On May 2nd, 2023, the Writers Guild of America went on strike. 73 days later, the Screen Actors Guild began their own. With productions halted, actors and writers alike fought for their rights. They worked to ensure better residual pay in the streaming era, protections against generative AI usage, and overall increase in quality of life in their working conditions. Negotiations were made, and both unions were able to come to an agreement with the AMPTP by November of 2023. The aftereffect of the strikes that consumers would see is the lack of films that 2024 brought. Indeed, many were delayed of their 2023 release to ensure actors were able to market. Some even moved their releases into 2025 and beyond. A small price to pay for the sake of worker’s rights, with anxiety nonetheless that event cinema was missing this year.
Until it wasn’t. A historic weekend in movie watching happened over Thanksgiving break, with Moana 2, Gladiator II, and Wicked grossing over 420 million dollars over 5 days, creating a revitalization of going to the movies. Movie theaters even had to add a queue to their app, as if getting tickets to see Wicked is on the same level as trying to secure tickets for the eras tour. But it’s not just the new releases getting the love. The 10th anniversary re-release of Interstellar in 70mm IMAX film created a secondary market; also a trend once exclusive to concerts. Now the hottest ticket in NYC is at the Lincoln Square AMC, with resales as high as $250. This anomaly does represent a larger shift; young folks in big cities are seeing older films for the first time in theaters. Credit Letterboxd I suppose. All this to say, theaters aren’t dead, and neither is the film industry.
So what’s all this mean? Well, it’s easy as a lover of film to be all doom and gloom about the state of it all. Streaming sites churn out empty calorie movies, box office hits are hard to come by, and the odds of anything outside of IP staying in a theater for more than a weekend can be slim. Yet, it is clear that there is a swinging of the pendulum. In the same way that folks are de-thawing socially, if able, generations alike are interested in the communal experience of going to the movies (we just gotta tighten up the etiquette out here please stop filming your friends watching a movie in a theater oh my GOD). The cream will always rise to the top, both through public opinion and the consensus of critics. If the raised expectations persist, we will be rewarded with quality.
20. The Bikeriders (dir. Jeff Nichols)
Taking inspiration from a picture book by Danny Lyon on the lives of the Vandals Motorcycle club is about as a smart of a choice for writing a film as it gets. With the ability to take artistic liberties from a picture book that certainly doesn’t have much words to fact check, writer/director Jeff Nichols creates a fictitious world of a familiar 1960’s America. Characters are relatable, themes are understood quickly, and the story moves with swiftness. Originally slated for 2023, Bikeriders came and went in the summer 2024. Seek this out for an easy watch if you enjoy dudes being guys and Jodie Comer making bold accent choices.
19. Babygirl (dir. Halina Reijn)
There are a lot of reasons why we have oppressed desires. Societal norms, rules put in place, personal shame, and even as simple as wrong place, wrong time. What happens when your desires are let loose is an indescribable feeling. Losing control over your own mind and body, blurring lines of what feels consensual, ever-changing power dynamics, and complete unsureness as to what you want at any given point. Halina Reijn perfectly captures all of this on the screen between stellar performances from Harris Dickinson and Nicole Kidman, the latter of which should bring her worthy award praise. It’s messy in its execution at times, and I’m willing to say that it’s the messiness that makes it engaging.
18. A Complete Unknown (dir. James Mangold)
Credit to James Mangold man. When Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story arrived in 2007, poking fun at music biopics and the exact style choices Mangold ran with, you would figure he’d never make that kind of project again. In short, he did, and leaned into it more. A Complete Unknown doesn’t make any attempt at unboxing Bob Dylan any deeper than what you can already put together through other tellings. It instead is a movie that shows the talents of its actors, who had five years of preparation to be singers due to delays caused by COVID-19. Timothée Chalamet is of course excellent; its the performance by Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez that seals the deal. She never sang before this movie…what???
17. Janet Planet (dir. Annie Baker)
THEY FILMED THIS SHIT IN MY HOME STATE AND I RECOGNIZED DAMN NEAR EVERY LOCATION. WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS STAND UP. Now that I got that out of the way. Coming of age stories are plentiful in film, and especially in the low budget indie realm. What separates Janet Planet from the rest is what director Annie Baker brings to the genre. With a background in writing for the stage, Baker brings a slow moving speed to the film that lets the viewer sit in the world as the characters are. What results is something tender, emotional, and relatable.
16. Love Lies Bleeding (dir. Rose Glass)
You know you’re doing something right when John Waters names your film his favorite of the year. Love Lies Bleeding is one of the great trojan horses of 2024; a sexy, sweaty thriller that has more in common with Cronenberg and exploitation films than the A24 marketing leaves you to believe. No one was expecting that kind of ending is all I’m saying. At the core of it all is the romance and chemistry that Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brien create, both giving all-timer performances in their own right. I look forward to what Rose Glass makes in future projects.
15. The Wild Robot (dir. Chris Sanders)
From the opening shot, it was made clear that the level of craft going into this film was going to make it stand alone amongst its peers. Dreamworks has been stepping up their game in animated film over the last two years. In this installment, the themes tackled are stepped up as well. Every year needs at least one animated kids film that brings adults to tears. In 2024 we were given an all-timer of the genre with The Wild Robot. A story that resonates with any who watch it and with stunning visuals to boot. Seek this out if you think you’re too old for animated films, I promise you’re not.
14. The People’s Joker (dir. Vera Drew)
A film whose origins and journey to distribution are as invigorating as the film itself, Vera Drew creates a piece art of art that only she could make. Bold, audacious, deeply personal, and an artistic vision realized. The People’s Joker is just one of many trans stories that can be told, and is unapologetic in being one that many may not relate to. Regardless, the bravery to share this story, and fight the good fight to get it out there, is worth praising alone. Above all, this movie is funny in a way that that rarely gets put to screen. Credit the Tim Heidecker influence.
13. Queer (dir. Luca Guadagnino)
Based on the William S. Burrough’s novella of the same name, Queer is a hazy, sweaty, and at times purposefully obtuse narrative that is meant to draw out emotion before anything else. Daniel Craig carries the spirit of this film throughout, yearning for more while still holding such uncertainty. “I’m not queer, I’m disembodied” is one of the signature lines of the novella and the film, and the latter takes that line and makes bold choices with what can mean. Whether it works universally is up for conversation, I was enthralled throughout.
12. Longlegs (dir. Osgood Perkins)
Longlegs is a blank slate of a picture. It tackles many little aspects and themes throughout that any singular person can walk away from it and have a different takeaway. For some, this has clear messaging regarding religion and its cult-like tendencies. For others, the generational curses and familial trauma we carry. There’s even an entire meta-commentary on the detective thriller movie as a genre. All these components work together and lift each other up to create and eery, tense, and dreadful (complimentary) viewing experience. Perhaps the most unexpected crowd-pleaser of the year.
11. Nosferatu (dir. Robert Eggers)
Robert Eggers successfully creates a new take on Nosferatu via incredible shot composition, period accurate aesthetics, and overall being unwavering in his vision. This has lead him to being described as the “Wes Anderson of horror” by some. Which…okay? Heaven forbid someone in the movie world have a unique style that is recognizable. All actors are bringing it in this picture, which special shoutouts to Lily Rose-Depp and Bill Skarsgard for having the best romantic chemistry this year (eat your heart out [heh] Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh). There is a world where Anya Taylor-Joy and Harry Styles play the leads and this is a bad movie. Thank goodness for scheduling conflicts.
10. Evil Does Not Exist (dir. Ryūsuke Hamaguchi)
Quietness in film brings natural tension. It’s what makes one of the most tense scenes in this film a town meeting about their concerns over a glamping site being added and the logistics behind it. Clearly, Hamaguchi knows how to build trust in an audience, giving them understanding that watching the reserved routines of a tight-knit community will have a payoff. And does it ever. By far one of my favorite endings to film in a while, simply for how brave it is to completely leave the messaging up for interpretation (to the point that even the director has said he doesn’t know what the movie means to him…hah!).
9. Dune: Part Two (dir. Denis Villeneuve)
A tride and true blockbuster in every sense of the word. Nicole Kidman’s AMC ad basically describes everything good about this film. Denis Villeneuve may be the only director in sci-fi who can make you feel like what you’re watching is real. All actors are bringing their A game to this production. The writing and story of Dune is as timely as ever. This is the quintessential popcorn movie that all others should use as their benchmark. Yes, you can create mass appeal without wavering to your art form and messaging.
8. A Real Pain (dir. Jesse Eisenberg)
One thing about me is I am a sucker for films that are written like plays. It’s very clear that Jesse Eisenberg’s first venture into writing/directing takes great influence from stage production. A short cast list, static scenery, and monologues that get at the crux of the themes are all highlights of this film. Beyond the extraordinary performances from Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain unpacks the anxieties of legacy, family, identity, and how each individual can take very different paths in handling their trauma. It’s a beautiful film in many ways, and packs a punch at exactly minutes. Cue the Short Ass Movie bit from SNL.
7. Sing Sing (dir. Greg Kwedar)
(I’ll update when it’s streaming or in theaters…unless you wanna know how I found it)
The phrase “what radicalized you?” gets passed around a lot these days as folks are sharing more and more what is making them lose faith in the world at large. It wouldn’t be out of pocket for someone to simply use this film’s poster as a quote tweet as an answer. Sing Sing tell the story of the theater rehabilitation program in the prison of the same name. Using real inmates for casting, the authenticity is all over the screen as soon as you lay your eyes on it. Coleman Domingo leads the charge with an incredible performance, and everyone else follows suit. This is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and essential to thinking more deeply about prison rehabilitation.
6. The Substance (dir. Coralie Fargeat)
What makes The Substance so enthralling is how, when all the maximalist elements of the film are stripped away, there is a core messaging about trying to stay young as you age that everyone can understand. Female identifying folk can take even more out of it, knowing intrinsically more the pressures put on them to stay looking their best. No better casting choice than Demi Moore to lead the way in this film, putting on a career best with just the mirror scene alone. Add on the maximalist elements and you get some of the most stylized, well made body horror of the decade. Coralie Fargeat perfectly balances the “can’t look away” with the “oh god look away” bringing the right amount of discomfort and awe to watching it all unfold. Ultimately, the best movie where Margaret Qualley drinks a Diet Coke.
5. Nickel Boys (dir. RaMell Ross)
American filmmaking isn’t commonly known for its pushing of what the craft can be. In defiance of that comes Nickel Boys, a film so bold in its vision and artistic choices that it immediately cements itself as a signature American piece of art. Shot in first person perspective (for all intents and purposes), the viewers sees what two main characters and members of Nickel academy see. Its this choice that sets everything else up for success. This film challenges you to follow along, and an incredibly rewarding viewing experience waits on the other end. I have no doubt that, between this film and the novel it is based off of, Nickel Boys has entered itself as a required text and viewing for future generations as they come to terms with what their country has been and has become.
4. The Brutalist (dir. Brady Corbet)
Artistic agency. The American Dream™️. Cultural identity. Control over your legacy. These themes, and so many more, sprawl over the the course of three hours and thirty minutes. A lot has been made of the meta of this film; its runtime with a built in intermission, its $10 million budget funded thought commercial work, the seven years it took for this to exist, and the choice to film in VistaVision and have limited engagements project in 70mm. These are things that get sickos like myself and others in the door, an artistic process to financially endorse through the purchase of a movie ticket as opposed to the box office slop thats fed us with bloated budgets and no original storytelling.
Lost in all of the meta, however, is the reality that Brady Corbet has successfully made his version of the American epic. The DNA of previous films that fall in this category are all here, a heavy Paul Thomas Anderson influence especially by my eyes. Superb acting all around, well written messaging, beautiful shots and composition, and overall a complete artistic vision realized. Everyone should have a lovely afternoon at the theater with this one and run to the bathroom when intermission hits like its a game.
3. Challengers (dir. Luca Guadagnino)
From the moment this film starts, it grabs hold of you and does not let go. With a rhythmic and pulsing score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Challengers moves with a pace unlike anything else from this year. Sprawling over many years, we learn so much about the dynamics between Tashi, Art, and Patrick; how each of them interact differently around each other, and what drives them to make the choices they make. A film centered around tennis, but isn’t about tennis, really it’s about sex, but there’s not even sex. The power dynamics shift so often, it captures the viewer in a way not many other films can. Credit to every facet of this film, the acting, cinematography, directing, editing, and so much more create a perfect drama unfolding before our very eyes.
2. Anora (dir. Sean Baker)
Sean Baker’s exploration into sex work has been an integral part of his filmography since the breakthrough Tangerine. What separates Anora from the rest is the perspective it gives on self worth and isolation. For Annie, the work at the club is a means to an end. Whether that end be payment or a future husband is relative to the moment. When confronted with real comfort, intimacy, and genuine interest, she doesn’t know how to respond. I’ll leave it there so keep the ending of the film in tact, which I consider to be one of the most devestating ends to a movie this year.
That devastating end is that much more powerful when its lead-up is a classic telling of love. From Pretty Woman to physical comedy classic to a sprawling search through Coney Island, Baker wears his influences and homages on his sleeve as the story unfolds. Its fast moving pace and immediately recognizable characters make this an engaging watch. Everyone else has said it, and so will I, Mikey Madison is incredible and a star beyond words. Its the casting choices below the line that seal the deal, however. The breakout performances of Yura Borisov and Mark Eidelstein especially make this movie what it is.
1. I Saw The TV Glow (dir. Jane Shoenbrun)
I have no idea how to write about this without divulging into incredibly personal thoughts. What I will say is that Jane Shoenbrun has masterfully captured an emotional pallet on screen that hasn’t been shown before, not quite like this. It resonates with me on a level I haven’t experienced before. Their career is going to be one that I will follow into the sun, as it’s clear they have their finger on the pulse of what 21st century film can be for a generation raised in modern world we live in.
Thank you for reading all of this if you got this far. I greatly appreciate you and owe you a drink. This is my first venture in writing like this, so any feedback is welcome.
Ben May is a contributing writer/editor on drew-lamp.com, and an opinionated hack. You can find them on this dying format serving dumb takes, or on this alright format serving face cards or whatever they call it.
M&Ms: Music + Movies + Etc. 
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