The 15 Best Movies of 2024

15.

Civil War

Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jefferson White, Nelson Lee, Karl Glusman

Released: April 12

Budget: $50 million

Earnings: $126.2 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 81% (Critics), 70% (Audience)

In one of Civil War’s most harrowing scenes, a pitch-perfect Jesse Plemons, decked out in army fatigues, asks a trio of approaching journalists, “What kind of an American are you?” It’s a question just as chilling now as it was when the film came out in April.

From debates about its likelihood to complaints about its AI-generated posters, Civil War had plenty of buzz surrounding it when it was released—in an election year, to boot. And while Alex Garland grapples with themes of division, domestic terrorism, and American exceptionalism in this tense, action-packed movie, the film is just as much about the lives of war-time photographers on the hunt for the perfect photo as it is about the fracturing of the world’s most powerful nation.

There was a time when Civil War felt like a work of speculative fiction. But with CEOs being assassinated and our incumbent president talking openly about an end to elections on the campaign trail, it’s hard to tell if Garland’s movie is a case of art imitating life or vice versa. For those who can stomach its potential political prescience, the film’s worth watching for Dunst and Plemons’s unflinching performances alone. — Brent Ervin-Eickhoff

14.

Twisters

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack

Released: July 19

Budget: $155 million

Earnings: $371 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 75% (Critics), 90% (Audience)

A sequel (of sorts), Twisters delivered old-school thrills as not only one of the best movies of the year but also one of the best action movies of the last decade. Combining edge-of-your-seat set pieces with savvy, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nostalgic nods to the original, Lee Isaac Chung’s take on the 1996 cult classic is everything you want from a beloved IP reboot.

While 2024 gives the filmmakers much better technology to bring the film’s terrifying funnel clouds to life, they don’t confuse advances in CGI as a replacement for storytelling and characterization. Buoyed by the chemistry of Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, this is a movie that sweeps you away during the big moments when you’re watching characters fight for survival in an empty swimming pool, as well as the small ones when you watch them connect over meteorological theory.

And as an homage to the original’s drive-in movie scene, the film’s climax in a movie theater is the cherry on top of the thrill ride—even if you’re not watching it in 4DX. — Brent Ervin-Eickhoff

13.

Inside Out 2

Director: Kelsey Mann

Cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Ayo Edebiri

Released: June 14

Budget: $200 million

Earnings: $1.699 billion

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (Critics), 95% (Audience)

Inside Out 2 is one of those films that haunts you.

That's not a negative; the haunting nature of the film is its stunning accuracy in depicting how emotions affect—and, in some cases, paralyze—the body. By introducing new feelings—like Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos)—Inside Out 2 manages to tell a heartfelt and heart-wrenching narrative about the complexities of the self in a raw, nuanced way. Weirdly, it hurts.

And that's particularly because of the emotion that steals the film: Anxiety. Voiced by Stranger Things' Maya Hawke, this filmic personification of Anxiety is exactly what the emotion feels like IRL: crippling, consuming, conniving, and confusing, but all from a place of care—albeit misdirected. The scene of our kinda-sorta teenage main character, Riley Andersen (Kensington Tallman), experiencing an anxiety attack is arresting; a pivotal moment in the film I can't stop talking or thinking about. It's damn good.

But what makes Inside Out 2 great—and deserving of its spot on this list—is its universal ability to communicate how feelings work and what emotions do to us, whether healthy or not. It's a masterclass in illustrating how emotional intelligence and regulation is an ongoing practice, something we can all learn regardless of our age. — Levi Winslow

12.

Rebel Ridge

Director: Jeremy Saulnier

Cast: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Zsané Jhé, Dana Lee

Released: September 6

Budget: $41 million

Earnings: NA (Opening Weekend Views: 70 million)

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% (Critics), 73% (Audience)

Calling Rebel Ridge a modern-day version of First Blood isn’t exactly true, but it’s a useful comparison.

Jeremy Saulnier’s latest film is absolutely in conversation with the film that made Rambo a household name, but it’s much more complicated and thorny than that. At every conceivable point, Saulnier upends expectations of what typically unfolds during this film genre.

After corrupt, racist cops in a small Southern town arrest and steal from the wrong man, you’d maybe anticipate Rebel Ridge to go in one direction. In some ways, it does. But in others, it constantly bucks the trend, playing with anticipations or notions of what should or could happen when a military man with a certain set of skills comes to town. As such, the film keeps you on your toes, resulting in a deeply watchable thriller made all the better by a bona fide star-making performance from Aaron Pierre, who likely got the leading role in DC’s Green Lanterns series off the strength of his work here. As a result, Rebel Ridge becomes an explosive piece of alchemy that’s deeply refreshing at a time when so many things feel predictable and boring. — William Goodman

11.

I Saw the TV Glow

Director: Jane Schoenbrun

Cast: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Helena Howard, Lindsey Jordan, Danielle Deadwyler, Fred Durst, Conner O'Malley, Emma Portner

Released: May 17

Budget: $10 million

Earnings: $5.3 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (Critics), 70% (Audience)

I Saw the TV Glow will rip your heart out.

The Jane Schoenbrun-written and -directed film wears its transgender identity politics on its sleeve from the opening moments, but not to the point where that’s the only takeaway. Rather, I Saw the TV Glow grounds its narrative through a decidedly millennial lens: television.

Two outcast high schoolers, Owen (a career-best Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine), bond over a Buffy: The Vampire Slayer-esque show called “The Pink Opaque.” After the show is abruptly canceled, Owen’s left to pick up the pieces and figure out who he is, heading down a heart-wrenching path. The film's striking imagery—a spooky ice cream truck, a television set ablaze, neighborhood chalk writings—take typical suburban trappings and infuse them with a healthy dose of unease and melancholy that gets under your skin.

So much of what makes I Saw the TV Glow so effective is you can feel how personal it all is. Schoenbrun has clearly put so much of themselves into the creation of this film that its specificity becomes universal as the movie digs into how our obsessions shape and define who we are and how they can shift and betray our memory over time. As a result, this isn’t so much a film about wearing one’s heart on one's sleeve, but rather, pulling it out of one's chest and giving it to you on a silver platter. It’s intensely moving—and that makes it one of the most singularly memorable movies of this year. Or any year for that matter. — William Goodman

10.

Hit Man

Director: Richard Linklater

Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Raok, Molly Bernard, Evan Holtzman

Released: May 24

Budget: $8.8 million

Earnings: $5.4 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% (Critics), 92% (Audience)

Identity is a construct.

Who I am to you is different than who I am with my friends, family, peers, or co-workers. We create different versions of ourselves constantly. Who is to say that one of those created selves isn’t the truest expression of what’s underneath? These weighty questions drive the thematic core of Richard Linklater’s Hit Man. Written by Linklater and starring Glen Powell, the Netflix movie is based on a true story about Gary Johnson (Powell), an undercover New Orleans police contractor who poses as a hitman to catch clients in a sting operation. That is until he gets romantically involved with a former client.

For a movie with such a serious concept, it radiates charm, humor, and fun. It’s ostensibly a romantic comedy between Powell and co-star Adria Arjona; the two have electric chemistry, and the movie comes alive once they’re finally on screen. Twisty and full of unexpected pivots, Hit Man is a crowd-pleasing flick that confirms Powell as a multifaceted talent bound for movie-star greatness. — William Goodman

9.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Director(s): Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah

Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacob Scipio

Released: June 7

Budget: $100 million

Earnings: $404.2 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 65% (Critics), 97% (Audience)

Bad Boys is one of those franchises that never gets old, and Ride or Die proves why.

It delivers exactly what fans want, with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence back, showcasing their unmatched chemistry by blending humor, heart, and action perfectly. While the story may not have the emotional depth of the third film, it’s still a thrilling ride with a fast-paced, action-packed plot that keeps you hooked. The action is next-level, featuring jaw-dropping drone shots, dynamic camera angles, and really epic fight scenes.

Lawrence is hilarious as ever, bringing fresh energy to Marcus, while Smith adds a softer, more vulnerable layer to Mike yet still stays true to his badass roots. But let’s talk about Reggie—his character arc goes from being the kid Marcus tried to scare off in Bad Boys II to a full-on John Wick-type force that even Mike and Marcus have to respect. Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a worthy addition to the Bad Boys legacy, keeping the franchise fresh, exciting, and impossible to forget. — Unique Chapman

8.

Alien: Romulus

Director(s): Fede Álvarez

Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, Daniel Betts, Trevor Newlin

Released: August 16

Budget: $80 million

Earnings: $350.9 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 80% (Critics), 85% (Audience)

Set following the events of 1979's Sigourney Weaver-led Alien, Romulus tells the story of a young group of space colonizers who happen upon the same titular life form that spawned a four-film franchise and its myriad spin-offs. If that sentence doesn’t tell you, there’s been a big appetite for Alien since the late '70s, and in the hands of director Fede Álvarez, Romulus finds new boundaries to push in terms of the Xenomorphs’s horrific, birth-inspired method of propagation.

Amidst the chest-bursting violence, Romulus also manages to package in some CGI-aided fan service, and many of the story beats also harken back to previous franchise moments. That isn’t a bad thing, though, since the whole package is delivered with detailed production design that comes close to matching the tactile nature of the original film—something that you can’t always say about big studio films in the year 2024.

Add in solid acting by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, plus some great jump-scares, and you’ve got a satisfying entry into a beloved franchise.

Between this, Dune: Part 2, and Furiosa, it was a good year for science fiction. — Brent Ervin-Eickhoff

7.

The Wild Robot

Director(s): Chris Sanders

Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry

Released: September 27

Budget: $78 million

Earnings: $321.8 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 97% (Critics), 98% (Audience)

There’s a real "they don’t make ‘em like this anymore" quality to every little part of The Wild Robot.

Adapted from the eponymous book series, The Wild Robot is one of the rare movies that both kids and parents can enjoy. Thanks to its lusciously rendered 2D visuals and a heartening tale about the power of community in the face of adversity, there’s something for everyone here, resulting in a movie that’s staggeringly beautiful to watch and even lovelier to think about. Lovely is a word that’s in danger of becoming overused, a twee way to describe something as cute. But here, it's fittingly appropriate, as every bit of The Wild Robot exudes loving care—from those visuals down to the compelling performances by Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, and others.

They may not make them like this anymore, but The Wild Robot proves that when they do, they’re pretty damn good. — William Goodman

6.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Director(s): George Miller

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Lachy Hulme, George Shevtsov, John Howard, Angus Sampson, Nathan Jones

Released: May 24

Budget: $168 million

Earnings: $173.8 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (Critics), 89% (Audience)

Furiosa was never going to be Mad Max: Fury Road.

Despite the connective tissue between the two movies (Furiosa is a direct prequel to Fury Road), director George Miller knew better than to try and make the same film twice. Instead, Furiosa is an entirely different beast, one that personifies the hell-bent, driven character at its center while also being more somber than our last visit to the epic, post-apocalyptic Wasteland of the Mad Max franchise.

Furiosa is a gas-soaked revenge epic of Homeric proportions, one that steadily hums along before emitting a righteous roar of retribution that feels as if it was conjured straight from Hell. Functionally, it’s the polar opposite of Fury Road. Instead of controlled chaos, it’s quiet and introspective. It spans decades instead of days. The years of lived history make Furiosa’s story in Fury Road all the richer.

Anya Taylor-Joy, one of our most magnetic actors, does so much with so little; her pain and sadness are conveyed with one piercing look. Chris Hemsworth gives a career-best performance here, crafting the villainous Dementus with a callous buffoonery that makes him all the more striking. While the story is more somber than Fury Road, Miller hits the gas with his visuals, rendering the screen full of gob-smacking images after another—all rendered with his painterly touch.

It’s exceedingly difficult for lightning to strike twice. The fact that Furiosa exists in the first place is rare. It’s even more special that it’s worthy of inclusion alongside Fury Road. — William Goodman

5.

Gladiator II

Director(s): Ridley Scott

Cast: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington

Released: November 22

Budget: $210–310 million

Earnings: $325.3 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 71% (Critics), 83% (Audience)

Sequels are always hard.

Coming back to a story over two decades later makes audience satisfaction nearly impossible. But it seems that nostalgia won out with the release of Gladiator II. A Roman epic that has it all: revenge, honor, Denzel Washington in his villain era (again). Was your Thanksgiving weekend really complete if you didn’t take your mom, aunt, and second cousin twice removed to see Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal defend the ideals of a true Roman? Probably not.

Not to be pushed aside, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger followed in Joaquin Phoenix’s footsteps, only building on his desire for power and debauchery to deliver unhinged performances for the ages. They managed to bring a sense of levity and emotion to roles meant to be passive against the performances of Washington, Pascal, and Mescal. Of course, Washington was a king amongst men. Stealing the screen with his trademark cadence, adorned in gold, and a greying low-cut Cesar, Washington did what he came to do. However, Quinn and Hechinger’s attempt to play at his level was one of the high points of the film.

That being said, I have seen a lot of online debate about whether or not Paul Mescal was miscast in the lead. Hard disagree. While he didn’t speak often, every line was delivered with passion. His rousing speech for the final battle was not focused on him but on the men taken and held captive, forced to put their lives on the line for the entertainment of the Roman people. Mescal may not be at Russel Crowe levels of performance yet, but he is well on his way.

Overall, Gladiator II was a 2024 must-see, and it delivered the grandiosity we all expected. See it, draw your conclusions, and always remember the words of The True Emperor of Rome, Lucius: "Whether wood or steel. A point is still a point." — Jonathan Brens

4.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Director(s): Shawn Levy

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Aaron Stanford, Matthew Macfadyen

Released: July 26

Budget: $200 million

Earnings: $1.338 billion

Rotten Tomatoes: 79% (Critics), 94% (Audience)

For anyone who’s spent the past few years bemoaning the idea of “superhero fatigue,” Deadpool & Wolverine delivered them a big middle finger (or is that a middle claw?). Making billions at the box office and even spawning its own graphic popcorn bucket to rival Dune’s, Deadpool & Wolverine proved that still an appetite for big-screen superhero flicks.

It all starts when Wade Wilson (Reynolds) is paid a visit by the Time Variance Authority. He’s needed to help right issues with the multiverse by trying to restore order to the Sacred Timeline, a mission that he accepts. Along the way, he teams up with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine (clad in his iconic yellow outfit instead of the more modern iterations from the Bryan Singer films) for a jam-packed, joke-fueled action-adventure romp.

For many, getting to see Jackman take on the mantle of Wolverine again was reason enough to head to the movies. Little did they realize that he was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to cameos and familiar faces. From fan favorites like Gambit to cult icons like Blade, Deadpool & Wolverine rode nostalgia, fan service, and irreverent meta jokes to box office success.

The end result is a film that’s a whole ton of bloody fun, made even more so if you’ve seen all the other 30+ films in the MCU. Either way, it’s undeniable that Deadpool & Wolverine was one of the biggest box office events in recent years—and one that reminded us that superhero films still have something new to give to even the most diehard fans. — Brent Ervin-Eickhoff

3.

Challengers

Director(s): Luca Guadagnino

Cast: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist, Darnell Appling, Shane Harris, Nada Despotovich, AJ Lister, Naheem Garcia

Released: April 26

Budget: $55 million

Earnings: $96 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 88% (Critics), 74% (Audience)

Raw talent takes center stage in Luca Guadagnino’s sensational spring release, Challengers.

Zendaya silenced all the doubters who questioned her ability to lead a film—her magnetic performance proved she’s not just a star, but the star. The chemistry between Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist delivered a power struggle we never knew we needed. Their intertwined lives, both on and off the tennis court, created scenes brimming with tension.

I’ll never forgive Guadagnino for putting us through the heart-wrenching scene of Tashi tearing her ACL, and for the nail-biting callback that delivered, quite possibly, the best moment in cinema this year.

At its core, Challengers explores two central themes: talent vs. discipline and the lengths we go to win—whether in sports, love, or life. Guadagnino turns tennis into a battlefield where ambition and desire clash in thrilling, unyielding ways.

And can we talk about the score? Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross outdid themselves, delivering music that doesn’t just complement the story but elevates it, turning every rally, every glance, every heartbreak into pure cinematic poetry. Reznor and Ross really need that Best Score Oscar ASAP! Did I buy the vinyl? Yes. And you should, too. You’re welcome.

If you thought a sports drama couldn’t be this sexy, this gripping, or this raw, think again. Challengers is the kind of film that stays with you long after the final serve. Guadagnino served an ace, and cinema is all the better for it. — Jonathan Brens

2.

Wicked

Director(s): Jon M. Chu

Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum

Released: November 22

Budget: $150 million

Earnings: $372.9 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 89% (Critics), 96% (Audience)

No movie this year has spurred more conversation, Tiktok trends, or volume of teary-eyed press junket clips than Wicked.

Jon M. Chu delivered a breathtaking adaptation of the beloved musical, capturing the magic of Oz with grand set design, detailed costuming, and viral choreography. Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda deliver powerhouse vocal performances while tapping into nuanced and emotional characterizations of the iconic best friends.

Despite concern that Grande’s pop star persona would distract, she provides the perfect canvas, bringing a familiar but refreshing take to the role with her charm and spot-on comedic timing. Erivo is a dynamo who juggles and juxtaposes strength and vulnerability in almost every scene. Who can forget her “Defying Gravity” war cry? Not I.

The release of Wicked in 2024 is particularly poignant given our social and political climate; its themes of discrimination, identity, and standing against systemic injustice resonate deeply in today’s world. At a time when conversations about equity, privilege, and social justice are at the forefront, Wicked serves as both an escapist spectacle and a thought-provoking commentary. It’s timeless, acutely relevant, and perhaps most importantly, simply good fun. — Brighid Tully

1.

Dune: Part Two

Director(s): Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken

Released: March 1

Budget: $190 million

Earnings: $714.4 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% (Critics), 95% (Audience)

Denis Villeneuve didn’t just deliver a sequel with Dune: Part Two—he delivered a true, full-body cinematic experience that ultimately solidified its spot as 2024's number-one movie—at least in our eyes.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the 2021 film, but Part Two leveled up everything in unimaginable ways; sharper performances, jaw-dropping visuals, and storytelling that felt both operatic and deeply personal.

Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya were absolute forces of nature, alongside the unrecognizable Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha—a villain so magnetic, you couldn’t look away. And, of course, we can’t forget about Javier Bardem’s Stilgar, who proved to be one of the best memes of the year with his “Lisan Al Gaib” bits. It was just an unimaginable roster of superstars, all operating at the peak of their abilities.

But it’s the way Villeneuve tells this story that makes Dune: Part Two so exceptional. Every frame feels carefully sculpted, courtesy of cinematographer Greig Fraser’s breathtaking visuals. The deserts of Arrakis become characters of their own—otherworldly, dangerous, and strangely beautiful (shouts out sandworms). Watching these stunning scenes take place in front of you, with Hans Zimmer’s epic score in the background, is an experience that will live with you forever.

Epic in every sense of the word, it’s the rare blockbuster that hits your brain, your heart, and your senses all at once. Dune: Part Two isn’t just the best movie of 2024—it’s the kind of film people will be talking about for years to come. — Jacob Kramer