In 2024 I managed to see 50 movies in the cinema; a reasonable effort.

However, five of those were repeat screenings of long ago released films, so I won’t count them in my “2024 rankings”, resulting in only 45 ranked movies this year. 

(For the record, the five were Clerks, American Pie, Batman ’89, Pulp Fiction, and Star Wars, and they’re all classics!)

To be honest I found 2024 a fairly weak year at the cinema. The slow recovery from COVID, followed by the writers and actors strikes, meant that the first half of the year especially was more empty than usual. I think Hollywood is also still trying to work out what works, and what budgets to allocate, in the post-COVID era.

Whilst some big budget movies can still land well, more and more success is going to the $100m movie which can make $200m at the box office.

But overall, I found there were much fewer “must see” movies in 2024, and at several points in the year I’d reach the weekend and find there was nothing on I was keen to watch.

As a result, it’s been harder to pick a 2024 Top 10, not for the usual reason of struggling to decide what to leave out, but struggling to decide what to put in. 

Anyway, the list….

1. Dune: Part 2

An exceptional piece of cinema, which tells a complicated story in a very watchable way. The look and sound of the film is simply incredible. Added to that is the lead performance of Timothée Chalamet, and the excellent guest turns from Florence Pugh and Austin Butler, along with a very strong cast generally. The black and white Harkonnen fight scene was especially memorable. 

Everything cinema should be.

2. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Another excellent piece of film, with a gripping story which kept me engaged throughout. The links to the previous films, as well as the 1960s original, were especially effective.

However, the scale of the story, and proper emotion and character given to each of the Apes, worked really well, whilst also just looking wonderful.

Left me wanting more.

3. A Real Pain

Written, directed, and starring Jesse Eisenberg, there really is nothing I can fault about this movie, about two Jewish cousins visiting their family’s history in Poland. The film captures the feel of Poland superbly, without ever trying to be showy. 

Each of the characters works wonderfully, and throughout the movie I felt the emotions Eisenberg was going for; this movie absolutely hits you in the heart.

Co-star Kieron Culkin is also brilliant in a role which very easily could have been a mis-fire.

A worthy top 3.

4. Civil War

This film deserves to be in the top 5 because of how well it does what it sets out to do. Wisely choosing not to make the story about the causes of the war, it focuses on the reality of a civil war, and does so without pulling punches. The sequence with Jesse Plemons is especially good.

I left the theatre at the end of this with my heart racing, as though I’d been in the final showdown myself, so something has clearly worked somewhere.

5. Zone of Interest 

Depicting the family of Rudolph Höss at Auschwitz, this film – made in German, Polish, and Yiddish – won the Oscar for Best International Film, with good reason. This is a movie which simply hits home. Sound is absolutely a character in this movie, creating the atmosphere and helping tell the story, and so it was also a worthy Oscar winner for Best Sound.

Does what it seeks to do very, very well.

6. Challengers

What could have been a very cheesy film works wonderfully because of the lead performances of Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist. 

Entertaining, fun, cleverly structured, with good sexual tension, and some very solid direction of the tennis matches which helps keep things interesting, and ensures the matches are intertwined with the characters. 

Not an intellectual piece of cinema, but great to watch.

7. Sunflower

Gay coming-of-age movies are a dime a dozen, and few offer something interesting, but this Australian movie tells the story remarkable well, perhaps hitting home in part because of its familiar Melbourne setting. Manages to balance the need for drama whilst still being grounded, and sweet hearted. 

Often Australian cinema tries too hard to be noticed, but sometimes just telling a nice story really well is enough.

Elias Anton (star of the mini-series Barracuda) makes my Top 10 two years in a row with a Melbourne set gay coming-of-age movie, which seems unlikely enough to be commented on!

8. Deadpool & Wolverine

With a lot of super hero moves struggling to find something interesting or new to do, this one just decides to have fun, and works all the better for it.

A few nice references and cameos, but always just entertaining.

9. We Live In Time

Extraordinarily good performances from Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, in a really well written story. I’m usually critical of non-linear narratives, but this one works really well, and at no time did I feel lost as to where the story was.

Hits the emotional beats it needs to without ever being forceful or overwrought. Really well done.

10. The Holdovers

In a stronger year this wouldn’t have made my top 10, but in 2024 it’s worthy of a place, if only for the performances of Paul Giamatti, and newcomer Dominic Sessa. 

Whilst there’s a good story told well here, I couldn’t help but think that the more interesting characters left in a helicopter a third of the way through the film.

That said, there’s a lot to commend it, but perhaps a little too obviously Oscar-baiting at times.

11. Wicked (Part 1)

A film perhaps unlucky to miss top 10, but a very fun watch. 

The first two-thirds is fun and entertaining, with plenty of colour and movement, but ultimately disposable. However, the final third steps up a gear and is properly epic; had the style and tone of the whole movie hit that hard, would have made the Top 10.

Certainly better than the stage show, which I’ve always considered good rather than great (albeit with two stand out songs, only one of which is in Part 1). 

12. Alien: Romulus 

I thought this was a great film!

Captures the visual feel of the original whilst still looking good. Has a good set of characters to be killed in escalating, nasty ways. Just the right amount of time with the face huggers and the aliens. Included a very strong, memorable set-piece scene.

Loses points for the derivative final twenty minutes. 

*(Streaming) Scoop

The story of the news team who scored the Prince Andrew interview, this is a really engaging piece of drama. Well worth a look. 

13. Assassin’s Plan

Worth it just for the standout performance of Michael Keaton as a former assassin slowly succumbing to dementia, but made even better by the details of the plot which unfold, and at times genuinely surprised me.

14. Saturday Night

A fun film! I’m not someone who’s at all deep into the law of Saturday Night Live, but this told the story in a very entertaining way.

15. Heretic 

I’m not much of a horror aficionado, but sometimes there are films like this which work well as a piece of cinema, and also work as a creepy horror story. This movie allows you to feel the tension, and always left me in doubt as to what could – and would – happen.

Hugh Grant is clearly loving his later career, and is really good here.

Left me with some interesting thoughts. A good film. 

*(Steaming) Carry On

Taron Egerton is the lead in a good action movie. Neat premise, some good twists, and some quality action. Nothing amazing, but does its simple job really well.

16. Trap

Whilst this is not M. Night Shyamalan’s best movie, it is certainly one of his hits rather than his misses. Enough twists to keep things interesting, and a suitably creepy central performance from Josh Hartnett. I enjoyed it well enough, even if some of the ending is a little contrived.  

17. Inside Out 2

This was never going to be as good and innovative as the original, but did a pretty good job, and certainly a good story. 

18. All of Us Strangers 

This is a very hard film to judge, as I’m still not entirely sure what was going on.

Certainly the performances of Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, and Claire Foy are very good, and there’s a nice style to the writing and direction, and plenty to think about.

But in the end I’m not sure it all came together, so doesn’t make the top 10.

19. Mufasa

The original Lion King was iconic, and Mufasa is simply very good. 

The visuals are great, and the director and CGI designers successfully make each Lion and Lioness their own recognisable characters. 

The story works well, and gets Mufasa and Scar where they need to be. However, the framing story really wasn’t required.

20. Twisters

Did everything expected of it, and did it well! A simple, fun film!

21. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

I was never bored, and enjoyed the bonkers nature of the film. Some of the plot threads work better than others, but the musical climax worked well. Perfectly fine.

22. Gladiator 2

I enjoyed this as I watched it, and it looked great, but looking back, I can’t really remember much about it.

23. Joker: Folie à Deux

I didn’t think this was the utter stinker that many others did, but neither was it as good as the first one. The central ideas were quite interesting & worthy, and some of the dream sequences very well done. I also really liked the implications of the final scene.

However, the main plot didn’t hold together at all, and consequently the whole was less than the some of its parts. Not in the bottom half of the list, but not worthy of a Top 20 placing either.

24. The Beekeeper

Another action movie which did its job well. Can’t really say much more than that!

25. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Never been a fan of the original Ghostbusters (indeed, can’t even finish the first movie), but these “next gen” movies are reasonably entertaining. I didn’t think this one quite had the heart of the previous one, but there was enough going on to make it all work well enough.

26. Next Goal Wins

I really liked this Taika Waititi film, and feel bad having it this far down the list. It was a sound premise, and had some classic Waititi humour. But in the end, it was all a bit lightweight to really be a great film.

27. Transformers One

Probably the best Transformers movie since 1986! A pretty conventional story, but it all worked.

28. Fall Guy 

A good mix of humour and action, and some very impressive stunt sequences. A little contrived, and in the end outstays its welcome. 

29. Ferrari

Whilst Adam Driver gives a good performance, and there’s some nice car scenes, I was left not really invested in the story.

30. Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line

An interesting look back at Midnight Oil, and I was especially impressed by the archival footage. Glosses over some of the negative parts of the story, especially Garrett’s time as a Minister, but a good watch.

31. The Boys in the Boat

Nicely shot and a nice story, but nothing Earth-shattering either.

32. Fly Me To The Moon

It’s hard to really know what didn’t quite work here, as all the pieces are quite good. But in the end it didn’t really do anything with them.

33. Ezra

A nice little movie, lifted by guest performances from Robert De Niro and Rainn Wilson. Lots of heart, but doesn’t really stick the landing.

34. The Apprentice 

The story of Roy Cohn is far more interesting than the story of Donald Trump, and Jeremy Strong is excellent in the role. Sebastian Stan makes the wise decision to not do a caricature of Trump, but still gives a knowing performance. 

35. Firebrand

Whilst there’s plenty of Henry VIII movies, one focusing on Queen Katherine Parr is unusual, and welcome. Jude Law does well portraying the King in the last year of his life. Let down somewhat by the overly contrived conclusion. 

36. Widow Cliquot

A nice idea, and lovely location filming, but trying so hard to be innovative with narrative that it’s easy to lose track of the characters. 

37. Before Dawn

A solid and well-acted World War I movie, with young Australian actor Levi Miller taking on a more serious role. Mostly overcomes the very obvious tiny budget. Mostly.

38. The Critic 

Whilst this is delightfully camp movie, and quite a bit of fun, the lack of any likeable characters is a shame, and makes it hard to enjoy.

39. Boy Kills World

I’m not really sure what this movie was about, or trying to do. But it looked good!

*(Streaming) How to Date Billy Walsh

Whilst it was nice to see Sebastian Croft in this movie, there wasn’t an original idea or plot point anywhere to be seen.

40. The Bikeriders

A strong lead performance form Austin Butler, and good to see Mike Faist in another film this year, but in the end, it was a fairly dull work.

41. Godzilla x Kong 

It was entertaining enough, but at no point in the movie can I say I particularly cared about anything happening.

*(Streaming) The Thing About Harry

A movie about truly awful people, that thinks it’s a quirky and charming, just because they’re gay. Spent the movie wanting them all to lose. Not enjoyable.  

42. Priscilla

Whilst Jacob Elordi does his best with this, the movie really doesn’t know what it wants to do, and just sort of meanders along in a very dull way.

43. Freud’s Last Session

It’s amazing that a cast this good delivered a movie this dull and pointless!

44. Lee

The movie clearly thinks it’s being profound, but totally misses.

45. Megolopolis

I really wanted to appreciate this movie, but wow is it bad. Bizarre characters doing baffling things, in a crazily directed way. Plot points simply abandoned. The tone is all over the shop, with each actor doing totally different things. And even with all that, it just drags. A real shame. But it is properly terrible.