Top 10 movies of the year – and some bonus choices
This year my film favourites are an eclectic bunch ... but all of them are well worth your time. How many have you seen?
Some of the best films I saw in calendar 2024 came out in late 2023 in the US and 2024 in Australia. That makes a movies-of-the-year list a little tricky.
I’ve decided to start with three 2023 releases and then move onto the top 10 films that were released in 2024 in both hemispheres.
Of the first, the Auschwitz drama The Zone of Interest, directed by Jonathan Glazer, is a clear No.1. Next is Wim Wenders’s Japanese language fable Perfect Days and Cord Jefferson’s satire American Fiction.
Now for the 2024 top 10.
10. My Old Ass
An inspirational take on the Letter to My Teenage Self theme, with debutant Maisy Stella as 18-year-old Elliott and Aubrey Plaza as 39-year-old Elliott. They meet in the same time zone, surprise each other and educate each other.
9. Thelma
Legendary 96-year-old American character actor June Squibb in her first lead role. A scam caper that is hilarious and bittersweet and feels like watching Mission Impossible on mobility scooters.
8. The Teacher Who Promised the Sea
A Spanish language historical drama that puts the history – in this case the Spanish Civil War – smack bang in our faces and reminds us that it’s not right to decide to look away, then or now.
7. Joker: Folie a Deux
I know I’m in the minority here. Todd Phillips’s musical sequel to his 2019 drama Joker, starring the remarkable Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, is spellbinding.
6. Touch
This beautiful Icelandic drama is about the search for lost love. It asks a question: is there something worse than loving someone and losing them for five decades? Yes there is.
5. Civil War
A gripping near-future drama in which the US is in its second civil war. Whether the re-election of Donald Trump makes this less or more pertinent is something only time will tell. It’s worth noting that the on-screen president is in his third term, contrary to the US constitution.
4. The Substance
Demi Moore delivers the performance of her career in this body horror thriller that strips off the invisibility cloak draped over women once they reach a certain age.
3. Vanya
In this live recording of a play at London’s National Theatre, Andrew Scott plays every character in Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya and shows why he is just about the most exciting actor working today.
2. Runt
This adaptation of Craig Silvey’s 2022 novel, starring a stray dog and co-starring some talented humans, is the feelgood film of the year. Akin to canine love, the entertainment offered here is unconditional.
1. Ghostlight
You’ve probably not heard of the cast nor the directors (Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson), so you’ll have to trust me on this. This drama that parallels a working class family in Illinois with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a hands down masterpiece of acting and film-making.
To finish how I started, with US-Australia release dates, I’ve yet to see the Oscar-buzzing A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold and starring Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan, which is out on Christmas Day in the US and January 23 in Australia.
I suspect it will be a film of 2024 over there and 2025 down here.
