Our Drink in the Movies team have compiled a comprehensive year-end piece that provides a shared look at each of our top 10 films of 2024. You can see our selected titles below in the text list or by pressing the arrows on the Poster Carousel Images.
10.
Alexander Reams: ‘Civil War’ (dir. Alex Garland)
Anna Harrison: ‘Queer’ (dir. Luca Guadagnino)
Jeff Sparks: ‘Caddo Lake’ (dir. Celine Held & Logan George)
Michael Clawson: ‘Good One’ (dir. India Donaldson)
Patrick Hao: ‘His Three Daughters’ (dir. Azazel Jacobs)
It would be easy to say that “His Three Daughters,” a chamber drama that essentially takes place in a three bedroom lower east side apartment, with the occasional detour to a bench outside in the apartment complex, could be a play and is “stagey”. Yet, Azazel Jacobs utilizes the apartment to its maximum capacity. The small-ish New York apartment confines the camera to stay close to his three actresses’ faces, the ritual “three daughters (Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olson). The apartment is entirely too small for them now, their former childhood home, and it squeezes them emotionally until they are about to burst, as they gather to help their father bedridden and close to death. The apartment is small enough so the film’s bare soundtrack is the sound of the EKG machine. The film never goes into his room. The way Jacobs films it is a spectral force like the threshold between life and death that you almost half expect St. Peter is waiting on the other side. And then in a moment, the apartment feels like it expands as Azazel Jacobs wallops the audience with an emotional final fifteen minutes, greater than maybe any fifteen minutes of a film in 2024.
Taylor Baker: ‘Rebel Ridge’ (dir. Jeremy Saulnier)
9.
Alexander Reams: ‘Trap’ (dir. M. Night Shyamalan)
M. Night Shyamalan hasn’t made a film (or television show) I’ve “enjoyed” in over 5 years, but for some reason I knew there was a film coming from him that would re-engage me in his filmography, and thankfully that came in the form of the dark comedy, “Trap.” After his much-lauded performance in “Oppenheimer,” Josh Hartnett gets to take on a character that clearly he’s been waiting to play. In every scene he is dialed in to not only what the other performers around him are doing, but the specific vision that Shyamalan is going for in his latest effort. The dialogue can feel disjointed, but when films adopt their own language it sets itself apart by its characters not communicating in what we perceive as normal. Hartnett gives one of the year’s best leading performances, but it’s Saleka Shyamalan who takes a true supporting role in the films second half, and has a lot of heavy lifting to do that she somehow makes it look effortless as she provides the necessary underminer to Hartnett’s OCD killer. Behind the camera, Shyamalan brought in Sayombhu Mukdheeprom to shoot the picture on 35mm and gorgeously captures the concert sequences while also creating some of the most striking facial compositions of the year, from the lighting to the performer choices, it all works. “Trap” is weird, stilted, stylish, and in my books, truly one of the best films 2024 had to offer.
Anna Harrison: ‘Civil War’ (dir. Alex Garland)
Jeff Sparks: ‘Evil Does Not Exist’ (dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi)
Michael Clawson: ‘Last Summer’ (dir. Catherine Breillat)
Patrick Hao: ‘Trap’ (dir. M. Night Shyamalan)
Taylor Baker: ‘His Three Daughters’ (dir. Azazel Jacobs)
8.
Alexander Reams: ‘Juror No. 2’ (dir. Clint Eastwood)
When Alexander saw there were no more worlds to conquer, he wept. And when Alexander Reams saw there were no theaters playing “Juror #2” near him, he wept too.
In all seriousness, Clint Eastwood’s (possibly) final film, “Juror #2” is a late-style work from a filmmaker synonymous with American culture. So as he, and his contemporaries, enter their later years and reflect more, more films that reflect the society and lives they’ve seen come through in their work. Scorsese had “The Irishman,” Malick had “A Hidden Life,” Scott had “The Last Duel,” and Eastwood’s is “Juror #2.” He brings in Nicholas Hoult to anchor the film as the titular second juror, and Eastwood quickly shows why he is a master of pacing and framing, as the film is efficient in its storytelling, but never undermining the performances that Eastwood brings out of the ensemble. Surrounding Hoult is Zoey Deutch as his pregnant wife, Toni Collette as the prosecuting attorney, J.K. Simmons and Leslie Bibb have roles as fellow jurors, and Kiefer Sutherland has a brief appearance as a form of counsel for Hoult’s character. The film is superb, many have undersold it’s greatness because it isn’t a huge film, but it’s one that is good, old fashioned filmmaking that we don’t see a lot of anymore.
Anna Harrison: Wicked (dir. Jon M. Chu)
Jeff Sparks: ‘Bird’ (dir. Andrea Arnold)
Michael Clawson: ‘Janet Planet’ (dir. Annie Baker)
Patrick Hao: ‘Rebel Ridge’ (dir. Jeremy Saulnier)
Taylor Baker: ‘Dahomey’ (dir. Mati Diop)
7.
Alexander Reams: ‘A Complete Unknown’ (dir. James Mangold)
Anna Harrison: ‘Kingdom of the Planet of The Apes’ (dir. Wes Ball)
Jeff Sparks: ‘Civil War’ (dir. Alex Garland)
In A24’s most expensive project to date, Alex Garland’s newest film sees a group of war photographers traveling across the country during a second American civil war that has turned the nation into a warzone. As the group travels through the war-torn country it’s obvious that not all four of our main characters will make it to their destination as danger seems to loom around every corner. Whether they’re clearing a building with a para-military group or simply stopping at a gas station the threat of death is constant whether that be from soldiers or just defensive civilians. That forementioned high production costs are evident in nearly every frame as each location has some reminder of the titular conflict. In one scene a downed helicopter occupies the parking lot of a JC Penny. In another hundreds of deserted cars block a highway. Everyday locations have taken on a wastelandish look at the point in the war that the film takes place in. It’s the set design and moment to moment viewing that makes the film exceptional. The battle scenes in particular evoke a visceral realism that few films can conjur. The gunshots for example are the loudest I’ve heard on a theater’s sound system. “Civil War’s” gorgeous cinematography and vivid portrayal of war make it one my favorites from 2024.
Michael Clawson: ‘Coma’ (dir. Bertrand Bonello)
Patrick Hao: ‘Juror No. 2’ (dir. Clint Eastwood)
Taylor Baker: ‘Civil War’ (dir. Alex Garland)
6.
Alexander Reams: ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ (dir. George Miller)
Anna Harrison: ‘A Different Man’ (dir. Aaron Schimberg)
Jeff Sparks: ‘The Old Oak’ (dir. Ken Loach)
Michael Clawson: ‘Christmas Eve at Miller’s Point’ (dir. Tyler Taormina)
Patrick Hao: ‘A Different Man’ (dir. Aaron Schimberg)
In a different universe, “A Different Man” would make for one hell of a “Twilight Zone” episode. But writer-director Aaron Schimberg is not just going for the obvious “Eye of the Beholder” parable. Rather, his film is an examination of broken people staying broken. What stands in Edward’s (Sebastian Stan) way is not his neurofibromatosis, but his own inability to self awareness and self actualize. That is why Aaron Schimberg presents two different doppelgangers before Edward. One is the fictional conception of Edward through a play written by his next door neighbor and crush, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), who Edward, post surgery, auditions and is cast to play. The other is Oswald (Adam Pearson), a man with neurofibromatosis but emotionally is the exact opposite of what Edward is; confident and charismatic. These refractions of Edward’s personality pose the question of transformation as one that is interpersonal rather than superficial. “A Different Man” may just as easily be a film about a young man falling victim to the manosphere than a man who undergoes surgery to “fix” his neurofibromatosis. Sometimes, we really are our own worst enemy.
Taylor Baker: ‘Coup de Chance’ (dir. Woody Allen)
5.
Alexander Reams: ‘The Beast’ (dir. Bertrand Bonello)
Anna Harrison: ‘Anora’ (dir. Sean Baker)
Jeff Sparks: ‘Do Not Expect Too Much From The End of The World’ (dir. Radu Jude)
In “Do Not Expect Too Much From The End of The World,” Ilinca Manolache plays a production assistant, Angela, tasked with finding a victim of a workplace injury to use in a safety video. Director Radu Jude plants us by her side as she travels the city of Bucharest interviewing subjects, arguing with people, making Instagram videos, and killing time. A perfect casting choice, Manolache’s Angela is the ideal companion for us to spend nearly three hours with. Though she’s in the film industry, her role isn’t glamorous, especially when she’s working more than she’s sleeping. As an “everyman” kind of character, Angela isn’t always a good person either but seeing her do things like flip off other drivers or spit in her employers food is what makes her feel real. The subtle injustices she sees her employers enact will ring true for many viewers. Though placed in Romania, the films social commentary is applicable to all workers and businesses. The so called end of the world that the title refers to is happening all around us in small ways. I may not know everything Radu Jude is trying to say here but what I do know is I could watch Ilinca Manolache drive around and interact with people for hours.
Michael Clawson: ‘The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed’ (dir. Joanna Arnow)
Patrick Hao: ‘Do Not Expect Too Much From The End of The World’ (dir. Radu Jude)
Taylor Baker: ‘Megalopolis’ (dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
4.
Alexander Reams: ‘Rebel Ridge’ (dir. Jeremy Saulnier)
Anna Harrison: ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ (dir. George Miller)
Despite my prickly exterior, I’m a sucker for romance, and “Furiosa” is, for my money, the most romantic movie of 2024. On paper, it’s as far from romance as you can get: “Furiosa” is a stylized, violent prequel of sorts to George Miller’s 2015 hit “Mad Max: Fury Road,” following a young Furiosa (Charlize Theron in “Fury Road,” Anya Taylor-Joy here), and is messier in both substance and form than its predecessor—but also bolder. While Taylor-Joy is good, it’s Chris Hemsworth as the villain Dementus who steals the show, and the final scene between Furiosa and Dementus—just the two of them in the middle of the desert, talking, crying, screaming—beats out the diesel-heavy climax of “Fury Road” (though there are still plenty of epic car chases in this one, too). But it was the nearly-unspoken romance between Furiosa and Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke, always underrated) that stayed with me the most: words spoken through glances, the silent understanding and forgiveness that love can bring. Miller’s “Mad Max” entries have always gone for extremes, but in “Furiosa” he shows that the quiet moments can be just as important.
Jeff Sparks: ‘National Theatre Live: People, Places, and Things’ (dir. Jeremy Herrin)
Michael Clawson: ‘Challengers’ (dir. Luca Guadagnino)
Patrick Hao: ‘Daughters’ (dir. Angela Patton & Natalie Rae)
Taylor Baker: ‘The Beast’ (dir. Bertrand Bonello)
3.
Alexander Reams: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (dir. Tim Burton)
Anna Harrison: ‘The Substance’ (dir. Coralie Fargeat)
Jeff Sparks: ‘Longlegs’ (dir. Oz Perkins)
Ever since he debuted with “The Blackcoat’s Daughter,” Oz Perkins has been one cinema’s rare masters of tonal control. His harrowing films have felt like no other and he continues that trend in his biggest commercial success so far, “Longlegs.” Even though we’ve seen a million movies about a detective hunting down a serial killer, Perkins manages to implement his distinct style to deliver a fresh experience. His frosty cinematography immerses the viewer into the films bleak world while still keeping them beyond arms reach of what’s really going on. Each progressing scene pulls you deeper into the rabbit hole until you reach the film’s shocking ending that was hidden in plain sight the entire time. With a cast consisting of Maika Monroe, Nic Cage, Blair Underwood, and Kiernan Shipka, Alicia Witt winds up being the standout performer in her chilling turn. Perkins pulls different styles of performances out of each of them, but his airtight direction keeps them in line with the overall story that unfolds in his best paced film to date.
As one of my most anticipated releases, “Longlegs” captivating viewing experience is my most memorable trip to the theater last year.
Michael Clawson: ‘Chime’ (dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
Patrick Hao: ‘I Saw The TV Glow’ (dir. Jane Schoenbrun)
Taylor Baker: ‘Julie Keeps Quiet’ (dir. Leonardo Van Dijl)
2.
Alexander Reams: ‘Hit Man’ (dir. Richard Linklater)
Anna Harrison: ‘Dìdi (弟弟)’ (dir. Sean Wang)
Jeff Sparks: ‘Kinds of Kindness’ (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
Michael Clawson: ‘Do Not Expect Too Much From The End of The World’ (dir. Radu Jude)
Patrick Hao: ‘Janet Planet’ (dir. Annie Baker)
I became a parent last year. And in becoming a parent I found myself marveling at parenthood and at childhood. Something that is so ordinary and universal yet for me experiencing it, I cannot imagine anyone else could possibly be going through the same thing. Watching “Janet Planet”, after an hour of trying to put my daughter to sleep, I found myself deeply connected to Janet (Julianne Nicholson), the mother, in her yearning to have a life outside her daughter, yet knowing that she would want nothing more than being the mother to her daughter. This leaves her emotionally distant from her daughter. I also found myself deeply connected to Lacy (Zoe Ziegler), the daughter. She watches her mother so keenly and acutely. Any one shift of Janet’s emotionality affects Lacy profoundly. Lacy, alone, cannot satisfy Janet’s loneliness. This is exacerbated by the multitudes of people coming in and out of their lives throughout the summer of 1991. Annie Baker astutely wrestles with the inner emotionality of the parent-child dynamic and how contradictory being both can be. In the end, we all try our best to be the best child or parent we can be.
Taylor Baker: ‘The Brutalist’ (dir. Brady Corbet)
1.
Alexander Reams: ‘Nosferatu’ (dir. Robert Eggers)
Anna Harrison: ‘Challengers’ (dir. Luca Guadagnino)
Once upon a time, Justin Kuritzkes made this viral video, and we all learned of his genius. Fast forward thirteen years later and he has become Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino’s favored screenwriter, writing “Queer” (my number ten on this list) and my favorite movie of the year, “Challengers.” Of Guadagnino and Kuritzkes’ efforts in 2024, “Queer” is the more challenging (ha) on many levels, but the melodrama and pounding synth score of “Challengers” vaulted it up my list—and that’s not even taking into account my role as President of the Mike Faist Fan ClubTM.
Guadagnino takes his trademark (homo)eroticism and places it in the tennis court as we follow the tumultuous love triangle between tennis star Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), his wife and coach, Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), and Art’s former best friend and current washed up tennis pro, Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor). Tashi is a better player than either of them, but an injury years ago forced her to the sidelines, and so she lives vicariously through Art and gets her kicks by staging a rematch that will unearth a decade-long grudge. What sets this love triangle apart is Guadagnino’s willingness to connect every line of the triangle, for he spends as much time with the relationship between Art and Patrick as he does with Tashi’s relationship to the boys—and he gets excellent performances out of all three (no one shoots the human body like Guadagnino does). Combined with the terrific score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and inventive cinematography from Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (tennis ball POV shot!), “Challengers” is by far the best movie set largely in New Rochelle—and certainly my favorite from 2024.
Jeff Sparks: ‘Amore Mio’ (dir. Guillaume Gouix)
Michael Clawson: ‘The Beast’ (dir. Bertrand Bonello)
Patrick Hao: ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ (dir. George Miller)
Taylor Baker: ‘The Girl with the Needle’ (dir. Magnus von Horn)