Last year, I got myself back to the theater for the first time since they reopened. 2023 was a remarkable time for film, despite the many challenges that faced the industry. It reinvigorated my love of the cinema going experience so this year, I dedicated myself to seeing every 2024 theatrical release I possibly could.

My New Year’s resolution was to watch 250 films that I had never seen before by the year’s end. I knew this would difficult with new films alone, so I sought out movies from a wide variety of genres and decades to refine my tastes. What I discovered is that while I enjoy films of all kinds, what really gets to me are movies that feel like thrill rides. The thrills don’t have to be loud, but they do have to be surprising. To take me somewhere, I never expected to go and come out on the other side a new person. Maybe even a better person for the experience.

I especially found myself enraptured by movies about the worst time in a person’s life. Most films are (or should be) about the most significant moment in the protagonist’s life, but it always works better for me when it’s significant in an impossibly painful way. Something they must overcome or else it will be over for them before it even really starts. While not all of my favorites of this year exemplify these life and death stakes, those are ones I’m still mulling over months later.

By the end of the year, I logged 466 movies. Excluding rewatches, the number is still a staggering 413! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t exactly try to hit this number, but even I’m a bit shocked. I don’t think I’ll be able to sustain that level of engagement for another year, but we will see! When it came to 2024 releases, I saw 103 films. Out of those, here is my top 15 favorites, with a few honorable mentions.

2024 – Ranked

“If you feel it, chase it!”

15. Twisters dir. Lee Isaac Chung

I grew up on 90’s and early 2000’s disaster flicks so I was delighted by the announcement of this movie. That hype grew when I learned Lee Isaac Chung was set to direct. After Minari, I knew there was no other director who could capture the beauty of this part of the country as he could. Then I learned Glenn Powell was set to star, as if I couldn’t be more excited. I saw this twice in theaters, the second time was a 4DX screening. The way this film was intended to be seen, with dozens of fans blowing wet air at you. It’s a throwback of a movie that reminded me of everything I love about cinema’s ability to excite and invigorate. I left the theater thinking, “maybe I could be a storm chaser.”

Highlight: In the final act, the crew is huddled in the safety of a movie theater when the mega tornado hits. The screen is sucked out of the theater, perfectly framing the tornado. Twisters does something similar with the drive-in scene, but this reiteration made me let out an audible “wow.”

On repeat: “Steal My Thunder” by Conner Smith feat. Tucker Wetmore. Makes me want to get in a truck and chase some storms!

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/12/04/wheeling-thunder/

“Mankind was never truly suited for space colonization. It’s simply too fragile. They’re too weak. The work of this station aimed to change that. The perfect organism, that’s how we should refer to human beings!”

14. Alien: Romulus dir. Fede Álvarez

I am so late to the Alien franchise only having watched the original 1979 film last year so when I saw this in the pipeline, I made a point to watch the entire series start to finish. I can’t believe it took me this long to become enraptured by the perfect creature design that is the xenomorph. I seriously cannot get enough of this guy. So when it came time to watch Romulus, I was thrilled to finally see one of these aliens on the big screen for the first time. It did not disappoint. Maybe my lack of baggage from being a new fan clouded my judgment here, but despite complaints about franchise references and callback lines there’s so much that’s fresh and frightening about this horror sequel. Álvarez’s eye for the macabre gives a classic haunted house spin on this well worn and beloved series. 

Highlight: Picking two for this one. Rain having to navigate through acid blood in zero gravity, don’t tell me that’s not the coolest thing you’ve ever seen. That insane fourth act, that still gets me upon rewatches. One of the worst monsters in the entire franchise. 

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/12/13/no-gods-just-monsters/

“Sometimes to survive, we must become more than we were programmed to be.”

13. The Wild Robot dir. Chris Sanders

I like animated films, but typically skip out on things that are marketed towards just children. Arguably most movies for kids are IP driven slop that exists to sell toys and/or video games. Despite loving both Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon, I have largely ignored DreamWorks’s output over the last decade or so. Took a chance on this one and I’m grateful I did. I wouldn’t have expected the cute robot movie to leave me a blubbering mess, but nevertheless it did. Who would’ve thought that a message as simple as “be kind to one another” could matter so much in the moment we find ourselves in. Easy enough for a child to understand, important enough that it’s worth reiterating for adults. Visually, it is the best looking animated film of the year. The watercolor textures are to die for.

Highlight: The flight training sequence between Roz and Brightbill are where the tears started (and never stopped).

On repeat: “I Could Use a Boost” by Kris Bowers, perfectly scores the take off scene. Definitely a major contributor to the aforementioned tears.

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/12/26/overwrite-or-flight/

“I’m not queer, I’m just disembodied.”

12. Queer dir. Luca Guadagnino

I’ve seen this twice and I’m still working through all of my thoughts and feelings. This film left me with a lot of both, which is not an easy thing to do. Daniel Craig gives a career best performance here with a character that is as charming as he is devastating to watch. A man at war with himself and his identity, unable to communicate. Out of sync with the rest of the world, but longing for connection, any connection to ease his burdens. What is desire? Is it simply a biological reaction? A casual impulse to sustain our species? Or is it something that stirs from deep within our psyche? What do these desires reveal about ourselves? Who are we in these moments of vulnerability? And what do we do when those desires lead us to people and lives that we know aren’t right for us? This film dismembered piece by piece and put me back together anew.

Highlight: While watching Jean Cocteau’s Orphesus, Lee reaches over to brush aside Allerton’s hair, but only in his head. The film makes good use out of this ghostly motif, but oof did it hit me hard here. 

On repeat: “All Apologies” originally by Nirvana, covered by Sinéad O’Connor. Didn’t know this existed, O’Connor gets me to shed a tear even after one verse. Also a second Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score in the same year is such a blessing. I’ll throw in “No Final Solution” too.

“Where are you going so full of hope? There is no hope!”

11. Furiosa dir. George Miller

Fury Road is a tough act to follow, but George Miller does not disappoint. This film is a reminder that a high concept, action blockbuster still can look good. In fact, I’d argue it should! Who decided “big movies” get a pass on looking ugly? Why do we expect so little of our big budget releases? An absolutely exhilarating joy ride. While it doesn’t quite outpace Fury Road, it runs laps around every other film released this summer. Anya Taylor Joy’s mostly silent performance makes for rewarding rewatches, I picked up on more of the nuances upon a second viewing. Surprisingly subtle for this loud and abrasive universe.

Highlight: Is it a cop out to say every single color in this film? Okay, fine. My real answer, the war rig fight scene where the attackers parachute in using their crazy fan contraptions. I was jumping up and down in my seat!

Full Review:https://reel-take.com/2024/05/24/overcharged-origin/

“Read my lips you drunk. If you want to marry my daughter, you can’t! Unless you bring me hundreds of beavers.”

10. Hundreds of Beavers dir. Mike Cheslik

A scrappy little indie film that dares to ask the question, how many beavers is too much? A fur trapper must capture and kill hundreds of beavers in order to make enough money to marry the girl of his dreams. The catch? These beavers will do whatever than can to outsmart the trapper and save their skins. A slapstick comedy in the vein of a classic Looney Tunes or The Three Stooges episode. Countless Rube Goldberg machines, false trap doors, and accidental mishaps. So grateful this was brought to my attention through film Twitter, otherwise I don’t think I would’ve been aware of this or given it a fair chance. By far the most “out there” of my favorites this year, but I can’t think of anything else that made me laugh quite like this.

Highlight: “J’Accuse!” I loved when this turned into a courtroom drama, Jean must be punished for his crimes against beaver kind!

“I don’t know how to stop Anxiety. Maybe we can’t. Maybe this is what happens when you grow up. You feel less joy.”

9. Inside Out 2 dir. Kelsey Mann

This actually happened to me when I was Riley’s age. Inside Out is one of my favorite Pixar movies and while I was excited for this sequel, I had no idea how they were going to top it. While I do think the beauty of the original outshines it a bit, Inside Out 2’s complications are the kind of boundary pushing storytelling we don’t get too much of from Disney these days. Even with their production meddling, the revelation that Riley was originally “more gay” in an early draft, Pixar managed to create a touching work of art that does not pander to or patronize their audience. It’s a gentle reminder that just because things get more challenging as we get older, doesn’t mean we should give up on finding joy where we can. 

Highlight: I’m still not over the visualization of the belief system. Memories become beliefs, which in turn make up our sense of self. Truly genius. 

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/12/11/no-hard-feelings/

“Time wasn’t right. It was moving too fast. And then I was 19. And then I was 20… And then I was 21. Like chapters skipped over on a DVD. I told myself, ‘This isn’t normal… This isn’t how life is supposed to feel.”

8. I Saw the TV Glow dir. Jane Schoenbrun

It was a Friday in May and I couldn’t wait to check out the new horror film that received a bunch of buzz out of Sundance. Surely this will be a fun little scare, I thought. Only to be ripped to shreds over an existential nightmare that challenged everything that I thought the horror genre could be. There’s no fear quite like the thought of wasting your entire life waiting for permission to be who you are. To spend decades repressing these feelings, waiting for the right time to express them, without realizing that there is no right time. The time is now. You can have the life you want, but you have to be brave enough to save yourself. Justice Smith gives one of my favorite performances of the year, such an underrated actor. His pain in this is palpable.

Highlight: That ending! Owen rips himself open while working a child’s birthday party. He screams and cries out, but no one is coming to rescue himself. 

On repeat: “Claw Machine” by Sloppy Jane and Phoebe Bridgers

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/05/14/analog-adolescence/

“Does evil come from within or beyond?”

7. Nosferatu dir. Robert Eggers

Sexiest movie of the year? In all seriousness, this dark psychosexual horror is as heart pounding as it is absolute eye candy. Any single frame of Nosferatu looks vastly better than 90% of 2024 releases. Eggers is just completely unmatched when it comes to detail. Lily-Rose Depp’s haunting performance will leave you (much like Ellen) gasping for air. The way she blends sexuality into her agony will attract and repulse all at once. A back to basics vampire story that is not at all interested in humanizing its monster. He’s not looking for love. His desires are carnal and depraved. Count Orlok may like the pretty girls, but only because they taste better.

Highlight: Willem Dafoe. His introduction to the film at the halfway mark is like a jolt of electricity. The film is brilliantly acted, but he’s the only one who looks like he’s having fun.

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/12/28/devils-in-the-details/

“Sometimes I sit and think about how I ended up here. So ordinary. Is this what my life has amounted to?… but then I realize, you are my dream. How could I be ashamed of you?”

6. Dìdi dir. Sean Wang

A film that parallels my own life so closely, I’m still kind of in shock. I also can’t believe we’re already getting 2008 period pieces. Made me feel just as nostalgic as it made me feel old. Sean Wang perfectly captures all of the nerves, insecurities, and excitement of becoming a teenager. Experiencing freedom for the first time, the joy and liberation of discovering who you are. But also the embarrassing mistakes made along the way. The fear of failing to fit in, always weighing over you like the sword of Damocles. A coming of age story for the nascent internet age.

Highlight: As quoted above, Joan Chen’s monologue. Not a dry eye in the house. It’s a shame she’s been largely out of the awards conversation. 

On repeat: “Touchdown Turnaround (Don’t Give Up On Me)” by Hellogoodbye. Never in my life did I anticipate I would hear a Hellogoodbye deep cut needledrop. I used to listen to this on repeat on my MP3 player while riding the bus to school. Back when I was the same age as Chris!

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/12/10/millennial-memories/

“You have to find emotional players and exploit them. You take your time, you’re patient, and you bleed them dry. That’s what I love, seeing them lose everything.”

5. Red Rooms dir. Pascal Plante

This is a film that almost slipped under the radar for me. A ton of thrillers and horror movies get burdened by the label of “scariest movie ever made,” and while that is entirely subjective this one may be up there for me. I live and breathe these genres so I’m not so easily shaken… this one got right under my skin and has stayed there since. I’m not a true crime fan, but I’ve also been pretty ambivalent about the whole cottage industry that has popped up around the genre. Red Rooms convinced me that the voyeuristic desire and emotional investment in other people’s tragedy is exploitative at best and a moral sickness at worst. Specifically how these acts of violence are commodified and packaged for mass consumption. I had to watch uplifting YouTube compilations to remind myself that there’s still good in the world after watching this film.

Highlight: I will never forget the moment when Kelly-Anne shows up to the courtroom, dressed head to toe like one of the victims before she’s dragged out by security. Sick stuff!

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/12/03/gawk-and-awe/

“Awe man, you used to like, feel everything.”

4. A Real Pain dir. Jesse Eisenberg

Let’s go see the new Jesse Eisenberg comedy, it stars the manic guy from Succession that should be fun! Wrong! Devastating. Crushing. I’m still reeling in pain. What a thoughtful, introspective, and heartfelt movie. Two people at odds with one another reconcile over their shared history and find a way to continue loving each other. I tasted my tears while laughing through the tragedy of it all. No other film this year gave me emotional whiplash quite like this. If it was up to me, Kieran Culkin would have his Best Supporting Actor award in the mail already.

Highlight: David’s dinner monologue about how their grandmother survived the Holocaust through a million little miracles. My belly hurts just thinking about it

On repeat: “Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2″ by Frédérich Chopin. I will forever associate Chopin with this film, thanks Jesse!

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/12/17/forgoing-pains/

“You don’t know what tennis is. It’s a relationship.”

3. Challengers dir. Luca Guadagnino

If I let my mind drift for even a moment, it all leads back to Challengers. The drama, the score, the romance and eroticism, and of course the countless shots of sweaty calf muscles. This is the movie that convinced me that Guadagnino is one of our most important working directors. I will be seated for every one of his films going forward. I had watched all of Euphoria so I knew Zendaya had range, but this is the role that sold me on her movie stardom. Tashi is one of my favorite characters of this year as well because of how Zendaya taps into that deep well of pain. Made me want to grab my own racket. Tennis can’t be too hard, right?

Highlight: You already know! The final scene when the audience is put in the POV of the tennis ball, I mean who thinks of that?!

On repeat: “Challengers: Match Point” by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, but really the whole score is phenomenal. Reznor and Ross made it to my top artists of the year on Spotify off of this album alone.

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/05/10/game-sex-match/

“This car is very you.” “Do you like it?”

2. Anora dir. Sean Baker

Mikey Madison, a star is born! I was on the edge of my seat from the opening sequence. What an adrenaline rush, pure, unfiltered movie magic. Baker’s honest portrayal of class in America is a welcome relief to a film landscape that favors high fantasy and escapism in the many forms it takes. This Brooklyn fairytale swept me off my feet and carried me all the way to the altar. I laughed so hard my sides hurt, I wept as the credits rolled, and relived each turn in the story the whole way home. That’s what it’s all about!

Highlight: The entire home invasion sequence! She bites! Also, Ani’s verbal take down of Vanya’s mother. How could I not include that?

On repeat: “All the Things She Said” by t.A.T.u, “Daddy AF” by Slayyyter

Full Review:https://reel-take.com/2024/12/06/rags-to-riches-to-rags/

“Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Younger. More beautiful. More perfect.”

1. The Substance dir. Coralie Fargeat

What was my life like before seeing this film? An unapologetic dissection of celebrity, the beauty industry, and our culture’s obsession with youth. It’s bright, bold, and in your face in the best way. What Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Coralie Fargeat pull off here is nothing short of a miracle. This grotesque, B-movie homage was never meant to be a critical darling, racking up awards nominations, nor should it have blown up at the box office quite like it did, yet here we are. Undeniable proof that there’s an appetite for weird, gross, and original. Let Fargeat make whatever she wants, we’d all be better off for it. 

Highlight: Too many to choose for this one. Sue pulling a chicken thigh out of her belly button, Elisabeth’s bathroom meltdown, a blood soaked theatre audience, and on and on. 

On repeat: “Pump It Up!” Performed by Earl Gregory, “The Substance” by Raffertie

Full Review: https://reel-take.com/2024/12/23/vials-of-vanity/

Honorable Mentions

Kinds of Kindness dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Sing Sing dir. Greg Kwedar

The First Omen dir. Arkasha Stevenson

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies dir. Pat Boonnitipat

Longlegs dir. Osgood Perkins

There’s a few 2023 films I saw in theaters that I did not include on my year end list, but are worth your attention. All of Us Strangers, The Zone of Interest, Perfect Days, Society of the Snow, and Robot Dreams. In 2025, I’m ignoring award season delays. If it got a wide release in 2025, it counts.

Happy New Year from Reel Take!