2024 was, if nothing else, a rather interesting year for movies. Blockbuster titles weren’t quite as plentiful or impressive as usual, which was no doubt a continuing consequence of the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes. A positive side effect of the strikes, however, is that smaller and independent films were given more of an opportunity to flourish than they usually receive.
Many smaller movies, of which the following list wound up being entirely comprised, received numerous accolades from critics and performed exceptionally well financially while some of them, as usual, fell by the wayside without receiving the attention they deserved. Horror titles seemed to largely reign in the independent success category, but there was also a wide variety of films to appease just about every taste. Whether they received hefty mainstream attention or not, the following films are all noteworthy examples of the many outstanding smaller-scale titles available to viewers in 2024.
10. Rob Peace
Based on a true story, a brilliant Black Yale graduate (a sensational Jay Will) has to resort to drug dealing in order to pay for his imprisoned father’s (an also-sensational Chiwetel Ejiofor) defense. The film impressively ignites empathy in viewers of all races, forcing them to experience the unfair and racially biased American justice system that far too many non-white Americans are at the mercy of. Rob Peace tells an important and timely story with heart, intelligence, and unflinching boldness.
9. Sasquatch Sunset
The everyday lives of a group of Sasquatch are observed over the course of a year and the results are as unique as you might expect from such a premise. Poignant, blunt, absurd, and endearingly quirky, the film and its loose narrative are supported by the beautiful craftsmanship found in every aspect of its exquisite filmmaking. Sasquatch Sunset boldly tries to tackle something new, and it does so with a substantial amount of creative success.
8. Knox Goes Away
Michael Keaton directs and stars in this character-driven thriller about a hitman’s impending memory loss, his many regrets, and his last-ditch efforts at atonement. It is an emotionally rich and grandly impressive achievement in writing, performance, and filmmaking. Knox Goes Away provides an involving and thoughtful examination of life’s fleeting nature.
7. Woman of the Hour
Co-star Anna Kendrick makes an impressive directorial debut with this refined and masterful depiction of women facing possible victimization at the hands of serial killer Rodney Alcala. The film is narratively brave, thematically relevant to our current times, and appropriately intense. Woman of the Hour is an effectively suspenseful and gripping piece of entertainment as much as it is a strikingly dramatic and thought-provoking meditation on violence against women.
6. Daddio
This mature, intelligent, and endlessly compelling character study takes place almost entirely in a taxi cab and centers on the relationship between the driver (an excellent-as-usual Sean Penn) and his passenger (an equally excellent Dakota Johnson). The film’s simple plot allows room for complex emotions and multi-dimensional characters that never cease to feel effortlessly realistic. Daddio is an insightful, fascinating, and truthfully hopeful look at human nature that is crafted with impressive care and welcomed tenderness.
5. Thelma
This is an endlessly charming movie about a woman who fights back after losing a substantial amount of money in a telephone scheme. Amongst its many attributes, it gives a fantastic elderly talent (June Squibb) the opportunity to shine in the spotlight. Great humor, relatable and well-defined characters, and an involving plot make this an effort that simply must be seen.
Thelma is a wonderful antidote to the youth obsession that seems to have always plagued most film watchers.
4. Strange Darling
Twisted, twisty, and endlessly shocking, this is a horror/thriller that needs to be seen to be believed. Don’t read about it. Just watch it. Strange Darling will not disappoint.
3. MaXXXine
This Grindhouse-esuqe horror masterwork features an impressively fiery and unforgettable lead performance by Mia Goth. While I found it to be just shy of greatness on first viewing due to its ridiculous nature, repeat viewings have since changed my opinion to consider it great because of its ridiculous nature. It serves as both a fitting sendoff to editor/writer/director Ti West’s X trilogy and as a high-quality effort that entirely stands on its own.
MaXXXine is a pulpy, stylish, and gleefully violent thrill ride that never ceases to shock in the most extreme and joyous of ways.
2. The Substance
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley star in this darkly comedic horror/satire that astutely observes the dark sides of show business, youth obsession, and vanity. Writer/director Coralie Fargeat expertly executes the film with precision, skill, and extraordinary craftsmanship that is reminiscent of and nearly equal to the work of numerous established and celebrated masters (Lynch, Kubrick, and Cronenberg chief among them). The Substance is an amusingly wicked and highly intelligent piece of body horror that both entertains and enlightens.
1. Longlegs
Writer/director Osgood Perkins’ supernatural serial killer effort is a unique and unforgettable experience. While it echoes the sensibilities of Lynch, Demme, Kubrick, and Polanski, its off-kilter unraveling of events, its cold tone, and its dreadfully uncomfortable atmosphere work together to make it a singularly horrifying and largely unprecedented piece of work. Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage deliver standout performances that only serve to elevate the film’s highly impressive artistry.
Longlegs is an outstanding horror/thriller that gets inside your head and stays there.
Top Ten Movies That Were Very Painful to Leave Off the Top Ten Movies of 2024:
Asphalt City, Lover Stalker Killer, The Bikeriders, In A Violent Nature, Late Night with the Devil, DogMan, The Fall Guy, The Greatest Hits, Joker: Folie à Deux (it was a B- on first viewing and an A- on second viewing—give it a chance and it might just grow on you), Rebel Moon – Chapter One: Chalice of Blood and Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness (Director’s Cuts)
Honorable Mentions:
Anora, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Brats, Drive-Away Dolls, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, He Went That Way, Hot Frosty, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Menendez Brothers, Nutcrackers, The Piano Lesson, Rebel Ridge, Red One, Red Right Hand, Sleeping Dogs, Suncoast, That Christmas
2024 Movies I Have Yet to See and Will Get to Eventually:
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, The Last Showgirl, The Brutalist, Emilia Perez, Nosferatu, Gladiator 2, Oh Canada, The Order, Babygirl, Queer, Nightbitch, The Room Next Door, A Complete Unknown, Wolfs, Steve! (martin) a documentary in two pieces, Argylle, Heretic
