What Were the Best Films of 2024?

2024 has been a bizarre year in cinema. Going into winter it felt like there were quite a number of really good films, but putting together the best of the year might prove difficult. That changed with the November releases and with revisiting a few films I had seen earlier. As a cinephile, I have always felt it was my duty to re-watch films I may have liked but not appreciated as much as I thought I should. There are so many factors that go into a person's reaction to a movie, and a person's mood can certainly be one of them, but the way a film is presented (or misrepresented) can also make a difference (see "The Brutalist" below).

The year in queer film is a different story. I saw "Queer" twice, for example, and did not love it. "Sebastian" is the only gay-themed film to make my list and "Wicked" is one of the few queer-friendly films.

Here are my choices for the best films of the year, plus the performances.

"Wicked"

Jon M. Chu's glorious, perfectly cast film version of "Wicked: Part One" is not just a celebration of the wonders of a stage musical adaptation when it's done with reverence to the source material, but also reconceived for the visual medium, it's also a warning to a society ready to silence those they disagree or find fault with. "Wicked" also happens to be a potent film about female friendship boasting a fab ensemble led by the commanding Cynthia Erivo, the splendi-fabuous Ariana Grande-Butera and sexy-pants himself, Jonathan Bailey.

"September 5"

It's no easy feat to take a story that's been dramatized many times and give it a fresh and timely spin, but German writer-director Tim Fehlbaum's "September 5" does just that and more by trapping us in an intensely claustrophobic environment and forcing us to sit with our own prejudices and meditate on the continuously chaotic and horrific state of the world. It's a sobering experience. And the cast features outstanding work by Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro and the quietly breathtaking Leonie Benesch.

"Anora"

On a second viewing, Sean Baker's bitingly satiric yet paradoxically authentic portrait of a doomed love story, "Anora," retains its power and audacity. Ani (a terrific Mikey Madison) is a sex worker who falls for the son of a Russian mobster (fantastic and sexy newcomer Mark Eydelshteyn), and everything goes to shit. The captivating Yura Borisov is featured as a goon with a heart of gold. "Anora" both believes in fairytales and eschews them in favor of something deeper.

"The Room Next Door"

Revisiting Pedro Almodóvar's first English-language film, "The Room Next Door," I was just as struck by the same transcendent feeling as when I first saw it in Venice. Boasting two truly smashing performances by Julianne Moore and, especially, Tilda Swinton, this dense gem is all about the power of love, friendship and death with dignity. Almodóvar continues to create extraordinary cinema that focuses on women and their resilience and strength.

"The Brutalist"

As I suspected, a second viewing of "The Brutalist" proved it was projected out of focus at the Venice Film Festival press screening I attended. Ironically, on my 4k HDTV I was able to truly appreciate every aspect of this monumental work so much more than the first time.

"The Brutalist" is a highly ambitious epic centering on the real-life Hungarian-born Jewish architect László Tóth (Adrien Brody in his best role in years) who emigrates to the US in 1947 having survived the Holocaust, seeking a better life. What he finds is more heartache.

The film is a keen and scathing comment on class and antisemitism in our country post-WWII. Sadly, and scarily, it's timelier than ever.

"A Complete Unknown"

Yes, Timothée Chalamet fully embodies Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown." Yes, he gets the look and the voice and the cool. But he also honors the enigma. James Mangold is smart enough to let the music and poetry of Dylan's work tell most of the tale. Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, and especially Elle Fanning, provide the film with its human pulse. The film doesn't shy away from Dylan's tempestuous relationship with both Joan Baez (Barbaro) and Suze Rotolo – known as Sylvie Russo in the film (Fanning).

"I'm Still Here"

Walter Salles ("Central Station") has crafted a bracing, masterful work, both a fascinating character study and a dire warning about how easy a totalitarian takeover can occur in any country. Here Salles focuses on the true story of one family's plight. Based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva's personal account (screenplay by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega), "I'm Still Here" is set in Rio de Janeiro when a military takeover of the government, that would last from 1964 to 1985, ripped one family apart. Grounded by a strong lead turn by Fernanda Torres, "I'm Still Here" is Brazil's Oscar submission and the best of an impressive lot.

"Conclave"

German filmmaker Edward Berger has crafted a film about the ruthless political machinations among the Catholic hierarchy, exposing the gross similarities to most of the West's democratic elections. "Conclave" is part thriller, part character study that follows the selection of a new Pope after the current Pontiff has died. And the ending may just shock you. The film gifts us one of Ralph Fiennes' finest performances, with excellent support from Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Serio Castellitto and the divine Isabella Rossellini.

"Hard Truths"

Marianne Jean-Baptiste sears the screen as Pansy in Mike Leigh's best film in decades, "Hard Truths." She's a perpetually vexed, endlessly ranting and raging wife, mother and sister who proves an initial irritant, but as the narrative unfolds, layers of her steely personality are peeled away to reveal a woman devastated by the crap life cards she's been dealt. It's a towering performance in a film that questions pre-judgment. Leigh wisely refuses to fill in all of Pansy's past blanks which makes the experience all the more fascinating.

"Armand"

Norway's International Feature entry is Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel's bold, boundary-pushing first feature, "Armand," a divisive work that challenges conventional cinematic comfort levels and questions expected human behavior. Armand boasts a daring and mesmerizing performance by Renate Reinsve ("A Different Man") as Elisabeth, a single mom and actress who recently lost her husband and whose 6-year-old son is being accused of being inappropriate with another boy (an understatement). Surreal touches give us insight into the inner life of the main character.

"Between the Temples"

In Nathan Silver's wonderfully engaging indie, "Between the Temples," the brilliantly gifted Carol Kane finally has a major role she can sink her comic chops into. She plays a former music teacher who decides she wants to be bat mitzvah'd by the magnificently odd Jason Schwartzman. And the two begin to fall for one another, much to the ire of Schwartzman's two moms, Caroline Aaron and Dolly de Leon. The film is a heartfelt treat. And Kane deserves awards attention.

"Sebastian"

I first saw Finnish-British filmmaker Mikko Mäkelä's complex and nuanced exploration of identity and queer sexuality, "Sebastian," while covering Sundance, and it has stayed with me. Mäkelä embraces complexity and nuance, giving us a nerve-inducing narrative that rarely veers into the expected, instead choosing a more exciting, sex-positive route. Beguiling newcomer Ruaridh Mollica delivers a fearless, star-making turn as the writer who decides to immerse himself in sex work in order to truly understand it.

"Sebastian" is easily the best queer film of 2024.

"Strange Darling"

At the start of JT Mollner's whiplash-inducing thriller, "Strange Darling," I was afraid I was about to sit through yet another misogynistic serial killer movie. Boy was I set straight (okay, not that straight). This is the kind of fantastic filmmaking where you need to simply allow the non-linear narrative to unfold and strap in for the ride. Spoilers would spoil. Suffice to say, both Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner are smashing in their captivating roles.

Runners-up

Outstanding Lead Actor

Ralph Fiennes in "Conclave"
Timothée Chalamet in "A Complete Unknown"
Adrien Brody in "The Brutalist"
James Norton in "Nowhere Special"
Ruaridh Mollica in "Sebastian"
Runners Up: Colman Domingo in "Sing Sing," Michael C. Pitt in "Day of the Fight"

Outstanding Lead Actress

Nicole Kidman in "Babygirl"
Tilda Swinton in "The Room Next Door" & "The End"
Marianne Jean-Baptiste in "Hard Truths"
Mikey Madison in "Anora"
Renate Reinsve in "Armand"
Runners Up: Kate Winslet in "Lee," Kirsten Dunst in "Civil War"

Outstanding Supporting Actress

Carol Kane in "Between the Temples"
Ariana Grande-Butera in "Wicked"
Zoe Saldaña in "Emilia Pérez" (even though she's really lead)
Leonie Benesch in "September 5"
Danielle Deadwyler in "The Piano Lesson"
Runners Up: Lady Gaga in "Joker: Folie à Deux," Jeannie Berlin in "I'll Be Right There," Elle Fanning in "A Complete Unknown"

Outstanding Supporting Actor

Guy Pearce in "The Brutalist"
Clarence Maclin in "Sing Sing"
Mark Eydelshteyn in "Anora"
Kieran Culkin in "A Real Pain" (even though he's really lead)
Yura Borisov in "Anora"
Runners Up: Jeremy Strong in "The Apprentice," John Magaro in "September 5," Jonathan Bailey in "Wicked"