Best Films of 2024 [Poll][Closed] - Movies & TV

CA Dreamin

Gender: Male

Location: LA

Hayden wrote:

And, a quick side-jot— I hate being a pessimist here, this is suppose to be a thread celebrating the films of the year— but unfortunately I found a lot of (even critically acclaimed) features from 2024 to be disappointing.

Dude, I feel the same way. Furthermore, between losing access to many streaming services due to changes in personal life, shrinking theatrical windows, oversaturation of the market, and just being busier in general...sadly I've found keeping up with new movies as much of a chore as a passion this past year. And I'm feeling a little burned out. I usually watch 60-70 new movies per year. As of this post, I've only seen around 45 from 2024, not even enough fill a list here. And the bottom half of that list would be mediocrity and crap because, well, many titles were underwhelming.

CA Dreamin wrote:

Hayden wrote:

CassidyInc wrote:

I'll definitely post a list once a few other people do, it'll help jog my memory. When do you need them by? (Roughly)

I'm thinking mid-May.

Personally I prefer sooner, so we can get on to the 40s :wink:

Hayden wrote:

Will see 😁 I'm thinking the earliest would be May 17th. Might aim for the 24th though, depends on how many lists come in.

Hey, I'm not gonna lie, I jumped into a 40s phase about 3 weeks ago and I'm enjoying it 😁 . I hadn't watched much from that era in years, and I missed it. Looking forward to the next decade poll! But agreed, I should make more effort to beef up my 2024 list in the meantime. It's just about finding the time, energy, and means of access. To name a few, I would like to see:

Wild Robot
Nickel Boys
I'm Still Here
A Complete Unknown
Seed of a Sacred Fig

Didn't get around to these in theaters, and none are on platforms I have. And all but one is 135 min or longer (why are movies so long these days?).

Olli

Gender: Male

Age: 56

my next 4 recommendations are

- Challengers
- Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
- Furiosa
- Masters of the Air

👏

Olli

Gender: Male

Age: 56

my next 4 recommendations are

- Inside Out 2
- The Fire Inside
- Civil War
- Blink Twice

👏

Hayden

Location: Vietnam

Deadline will be May 24th 😄
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Doubles & Conch

CA Dreamin

Gender: Male

Location: LA

I caved in and recently got a D+/Hulu bundle (mainly to catch up on Futurama). I'll keep it for a month or two and watch some 2024 flicks that they offer.

I started with Inside Out 2, which I liked more than I expected. Pixar had been on a losing streak post-Soul, and I wasn't a fan of them reverting to sequelize a film that didn't seem like it needed one. And well, I was wrong. Inside Out 2, while recycling several beats from the first one, still manages to creatively portray the inner workings of the human mind, with the introduction of new characters/emotions who naturally emerge around age 13. There's a lot more going on in Riley's head this time around. Her emotions are more complicated and all over the place, and don't get to share the screen in the same way as the simpler, superior 2015 series starter. That film nicely allowed time to settle and created some wonderful, memorable moments. I wish Inside Out 2 could have reached those heights, but it didn't have the breathing room. That doesn't prevent it from being a solid film in its own right. It captured what 2 days in the mind of a 13-year-old feels like. Riley loses control. She desperately tries to fit in, and makes an ass of herself. She's torn between which directions to take. Some of her emotions take over the film, while others take a back seat. That's life for ya. Inside Out 2 may fail to live up to the original, but it succeeds in building upon the world the original created. And if Pixar greenlights Inside Out 3 and 4, taking Riley into maturity, introducing emotions of romance, sexual desire, depression, regret, nostalgia (who makes a cameo in 2), etc. then there are some great possibilities there. However, it's Pixar, so I wouldn't hold my breath. They wouldn't leave the PG-rated realm.

I also watched It's Not Me, a film so forgettable, I had to look up its title merely a week after seeing it. Also saw All We Imagine as Light, the best 2024 movie I've seen recently. It's not really my type, but it's well-executed.

Hayden

Location: Vietnam

CA Dreamin wrote:

(Pixar stuff)

Also saw All We Imagine as Light, the best 2024 movie I've seen recently. It's not really my type, but it's well-executed.

All We Imagine As Light grew on me after watching it. I let it simmer for a while, and it really fell into place. It's a lovely work. It's small, in a sense, but also all it needs to be. Hoping it starts to inspire a new wave of Indian cinema. It'd be great to see her turn into a kind of Weerasethakul/Kawase/Hou Hsiao-hsien type.

Re: Pixar— of which, I do not hide the fact I am a fan— I also had (medium) reservations regarding Inside Out 2, but it did turn out to be a decent film. It's not as good as the first— and I'm not saying that because it's the cliche, it's just true— but it conjures up enough quality material to justify a sequel. Some great laughs in it too. In general though, I am very worried about Pixar moving forward. I have faith in Incredibles 3 as long as Bird is in charge, but I think a sequel to Coco is a massive mistake, Toy Story 5 is overkill, and their two upcoming originals Hoppers and Elio don't sound interesting at all, and seem to cater less to a mature audience as some of their previous work (which, has always been one of Pixar's strongest qualities). So. Yeah. Not too hyped looking at the road ahead. Haven't a clue how they won't mess following Coco up, for real, even if it is the original team.

And the only reason I'm surprised you think Pixar's been on a losing streak post-Soul is because Luca exists. I feel it was immediately underappreciated, and I have no problem calling it one of Pixar's best. Truly. It's a fantastic work, marketed as a minor one. I'd take it over all of their 2010s films bar Coco. Which... once again, they should not be making a sequel to. 🧱

Quote:

Dude, I feel the same way. Furthermore, between losing access to many streaming services due to changes in personal life, shrinking theatrical windows, oversaturation of the market, and just being busier in general...sadly I've found keeping up with new movies as much of a chore as a passion this past year. And I'm feeling a little burned out. I usually watch 60-70 new movies per year. As of this post, I've only seen around 45 from 2024, not even enough fill a list here. And the bottom half of that list would be mediocrity and crap because, well, many titles were underwhelming.

And I feel like this is just the circumstance of the year more so than personal lack of interest/intrigue, etc. It was a super top-heavy year. I've near given up looking for films from the year, and my list barely reaches 50.

You might feel burned out now, but that itch'll come back (even if it isn't necessarily for new film).
_________________
Doubles & Conch

CA Dreamin

Gender: Male

Location: LA

Hayden wrote:

All We Imagine As Light grew on me after watching it. I let it simmer for a while, and it really fell into place. It's a lovely work. It's small, in a sense, but also all it needs to be. Hoping it starts to inspire a new wave of Indian cinema. It'd be great to see her turn into a kind of Weerasethakul/Kawase/Hou Hsiao-hsien type.

I was thinking of Weerasethakul and Tsai Ming-liang. Same ballpark. Minimalist Asian dramatic cinema, slow-pacing, restrained acting and dialogue, and little to no music. I understand the appeal, but it gets tedious. When it works for me (Uncle Boonmee, Burning), it's an engrossing watch that clicks. When it doesn't work for me (Tropical Malady, Stray Dogs), I find myself wanting to fast-forward to the next plot point (in cases when there even is one). All We Imagine As Light was neither extreme, but was on the better side. Maybe it needs to simmer for several years before a re-watch.

Hayden wrote:

Re: Pixar— of which, I do not hide the fact I am a fan— I also had (medium) reservations regarding Inside Out 2, but it did turn out to be a decent film. It's not as good as the first— and I'm not saying that because it's the cliche, it's just true— but it conjures up enough quality material to justify a sequel. Some great laughs in it too. In general though, I am very worried about Pixar moving forward. I have faith in Incredibles 3 as long as Bird is in charge, but I think a sequel to Coco is a massive mistake, Toy Story 5 is overkill, and their two upcoming originals Hoppers and Elio don't sound interesting at all, and seem to cater less to a mature audience as some of their previous work (which, has always been one of Pixar's strongest qualities). So. Yeah. Not too hyped looking at the road ahead. Haven't a clue how they won't mess following Coco up, for real, even if it is the original team.

And the only reason I'm surprised you think Pixar's been on a losing streak post-Soul is because Luca exists. I feel it was immediately underappreciated, and I have no problem calling it one of Pixar's best. Truly. It's a fantastic work, marketed as a minor one. I'd take it over all of their 2010s films bar Coco. Which... once again, they should not be making a sequel to. ](*,)

Luca was good/ok, nothing special. It's certainly better than the three Pixars that followed, so "losing streak post-Luca" would have been better phrasing. Anyway, Pixar's sequel choices are questionable. They're inconsistent with the gaps between films, and the time that passes within the narrative. Incredibles 2 felt like a decade too late. Toy Story 3 is the only Pixar sequel I'd call perfect. The long gap between 2 and 3 acknowledged Andy aging as much, and it worked wonders. Loyalty, becoming lost, staying together, moving on to a new kid...TS 3 perfectly hit these notes. And I thought Toy Story 4, with its 9 year gap after 3, would take those themes even further as Bonnie got older. Instead, 4 picked up soon after 3 ended, ignoring any time jump. Buzz's character was wasted. Forky was a terrible idea. The only part of TS 4 I liked was the very ending. The movie leading up to it was meh. But I have hope for Toy Story 5. I like the rumored premise, and if it can also integrate themes from TS 3, it might be a much better send-off than 4. Similarly, Inside Out 2's nine-year gap after the first one felt way too long, to only pick up two years later. Nonetheless, it worked for me. Could have been better, but it worked. It had Pixar's funniest one-liner in years (couldn't find a better link). And again, Inside Out 3 and beyond could be great if Pixar dares to act quickly and go beyond PG-rated territory. I doubt they'll do so.

Hayden wrote:

Quote:

Dude, I feel the same way. Furthermore, between losing access to many streaming services due to changes in personal life, shrinking theatrical windows, oversaturation of the market, and just being busier in general...sadly I've found keeping up with new movies as much of a chore as a passion this past year. And I'm feeling a little burned out. I usually watch 60-70 new movies per year. As of this post, I've only seen around 45 from 2024, not even enough fill a list here. And the bottom half of that list would be mediocrity and crap because, well, many titles were underwhelming.

And I feel like this is just the circumstance of the year more so than personal lack of interest/intrigue, etc. It was a super top-heavy year. I've near given up looking for films from the year, and my list barely reaches 50.

You might feel burned out now, but that itch'll come back (even if it isn't necessarily for new film).

They're related. I think the changes in personal life, coupled with 2024 being a down year, are both fueling my burnout with new movies. The movie itch is still there, just not for new releases. But I'm trying to regain it for the remainder of this poll. Getting D+, Hulu, and watching Inside Out 2 helped. It was a quick, easy, enjoyable watch. There's bound to other worthwhile 2024 releases on D+ and Hulu, right? I hope. I'm gonna watch A Complete Unknown (Hulu) today, a film that does not resemble something I'd like, though I've heard mostly great things.

Applerill

Autistic Princess <3

Gender: Female

Age: 32

Location: Chicago

I'm personally really proud of this list. 2024 is the year I really reached new heights as a filmmaker, and while none of the three features I released are obviously on this list, a lot of those of people I have interacted with are. I provided an asterisk for those films, but I don't think much favoritism was at play; in fact, my friend Louise Weard's Castration Movie has quickly become legendary in trans spaces, and there's lots of stuff from my friends that didn't make the list. Any of the top 10 entries I can imagine being among my very favorites of the decade so far, and I highly suggest you check any of those out.

1. The Wild Robot (Sanders)
2. A Different Man (Schimberg)
3. The People's Joker (Drew)
4. The Diarrhea Brothers Save the Day (Haver)*
5. The Feeling That the Time For Doing Something Has Passed (Arnow)
6. Memoir of a Snail (Elliot)
7. I Saw the TV Glow (Schoenbrun)
8. Castration Movie Anthology I: Traps (Weard)*
9. Confessions of a Good Samaritan (Lane)
10. Coven of the Black Cube (Longo)
11. Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (Price)
12. Flow (Zilbalodis)
13. Hundreds of Beavers (Cheslik)
14. KOG Makes A Shitty Movie (Gwen)*
15. Love Lies Bleeding (Glass)
16. Matt & Mara (Radwanski)
17. Chasing Chasing Amy (Rogers)
18. The Beast (Bonello)
19. Adam Sandler: Love You (Safdie)
20. Heretic (Wood)
21. Your Fat Friend (Findlay)
22. Rachael Hunger (Clarke)*
23. Juror No. 2 (Eastwood)
24. Didi (Wang)
25. Daddio (Hall)
26. Saturn Devouring Her Daughter (Fuentes)*
27. Flipside (Wilcha)
28. Red Rooms (Palante)
29. Little Black Submarines (Ros)*
30. I Like Movies (Levack)
31. The Substance (Fargeat)
33. The Apprentice (Abbasi)
34. A Real Pain (Eisenberg)
35. Stress Positions (Hammel)
36. Union (Story, Maing)
37. We Live In Time (Crowley)
38. I Used To Be Funny (Pankiw)
39. Exhibiting Forgiveness (Kaphar)
40. Babygirl (Rejin)
41. Look Into My Eyes (Wilson)
42. Deadpool & Wolverine (Levy)
43. It's What's Inside (Jardin)
44. Witches (Sankey)
45. My Old Ass (Park)
46. Anora (Baker)
47. The 4:30 Movie (Smith)
48. Babes (Adlon)
49. Will & Harper (Greenbaum)
50. Inside Out 2 (Mann)

Hayden

Location: Vietnam

Thanks Charli, tallied— our top 5 is wild right now 🤣 —

I'm interesting in how this turns out. Could be one of BEA's more unpredictable lists.
_________________
Doubles & Conch

Olli

Gender: Male

Age: 56

my next 4 recommendations are

- The Red Virgin
- The Substance
- Thelma
- Nosferatu

👏