In 2024 we got some truly remarkable movies, from musicals to horror films this list has it all. After the remarkable selection in 2023, filmmakers were eager to give us another year of hits, and they more than delivered.
14. The Lonely Planet
Despite being somewhat awkward this film had some great scenes. Shot in the beautiful landscape of Morocco, every frame contains vibrant colors. It revolved around Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern’s tension-filled relationship and had some interesting plot twists. Despite receiving a 40 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this was a great watch. It was fun to poke fun at the character Liam Hemsworth played, especially his ‘life sucks runs’ as my family dubbed it. “The Lonely Planet” deserves its spot on this list for being this type of easy background movie, without being boring.
13. Bob Marley: One Love
A powerful tribute to an iconic man, fans young and old alike appreciated this movie bringing Bob Marley and his music back to life. Many were thrilled to see accurate Jamaican culture represented in this movie. His family made sure to keep this movie as authentic as possible, and his son stayed on set most days to help out. However, some people think that the movie should’ve delved deeper into the negativities of his life instead of staying more surface-level. However, it still ended up grossing over $70 million.
12. Speak No Evil
This movie started funny and ended entertainingly sad. It watched like a true crime documentary, which made it better compared to the original Danish movie, and offered a more nuanced portrayal of the characters’ thoughts and emotions. It’s also better than other popular horror movies, because, while you do get hints, you are still guessing until the very end. Not only did it have jump scares, but it also gave thought-provoking and disturbing explorations of human nature and the complexities of marriage. The movie did portray the protagonist’s husband as a bit useless, which many of this movie’s male watchers found offensive. This was annoying to watch since only one character thought up all the smart ideas.
11. Quiet Place: Day One
This prequel to “The Quiet Place” followed the story of someone with a terminal illness when the alien invasion started, which allowed you to almost immediately empathize with her and her cute cat. While some might expect a prequel to expand upon the original story, this created new characters, which brought fresh perspectives and unexpected twists to the familiar world. Although this movie has gotten mixed reviews regarding its similarity to its predecessors, having another group’s perspective brought up new emotions. The starring actress, Lupita Nyong’o created a depth of emotion unparalleled by the famous cosmetically adjusted faces we have become accustomed to.
10. Trap
Despite getting some negative reviews, this was definitely one of the best movies of this year.
The story was very interesting, and different from the plots many movies tend to follow because we were watching from the ‘bad guys’ point of view. The cast’s acting was phenomenal, with the only overly unrealistic part being the daughter not being more suspicious or upset about her dad’s continuous departure during the concert. While we knew the entire time who the serial killer was, it worked out because we could appreciate him trying to escape without them feigning his innocence. Although there was a bit of repetition concerning his getaway, “Trap” was a very interesting watch.
9. The Fall Guy
Ryan Gosling brought yet another great performance with “The Fall Guy”. There were many impressive stunts, especially since nowadays many stunts are faked with CGI. The movie got mixed reviews, with some saying the over-the-top action was unrealistic and distracting, while others loved its wildness. Although I do think it would have been better if there were some slower scenes, overall this movie was a fun watch.
8. Venom the Last Dance
This was a good addition to the Venom franchise and offered an emotional ending. However, many viewers thought that they did not need to stretch the story over three movies. Since there weren’t many differences between the movies, this one felt very repetitive. It brought in about $500 million at the box office, which is less than the first two movies, but still very impressive.
7. Lisa Frankenstein
While this is one of the lesser-known films on this list, it deserves its spot because of its unique story. It did a great job of showing female teenage rage and contains a cute romance. While it only brought in about $13 million to the box office, most of the viewers who watched it loved it and gave very high ratings. Though some were put off by the graphic nature of some scenes, this movie is worth watching. The main actress, Caitlin Dever, did an amazing job portraying Lisa and conveyed each emotion on an incredibly authentic level.
6. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
While this could never replace the first “Beetlejuice” in the hearts of fans, it was still a good sequel. Jenna Ortega, who played Astrid Deetz, did a good job, although she has been a bit overused in recent years for angsty teenage girls. Tim Burton being the director helped make sure this sequel wasn’t a flop. He has a history of making amazing and twisted films, and it shows. However, some scenes were overexaggerated with the editing and ended up feeling cringey. Some might wonder if people would still like it if the famous actors were replaced with more obscure actors. Either way, I consider this a very unique product of the entertainment industry, and one of the top movies this year.
5. The Wild Robot
“The Wild Robot” was a stunningly beautiful movie with its moving script, watercolor-esque art style and themes of found family. Chris Sanders, who directed “How to Train Your Dragon,” along with other notable films, nailed both the writing and execution of this movie. So far, it has brought in over $300 million to the box office, deservingly so. The unexpected friendship between forest outcasts was heartwarming, especially since they were brought together with the need to raise a baby goose.
4. Fly Me to the Moon
This is a cute historical film, featuring Scarlett Johansson, that quickly became a fan favorite. While some say it was a flop due to it barely grossing over $40 million, I would disagree. It received many positive reviews and was a captivating watch. Its version of a high government official attempting to fake the moon landing was pretty interesting, but the arguments between the main characters were a bit overdone. Other than that, this was a great movie, and being filmed at the real Kennedy Space Center added another layer of realism.
3. IF
Going into the movie, it seemed like a lighthearted story, but it ended up being a tear-jerker for the whole family. John Krasinski, who wrote the movie as a sanctuary for both his children and his inner child, also did a great job playing the father of the main character, May. Watching characters of all ages connect with their imaginary friends, and coincidingly their younger selves was such a magical experience and a heartwarming reminder of adolescent wonder.
2. Mean Girls
Renee Rapp perfectly captured the essence of a mean girl, and more specifically, the iconic Regina George. This adaptation of the musical brought a new life to the familiar film and brought the lovable story to a new generation. While it didn’t bring in as much profit as some of the other top movies of this year, it got plenty of positive feedback. Although some say it was too “tiktokified,” most younger folk consider it a great representation of the high school experience.
1. Wicked
Last but most certainly not least, “Wicked” combined outstanding actors with stunning sets and an iconic story, into the most loved movie of this year. The editing and color choices brought an almost childlike feel to an intensely deep story. Even those who haven’t seen the musical, or heard much about its story in general, were able to easily follow this movie. Many people left overwhelmingly positive reviews, with the only negative reviews complaining that it took too long to watch. This however is one of the movie’s greatest qualities for true “Wicked” fans because it goes into much more detail than the Broadway musical has. The rejuvenated soundtrack of this movie also became an instant sensation, topping charts worldwide. It received numerous awards at the Golden Globes and was truly a cinematic masterpiece, which people worldwide are naming the best movie of the year.