My Favorite Movies of 2024 - and some Other Movie Stuff

So, it is just past the end of 2024 and I am still trying to catch up on all of the 2024 movies. Here's the deal. I am not a movie critic so I no longer get screeners or get invited to critic screenings. Therefore, what I get to see every year tends to be limited. I just cannot get out to see everything and that means I have to focus.

All of that to say that in 2024 I haven't seen things like Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, etc. I focus on horror, so mostly what I have seen fall into the horror and thriller categories. As such, my list of favorite movies of 2024 are generally all horror and thriller movies with just a few exceptions.

I also wanted to mention some movies that came close to being excellent, but just missed it. Finally, there is one movie worth a mention that is, sorry to say, not great, but a lot of fun.

Got it? Cool. Oh, and this is roughly in the order I would put them, but I am not really numbering these. I'd watch pretty much all of these again.

My Top Movies of 2024

Dune 2. I finally read the first book of the Dune series just a couple of years ago after trying and failing in high school. I liked it, I guess, but have not been compelled to read further so far. Now, the new version of Dune that Denis Villeneuve has created is amazing film making. I loved the first one, and the second one is REALLY good. All of the action, but then the set-up of the overall theme of the novels that absolute power corrupts absolutely. All of the performances are terrific and Timothy Chalamet makes a great Paul. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the truly outstanding performance of Austin Butler and Fayd-Rautha. He has quickly turned into one of the best actors we have right now.

Alien: Romulus. The best of the series since Aliens for me. At one point, I would have ranked this higher, but after careful thought I figured this was a good spot. The xenomomorphs are great, the special effects are great. The story is tight. The tension is thick. There are a few ham-handed attempts to get famous lines from the first two movies in here that don't quite work, but they are minor. Cailee Spaeny turns in an amazing performance as our Ripley stand-in and David Jonsson is terrific as the android Andy.

Infested. Okay, okay I am cheating with this one. It came out in 2023, but it sure as hell did not play anywhere near me. It was finally released on Shudder in 2024 and so, I am counting it as a 2024 release. A really fun and downright scary creepy-crawler horror film about a group of people living in an apartment complex that ends up infested with some truly horrible and terrifying spiders. It is a foreign film, so you have to read sub-titles and like a lot of great horror is has a commentary on the real world since many of the residents are immigrants and face all sorts of discrimination.

Smile 2. I just watched this one and the performance of Naomi Scott is something to see. A truly personalized tale that deals with fame and addiction while also having some great jump scares and a truly creepy demon. Lots of body horror gore for you gore hounds too. Better than the first movie (so I hear).

Woman of the Hour. A really solid thriller that is the directorial debut of Anna Kendrick who is also in the movie. As a true crime junkie I know some of the facts of this story are fudged a bit to make the movie more tense, but I was right there with it. It tells the (mostly) true story of brutal serial killer Rodney Alcala and his appearance on The Dating Game. A great debut for Kendrick and I hope she does more movies as a director.

Will & Harper. A documentary featuring Will Ferrell and his long time friend who, late in life, has transitioned. They drive across country to talk about their friendship and to see how the world reacts to Harper now that she is who she is. It is sweet, funny, tearjerking and memorable. When it ended, I wanted to watch it again.

Oddity. Another horror film that truly creeped me out. A psychic sister seeks to find out what happened to her murdered twin. There is one very, very creepy creature at the center of this one and it ends up being a very solid and memorable horror film. Another one I caught on Shudder.

The First Omen. I am not a huge fan of the Omen series. People these days try to rank it along with The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby, but it just isn't. The first one, with Gregory Peck, has some truly awful make-up, for example. I sort of like the third one with Sam Neil as an adult Damien, but it's still a pretty bad movie. The First Omen, is terrifying. I ran into another writer who felt that this movie violated the actual first movie and I am guessing it has to do with the whole "born of a jackal" thing, but it didn't bother me. You mean, a religious cult lied? No way! There are some truly disturbing scenes and images in this one and a bravura performance at the center by Nell Tiger Free make this a must-see.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Anna Taylor-Joy turns in a remarkable performance as the younger Furiosa portrayed by Charlize Theron in Fury Road. It actually took me a while to warm up to Fury Road, but repeat watches have made it my favorite of the series. People complained that Furiosa was not the same as Fury Road, but it's telling a different story. There is plenty of car chase action, and crazy costumes. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I left grinning from ear to ear. And those of you who think Anya Taylor-Joy "looks weird" or something, get over it. I think she's great and she looks amazing in this movie.

Nosferatu. It came in under the wire and gave me the finest movie going experience I had all year. Robert Eggers turns in a movie that I found perfect in sound, setting, story, costumes, music and effects. A revelatory performance by Lily-Rose Depp and an astounding performance by Bill Skarsgard. Terrifying at points and a movie that left me breathless in the theater. Not only one of my favorites of 2024, but one I will watch again and again and that goes on the all-time favorite list.

The Honorable Mention

Deadpool and Wolverine. I know people who are not comic book fans who hate this movie. I get it. But for me, comic books are what helped me get through high school and a medium I still think is amazing. This movie was meant especially for me and others like me. All of the notes, the things talked about, the characters, the costumes are all done to play to the fans of Marvel comics and the early movies done by Sony. It's riotous fun and any comic book fanatic will love this. However, it's not a great movie in the sense of the ten above. But man, was this fun.

The Almosts

Late Night with the Devil. A horror movie that is sort of found footage and has a terrific performance by David Dastmalchian at the center of it, but it just stumbled at the end. I know right where I would have ended the movie (it involves static) if I had been the director. So, it was a lot of fun right up until that point and then it kind of violated its own rules that it had carefully established at the start.

Long Legs. I love Nic Cage. I was with this movie right until the end, again. The ending just felt like one of those Monty Python sketches where the characters talk about not knowing how to end the sketch so they just put the end on it. It was so close to being really good and one of my favorites, but it just fumbled near the goal line.

Milk & Serial. A YouTube found footage serial killer movie that was surprisingly good. Not quite good enough to be a top 10 favorite, but close. I hear these guys may be making a studio film and I hope they do, but keep it kind of like this. Done cheap and to the point.

The One I Hated

In a Violent Nature. I hate this movie. I hate it so much. I hate it with the burning intensity of a thousand suns all going supernova at once. I hate every second of this movie. I hate the writing. I hate the killer. I hate his mask. I hate the producers. I hate the director. A meaningless, stupid, pointless exercise in gore that should never have been made and never been as popular as it was. I wish I could wish this movie out of existence.

2024 - An Okay Movie Year

So, that's my list. I am sure if I ever get around to watching the rest of the movies that are getting all of the buzz and nominations this may be adjusted. However, for me, it was a fun year and there were some decent horror movies. Go, watch some of them. Enjoy!

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