastic and riveting piece of cinematic storytelling, interweaving several characters of various mindsets, topical opinions of current events, while exploring such political unrest in a war-torn nation that’s under distress from within.
7 – Alien: Romulus
Review Score: 4.3 Out of 5
Review: Alien: Romulus Review
The Alien franchise has had a long and celebrated franchise lifespan, reaching some cinematic highs (some infamous in annals of moviemaking history) as well as some cinematic low points. True enough, the saga of Xenomorphs and the humans they encounter has been exhilarating to watch, bringing new layers of mystery and carnage along the way. 2024 saw a new installment in the franchise one that brought everything back to its original roots with the release of Alien: Romulus. Director Fede Álvarez’s latest film brings the franchise back to its more fundamentally roots in a sort of “back to basics” presentation by capturing a more rudimentary sci-fi horror in a surprising way. The feature is a memorable and tantalizing cinematic endeavor, especially from Álvarez’s direction, a focused narrative / script, small good world-building nuances, a great and visual presentation, fantastic atmospheric aspects (cinematography, sound design, and score), and a small yet effective cast across the board. It was a return to form for the film series, bringing everything back to what made an Alien movie fun and enjoyable and producing some wild (and gruesome) horrors that will make longtime fans engaged to see. Álvarez marked his mark on the franchise and does so with one that both speaks to the large overarching narrative of facehuggers and xenomorphs as well as standing on its own merits as a standalone installment. In conclusion, Alien: Romulus is a palpable and successfully entertaining return to the sci-fi saga, reimagining what made the franchise so endearing to begin with in new ideas and modern cinematic enhancements as well continuing to be reinforcing the classic Alien tagline…. “in space….no one can hear you scream”.
6 – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Review Score: 4.4 Out of 5
Review: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road was an exhilarating nonstop action film that breathed new life into the long running franchise, chronicling a new adventure for lone wolf road warrior Max Rockatansky as well as newcomer joining him on the journey Furiosa. She a character was a fan-favorite in the movie, which sparked an interest from many to do a spin-off project about her backstory. Flash forward to 2024 with the release Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Director George Miller latest film returns to his Mad Max movie universe and fleshing out more of the backstory to Fury Road’s Furiosa character and many of the events that led up to the 2015 film. Indeed, the feature excels as a rockin’ good time of summer blockbuster endeavor, with special thanks from Miller’s direction, style and flair, as well as engaging tale of revenge, some fantastic action sequences, a visually stunning presentation (art direction, set decorations, costumes, and hair / make-up), a pounding score from Holkenberg, and a great cast, especially from Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth. It was definitely solid companion piece to the action blockbuster of 2015. It did what it was supposed to do by fleshing out Miller’s Wasteland world with incredible detail and visual flair, while also showcasing Furiosa’s backstory that leads up to the opening piece Fury Road. The stunning presentation of the feature (in almost all facets and departments) was top-notch and both Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth were great in their respective roles of hero and villain. To summarize it all, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is still a blast to watch and to experience, exploding onto the cinematic scene with Miller’s visual style and swagger to make for a solid extension in this fictional post-apocalyptic of Max Rockatansky on-going saga.
5 – Conclave
Review Score: 4.5 Out of 5
Review: Conclave Review
Movies about faith and religion have always gone hand-in-hand, delving into a person’s belief in the face unsurmountable cause for divine pose and / or action. Such is the case when dubious internal political motivations and fierce ambitions of men jousting for the spotlight on who will be the newly elected pope in the movie Conclave. Edward Berger’s latest film takes a very focus look on The Vatican echelon hierarchy and “back door” power plays, while also demonstrating the cinematic pull of a tantalizing mystery drama. Furthermore, the movie excels greatly thanks to Berger’s direction, a meaty story, a fantastic character study piece, great thematic messaging on politics and faith, a rich presentation, incredible cinematography / score, and powerful performances from Fiennes, and a solid acting from the cast across the board. I knew that is was going to be more character driven story and it was all the better for it, especially when the film examines the various characters and their motivations. It was gripping, riveting, and quite the thought provoking at times, wrapped up in a religious fervor of intrigue and faith presentation. Everything works the correct way and the end result is truly cinematically sublime. In conclusion, Conclave is another brilliant achievement from Berger, demonstrating his meticulous nature of shaping a broader narrative of the process of electoral religious leadership ceremony, while examining the aspiring yet flawed characteristic of ambitious individuals and the ambiguous state of God’s influence.
4 – Nosferatu
Review Score: 4.7 Out of 5
Review: Nosferatu Review
Horror movies are a dime a dozen, seeing multiple feature film being released every year in looking to find thrills moviegoers with their cinematic scares and send chills down a person’s spine. Such was a perfect example of one movie…. that told of a young woman’s longing for companionship and reaping the haunting whirlwind of such fanciful desires when her husband and several others are dragged into a conflict with the dread Count Orlok and his horrific in the movie Nosferatu. Director Robert Eggers’s latest film takes stab (and bite) into the infamous take on legend that began back in 1922’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, offering his own spin on the gothic horror drama piece and infuses his own style and visual flair throughout the picture. The end result is truly captivating. While there are minor complaints to be had, those are just mere blemishes in comparison to the gripping and cinematically beautiful film that Eggers was able to achieve, especially when examining the director’s vision, fantastic dialogue, great atmospheric presence, a wonderful presentation throughout, and some truly great character performances from a solid cast. Eggers’s meticulous attention to detail is greatly felt throughout the entire feature and it is truly amazing to behold. Everything seems to be working together and the final result is pure magic to watch and view in its entirety. Part period piece, part horror, and all gothic aesthetics, the movie is something worth watching and praising, with Eggers delivering an amazingly intrigue and engrossing tale. The cinematic feel of the feature is oozing with such foreboding and dramatic nature in its undertaking and some of the scarier elements work highly effective. As stated many times over, I’m not the biggest fan of horror movies, but Nosferatu is definitely up there as one of my favorite horror movies. In the end, Nosferatu is a captivating and engrossing dark gothic horror feature that has so much to offer within its theatrical appeal, passionate directorial work done right, atmospheric layering, fantastic acting talent involved, and the memorable devil that is in the cinematic details.
3 – The Wild Robot
Review Score: 4.7 Out of 5
Review: The Wild Robot Review
DreamWorks Animation Studios has had many memorable hits of over the past three decades, consisting of fan-favorite releases such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon. Now, the studio came another one to the illustrious mantle fantastic releases in the form of the 2024 film The Wild Robot. Director Chris Sander’s latest film takes the premise of Peter Brown’s novel and uses it as the basis for an animated motion picture, equipped with a heavy themes of love and family, colorful cartoon characters, and a rousing presentation within a rather simple premise. Yet, that simple premise strikes hard and true, resonating deeply within its core fundamentals of parenting and raising a child. The end result is something perfectly sublime, with the feature shining brightly over its competition, especially thanks to Saunder’s direction, the sharp writing, thematic commentary and messages, a visually stunning animation style, a powerful score, incredible emotional beats, very touching and moving characters, and a solid voice talent cast across the board. Yes, I’ve always been a big fan of animated movies and was certainly looking forward to this feature, but I was unexpecting the emotional connection I felt for this picture. From onset to conclusion, the movie is filled with a hopeful outpouring of charm and heart within its animated tale, which is absolutely gorgeous to behold (again, visually stunning) and is wrapped together with a spot on voice talents assembled and touching and moving tale that explores many complexed themes. It definitely took me by surprise, and I felt a personal connection with this feature and (as I said) the emotional elements felt totally earned. It’s that good. It’s a movie that both Disney and Pixar have strived to achieve in some of their recent endeavors, but has never fully able to grasp. It’s funny, visually stunning, and just downright a heart-warming story about finding your purpose beyond the normal trajectory and enduring love and the kindness of family (those that we are born into and those who we are welcomed into). In short, The Wild Robot stands tall and proud as a powerfully moving and heartfelt animated triumph and invokes some truly emotional and sincere messages about living life, finding yourself, and above all else…… showing kindness to others.
2 – Wicked
Review Score: 4.7 Out of 5
Review: Wicked Review
Musicals are somewhat of hard thing to pull off, especially with today’s modern audience of moviegoers being quite flicked with how such productions should be presented. Some like 2021’sIn the Heights or 2021’s West Side Story reach critical appeal, while others like 2019’s Cats and 2021’s Dear Evan Hansen were doomed to cinematic obscurity. In 2024, however, a belove Broadway musical took the silver screen and quite literally “soared” at the box office in the movie Wicked. Director Jon M. Chu’s latest film takes the popular Broadway musical show of the same name and translate the stage production to the silver screen, masterfully blending the story’s narrative, which was originally based off of Gregory Maguire’s novel, with the showstopping dancing and musical numbers of the play and produces something quite strikingly remarkable and bombastically bold theatrical endeavor. Yet, surrounding the all the timely dancing, singing, and mythmaking lore within The Land of Oz, Chu keeps the feature squarely focused on the relationship between characters of Elphaba and Galinda and their unlikely friendship that places great strain as events unfold and force them to choose opposing side. The movie successfully flies high within its filmmaking presentation, with special thanks to Chu’s passionate direction, a faithful transition from stage to screen, conveying strong and relatable themes, toe-tapping musical sequences and well-executed dancing, a stunning visual presentation, two incredible strong leads from Erivo and Grande, and an all-around charismatic and enthusiastic cast across the board. It had very thing that I wanted and was hoping for in this film adaptation, projecting a musical endeavor that both honors its Broadway influence as well as Maguire’s story, but also interjects a few dramatic / theatrical moments that the movie itself. To me, it was colorful, magical, and just a film world to fully get invested in. I love the whole story being told and Chu beautifully does a masterfully job in displaying such passion and respect for the source materials being expressed and does it all with such cinematic integrity. The music was catchy and bubbly, the dancing was well-executed, and the cast, especially Erivo and Grande in the lead roles, were great. I know that it sounds like I am “gushing” a bit too much about this movie, but, given a lot of disappointing films of 2024, this one exceeded my already high expectations. It’s just that good! I can’t wait to see Wicked: For Good, which is set to be released on November 22nd, 2025, eagerly awaiting the second half / finale of what began in this film. In the end, Wicked is magical and musical triumph that delivers on its promise and gives a lavishing powerhouse of singing and dancing in the land of Oz as well as “defying gravity” within its meaningful performances and overall gorgeous visuals.
1 – Dune: Part Two
Review Score: 4.9 Out of 5
Review: Dune: Part Two Review
So what could possibly beat out a heartfelt journey of a robot gaining human emotions, a very character actor driven piece on selecting a new pope, a truly powerful and cinematic gothic vampire tale, and acclaim Broadway musical to the Wizard of Oz story….three words…..Dune: Part Two.
Yes, there was no doubt about it that Dune: Part Two, the follow-up and continuation of 2021’s Dune, was going to be my favorite movie of 2024. It had everything I wanted and then something, expanding upon the first feature and the branching further in the tale of Paul Atreides and draws ever closer towards his unavoidable destiny.
Director Denis Villeneuve does an amazing job with the, propels forward, drumming up heightened action, drama, and cinematography for a stunning motion picture event that’s worth sequel. The movie rises above such high expectations and delivers a powerhouse second half of the Dune’s saga, with special thanks from Villeneuve’s direction and overall grand vision for the project, a very layered story of morals and themes, fantastic action sequences, an incredible (extremely large emphasis) presentation, beautiful cinematography, absolutely dramatic and epic score from Zimmer, a continued “dream cast” collection of acting talents, and very meaty characters portray throughout the film. Personally, I loved this movie immensely. It definitely felt like the feature was a genuine continuation of the first film, expanding the narrative and showcasing a very magnificent and cinematic experience that could easily rival any current studio blockbuster tentpole, without sacrificing the integrity of Herbert’s prolithic source material. It’s that good…. plain and simple. Is Dune: Part Two better than its first half? Well, it depends on what you look at. For its scope and scale…. I believe that Part Two is better. However, Dune had a better flow and pacing. So, it’s a tossup to me, but both movie are equally memorable and highly entertaining….making up the two halves of an incredible cinematic adventure.
The ending of Dune: Part Two promises more in this sprawling epic saga, with Villeneuve expressing interest in Dune: Part Three, which would cover Herbert’s second Dune novel titled Dune Messiah. Can’t wait to see how Villeneuve presents Dune Messiah’s story and how he ultimately concludes his Dune trilogy. For now, Dune: Part Two stands as a crowning achievement for Villeneuve as a beautifully crafted and a cinematically epic sci-fi tale experience of war and destiny and how each one goes hand-in-hand with each other. The voice from the Outer World has come, the Kwisatz Haderach has awakened, and the saga of Dune is far from over….
And it is for that reason why Dune: Part Two is my personal “best” movie of 2024!
And so that’s my top ten “best” movies of 2024. There were some movies that I didn’t get to see, so (naturally) I can’t critique them and pass my movie critic judgement on them, which is why they might not be on my list. So, what do you guys think? What were your “best” movies of 2024?
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