My top five favorite movies of 2024
Only one of these films were nominated for "Best Picture."
All true cinephiles know that Academy Award season is go time. It’s where we catch up on all the nominees so we can accurately fill out our ballots, and hopefully win the pool at our Oscar viewing party.
Very often though, the winners aren’t the movies that stand the test of time. Shakespeare in Love beat out Saving Private and Life is Beautiful at the 71st Academy Awards. Shakespeare in Love has fallen by the wayside, but Saving Private and Life is Beautiful still are relevant today.
That’s often the case for my personal taste in films as well. When looking at the list of my favorite films from 2024, only one was nominated for “Best Picture,” and it’s not even the favorite to win.
Film, like any other form of art, is subjective, and these are my favorites in no particular order.
1. Civil War
Please do not let the name fool you. This is not a war movie. Not even close. It’s a journalism/road trip movie. Not sure why this didn’t hit with a bigger crowd. I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it, but the trailers do a very bad job and marketing the film. Walking in to the theater, I thought I was going to see a left leaning film attacking conservatives. What we got was an apolitical film about a group of journalists traveling across a war stricken country with danger around every corner. It also highlights the craziness and insane amount of stress and danger war journalists put themselves in. It was an incredible film, and I felt snubbed by receiving zero Academy Award nominations.
2. Strange Darling
What an incredible film. No spoilers, but nothing is what it seems. Go in blind. I almost wish the trailer was the logo of the movie on a black screen with that knockoff version of “Love Hurts,” playing and then cut to the release date. That’s all it should have been. Go into this film knowing nothing. Don’t watch the trailer I posted above. If you haven’t seen any of the films on this list, and only want to watch one, make it this one. Strange Darling was the horror suspense thriller of 2024.
3. September 5
My favorite movie of 2024. No surprise it’s another journalism movie. In September 5, we go inside the ABC Sports control room as they attempt to cover the 1972 Olympics hostage situation, where the nine members of the Israeli Olympic Team were taken hostage by Palestinian terrorists. It’s probably the best journalism movie I’ve seen and dives deep into the concept of journalistic ethics. As someone who got their degree in journalism, this movie is easily going on the rewatchable list, and likely into my top 10 overall.
4. Anora
The only Best Picture nominee on my list and should be the clear favorite to win, but it’s not for some strange reason. The Brutalist, which is a phenomenal film and true epic, but didn’t work for me, and Emilia Pérez, which is clearly the worst film to ever be nominated for Best Picture, are the two frontrunners as of today. I’ll never give out spoilers, but Anora and The Brutalist are essentially the same film. At least they are thematically. It’s just that Anora is the far superior watch. While I appreciate what The Brutalist is, and what it was trying to accomplish, Anora did a better job.
5. Juror #2
This felt like an old school, steady paced thriller that grabs your attention from the beginning. There was some rumblings that this would get nominated for Best Picture, or that Clint Eastwood would get nominated for Best Director, but it wasn’t to be. It’s an obvious tribute to 12 Angry Men (in my top five films of all time), but not quite a remake. This movie stands on its own, and is in that great tier of films. No spoilers, but the film has a very unique ending. One of the best of the year. I would be curious to know what you all think of it.
Honorable Mentions: The 4:30 Movie, Snack Shack, Wolfs, Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1, Didi, Sing Sing, Kill, and Lee.