Best Movies to watch in 2024

The first half of 2024 had many critics worried: movie theaters were eerily empty. Despite high-profile releases like Ryan Gosling's action-packed romps and the star-studded Furiosa—a Mad Max prequel no less—audiences simply weren’t flocking to see them. It was especially surprising given 2023’s resurgence at the box office, as the world seemed to shake off the post-pandemic hangover.

But as we move further into the year, the narrative is shifting dramatically. Major hits in the family and superhero genres—such as Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine—have revitalised theater attendance, leaving behind the pessimism that clouded the year’s early months. It’s now time to stop wringing our hands and start celebrating what has been a truly exciting year for both blockbuster and arthouse films. Here’s a look at the 10 films that have stood out so far in 2024:

1. The Zone of Interest

Jonathan Glazer delivers a haunting, radical perspective on the Holocaust in this understated masterpiece. Using Hannah Arendt’s concept of the “banality of evil,” The Zone of Interest offers a chilling glimpse into the domestic life of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss, where the horrors remain unseen but never unheard. The film's eerie soundscape, featuring rifle shots and the cries of guards in the background, captures the disturbing contrast between normality and inhumanity.

2. Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos returns with his trademark surrealism in Poor Things, a wild adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s novel. Emma Stone shines as a lustful Frankenstein-like creature, leading viewers on a strange coming-of-age journey that’s both visually extravagant and intellectually provocative. With 11 Oscar nominations, Poor Things proves Lanthimos is a master at blending the bizarre with the beautiful.

3. Dune: Part Two

Denis Villeneuve has done it again. This sequel to his critically acclaimed Dune. continues to amaze with jaw-dropping desert landscapes, larger-than-life sandworms, and moral complexities that elevate the blockbuster genre. While the cast is star-studded, it’s the intricate world-building and awe-inspiring scale that truly stand out.

4. All of Us Strangers

Andrew Haigh’s ghostly love story is an emotional powerhouse. Centered on a lonely screenwriter whose past reemerges in unexpected ways, the film is deeply personal and universally relatable. Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal give heart-wrenching performances, making this film a must-see for anyone who has ever dealt with loss and longing.

5. The Substance

French director Coralie Fargeat delivers a gruesome yet thought-provoking horror in The Substance. Demi Moore plays a washed-up starlet who consumes a mysterious serum, triggering a series of body-horror events. Both visceral and poignant, the film highlights the pressures women face in an unforgiving, ageist industry. It’s grotesque, but full of heart.

6. Furiosa

While Furiosa may not have matched the streamlined intensity of Mad Max: Fury Road, it remains an essential blockbuster. The origin story of Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, provides a generation-spanning narrative that expands on the Mad Max universe’s mythology. With Chris Hemsworth as the villainous Dementus and action scenes that rival anything from Fury Road, it’s a wild ride worth taking.

7. About Dry Grasses

Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan returns with this slow-burn character study about a disillusioned teacher in rural Türkiye. Full of philosophical conversations and moral dilemmas, About Dry Grasses challenges viewers to reflect on their own lives while absorbing the film’s breathtaking cinematography.

8. Green Border

Agnieszka Holland’s powerful drama Green Border tackles the European refugee crisis with an unflinching eye. Following a group of migrants caught in the political tug-of-war between Belarus and Poland, the film is a poignant reminder of the human cost of political decisions. It’s bleak but hopeful, focusing on the resilience of migrants and the younger generation’s fight for change.

9. Long Legs

With shades of Hereditary and It Follows, this chilling horror from Oz Perkins features Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe in standout roles. Long Legs combines a serial-killer procedural with supernatural elements to create a deeply unsettling experience. It’s a slow, haunting film that lingers long after the credits roll.

10. Hit Man

Richard Linklater’s Hit Man is a crime-comedy gem, blending dark humour with a gripping narrative. Glen Powell shines as a New Orleans professor who moonlights as a fake assassin, getting caught up in a moral dilemma when he meets a woman looking to escape her abusive husband. It’s a shame the film didn’t get a wide release, but Netflix ensures it will find an appreciative audience.