Josh and Julia's Favorite films of 2024

Our incredibly varied favorite films of the past year.

By: Josh and Julia McCormack

Happy 2025! Hope you’ve been enjoying this year as much as possible even with our entire democracy at risk!

Look, 2024 was full of heartbreak for a lot of us. But at least there were some good movies to help distract us from the insanity of the real world!

So here are not only my top ten favorites of the year, but my amazing wife Julia’s too! For the first time ever, Julia has decided to put together her own top ten and even provided her own written blurbs!

Please bear in mind that, like in years past, I still have yet to see so many of the big awards contenders (“The Brutalist”; “Emilia Perez”; “Nickel Boys”) and there are some great movies that just barely missed the cut (“The First Omen”; “Hit Man”; “The Apprentice”).

Now without further ado, Josh…AND JULIA’S top ten movies of 2024.

Josh's #10: Nosferatu (dir. Robert Eggers)

It’s a testament to Robert Eggers’ filmmaking that, while I consider “Nosferatu” his weakest film, it still managed to find a spot on my top-ten list.

As someone who has seen so many interpretations of the Dracula/Nosferatu narrative, I think it’s fair to say that– while Eggers’ love letter to gothic romance might be a bit overly reverential to be surprising or shocking–it stands as one the great adaptations thanks to its unrivaled visual sumptuousness and amazing ensemble cast.

Eggers is so skilled at encapsulating a dreadful atmosphere and those ethereal moments where the director illustrates Count Orlock’s supernatural, seductive pull are some of the most riveting sequences of any film in 2024. Nicholas Hoult’s arrival to Orlock’s castle (a scene we have seen portrayed many times in cinema) is a sensory feast with a gorgeous mixture of old and new VFX techniques and riveting sound design. That sequence alone could qualify as one of the best short films on the year.

The rest of the film is just a good, old-fashioned monster movie. And while, on the surface, it’s nothing we’ve never seen before, the commitment and craftsmanship on every level of this production make it something that’s really stuck with me. As a bonus, we’re treated to a wild physical performance from Lily-Rose Depp who makes “Nosferatu” not only a great vampire film, but perhaps the best english-language exorcism film since William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist III”.

Julia’s #10: Inside Out 2 (dir. Kelsey Mann)

I really thought the new emotions who were added into this sequel were just amazing! The portrayal of Anxiety, in particular, was so well-illustrated and gave children and adults a great way to visualize a really complex thing we all struggle with.

Josh's #9: Kinds of Kindness (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)

 Despite the trippy visuals and graphic depictions of sexuality, last year’s “Poor Things” proved to be not only a critical darling and awards favorite, but a surprisingly mainstream hit for Greek provocateur Yorgos Lanthimos. In a matter of months, Lanthimos released his follow-up, “Kinds of Kindness”; a film that proved far more divisive, and one that I greatly preferred.

While “Poor Things” was subversive, I often felt it was too hamstrung by its simplistic themes. With “Kinds of Kindness”, Lanthimos returns to the realm of feel-bad cinema in ways that recall his earlier works like “Dogtooth” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”. I found this three-part anthology film, filled to the brim with jet-black comedy and profoundly disturbing imagery, to be an unforgettable examination of those who crave control, and those who suffer from being controlled.

The ensemble cast (most of whom play different roles from story-to-story) is spectacular. As was the case with “Poor Things”, Emma Stone steals the picture by the end. Most of the adverts for “Kinds of Kindness” showed the two-time Oscar winner breakdancing in a parking lot, devoid of context. Finding out the absolutely insane circumstances that lead to that moment in the story proved to be one of “Kinds of Kindness”’ many pleasures.

Julia’s #9: The Idea of You (dir. Michael Showalter) 

It’s hard to make something that reads so smutty and not make it cringe. But they did a great job!

Also, I watched it twice in a row…for obvious reasons. ;)

Josh's #8: Love Lies Bleeding (dir. Rose Glass)

A love story punctuated by blood, sweat and roid rage, “Love Lies Bleeding” is the excellent sophomore feature director Rose Glass (“Saint Maud”) that manages to find the sweet spot between “Thelma and Louise”, David Cronenberg’s “Crash” and David Lynch’s “Lost Highway”, all while still delivering on its own unique set of thrills.

Anyone who knows me, probably knows that the scuzzy 80s vibes and gnarly practical FX work would have been enough on its own for me to recommend “Loves Lies Bleeding”, but its placement on this list is a testament to the two lead performances from Kristen Stewart and relative newcomer, Katy O’Brian. Their chemistry lays the groundwork for a sexy, funny and genuine relationship that perfectly balances out the film’s more violent and surreal moments.

While the unexpected ending might have turned off some viewers, the audacious choice to move the film into a more dreamlike space just gave me even more to chew on as I left the theater. One of 2024’s most wonderful oddities.

Julia’s #8: The Substance (dir. Coralie Fargeat)

I didn’t really love this movie, but I can recognize that it was a very good movie. So that’s why it’s on my list. Deeply disturbing. Would not watch again.

Josh's #7: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (dir. George Miller) 

Despite sharing its characters and visual language with 2015’s “ Mad Max: Fury Road”, George Miller’s “Furiosa” operates on a different frequency and slower velocity than its masterful predecessor. This prequel to “Fury Road” (a film I consider to be one of the best of the 21st-century) is not the non-step adrenaline fueled experience that film was. Rather, this is a 2.5 hour long odyssey that spans the course of almost 20 years in the life of our titular character. It’s a revenge story defined by moments of great grief and explorations of the Wasteland’s politics.

On first viewing, I was unfairly lamenting the fact that “Furiosa” wasn’t “Fury Road”. With each rewatch, I appreciate “Furiosa” for being its own film. A spectacular film, at that.

Anya Taylor-Joy was given the unenviable task of picking up the reins of Imperator Furiosa from Charlize Theron and I don’t think she’s gotten enough credit for her nearly wordless performance. While there are echoes of Theron in her performance, it works entirely on its own. Her final confrontation with the villainous Dementus (played by a wonderfully devious Chris Hemsworth) is one of the most stripped down, emotional moments in the entire “Mad Max” saga and her performance turns it into one of the best scenes George Miller has ever constructed.

While there’s undoubtedly less action than in the prior films, the stuff that is here is masterful. A truck chase at the film’s midpoint that features motorcyclists, parasailers and war boys illustrating the beautiful art of road war is an absolute showstopper. It’s also a prime example of how even at the age of 80, George Miller shows no signs of slowing down.

Julia’s #7: The Wild Robot (dir. Chris Sanders)

This was just such a cute take on motherhood! The art style was so unique.


Josh's #6: Conclave (dir. Edward Berger)

A wonderfully surprising adult drama that reckons with what role faith must take in an ever-evolving world.

Many of its more conservative critics have deemed Edward Berger’s film as anti-Catholic. It’s a criticism I fundamentally disagree with. If you’re someone who believes that institutions as old as the Catholic Church don’t require any sort of introspection when trying to find their footing in modern society, then perhaps “Conclave” simply isn’t for you. But if you, like me, are someone who believes that part of one’s institutional faith is reckoning with the past (be it good, bad or ugly) and finding out how it can evolve into something even more positive, then I assume this film will hit you just as hard as it hit me.

Putting the controversy around it aside, “Conclave” is a riveting procedural thriller. One of those films that is so well-made and so engrossing that ominous shots of closed doors and vigorous debates about faith within great halls prove to be as thrilling as any sort of action sequence. Even without any vulgarity and a PG rating at its belt, Berger’s “Conclave” harkons back to a time when studios made real movies for grown ups that weren’t just about passing the time, but about sparking discussion.

It all culminates in a shocking and beautiful finale that had me wishing for the day when the old guard might finally open their hearts to change.

If only…

Julia’s # 6: Lisa Frankenstein (dir. Zelda Williams)

I just love any movie where the female lead gets to rage-murder the men who have done her wrong.

 

Josh's #5: The Substance (dir. Coralie Fargeat)

Like many who have seen “The Substance”, I spent the last ten minutes of the film in complete shock at the level of bloody chaos writer/director Coralie Fargeat had brought to the screen. I was even more shocked that an actress like Demi Moore was participating in this level of bloody chaos. And I was EVEN MORE shocked when “The Substance”’s bloody chaos proved to be something of a mainstream hit. What a time to be alive as a body horror fan!

Fargeat’s film is pure punk rock, taking a simple but fruitful theme of female beauty standards and infusing it with hyper-stylized editing, a pulsating synth score and plenty of viscera. Many great films slowly worm their way into your brain over time, but “The Substance” comes at its audience like a head-on freight train from the start. Even before the bodily transformations begin, Fargeat commits to grossing the audience out with extended sequences like a chauvinistic Dennis Quaid chomping down on shrimp in extreme close-ups and spitting chunks back out as he rails about aging female stars.

At the heart of this movie though (and yes, this disgusting gorefest does have a heart) are the two central performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Moore, in particular, gives it her all and the accolades she’s received in the wake of this film’s release could not be more deserving.

To see a movie that concludes with hundreds of gallons of blood being sprayed like a firehose onto countless extras, and yet still feature acting as committed as what Moore and Qualley do here; it just fills my heart with perverse glee.

Julia’s #5: Gladiator II (dir. Ridley Scott)

I thought it was way better than the first one*. I thought the acting was incredible and I was stressed out the whole time (in a fun way).

Before I saw this movie I wasn’t sure how I felt about Paul Mescal and now I know exactly how I feel about Paul Mescal.

*Husband note: Julia has never seen the first “Gladiator”.

 

Josh's #4: I Saw the TV Glow (dir. Jane Schoenbrun)

Following up the terrific and criminally underseen debut, “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair”, director Jane Schoenbrun proves their metal as a new master of the medium with the terrifying, audacious and ultimately heartbreaking “I Saw the TV Glow”.

Through a surreal lens, Schoenbrun is able to craft a horror film that wrestles with identity and how it affects our ever-evolving (or devolving) sense of self. A film from a trans filmmaker that puts themes of identity at the forefront, it’s amazing how widely the film has seemed to reach out to all kinds of viewers no matter how they identify. I, myself, was truly frightened by the images conjured up in this film, but I was also struck by the way Schoenbrun is able to capture that fear of time passing around us; years beginning to feel like days. Seasons beginning to change in what feels like a matter of minutes.

“I Saw the TV Glow” also illustrates our generation’s relationship to the media that shaped us, better than just about anything I’ve ever seen. As our lead character (played here by an incredibly underrated Justice Smith) revisits the show that rewired his brain in his youth, he finds that the images that once frightened and moved him, now look cheap and childish. Is he misremembering how he once saw these images or has his loss of self removed his capacity to properly surrender himself to the emotions he once felt?

Whatever the answer may be, Schoenbrun has crafted a truly haunting cautionary tale that reminds us to hold on to that sense of self and to take up the call to be who we truly are inside instead of hiding our true light inside. It all culminates in a devastating final moment that left me reeling.

Julia’s #4: Dune: Part Two (dir. Denis Villeneuve)

Honestly, I thought the first one was so boring and I was really hesitant to see this one. However, I loved “Dune: Part Two” and I would follow Paul Atreides* and would be subject to his craziness because it was that convincing!

Timmy don’t miss. Timmy don’t miss.

*Husband note: My wife does not actually condone space fascism.

 

Josh's #3: Dune: Part Two (dir. Denis Villeneuve)

A couple of years ago, I read a review for “Apocalypse Now” on Letterboxd wherein the author said it’s the only film that “could attain the power of raising the dead.” It’s such an odd way to describe a film and yet it’s really stuck with me, because I know exactly what he means. There’s something indescribable when you’re seeing a film of such a massive scale firing on all cylinders that it does almost feel supernatural.

In a time where I tend to ask myself where all the money went on these incredibly expensive and spectacularly dull looking blockbusters (*cough* MARVEL*cough*), “Dune: Part Two” is the rare kind of movie where you can see every dollar on screen. From its A-list cast to its stunning cinematography and set design, there isn’t a single moment in this nearly three hour long sci-fi epic where I wasn’t in awe of a certain aspect.

More impressive than just how it functions as a spectacle is how it succeeds as an adaptation to author Frank Herbert’s classic source material. Using the world-building of “Dune: Part One” as the groundwork, Villeneuve finds a way to make the world of Arrakis more accessible than the novel ever tried, while also heightening the emotional stakes. It never undermines Herbert’s oddball sensibilities that made “Dune” such a beloved book, but it lets the technical aspects (which dominate so much of the late writer’s prose) take a bit of a backseat for the characters to really shine. Zendaya’s take on the character of Chani really benefits from this, taking a much more central role in this story than she did in the text. The changes made to her character make for some of the best surprises “Dune: Part Two” has to offer.

More than anything though, “Dune: Part Two” serves as a reminder of why I love to see big movies on the big screen. In IMAX, the images were truly mind blowing and combined with the score from Hans Zimmer, it almost turned the whole thing into some sort of religious experience. In its final scene, “Dune: Part Two” reaches an artistic zenith that mixes stunning visuals, earth-shattering sound design and a haunting performance from Timothee Chalamet with a mature condemnation of religious violence. I’ll never forget the feeling of this sequence.

It almost felt like it had the power to raise the dead.

Julia’s #3: Challengers (dir. Luca Guadagnino)

I liked this movie because it was the kind of stressful that made the movie that much more engaging. I also really like when main characters are unlikable. They were a toxic bunch, those kids, but I could not stop watching!

Oscars are bi-phobic for not nominating this. Sus.

 

Josh's #2: Challengers (dir. Luca Guadagnino)

A sensory, heartbreaking and ultimately cathartic cinematic achievement. Luca Guadagnino’s sports-based drama delves into the sensuality of tennis and the devastating effects of manipulation and competition both on and off the court. It’s a rare three-hander brought to life by three terrific performances from Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor.

Zig-zagging between past and present, first-time screenwriter Justin Kuitzkes (who also provided the script for Guadagnino's “Queer”, which was released later in the year) crafts an impeccable screenplay that plays out like a tennis match merely in its structure. Back and forth, we see the differing perspectives of events over the course of over a decade, as the three characters’ relationships ebb and flow, with Zendaya’s Tashi Duncan trying to use the repressed sexuality of her two male admirers (and former best friends) to not only her advantage, but to the advantage of the sport she loves more than anything.

It all culminates in a truly rousing final reel where Guadagnino pulls no stops in the stylish direction. At one moment you’re seeing the match from a bird’s eye view, at another you are looking at the match from an impossible angle, below the court itself. And most astonishingly, Guadagnino shows the POV of the tennis ball itself, quite literally placing the audience in the middle of the action. It’s gorgeous to look at, but it only resonates because the film has done such a good job of getting us to care about the stakes of this match in the lead-up.

In praising “Challengers”, it's impossible to not talk about Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ amazing score. The Nine-Inch-Nails duo have been in the game of producing phenomenal film scores for 15 years now and “Challengers” might just be their best work. With tracks like “Yeah x10” and “Compress/Repress” topping my Spotify Wrapped, let me just the choir of voices saying it’s absolutely ridiculous that this score did not nab a nomination at the Oscars.

In fact, this whole movie being snubbed at this year’s Academy Awards is enough to make me want to smash a tennis racket into pieces.

Julia’s #2: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (dir. Wes Ball)

As an avid “Planet of the Apes” fan, I really thought this one tied everything together in a beautiful full circle experience.

SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT: The bombshell of Caesar’s followers being crazy was *chef’s kiss*. Also, Orangutan Supremacy!

 

Josh's #1: Anora (dir. Sean Baker)

For about eight months, “Challengers” sat comfortably on its perch as my favorite film of 2024. But in the last days of the year, I decided to give Sean Baker’s latest film a watch and I had to make a last minute change.

There are still plenty of films both on “best of” lists and circling the awards circuit that I have yet to see, but I would be very shocked if any of them can take the place of “Anora”; a gorgeously photographed snapshot of a fleeting romance that’s just as impossible to categorize as it is to forget.

Focusing on a New York City sex worker who marries a young Russian client before finding herself in a set of wild circumstances, “Anora” is the greatest example of Baker’s penchant for showing characters who society deems as outcasts and presenting them at their best and worst, without any sense of judgement. I knew I was watching a great film when I found myself hating the behavior of Anora and her fiancee in the early parts of the film, but still found myself moved to tears when a montage of the night of their impromptu Vegas wedding began.

In its second act, the film makes the bold choice to shift away from the sexual escapades and night-life of Anora and her new husband and instead becomes something of a madcap odyssey through New York City. Finding a sweet spot between the rambling nature of early Robert Altman films and the slapstick comedy of the Three Stooges (thanks to frequent Baker collaborator, Karren Karagulian), this type of diversion from the plot would probably be a five minute montage in the hands of any other filmmaker. But Baker is gleefully playing with the form and Anora’s side quest with the incompetent Russian hoods proves to be so satisfying by the end, since it’s how we’re introduced to the character of Igor (played by Yura Borisov) who winds up stealing the film in its final minutes.

So much of “Anora” works, however, because of its title character and the lead performance from Mikey Madison that brings it to life. The young actress has already made an impression with notable supporting roles in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and 2022’s “Scream” reboot, but this is truly her breakout performance and it’s worthy of all of the accolades that she has recieved. From the opening sequence of her trying to attract clients at the strip club to the darkly hilarious home invasion sequence all the way to the surprisingly tragic ending.

And what an ending it is. After almost two hours of yelling and justified rage, the movie simmers down for a quietly poignant last scene that will likely recontextualize the entire film on a rewatch. Madison and Borisov play it all so beautifully and it’s all filtered through the eye of a modern master.

Julia’s #1: Twisters (dir. Lee Isaac Chung)

Needs no explanation.