We are at the half way stage in what started off as a pretty slow year in cinema but has managed to step up its game with some major releases in the last couple months. I have not quite got round to seeing everything I would have liked but have compiled a list of my Top 10 Favourite Movies that have been released so far in 2024.
The majority of these I would have predicted at the start of the year with a couple appearing on my most anticipated list, but a couple of major surprises have exceeded expectations and rocketed up in my rankings.
10. Monkey Man
Dir: Dev Patel
Cast: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Adithi Kalkunte, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, Makarand Deshpande, Jatin Malik, Zakir Hussain
Synopsis: A young man ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he’s beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, he discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
Despite a troubled production, Dev Patel manages to give everything he has got, both in front and behind the camera, in this gloriously bloody revenge thriller
9. Hit Man
Dir: Richard Linklater
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta
Synopsis: Professional killer Gary Johnson breaks protocol to help a desperate woman trying to flee an abusive husband and finds himself falling for her.
An outstanding comedic showcase for its star Glen Powell, ‘Hit Man’ is a smart and sexy romantic crime caper reminiscent of Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Out of Sight’
8. A Quiet Place: Day One
Dir: Michael Sarnoski
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou
Synopsis: When New York City comes under attack from an alien invasion, a woman and other survivors try to find a way to safety. They soon learn that they must remain absolutely silent as the mysterious creatures are drawn to the slightest sound.
While it may not recapture the originality or heart of the first film, this side project still delivers the thrills and surprising emotional beats synonymous with the horror series.
7. Inside Out 2
Dir: Kelsey Mann
Cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Ayo Edebiri, Lilimar, Grace Lu, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, Adele Exarchopoulos, Diane Lane, Kyle McLauchlan, Paul Walter Hauser
Synopsis: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust have been running a successful operation by all accounts. However, when Anxiety shows up, they aren’t sure how to feel.
Equally matching the visual ingenuity of the first film, this smart and funny Pixar sequel is the studio’s best project in years despite not quite landing the same emotional punch as its predecessor.
6. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Dir: Wes Ball
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy
Synopsis: Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he’s been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
The latest ‘Planet of the Apes’ instalment delivers the ground-breaking visual effects and compelling narrative that have become synonymous with the consistently strong franchise
5. Civil War
Dir: Alex Garland
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman, Jesse Plemons
Synopsis: In a dystopian future America, a team of military-embedded journalists races against time to reach Washington, D.C., before rebel factions descend upon the White House.
Alex Garland’s nail-biting dystopian thriller follows a team of photojournalists as they document civil unrest in the United States to harrowing effect
4. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Dir: George Miller
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne
Synopsis: Snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers, young Furiosa falls into the hands of a great biker horde led by the warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel, presided over by the Immortan Joe. As the two tyrants fight for dominance, Furiosa soon finds herself in a nonstop battle to make her way home.
Narratively stronger than its predecessor, the latest entry in the Mad Max Saga may be one of the all time great prequels but does not quite match the relentlessness that made ‘Fury Road’ so iconic.
3. Challengers
Dir: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist
Synopsis: Tashi, a tennis player turned coach, has transformed her husband from a mediocre player into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a challenger event — close to the lowest level of tournament on the pro tour. Tensions soon run high when he finds himself standing across the net from the once-promising, now burnt-out Patrick, his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
A career defining Zendaya umpires the rivalry between tennis stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, in Luca Guadagnino’s exhilarating romantic sports drama.
2. Love Lies Bleeding
Dir: Rose Glass
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, Ed Harris
Synopsis: Lou is a reclusive gym manager who falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder who’s heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream. Their love soon leads to violence as they get pulled deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.
English filmmaker Rose Glass has now established herself as a daring visual storyteller with this pulpy and frenetic sophomore feature
1. Dune: Part Two
Dir: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Lea Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem
Synopsis: Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
With Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve has delivered a masterclass in visual storytelling which not only improves on the first instalment but also elevates it
Dan Loves Film 
Great List of the best movies of 2024. Definitely agree with all of your choices for the best movies of the year. Personally speaking, I definitely agree with “Dune Part: Two” as the number one of the year. I thought that it was a magnificent sequel that managed to surpass the previous movie. The movie was so well-made, and achieved the tasks of honoring the Middle East. in my opinion, the movie remains the finest film of the year by a long shot. Besides “Dune”, “Furiosa” was another amazing film that I enjoyed from the year which would be in my top 10.
Here’s my thoughts on “Dune: Part Two”:
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Your lead sentence had me immediately thinking it was indeed a slow year so far…then you give me a list of ten films that, while I haven’t seen them all yet, are indeed of high quality and hint that the best is still to come – now time to catch up on a few of these! Great insight as always!
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Yeah the year was looking shaky for a while but has picked up since
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And some really strong stuff to come…plus as always the surprises! I enjoy reading all of your analysis!
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Did you watch the documentary BRATS on Hulu? The idea that this group of young stars in the 80s (my age) transformed the movie industry to focusing more on people in their twenties was interesting. Looking at your list, I feel like maybe that’s right. These movies seem mostly appealing to young adults. Nothing has drawn me into a theater recently.
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No i have not seen that as I do not have Hulu but agree there has always been a tendency for Hollywood to lean towards a younger demographic as this is the the bulk of their audience making more mature themed films much harder to find
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In BRATS, they float the idea that this was not always the case. They purport that pre-Brat Pack, films were typically geared for older people or all ages. I’m not sure if that’s true.
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Nice list
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Good list but since I’ve gotten into screenwriting I feel that top 10 list are too generic. I personally have my own list of top movies and shows that fall into specific “Save the cat” genres, or are great examples of certain technigues. For example, the new “Road House” movie is on my list of best “Pope in the pool” moments.
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