It feels like every year since 2020 has been, “How is the box-office recovering post-COVID?” I think a big part of that is with how many massive films have seemed to underperform over the past few years. In 2023, it was a blood-letting, where surefire hits faltered, and some of the biggest hits over-performed relative to their probability of success. 2024 had a continuing of that uncertainty of what audiences would take in, but there were some big-name smashes along the way in the summer, as well as one nostalgic hit in the fall with Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”. Even with a dearth of big films throughout the year, some of which was a result of the Writers and SAG strikes in 2023, 2024 ultimately feels like the box-office getting back to normal in a lot of ways.
Last year, I questioned whether or not audiences had had their fill of superhero movies or not, especially with two of the three MCU films not living up to expectations financially. Well, even though one of the biggest movies of the year was the MCU/Fox Marvel bonanza, “Deadpool & Wolverine”, I’m not sure if that question can be answered definitively. Sony Marvel films like “Madame Web”, “Venom: The Last Dance” and the oft-delayed “Kraven the Hunter” either became internet punchlines, or disappointments relative to their predecessors, and Todd Phillips’s “Joker: Folie à Deux” ended up nowhere near the first film’s billion dollar haul. Since four of those five movies are basically burn-off films of previous deals, and “Deadpool & Wolverine” is basically an excuse to bring in Fox-produced characters to the MCU, we’ll really have to wait for Marvel’s slate this year (including our third attempt at a Fantastic Four franchise in 20 years), as well as James Gunn’s “Superman” (the official start of the new DCU), to see if we have a clearer answer. Ironically, the best comic book movie of the year was also the smallest, as Vera Drew’s personal iconographic distillation, “The People’s Joker”, was more unique and worth watching than any of these films.
Even if superhero fatigue is still an open question, franchise fatigue definitely is not. Of the 20 highest-grossing films of the year, 19 were either films tied to existing IPs, or adaptations of novels or musicals; only John Krasinski’s “IF” is an original idea. Some franchise entries have slipped like “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and the animated “Transformers One”, but it feels as though audiences have told Hollywood what it wants to see in theatres, and that doesn’t exactly bode well for original and prestige films.
This year, I only ended up covering the Atlanta Film Festival; my work schedule does not necessarily allow for an online-only experience like Sundance was for me in 2021-2022, and the Renegade Film Festival took the year off. However, I still managed to see over 200 features and short films this year before I voted for the first time with the Atlanta Film Critics Circle, which I was welcomed to join in March of this year. I still have missed several films, though, including: “The 4:30 Movie”; “Bad Boys for Life”; “The Beast”; “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”; “Blink Twice”; “Blitz”; “Cuckoo”; “Damsel”; “The Deliverance”; “A Different Man”; “Girls State”; “Gladiator II”; “Heretic”; “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1”; “IF”; “I’m Still Here”; “Irish Wish”; “It’s What’s Inside”; “Juror #2”; “Just the Two of Us”; “Kill”; “The Killer”; “Kinds of Kindness”; “Kneecap”; “Kung Fu Panda 4”; “Longlegs”; “Look Into My Eyes”; “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”; “Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger”; “Mean Girls”; “Miller’s Girl”; “MoviePass, MovieCrash”; “Never Let Go”; “Oh, Canada”; “The Order”; “Problemista”; “Queer”; “Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver”; “The Room Next Door”; “Scoop”; “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”; “Smile 2”; “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”, “Spaceman”; “Stopping the Steal”; “Strange Darling”; “Sugarcane”; “The End”; “Transformers One”; “Will & Harper”, and “Wolfs”. Obviously, I will not get to all of these before the Georgia Film Critics Association, and likely not the Oscars, but I will get to as much as I can. You will notice below the exclusion of my beloved, wonderful, chaotic “Hundreds of Beavers” from my lists. This is because I saw it in 2023, and thus included it last year. That said, I’ve watched it a half dozen times this year (including in theatres), and I love it even more. It would crack many lists for me this year, as well.
And with that, let us get going.
Favorite Films of 2024
Usually, critics will list their 10 Best films of the year in a space like this. The reason that I’ve moved away from that over the years is because I tend to have a lot to catch up with by the end of the year in terms of potential awards contenders, so I save my final 10 Best for my Oscar podcast. This year, because of how early the Atlanta Film Critics Circle votes for its awards, I could have done a strong, possibly definitive Top 10, but I like the way this structure works for me, and it gives me incentive to continue catching up into the new year.
Twenty five is a nice, round number for my favorite films of the year. When you watch over 200 movies a year, it allows you enough room to cover a wide variety of films, while also forcing you to make difficult choices along the way. As the year wound down, both were very true for me, but as you can see, my 25 singled out below all meant something special to me.
=“Flow” (Directed by Gints Zilbalodis)- My movie year did not solidify for me until December in 2024, not just because of movies I saw in the last month or two of the year, but because- honestly- while I had a great wealth of films in my for my best/favorites, I didn’t really have a particular feel on how they impacted me. As I was watching this beautifully-animated fantasy adventure from Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, there was no question what my favorite film of the year was going to be. Following a cat through a flooded land, and how they survive with the help of some unexpected friends, this film flows out of its filmmaker like something out of a dream, where the fundamental truth about life is that, for as hard as it gets, supporting others will always be a good act, regardless of how adversarial they might normally be.
=“The Bikeriders” (Directed by Jeff Nichols)- Rewatching Nichols’s movie about the life and times of peak motorcycle club culture (ironically, the same night I watched “Flow” for the first time), I’m still not quite sure I can pinpoint what it is about this film that speaks to me. It looks at male bonding and connection through a shared interest, but I’m not sure if I can say any of the characters have shared values. They just appreciate time spent together. There’s shades of “GoodFellas” in this film, to be sure, but ultimately Nichols’s is on his own vibe, and his exploration of a society that both benefited men involved (who weren’t able to share their emotions, but feel like they have something to share), while also allowed them to indulge their most toxic sides, as well. You can read more about why this movie resonated with me here.
=“Thelma” (Directed by Josh Margolin)- There are a couple of narrative threads at work during Margolin’s entertaining senior citizen adventure film. The main one is the titular Thelma (played by the delightful and moving June Squibb) as she goes on an adventure with a longtime friend (the late Richard Roundtree) on the latter’s motorized scooter to get back money she’s lost in an online scam. The second one, the one that resonated with me most, is the anxiety of being a caregiver for someone we love, and trying to protect them. In that one, the main star is Fred Hechinger’s Danny, Thelma’s grandson, who checks in on her frequently, and helps her navigate the world two years removed from her husband dying. For obvious reasons, this arc resonated with me, while the journey Thelma and Roundtree’s Ben goes on speaks a lot to the complicated nature of growing old, and knowing one’s limitations in old age. Now on Hulu, this movie is an entertaining, moving experience.
=“Sometimes I Think About Dying” (Directed by Rachel Lambert)- This acerbic, heartening and tinged with melancholy film debuted at Sundance ’23, but did not get a theatrical release until this year. It is a shame it has been lost in the shuffle, because Lambert’s perceptive drama, which follows a young woman (played by Daisy Ridley in one of the year’s best performances) who is used to sitting at her desk, going unnoticed, while sometimes thinking about dying. When she strikes up a friendship with a new guy at work, her outlook slowly shifts, so long as she can get out of her own way. This film connected with me as the story of a woman who starts out as an introverted, but gradually comes out of her own shell because people give her a reason to. It’s stayed with me ever since I saw it back in April.
=“Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” (Directed by Soi Cheang)- Much like “The Childe” last year, Cheang’s Hong Kong action film is just an exquisite example of genre done exceptionally well. It is set in 1980’s Hong Kong, at a time around when it is decided Hong Kong will be released from British rule in 1997. Though based on a novel, Cheang’s film feels like a throwback to the 1980s Hong Kong action films that took the world by storm, but does not feel beholden to them as it looks at a way of life passing these characters by. It’s not just a compelling hook for this film, but an exciting film to watch, as well.
=“A Quiet Place: Day One” (Directed by Michael Sarnoski)- Speaking of genre done well, I don’t think another film took me by surprise quite like this prequel to the sci-fi/horror franchise about aliens who track using sound. Given the director’s last film was the fantastic “Pig” back in 2021, I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised by its success, but the way he approached this prequel is less about setting up events to come, and more about telling a human story of what it is like to go through the early days of the world changing. Lupita Nyong’o’s cancer patient and Joseph Quinn’s struggling performer are an unlikely match, but the way their story unfolds, we get an unexpected and touching look at connection, and dealing with anxiety during moments of survival. It thrilled me and moved me in equal turns.
=“Red Rooms” (Directed by Pascal Plante)- As the story unfolds in Plante’s courtroom thriller, we are often left curious about the motivations of Kelly-Anne (played by the remarkable Juliette Gariépy), a model and online poker player who goes early in the morning, every day, to the trial of a man accused of having brutally murdered three young girls. When a young woman who sympathizes with the accused comes to get into the gallery, as well, we see two different vantage points of how online culture can destroy lives. One of the most suspenseful moments of 2024 cinema was watching Kelly-Anne play online poker, as a clock winds down. The precision of how Plante tells this harrowing story is one of the finest examples of directorial control over a narrative this year.
=“The Fire Inside” (Directed by Rachel Morrison)- It took cinematographer-turned-director Morrison four years to bring the story of Claressa Shields- a high school student from Flint, Michigan who becomes the first American woman to win a gold medal in boxing- to the screen. But the film her and screenwriter Barry Jenkins have made is less about what Claressa does in the ring, and more about the struggle she faces to use her talent to provide for her family. Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry are fantastic as Shields and her coach, Jason Crutchfield, and they navigate the struggles laid before these characters beautifully.
=“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (Directed by Adam Wingard)- One of the things I love about Legendary’s Monsterverse as it’s progressed is that, in spite of how ridiculous it’s gotten, it’s continued to treat the Titans as characters in their own right. That is very much in keeping with the Japanese iteration of this creature’s universe, and seeing how humanity- through Monarch, in particular- interacts with these icons is one of my favorite aspects of these films. In his second film of the franchise, Wingard leans into the silliness a little more, but not at the expense of some heart and worldbuilding. I still prefer “Godzilla vs. Kong,” but this one is a great action follow-up.
=“Young Woman and the Sea” (Directed by Joachim Rønning)- Another underdog sports movie on the list, this one- distributed by Disney, and ignored in May- is the story of Trudy Ederle, who was the first woman to swim the English Channel. Given producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s involvement, this film- with another great Daisy Ridley lead performance- hitting all the right notes of the genre (he did produce “Remember the Titans” and “Days of Thunder”) is not a surprise, but the film successfully telling a story of gender politics in sports is not an easy balance for male filmmakers; thankfully, Ridley and composer Amelia Warner lead the way in making this feel truly inspirational.
=“A Strange Path” (Directed by Guto Parente)- This personal drama, which I saw as part of my Atlanta Film Festival coverage this year, is a look at legacy and reconciliation, when a filmmaker comes home for a film festival, and ends up receiving an unexpected chance to reconnect with his father for the first time in years. While the film plays as a straight drama, and adult coming-of-age, there’s also a filmmaker’s trick at its center that is hard to shake as the film plays out, and its emotions come front-and-center. I really loved this one.
=“Alienoid: The Return to the Future” (Directed by Dong-hoon Choi)- The more one thinks about this South Korean sci-fi duopoly about time travel, aliens and destiny, the less it makes sense in terms of logical storytelling. But Choi’s worldbuilding and storytelling energy, which blends all sorts of action forms- and a healthy blend of humor- is a refreshing respite from the typical Hollywood blockbuster mold, which puts spectacle front-and-center over story and form. Plus, these characters are just fun to watch. I’m glad that I’ve had a chance to take in these films.
=“The Colors Within” (Directed by Naoko Yamada– As the year wound down, films that resonated with me most typically involved hope, friendship, helping one another and creative inspiration. My review of this anime will be available in January, and I urge everyone to check out Yamada’s film when GKids releases next month. It follows a school girl with an ability to see the colors in people, and she forms a band with a fellow classmate (who recently dropped out), and a young man they meet at a bookstore. Creativity that comes from emotions, and a sense of exploring faith and spirituality through art, are some of the things Yamada gives us in this lushly animated drama.
=“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” (Directed by Benjamin Ree)- In his latest documentary about unexpected connections, Ree tells the story of Mats Steen, a young man who was born with a degenerative muscular disease that prevented him from having a normal life, and whom- so his parents thought- lived a solitary life until he died at 25. It wasn’t until after he died that they realized that he had built an entire community for himself online, focused around playing World of Warcraft. Ree uses animation to help visualize the conversation stream between the community, and it adds emotion and depth to a life that led to painful moments, but also unexpected opportunities to live.
=“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Directed by Johan Grimonprez)- This was a year where several musical stories (often in documentary form) resonated with me. None landed stronger with me, however, than this political documentary, which tells of how the Cold War, political upheaval in the Global South (namely, the Congo), and musicians crashing the UN Security Council and Louis Armstrong being dispatched to distract from a post-colonial coup. Grimonprez’s use of editing and sound in this sprawling, 160-minute narrative is riveting as we see an example of American colonial meddling in the name of staving off communism happen in front of our eyes.
=“Baby Assassins 2” (Directed by Yugo Sakamoto)- The world of “Baby Assassins,” as created by writer-director Sakamoto, is no less absurd than the “John Wick” world, but rather than creating a sprawling mythology of revenge and loyalty, his films put a wickedly entertaining spin on the buddy action movie. Chisato and Mahiro are in trouble with their agency, so they have to get real jobs, but when they become targets by an upstart team of hitmen, they must fend for themselves. Sakamoto and his lead actresses have created an action franchise that runs on vibes and humor, and I love every moment of it, and with a third one on the way, I cannot wait to see what’s next for them.
=“Evil Does Not Exist” (Directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)- The newest film from the director of “Drive My Car” and “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy” is a film that stays with you, long after you watch it. The film’s protagonist is a handyman in a small Japanese town that could be the home to a future high-end camping site, but its story is about the complexities of nature, and how we react to it. There are truly breathtaking, quiet moments immersed in this straightforward drama, and the conclusion leaves us rattled.
=“Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World” (Directed by Julio Palacio)- This short documentary gives us the words of a teen girl with autism as she begins to share her voice using a letter board. I watched this twice during the Atlanta Film Festival back in the spring, and it brought so much emotion and joy to me to see this story unfold. It’s currently on Netflix, and if you have time in your schedule to open your heart a bit, this is worth a watch.
=“Woman of the Hour” (Directed by Anna Kendrick)- Anna Kendrick chose quite a story for her directorial debut. She also is in front of the camera as an aspiring actress who goes on an episode of “The Dating Game” to get notoriety. Little does she know that one of the contestants is a serial killer who’s brutally assaulted and murdered several women over the years. Daniel Zovatto is chilling as Rodney, the killer, and Kendrick shows great control over suspense and tension as she gives us a haunting look at toxic masculinity, and the way the system covers for men over women. I cannot wait to see what she does next.
=“Ghostlight” (Directed by Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan)- Art as a pathway for catharsis and acceptance of a tragedy is one of the most potent stories one can tell. In this moving, beautiful familial drama, a construction worker (Dan, played by Keith Kupferer in one of the year’s best performances) with a quick temper finds unexpected solace in a local community theatre troupe that is putting on a production of Romeo & Juliet. As they prepare for a legal proceeding, Dan is joined by his distant daughter, Daisy (played by Katherine Mallen Kupferer), and little by little, peace is found. This character piece is delicately directed by Thompson and O’Sullivan, and builds to some unexpected revelations.
=His Three Daughters (Directed by Azazel Jacobs)- Boy did this movie hit me hard. This is another familial drama where the family is disconnected, but then finds itself put back together at the end. Here, it is three sisters (played by Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne) who find themselves navigating the responsibilities and dynamics of their dying father. The three actresses all have tremendous moments, and their catharsis is powerful. As someone who’s watched such dynamics unfold first hand, this one was close to home for me as a watch.
=“Rebel Ridge” (Directed by Jeremy Saulnier)- This is the most I’ve repped Netflix on my Favorites list since they started making original movies- or at least acquiring them. This thriller takes a social issue- civil asset forfeiture, where the police take a person’s property in suspicion of a crime- and turns it into an entertaining and energetic story of justice as a brother (Aaron Pierre), just trying to get his cousin out of jail, and finds himself at war with the local police, lead by a chief played by Don Johnson at his slimiest. With straightforward plotting and characters worth rooting for (and against), director Saulnier made a mid-level adult audience drama that keeps us interested the whole way through.
=“Sing Sing” (Directed by Greg Kwedar)- If you know me, you know I have respect for “The Shawshank Redemption” as a film, but have never loved it the way many others have. But this prison drama, about a dramatic troupe who uses theatre as a way of opening up inmates to their emotional selves, was a powerhouse for me. Anchored by a phenomenal performance by Coleman Domingo, and cast with several alumni from the actual theatre group in Sing Sing prison (especially Clarence Maclin), Kwedar’s film is rooted in authentic moments of personal revelations and growth as men try to free their souls while incarcerated, whether they did the crime or not.
=“The South Got Something to Say” (Directed by Ryon Thorne and Tyson Horne)- This year has been a rich one for documentaries about musicians, and music history. Back in April this documentary about the Atlanta hip-hop scene, produced by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, played at the Atlanta Film Festival, and it is one of my favorites of the year because it gave me a stronger look at the city I’ve lived around for 36 years, and its musical identity, and how it’s changed. (It also inspired me to rediscover some favorite songs from my teen years.) I enjoyed every minute of it.
=“The Wild Robot” (Directed by Chris Sanders)- Chris Sanders has been pushing me to the emotional brink since “Lilo & Stitch,” and with this stunning film for Dreamworks, he pushes his animation style further as he tells the story of a helper robot (voiced wonderfully by Lupita Nyong’o) who finds themselves isolated on an island. The robot eventually ingratiates themselves with the wild life, but it’s their unexpected connection with an ugly duckling that binds them to life. The look of this film, the sound of this film, and the emotions of this film resonated strong with me. I hoped for greatness, but didn’t expect it quite like this.
Once the challenge of putting together my Top 25 was finished, the even bigger challenge of what came next was in my honorable mentions discussion. Some of the films were obvious, as I had them in contention for the list above, but others required some consideration, and even rewatching (if applicable). Here are the 10 films that occupy my “Eleventh Place” slot: “Anora”, Sean Baker’s dark comedy about a fairy tale love gone awry when stripper Mikey Madison’s Prince Charming is an entitled, immature douchebag; “Atikamekw Suns”, a powerful documentary about a miscarriage of justice where five Native people were found dead in 1977, but authorities showed no care or respect to follow through with a real investigation; “Chasing Chasing Amy”, a personal documentary about filmmaker Sav Rodgers’s love for Kevin Smith’s controversial indie success, and how they are shaped when their own film on the matter takes an unexpected turn; “Deadpool & Wolverine”, the better-than-it-has-any-reason-to-be MCU introduction for Ryan Reynolds’s smartass mercenary and Hugh Jackman’s Logan, which also serves to close the doors of the Fox-era Marvel films; “Didi”, Sean Wang’s vulgar, but authentic, coming-of-age story about a teenage boy struggling to find his place as he gets older; “Inside Out 2”, the sequel to Pixar’s internally-expressive 2015 masterpiece, this time having Joy and co. struggle with sharing time with some new emotions; “Me, Myself & the Void”, the story of a stand-up comedian who seems to be in spiritual limbo, and is forced figure out how he ended up that way; “My Old Ass”, another unorthodox coming-of-age film (there were a lot I really liked this year) about a teenage girl (played by the fantastic Maisy Stella) who finds herself visited by her older self (Aubrey Plaza), who has some keen advice for her; “Pianoman”, a documentary about a man who’s struggling to keep his piano restoration business open, and his family intact; and “With Love and a Major Organ”, a uniquely lovely sci-fi drama about a woman who feels openly, but finds the choices she’s made for a man she feels a connection to have unexpected consequences.
Before we move on, here are 25 more features and shorts that resonated with me this past year: “Alien: Romulus”; “The Body Politic”; “The Brutalist”; “A Complete Unknown”; “The Crime is Mine”; “Dune: Part Two”; “Ennio”; “Honk”; “The Last Black Dinosaur”; “Music by John Williams”; “Nickel Boys”; “No Other Land”; “Nosferatu”; “The People’s Joker”; “The Piano Lesson”; “Rape Play”; “Sasquatch Sunset”; “Saturday Night”; “Sting”; “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”; “Taboo: Family Secrets”; “Twisters”; “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”; “The Watchers”; “We Live in Time”
Favorite Soundtracks of 2024
A funny thing happened in the last month-plus of 2024- what became a relatively muted year for film soundtracks became one of my favorites in recent memory. Sure, there were soundtracks that I had connected with, but very few were striking me as, “this is my shortlist for the year.” It’s almost as if, when November hit, that all changed. The scores that connected with me are exemplary examples of the genre, and all aid their films immeasurably.
My favorite scores of the year either pushed the boundaries of cinematic storytelling, along with their films, or they are simply terrific listens, and often both. Leading off this year is the electronic-based soundscape that director Gints Zilbalodis and co-composer Rihards Zalupe crafted for the animated adventure film, “Flow”; while dealing with thematic material, the ambient feel was something I did not expect, but desperately needed. Probably my most listened to score was Amelia Warner’s heroic, emotional score for the sports drama, “Young Woman and the Sea”, which- like the film- hit all the right notes of the genre. Over the year, I also found myself listening to Jed Kurzel’s ethnically-tinged action score for Dev Patel’s action thriller, “Monkey Man”; the energy of the score brings to mind the film’s bruising heft. One of the most pleasant surprises of the year was being reminded of how uniquely weighty an Alexandre Desplat score could be; his score for Malcolm Washington’s “The Piano Lesson” was a much-needed wake up call to the composer’s greatness. (It’s been a while since one of his scores had the impact on me this one did.) Rounding out the very best of my favorites, Eiko Ishibashi’s elegant, haunting score for “Evil Does Not Exist” left an impression, and from earlier in the year, Clint Mansell’s electronic score for the noir thriller, “Love Lies Bleeding”, was another score that ended up in the rotation.
Just those scores alone would have made this a memorable year for this composer/soundtrack junkie, but the more one digs, the more treasures could be found. For Anna Kendrick’s true crime thriller, “Woman of the Hour”, Dan Romer and Mike Tuccillo created a terrifying musical landscape as Kendrick- as a first-time director- takes us to the heart of darkness of a man’s misogynistic killing spree. For the riveting comedy about the debut of a television icon, Jon Batiste crafted a comedic collages of music to go with Jason Reitman’s frantic “Saturday Night”. In scoring the indie spider horror movie, “Sting”, Anna Drubich concocted a creepy, crawly soundtrack that got under my skin. Daniel Blumberg’s score for “The Brutalist” works in as big, expansive motifs as the film’s central character does with his creations. And the lush colors of the anime, “The Colors Within”, are matched by the lovely music by kensuke ushio.
Before I round out the scores I really liked, there were a couple of song soundtracks to mention- the soundtrack album for “Bob Marley: One Love” serves as an interesting primer for the reggae legend (arguably a better one than the movie itself), while “Twisters” has a rocking country soundtrack that gets you in the mood for the madness to come. In terms of original songs, Lin-Manuel Miranda did some strong, interesting work for “Mufasa: The Lion King”, and I loved Miley Cyrus’s original contribution to “The Last Showgirl”. And while the score by Rob Simonsen for “Deadpool & Wolverine” wasn’t anything to write home about, its use of “Bye Bye Bye” and “Like a Prayer” were fantastic. If you want some more scores to put in the rotation, here are some more scores that had some moments for listeners in 2024: “Alien: Romulus” (Benjamin Wallfisch); “Conclave” (Volker Bertelmann); “Dune: Part Two” (Hans Zimmer); “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Tom Holkenborg); “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (Tom Holkenborg & Antonio Di lorio); “Inside Out 2” (Andrea Datzman); “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (John Paesano); “Megalopolis” (Osvaldo Golijov); “A Quiet Place: Day One” (Alexis Grapsas); ”September 5” (Lorenz Dangel); “Sing Sing” (Bryce Dessner); “The Substance” (Raffertie); ”Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Lorne Balfe & Julian Nott), and “The Wild Robot” (Kris Bowers).
Favorite Performances of 2024
This year felt particularly abundant in terms of great performances. As I have worked on my nominees for critics association voting this year, I have found myself leaving off some genuinely amazing performances, and voting to give notice to ones that may be under the radar. In this section, I love that I don’t have to feel as though I need to leave any off.
Let’s begin with the 10 that resonated with me most, and it begins with Daisy Ridley. In January, her performance as a young woman who finds herself having an unexpected friendship with a new employee in “Sometimes I Think About Dying” connected with me emotionally, while in May, she played a Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel, in “Young Woman and the Sea”; both movies give further evidence that she is a wonderful talent. Next up are a pair of actresses from the unsettling thriller, “Red Rooms”, who represent opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to a brutal murder case; Juliette Gariépy is the model and online poker player at the heart of the film, and Laurie Babin is a young woman whose parasocial relationship with the alleged killer is about to be deflated. In “Ghostlight”, Keith Kupferer and his daughter, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, give wonderful performances as a father and daughter for whom dramatic outlets leads to catharsis; also superb here is Dolly de Leon as Rita, the woman who convinces the father to join the company to begin with. And in “Thelma”, June Squibb is delightful as an old woman determined to get what was taken from her by an online scammer. As a writer in prison for a crime he did not commit, Coleman Domingo is extraordinary in the prison drama, “Sing Sing”, as is Clarence Maclin as a fellow prisoner who has an unexpected experience when he joins the prison’s theatre company. Rounding out my Top 10 actors for this year, Natasha Lyonne work as the often-stoned sister who’s trying to navigate the end of her father’s life in “His Three Daughters” is not always as blustry as her co-star’s work, but it makes the moments she lets her emotions go all the more impactful.
There are so many other wonderful performances to highlight, but listing them all could take forever. But, I can start with another actress who had a great double bill of performances this year in Lupita Nyong’o, who was wonderful as a cancer-stricken survivor of an alien invasion in “A Quiet Place: Day One” (which also featured terrific work by Joseph Quinn as a performer with panic attacks), and then a robot learning to work with the animal world in “The Wild Robot”. Another duo who delivered was Ryan Destiny as a 16-year-old boxing medalist, and Bryan Tyree Henry as her coach, in “The Fire Inside”. I really loved the trio of Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer in “The Bikeriders”, as well as Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian as lesbian lovers in “Love Lies Bleeding”. As the teenage boy in “Didi”, Izaac Wang is a relatable, selfish protagonist, and as Riley’s Anxiety in “Inside Out 2”, Maya Hawke captures what it’s like to feel the need to be in control, but be too anxious to exert it at the same time. The characters in “Nickel Boys” may only be seen from other people’s perspectives, but the work by Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is felt through every frame, whether they are on-screen or not. In “The Brutalist”, a battle of wills between genius and benefactor is ignited in the work by Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce. Another dual performance star this year was Timothée Chalamet, who anchored the biopic formula as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown”, as well as took his intergalactic prince in “Dune: Part Two” to new levels of uncertainty in how he will approach his building power. I adore the flirty, witty performances by Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Rebecca Marder in “The Crime is Mine”, and the hilarious work by Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa as the most slacker assassins ever in “Baby Assassins 2”. Finally, the work by Hitoshi Omika as a handyman in “Evil Does Not Exist” is subtle and impactful; Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande defy musical gravity in “Wicked”; the performances by Anna Kendrick as an aspiring actress and Daniel Zovatto as a serial killer in “Woman of the Hour” are exceptional in how they balance a horrific story; Mikey Madison and Yura Borisov bring heart from both sides of the personality spectrum in “Anora”; and I enjoyed the back-and-forth between Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell in “Twisters”. (Powell also made a ridiculously charming hit man in “Hit Man”.) There are so many more to mention, but that showcases the great wealth of varied, interesting work actors gave us in 2024.
Viva La Resistance!
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
