I saw 191 cinema releases during the 2024 calendar year (precisely the same number as the previous year) and, as I’ve done every year since 1996 (time flies), I like to put together a list which outlines my favourites. My prior year top 10 lists can be found here.
We’ve all got different tastes but hopefully the list inspires others to hunt down these movies and watch something great they may otherwise have missed. I went this through this list on ABC Brisbane breakfast radio a couple of weeks ago.
Honourable mentions this year which I couldn’t quite squeeze into my top 10 were – Fallen Leaves, Kneecap, Memoir of a Snail, There’s Still Tomorrow, Strange Darling, Touch, Monster, Wicked: Part I, Fremont, Riceboy Sleeps, My Old Ass.
The above films are all worth a look but to narrow it down to my top 10 of the year…
10. Challengers (out Apr 18) dumbs down the tennis elements to make it more cinematic, but it's still a terrific movie about three players (played by Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist) and the power games between them. It’s great to see Hollywood getting behind a romantic drama with meaty ideas. The movie entertains (lots of great individual scenes) while offering plenty to chat about afterwards. Cool music score too!
9. The Teacher's Lounge (out Apr 25) is a thought-provoking German drama about a schoolteacher embroiled in an escalating situation after a fellow staff member is caught stealing. With something to say about information (and who is entitled to it) and the relationships between parents and children, this resonates strongly.
8. A Real Pain (out Dec 26) is a dark comedy about two 30-something-year-old American cousins who go on a week-long tour through Poland to understand their family heritage. It’s a wonderful character study with Kieren Culkin having the flashier role as the bipolar Benji while Jesse Eisenberg, who serves as writer-director, is also excellent as an introvert with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The film deftly mixes comedy, drama and heart in achieving its goals.
7. Late Night with the Devil (out Apr 11) provides a refreshing spin on the horror / supernatural genre. We watch a 1977 episode of a fictitious late-night talk show as the host performs a quasi-exorcism on stage to help boost sagging TV ratings. Directed by two Aussies and featuring distinctive performances and cinematography, this is one of the year's best.
6. The Holdovers (out Jan 11) is an exquisitely told tale. Marking the first period piece film of director Alexander Payne, it's a 1970s college tale about three "broken" people forced to spend the Christmas holidays together. Humour is generated from the stinging barbs, well-written one-liners, and expressive faces. These moments are countered by well-timed dramatic shifts.
5. Thelma (out Sep 5) is an exceptional comedy about a 93-year-old woman (June Squibb) who goes in search of those who scammed $10k from her. It may sound goofy but it's anything but. The performances are top-notch, the jokes are hilarious, and there's a strong emotional undercurrent. It also has something to say about the way we approach ageing.
4. May December (out Feb 1) is a sensational film about a Hollywood starlet (Natalie Portman) who befriends a convicted paedophile schoolteacher (Julianne Moore) to work out how best to play her in a new movie. On one hand, it’s a thought-provoking drama about an unthinkable family unit. On the other, it’s an uncomfortable thriller about the way such stories are exploited for financial gain.
3. Anora (out Dec 26) is a conversation-generating film about a 23-year-old exotic dancer from New York City who falls in love with the excitable 21-year-old son of a Russian oligarch. The opening act focuses on romance, the middle act is screwball comedy, and the final act develops into a meatier drama. Hard to pick a favourite amongst the exemplary performances.
2. The Zone of Interest (out Feb 22) is set in 1943 and is centred on the Nazi family who lived in the two-story home which bordered the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. It’s hard to watch this and not feel its deliberate coldness. Folks make innocuous small talk in the backyard garden while smoke billows from furnaces in the background. With distinctive cinematography and sound, it’s the kind of movie that makes you think about events back then… and events today. Unforgettable.
1. Anatomy of a Fall (out Jan 25) is an unforgettable French drama that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes last year. A woman is on trial for her husband's murder and it's as if we, as the audiences, are members of the jury trying to decide if she committed the crime. Your views will swing back and forth throughout. A riveting character study that shows how a facial expression or turn of phrase can be used to judge someone, rightly or wrongly.