Since 2011, I have been pulling together a list of the best movies of the year according to the Brisbane-based critics who I run into regularly at preview screenings. Films to have topped prior year lists have been Drive in 2011, Argo in 2012, Gravity in 2013, Boyhood in 2014, Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, La La Land in 2016, Get Out in 2017, The Favourite in 2018, Parasite in 2019, Nomadland in 2020, Nine Days in 2021, and The Banshees of Inisherin in 2022, and Oppenheimer in 2023.
To come up with an overall top 10, I’ve used a simple points system and applied it to the list of each critic. It is as follows:
- 3 points for the top film on each list.
- 2 points for the films ranked between 2nd and 5th on each list.
- 1 point for the films ranked between 6th and 10th on each list.
If two films finished on the same score, the film that appeared on the greater number of top 10 lists is ranked higher (as an indication of wider approval). If that's the same, it goes to an average of the individual rankings of each film.
The 10 list includes movies released in Australian cinemas and also those made available on streaming platforms.
For the first time since Get Out in 2017, a horror movie topped the list. The Substance has been perfoming strongly this awards season (Demi Moore recently won a Golden Globe) and it made the top 10 list of over 75% of Brisbane critics surveyed. Five critics named it their #1 movie of the year.
Only two other movies featured on more than 50% of top 10 lists and they shared second place - Sean Baker's Anora, which won the Palme d'Or back in May and Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, still remembered fondly after being released in April.
Two highly acclaimed foreign language films made the cut - Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. Both were honoured with Oscars earlier last year.
The action genre was represented with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Dune: Part Two, while lovers of dark comedies would be pleased to see The Holdovers and A Real Pain ranked in the top 10.
Rounding out the list of 11 films (since there was a two-way tie for 10th) were two films which got people talking - May December and Love Lies Bleeding.
As always, it’s a great list of movies. Hunt them down on streaming services if you missed them in cinemas.
On that note, here are the top 10 movies of 2024 according to Brisbane critics…
Brisbane Film Critics - Top 10 of 2024
1. The Substance
2 Anora
2 Challengers
4. Anatomy of a Fall
5. The Zone of Interest
6. May December
7. The Holdovers
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
9. Dune: Part Two
10. A Real Pain
10. Love Lies Bleeding
You can view a table of all the votes and final scores by clicking here.
A big thanks to all who submitted their lists. If you're a Brisbane critic would like to contribute in future years, please reach out to me on social media.
You can check out information on all the Brisbane critics (along with their choices for the best and worst of 2024) below.
|
 Matthew Toomey
Born in Brisbane, Matt Toomey was introduced to the world of cinema when he landed a job at a video store fresh out of high school in 1995. A few years later, he started his own website and reviewed movies regularly on a community radio station. In 2005, he joined the team at 612ABC and can be heard reviewing the latest releases every Thursday morning. He can also be heard weekly on regional ABC throughout Queensland.
Website: thefilmpie.com
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Anatomy of a Fall |
| 2. |
The Zone of Interest |
| 3. |
Anora |
| 4. |
May December |
| 5. |
Thelma |
| 6. |
The Holdovers |
| 7. |
Late Night with the Devil |
| 8. |
A Real Pain |
| 9. |
The Teacher's Lounge |
| 10. |
Challengers |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Late Night with the Devil |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Memoir of a Snail |
| Best Documentary: |
| No Other Land |
| Best Performance: |
| Julianne Moore (May December) |
| Worst Film: |
| Rumours |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Deadpool & Wolverine |
 |
|
 Sarah Ward
Sarah Ward is a film critic, arts and culture writer, and film festival organiser. She is Concrete Playground's editor, national film and television editor, film and television critic, and Brisbane editor. Sarah is ABC radio Gold Coast’s film critic, as well as Screen International’s Australia-based film critic. Her work also spans Goethe-Institut Australien’s Kino in Oz, Flicks, SBS, SBS Movies, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, AACTA, Birth.Movies.Death, Junkee, FilmInk, Lumina, Senses of Cinema, Broadsheet, Televised Revolution, ArtsHub, ScreenHub, Metro Magazine, Screen Education and the World Film Locations book series — plus the Brisbane International Film Festival, Queensland Film Festival, Sydney Underground Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival.
Websites: concreteplayground.com
screendaily.com/sarah-ward/1100859.contributor
flicks.com.au/author/sarah-ward/
awfj.org/blog/author/wardsarah/
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Perfect Days |
| 2. |
The Substance |
| 3. |
Love Lies Bleeding |
| 4. |
The Zone of Interest |
| 5. |
Anatomy of a Fall |
| 6. |
All We Imagine as Light |
| 7. |
Anora |
| 8. |
The Apprentice |
| 9. |
A Different Man |
| 10. |
A Real Pain |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Memoir of a Snail |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Memoir of a Snail |
| Best Documentary: |
| 20 Days in Mariupol |
| Best Performance: |
| Kōji Hashimoto (Perfect Days) |
| Worst Film: |
| The Beekeeper |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Abigail |
|
 Garry Williams
Garry Williams is a reviewer for Film Club, a radio program broadcast on 4ZZZ-FM each Thursday from 7-8pm.
Website: 4zzz.org.au/program/film-club
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
The Substance |
| 2. |
A Different Man |
| 3. |
Green Border |
| 4. |
The Fall Guy |
| 5. |
May December |
| 6. |
Audrey |
| 7. |
The Room Next Door |
| 8. |
Blink Twice |
| 9. |
Deadpool & Wolverine |
| 10. |
Woman of the Hour |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Audrey |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Piece by Piece |
| Best Documentary: |
| Super/Man: The Christoper Reeve Story |
| Best Performance: |
| Demi Moore (The Substance) |
| Worst Film: |
| Joker: Folie a Deux |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Piece by Piece |
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
The Substance |
| 2. |
Anora |
| 3. |
Challengers |
| 4. |
All of Us Strangers |
| 5. |
Birdeater |
| 6. |
The Holdovers |
| 7. |
Longlegs |
| 8. |
Strange Darling |
| 9. |
Anatomy of a Fall |
| 10. |
Love Lies Bleeding |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Birdeater |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Memoir of a Snail |
| Best Documentary: |
| Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story |
| Best Performance: |
| Demi Moore (The Substance) |
| Worst Film: |
| The Garfield Movie |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Mean Girls |
|
 Ella Donald
Ella Donald is a change and communications manager, writer, and PhD candidate. She has written for publications like GQ magazine (Australia, Middle East), CNN, The Guardian, and ABC.
Website: n/a
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Raye at the Royal Albert Hall |
| 2. |
May December |
| 3. |
Challengers |
| 4. |
Priscilla |
| 5. |
The Zone of Interest |
| 6. |
The Holdovers |
| 7. |
The Substance |
| 8. |
All We Imagine as Light |
| 9. |
Anatomy of a Fall |
| 10. |
Drive-Away Dolls |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |
| Best Documentary: |
| Copa 71 |
| Best Performance: |
| Pascale Kann (September Says) |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Twisters |
|
 David Edwards
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb Magazine and writes about film and television.
Website: www.theblurb.com.au
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Kinds of Kindness |
| 2. |
May December |
| 3. |
The Holdovers |
| 4. |
The Zone of Interest |
| 5. |
The Piano Lesson |
| 6. |
Ghostlight |
| 7. |
Challengers |
| 8. |
Thelma |
| 9. |
Anora |
| 10. |
Drive-Away Dolls |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Inside Out 2 |
| Best Documentary: |
| Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story |
| Best Performance: |
| Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest) |
| Worst Film: |
| Megalopolis |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Drive-Away Dolls |
|
 Rob Hudson
Rob Hudson is the editor of popular culture website modmove.com and reviews film, theatre and music.
Website: modmove.com
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
The Wild Robot |
| 2. |
The Zone of Interest |
| 3. |
Daddio |
| 4. |
The Teacher Who Promised the Sea |
| 5. |
The Eight Mountains |
| 6. |
The Iron Claw |
| 7. |
The Holdovers |
| 8. |
Trust |
| 9. |
Goodrich |
| 10. |
The Substance |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Late Night with the Devil |
| Best Animated Film: |
| The Wild Robot |
| Best Documentary: |
| Super/Mam: The Christopher Reeve Story |
| Best Performance: |
| Demi Moore (The Substance) |
| Worst Film: |
| The Crow |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| The Fall Guy |
|
 Baz McAlister
Walkley Award winning journalist Baz McAlister is a writer and deputy night editor at The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail, and co-hosts 'Force Material', a podcast about the secrets, history and influences of Star Wars.
Website: bazmcalister.wordpress.com
www.forcematerial.com
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Kneecap |
| 2. |
The Substance |
| 3. |
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |
| 4. |
Oddity |
| 5. |
Last Stop in Yuma County |
| 6. |
Love Lies Bleeding |
| 7. |
Strange Darling |
| 8. |
Monkey Man |
| 9. |
Civil War |
| 10. |
Alien: Romulus |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |
| Best Animated Film: |
| The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim |
| Best Performance: |
| Demi Moore (The Substance) |
| Worst Film: |
| Borderlands |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Argylle |
|
 Nick L'Barrow
Nick L'Barrow is a film critic, celebrity interviewer and podcaster for Novastream and Nick's Flicks Fix. With over 300 interviews to his name, Nick speaks to actors and filmmakers for the latest releases in both Hollywood and Australia, and creates 90 second video reviews on Instagram. Nick is also the co-host of the Monthly Movie Marathon and Zero to 100 movie podcasts.
Website: www.novastream.com.au/
instagram.com/nicksflicksfix
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
The Substance |
| 2. |
Better Man |
| 3. |
Dune: Part Two |
| 4. |
Challengers |
| 5. |
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |
| 6. |
Didi |
| 7. |
Longlegs |
| 8. |
Memoir of a Snail |
| 9. |
Heretic |
| 10. |
Anora |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Birdeater |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Memoir of a Snail |
| Best Documentary: |
| Hinckley: I Shot the President |
| Best Performance: |
| Nicolas Cage (Longlegs) |
| Worst Film: |
| Red One |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Mean Girls |
|
 Jacob Richardson
Jacob is a Brisbane-based filmmaker and film critic, who runs Film Focus Magazine. He also writes film reviews for local publications the Village Voice in New Farm and Hamilton.
Website: filmfocusmagazine.com
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Anatomy of a Fall |
| 2. |
Better Man |
| 3. |
Dune: Part Two |
| 4. |
Anora |
| 5. |
Challengers |
| 6. |
The Apprentice |
| 7. |
Riceboy Sleeps |
| 8. |
Touch |
| 9. |
The Holdovers |
| 10. |
Civil War |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| The Way, My Way |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Transformers One |
| Best Documentary: |
| Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story |
| Best Performance: |
| Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) |
| Worst Film: |
| Argylle |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| It Ends With Us |
|
 Ashlee Pradella
Ashlee Pradella reviews films on Instagram, as well as being a digital creator, with a specific interest in awards season.
Website: www.instagram.com/moviewatchinggirl/
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
The Substance |
| 2. |
Anora |
| 3. |
Dune: Part Two |
| 4. |
Wicked: Part I |
| 5. |
Deadpool & Wolverine |
| 6. |
Furiosa |
| 7. |
Civil War |
| 8. |
It's What's Inside |
| 9. |
A Real Pain |
| 10. |
Challengers |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Memoir of a Snail |
| Best Animated Film: |
| The Wild Robot |
| Best Documentary: |
| Will and Harper |
| Best Performance: |
| Demi Moore (The Substance) |
| Worst Film: |
| Poolman |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| The Apprentice |
|
 Richard Houlihan
Richard Houlihan has been a film reviewer and Oscars prognosticator for ABC Capricornia Radio, Rockhampton’s The Morning Bulletin and Brisbane’s Indulge Magazine. Like Moira Rose, his favourite season is awards.
Website: soundcloud.com/richard-houlihan-8814866
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
The Substance |
| 2. |
Anora |
| 3. |
A Real Pain |
| 4. |
Anatomy of a Fall |
| 5. |
Conclave |
| 6. |
Civil War |
| 7. |
Dream Scenario |
| 8. |
Love Lies Bleeding |
| 9. |
Hit Man |
| 10. |
Hundreds of Beavers |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| The Moogai |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Memoir of a Snail |
| Best Documentary: |
| Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story |
| Best Performance: |
| Mikey Madison (Anora) |
| Worst Film: |
| Baghead |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Immaculate |
|
 Blake Ison
I am a film fan based in Brisbane, Australia who loves to talk about this exciting art form. I have no professional knowledge or experience around films, but I love discussing and dissecting them. I’m a fan of animation, fantasy and horror but will not shy away from diving head first into an anything I can get my eyes on. I’m a contributing writer to a number of sites in the past & started my own platform ‘The Silver Screen’ late 2024. I hope you enjoy my reviews!
Website: thesilverscreen.squarespace.com
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
I Saw the TV Glow |
| 2. |
Challengers |
| 3. |
La Chimera |
| 4. |
A Different Man |
| 5. |
The Beast |
| 6. |
ME |
| 7. |
The Substance |
| 8. |
Hundreds of Beavers |
| 9. |
Red Rooms |
| 10. |
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |
| Best Animated Film: |
| ME |
| Best Documentary: |
| Agent of Happiness |
| Best Performance: |
| Sebastian Stan (A Different Man) |
| Worst Film: |
| Deapool & Wolverine |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Civil War |
Peter Gray
