It’s been a tough year for Hollywood. Hit by the aftershocks of the writers strike and the pandemic-accelerated shift toward streaming, box office revenues through June were down 19% from last year. Cinephiles usually care little about ticket sales, but the industry’s woes do have tangible effects on the moviegoing experience. Cinema is meant to be a shared journey, but when was the last time someone started a conversation with, “Hey, have you seen…” that wasn’t about a series you haven’t seen?
The silver lining of big studio swings and misses, such as Argylle and Madame Web, is that they have given independent and foreign productions a chance to shine. While they don’t appear on this list of top 2024 releases because they debuted abroad and competed for Oscars, France’s The Taste of Things, Spain’s Robot Dreams, and Denmark’s The Promised Land are easily among the best films to hit U.S. theaters since January.
That leaves us with the following selections as the top movies of 2024 (in alphabetical order), ranging from grand epics to more intimate stories. Grab a friend and head to the movies or stream them at home; these are experiences worth sharing.
The Bikeriders
Starring Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer, Jeff Nichols’s Midwest motorcycle club story is a standout in the “bros just being cool” subgenre. The stellar performances, the black leather jackets, and a delectable jukebox soundtrack make this “Goodfellas on bikes” homage to midcentury Americana a captivating ride.
Civil War
Civil War shouldn’t have to spoon-feed us what led Americans to take up arms against one another. The timely questions that director Alex Garland quietly poses in his dystopian thriller are clear: Should the executive branch be so powerful that a president would want to extend his term unconstitutionally? What role do media silos play in our division? By leaving these inquiries unanswered, the film’s silence speaks volumes.
Dune: Part Two
Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya shine in Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up to 2021’s Dune, which stands as one of the best sci-fi films of the 21st century. It may also be the likeliest best picture contender to emerge from the first half of 2024.
Ghostlight
Keith Kupferer delivers a stellar performance in this small movie with a big heart about grieving, forgiveness, and the healing power of art. Make sure to bring tissues.
Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1
Kevin Costner’s nearly $40 million gamble on the Western genre is as ambitious as the pioneers brought to life in his gorgeously shot, sprawling epic. This prologue sets up the drama for the next three Horizon chapters, with the second one due in August.
La Chimera
Between his leading role in Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera and scene-stealing performance in the otherwise overrated Challengers, Josh O’Connor is having a moment. This whimsical Felliniesque Italian grave robber story is a treasure in its own right.
Love Lies Bleeding
Starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, and Ed Harris, Love Lies Bleeding fuses the visceral body horror of David Cronenberg with the sensuality of the Wachowskis’ Bound and the grime of Abel Ferrara to create this provocative and sexy neo-noir from A24. You can say Rose Glass’s latest film is filthy as long as you also call it irresistible.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Furiosa and The Fall Guy drove much of the commercial gloom-and-doom chatter, but they were an absolute blast. Snack Shack made for one of the best coming-of-age stories in years, partly because, unlike other recent entries in the genre, you can actually identify with these kids. The heartwarming (and surprisingly conservative) father-son road trip movie Ezra features one of the best depictions of autism on film, thanks to young newcomer William A. Fitzgerald. Quirky Lisa Frankenstein and Hundreds of Beavers seem destined to become cult classics. Meanwhile, those who love a good scare should watch The First Omen, and speaking of prequels, A Quiet Place: Day One has no business being as good as it is. Finally, I’d be remiss not to give an election-year nod to The Beekeeper’s crusade against Washington grifters.
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The box office may be off to a slow start, but this initial batch was fun. And if film festival favorites are any indication, the best is yet to come. Any one of these movies is more engaging, not to mention better for you, than arguing with randos and bots online. With politics being reduced to entertainment, you might as well enjoy the real thing.
Giancarlo Sopo writes about culture and cinema for various publications. You can follow his cinematic journey on Letterboxd and X.
