Every post-pandemic year has been one of commercial frustration and artistic anxiety for movies. The theatrical experience feels continually threatened. Each new generation is more focused than the previous generation. Unable to log in for two hours without turning on the phone. An undercooked cinematic universe Repetitive sequels Strike in Hollywood and closing the theater It all contributes to the feeling that movies must continually justify their existence. It has been more than a century of media existence.
This year has been rather strange. Especially from a commercial perspective. Hollywood appears to be moving away from the superhero industry following decade of reliable box office dominance But the next trend hasn’t happened yet. However, I’m delighted with the diverse genres and storytelling approaches of some of my favorite films this year. It was created by a mix of up-and-coming filmmakers and famous icons. And there are more names worthy of recognition: Jeremy Saulnier’s tense action film. Rebel Ridgeyes– Halina Rein little girlA crafty update on an erotic thriller; George Miller’s Dickensian Mad Max spin out enraged– Impressive launch features like Indian Donaldson’s good oneof Julio Torres problemand Arkasha Stevenson’s First omen– But my 10 favorite shows of 2024 are these.
10. Evil does not exist. (Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi)
This Japanese filmmaker follows up on his Oscar-winning work. drive my carIt looks deceptively slight at first. It depicts several meetings in a drought-stricken community. with mountain residents opposing the creation of luxury campsites. But Hamaguchi is a master of slow-paced storytelling. and is a secondary drama of the municipality Evil does not exist. Ultimately, it reflects the uneasiness of a society that feels unbalanced due to humanity’s encroachment on the natural world. Few filmmakers can create such a long scene. of people chopping wood causing tension But that’s how Hamaguchi views small behaviors and how they communicate deeper discomfort. That reflects the most.
9. Trap (Directed by M. Night Shyamalan)
Since switching back to mid-budget films with a plot concept that is inviting to follow (Beach that makes you old (It’s a cottage at the end of the world.) Shyamalan discovered the shock-and-shock Hollywood alchemy that made him famous again. Trap There are Hitchcockian scenes. where a serial killer (Josh Hartnett, wonderfully disturbed) takes his daughter to a pop concert. Then he must escape the police battalion that is hunting him without revealing his secret. Like Shyamalan’s best work (village– old) It’s a really bad story. about raising children It explores the struggle of work-life balance in the craziest way imaginable.
8. Brutal people (Directed by Brady Corbett)
In today’s risk-free Hollywood Fierce ambition should be rewarded. Whether it’s Shyamalan’s high-end fun or Corbet’s epic, epic Great American Novel, its grandeur does more than enough to mask some of its glaring flaws. at Brutal people It’s a sprawling story about a struggling Hungarian architect (a charming Adrien Brody). and prospered and then struggled again in post-war America. Over three and a half hours, the film asks questions about creativity, capitalism, and the evolution of Jewish identity in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Corbet’s previous films have dealt with similarly overwhelming themes, with more diffuse results. Brutal people It’s a big step for him as a voice director.
7. Anora (Directed by Sean Baker)
Because Baker has emerged as a key indie filmmaker over the last decade. Therefore, a lot of attention has been drawn to the use of non-professional actors, real locations and hand-held cameras in movies, for example. tangerine and Florida Project– Anorawhich won the top prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It’s as kinetic and fluffy as those works. But it also emphasizes Baker’s subversive understanding of classic film storytelling. It updates the 1930s comedy for 2020. The foul-mouthed and toxic internet. AnoraThe dim first act of a prostitute named Ani (Mikey Madison) is possessed by the dim-witted lineage of Russian oligarchs. It is considered exciting and seductive. And the next action is that their love must collapse. Flashy high society crashes gleefully into Brighton Beach’s lurid nightlife, which is much better.
6. I see a glowing TV (Directed by Jane Schoenbrun)
Mix of horror identity crisis and brain-melting surrealism I see a glowing TV It’s a bold statement about Millennial pop culture. This follow-up to Schoenbrun’s mighty impressive debut. We’re all going to the World’s Fair.It plays like a faded memory of a cult TV show. The film talks about the twisted relationship between two friends and a Buffy the Vampire Slayer–A new type of program that has begun to flow into my own life experiences. It’s a story that captures the fascination with a particular generation’s tendency to attach outsized emotional weight to culturally ephemeral things. But it was told more with a bitter understanding than with a scathing tale.
5. Dune: Part Two (Directed by Denis Villeneuve)
Every week, movie theaters are flooded with blockbuster movies that aim to be as epic as possible. It fills the screen with CGI goop and guest stars. As the arms race The endless “movie universe” continues. Therefore, it is worth accepting when something is true. giant is out, and the hard-hitting second installment of Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s beloved sci-fi bestseller is exactly that. It’s certainly made enough money that we’ll see more of it. Dunin the future; The HBO spin-off is now airing, but second part It tells the story of Paul Atreides’ rise to power with a satisfying mix of triumph and terror. making his planetary jihad in awe-inspiring fashion. Villeneuve also pulls it off without losing sight of Herbert’s deeper concerns, such as how the hero’s journey often ends in the tyranny of personality.
4. Janet Planet (Directed by Annie Baker)
The year’s most impressive filmmaking performance was Annie Baker’s play, a gentle but pointed memoir about life in western Massachusetts in the early 1990s as a playwright. Baker has long excelled at conveying complex emotion with something as simple as a pause. and the silence of Janet Planet It’s just as powerful on the big screen. The feeling of the atmosphere she summoned became even more powerful. and the rural setting where Janet’s mother (Julianne Nicholson) and her restless daughter, Lacy (Zoe Ziegler), hum with both charm and danger. Janet, on the other hand, has to deal with interpersonal relationships. Without trying to completely alienate her child. Janet Planet Sweet, sad, gentle, to the point of feeling pain sometimes.
3. challenger (Directed by Luca Guadagnino)
Guadagnino has never been afraid to take on difficult tasks, such as recreating horror masterpieces (Zuspiria) and adapted a crazy love story about cannibals (bones and all– But also challengerHe did something even more difficult: make a movie. fun– Not as fun as specified company work But it’s entertaining, messy, and out of control. A drama about three tennis players who are always kissing or arguing with each other. challenger It’s the best bubbly: well-performed, with impressive technique. And it’s not afraid to throw in a few strawmen to compliment the typical sports movie presentation of alpha masculinity.
2. The Hard Truth (Directed by Mike Leigh)
The first film in six years from England’s best living director. The Hard Truth It is intimate and gradual. It tells the story of a slow journey. of the character to a reveal about herself. Maybe not. progressBut it was the first crack of perception. It starts out as an avant-garde black comedy, following the irrepressibly moody Londoner Pansy Deacon (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). Amazing) as she cuts through the misery of her family members and every stranger who gets in her way. As the movie progresses The movie will gradually Carefully distinguish what is at the root of Pansy’s behavior. It tells the story of a family’s emotional wounds. mental illness and life after Covid without it ever feeling like a lecture. which is special to Leigh’s
1. Nickel Boys (Directed by Ramelle Ross)
This adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel might sound exhausting: the film is told entirely in first person—as in, literally, from the point of view of the main character. It leaves viewers rooted in personal experiences in the maladaptive reform of schools in 1960s Florida, an approach Ross uses as a documentary filmmaker. It shouldn’t make sense for a fiction project. But the result is a bold new creation. If movies were empathy machines, so be it. Nickel Boys‘This unique perspective is one of the most exciting endeavors in recent history. This is to collect fragments of memories and feelings for the audience. Ross’s film depicts moments of deep sorrow and overwhelming love. But the quietest moments, like the cake being sliced, the hugs that flow without ceasing. Remains in the brain for the longest time
