The 25 Best Movies of 2024 So Far (2024)

We are already halfway through the year, and despite the discussions about disappointing box office numbers and a lack of gigantic summer movies, 2024 has turned out to be a great year for movies so far. Already in these first six months, we've gotten new films from George Miller, Yorgos Lanthimos, Richard Linklater, Denis Villeneuve, AliceRohrwacher, Luca Guadagnino, Jane Schoenbrun, Alex Garland, and many more. Pixar has broken box-office records, we survived Madame Web, and Jesse Eisenberg became a sasquatch. What a year already!

At this halfway point, we've decided to take a look at our 25 favorite movies so far this year, and even six months into the year, it was already hard to keep it down to just 25. As we get ready to hit the second-half of 2024, here are our favorite films of 2024 so far.

'The Beast'

Directed by Bertrand Bonello

Even across many lifetimes, there is no film you’ll see quite like Bertrand Bonello’s monumental and menacing sci-fi vision The Beast. Starring George MacKay and Léa Seydoux as two souls whose multiple lives are connected across time, it’s loosely based on Henry James’ 1903 novella “The Beast in the Jungle” though becomes something haunting all its own. No matter where and when we get dropped into, Bonello creates a sense of looming dread in every frame. You’ve likely heard the fact that its credits are a QR code, a notable provocation that speaks to much of what the film is getting at, but it’s everything that comes before this that also proves to be absolutely mesmerizing. As we dance from the fleeting yet false peace of the past to the aftermath of a catastrophe in the far future and the coldness of our present existence, all comes together into something as spectacular as it is sinister. When Seydoux lets out a final scream, it will echo through your very soul. — Chase Hutchinson

Rent on Amazon

'Challengers'

Directed by Luca Guadagnino

Who would've thought that the hornie*st film of the year would largely take place at The New Rochelle Challenger Presented by Phil's Tiretown? After such remarkable work as Call Me by Your Name and vastly underrated films like the Suspiria remake and Bones and All, director Luca Guadagnino made his most mainstream film by far, and it might also be his best. With Challengers, Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes turn this story of three young tennis players (played to perfection by Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor) into one of the most intense, twisty, and sexually charged films of the year. Each scene further complicates these entanglements, each tennis match a fight for love and the future, each interaction full of undertones and ulterior motives. Even having a snack of churros with a friend becomes about so much more. Watching how Guadagnino and Kuritzkes unfurl this story scene-by-scene, culminating in an intense tennis match, scored by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross no less, is an absolute delight, in this unusual romance that will have you on the edge of your seat. — Ross Bonaime

Challengers

810

R

Drama

Romance

Sports

Follows three players who knew each other when they were teenagers as they compete in a tennis tournament to be the world-famous grand slam winner, and reignite old rivalries on and off the court.

Release Date

April 26, 2024

Director

Luca Guadagnino

Cast

Zendaya , Josh O'Connor , Mike Faist

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'Civil War'

Directed by Alex Garland

Civil War is not only one of the biggest movies of the year thus far but also one of the biggest surprises — for me, at least. I went in fearing it was going to be a brutal action flick insistent upon causing tedious discourse and controversy for controversy’s sake, but instead, what I found was a nuanced meditation on the ethics of war journalism. It challenged the way I think and raised questions I had never pondered, not only about the career itself, but also about how I personally interact with photographs taken in unimaginably harrowing conflicts. I wouldn’t be shocked if Jesse Plemons’ heart-pounding scene turns out to be the most suspenseful thing I see all year. While this film is full of memorable moments that have been living in my head rent-free since I saw it two months ago, what still stands out most to me is the care Alex Garland takes to establish the complex mentorship dynamic between Kirsten Dunst’s Lee and Cailee Spaeny’s Jessie — something that feels rare in media and even rarer in a genre like this. Dunst proves herself a living legend once again, while Spaeny solidifies her status as one of the most talented young stars working today as the two quietly embody one of the most compelling relationships I’ve seen in 2024 — with one of the most poetic conclusions to boot. — Taylor Gates

Rent on Apple TV+

'Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World'

Directed by Radu Jude

The film with the longest title of the year is also one of its most scathing satires. That's right, Radu Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World not only absolutely rips, but it’s also the sharpest, most incisive portrait of modern exploitation of the decade. The driving force of the film is Angela, played by a pitch-perfect Ilinca Manolache, who works as an assistant in Bucharest and is being slowly ground down as she drives all over to put together a workplace safety video. Really, this is just a way for the company she works for to cover its ass and place the blame on the very employees who have been getting injured on the job. As Jude takes us into all this, he creates something that juxtaposes the dark joys of Angela making vulgar videos to get through her day with the casual indignities that she must bear alone. There is never a moment where it makes a wrong step, down to the fantastic final uninterrupted scene that slows everything down just as it lands one more devastating blow. — Chase Hutchinson

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'Dune: Part Two'

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Denis Villeneuve takes us back to Arrakis in Dune: Part Two, and while Frank Herbert’s revolutionary sci-fi novel has been adapted numerous times, none before this could ever capture what makes this story so special. Like all of Villeneuve’s films, Dune: Part Two is visually stunning. From the massive sandworms to the black-and-white aesthetic of Gaidi Prime, the film is a technical masterpiece. However, the visuals play a small part in what makes the film one of this year’s best.

The rise of Paul Atreides makes us question the concepts of destiny, morality, and faith. Timothée Chalamet delivers a chilling performance as we watch Paul transform from a bright-eyed boy to a man willing to do whatever it takes to gain power. Dune is about the morally grey characters who inhabit the world as they claw and fight for power, making it one of the more complex narratives we’ve seen in modern blockbusters. Villeneuve managed to not only honor the tale of Herbert’s original novel, but also improves it by adding new layers of depth to characters like Zendaya’s Chani or Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha. Dune: Part Two will likely be remembered as one of the best sci-fi epics ever made. — Mike Thomas

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'Evil Does Not Exist'

Directed by Ryūsuke Hamaguchi

Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist takes its time to unravel the story of a small village outside Tokyo that is about to have its way of life upended by a luxury campsite. As Hamaguchi shows us this area, we follow along on quiet walks through the snow-covered woods, minutes of cutting wood, and other mundane tasks that showcase the quiet beauty of the area. By the time a pair working for the campsite team comes to disrupt this village, Hamaguchi gives us what is at risk here, so that we understand the outrage from the village—a righteous anger that hits us as well. Hamaguchi’s latest is an unhurried, deliberate tale, punctuated with the rare jarring moments that jolt us to attention. For example, when the village has a meeting with those behind the campsite, the back-and-forth between these two groups is one of the most frustrating scenes this year, as we watch the villagers fighting for their way of life against a company simply going through the motions. While Drive My Car might still be Hamaguchi’s masterpiece, Evil Does Not Exist shows a measured hand from the filmmaker, a care that few directors can balance this beautifully, and a story that we soak in, rather than rushing through. — Ross Bonaime

'The Fall Guy'

Directed by David Leitch

Going to the movies, getting popcorn and a slushy, and sitting in the dark for two hours to be dazzled by a piece of cinema is a sacred ritual for a lot of us. This year, The Fall Guy reminded me why I love going to the movies so much. While it may not have lit the summer box office on fire the way it should have, anyone who saw The Fall Guy on the big screen will tell you it was an absolute blast. David Leitch’s homage to stunt performers is full of action, comedy, and romance, and for me, harkened back to the type of movies I grew up loving like Twister and Jurassic Park. Its grand in scale and scope, yet the relationships and the characters are deliciously messy and engagingly intimate. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt have such excellent chemistry, that I would happily watch the two of them in a dozen more rom-coms. Hannah Waddingham is fabulously ridiculous as the producer to Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s unhinged action star, and Winston Duke and Stephanie Hsu bring their own richness and humor to their supporting roles. The Fall Guy is a movie I could watch over and over, in fact, I’m gonna go do that right now, bye! — Samantha Coley

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'Fancy Dance'

Directed by Erica Tremblay

Fancy Dance is Lily Gladstone at her best — and considering she’s won several dozen awards (or, as she recently iconically referred to them in an interview with The Independent, “just heavy little statues'') for her performances in films like Killers of the Flower Moon, Certain Women, and The Unknown Country, that’s not a statement to take lightly. Erica Tremblay’s powerful debut feature is special — the kind of character-driven, genre-bending gem we’re not treated to nearly often enough. The film centers around Jax (Gladstone) and Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson), an aunt-and-niece duo who attempt to find out what happened to Roki’s mother, all while being forced to navigate a broken, colonized system intent on keeping them apart and setting them up for failure.

Despite the high stakes and heavy subject matter, Fancy Dance is grounded in authenticity and hope, with Tremblay seamlessly blending a crime story and a coming-of-age tale to create a moving drama. Gladstone is undeniable, but Deroy-Olson more than holds her own alongside her, acting as the film’s beating heart as she infuses Roki with vulnerability and confidence in equal measure. Their gorgeous dynamic is the core of the film, but Tremblay impressively manages to make even the smallest roles in the ensemble feel like fully fleshed-out people, each with their own dreams, values, and humanity. A series of small, breathtaking moments that culminate in a perfect conclusion that is guaranteed to make you cry, Fancy Dance is simply stunning. — Taylor Gates

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'The First Omen'

Directed by Arkasha Stevenson

Whatever your feelings about prequels are, there’s no moviegoing experience quite like the dread induced by watching ArkashaStevenson’s The First Omen. Whether you’re intimately familiar with Damien and the chaos he brings to the Earth or are simply in for yet another religious horror film, Stevenson’s rumination on bodily autonomy and how much we’re willing to put into our own faith makes this precursor to the 1976 original an absolute standout. Even more astounding is NellTigerFree’s performance as Margaret, echoing shades of both IsabelleAdjani in Possession and something completely new and disturbing, bringing to light yet another modern scream queen to join the ranks of those like MaikaMonroe and MiaGoth. — Maggie Boccella

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'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'

Directed by George Miller

As any hardened fan of the Mad Max saga can tell you, what actually happened isn’t important. No, what counts is how a story gets told and passed down through time. So we remain convinced that while tales of box-office disappointment will eventually fade into history, the legacy of George Miller’s darkest of angels, the fifth rider of the apocalypse, will only grow stronger. Those who might have dismissed Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga as an unnecessary prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road will come to learn that this film is a very different and indispensable beast, sprawling where its predecessor was contained and moving past short-term concerns of survival and rescue to examine a need for justice and/or revenge that burns for days, months, years, maybe eons. Miller’s Wasteland remains the most inhospitable universe we can’t wait to be welcomed back into.Anya Taylor-Joy brings her own wide-eyed potency to a character she now co-owns. And, in a series known for its striking villains, Chris Hemsworth creates perhaps its most indelible – a chatty, spoiled, and endlessly cruel showman who has no idea what he’s awakened inside a young girl. Long live Furiosa! – Robert Brian Taylor

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'Hit Man'

Directed by Richard Linklater

HitMan marks the fourth collaboration between Richard Linklater and Glen Powell, and it might also be the pair’s best. Powell stars and co-wrote this based on a true story about a fake hitman who gets in trouble when he falls for a client (played by Adria Arjona). For Linklater, it’s one of his most flat-out charming films, a delightful crime comedy that shows his excellent ability to make a crowd-pleasing film full of charm. Powell, beyond showing his talents as a writer, has never been more amusing, as the film asks him to play dozens of different hitmen. But together, Linklater and Powell make a film bursting with charm, humor, and sexiness and shows that Linklater might’ve found another collaborator as great as Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy, Matthew McConaughey, or Jack Black. — Ross Bonaime

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'I Saw the TV Glow'

Directed by Jane Schoenbrun

No matter who you are, you need to see Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow. Ever since it premiered back at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, it’s become one of the most talked about and exciting visions you could ever hope to experience. Even as Schoenbrun already made themselves an essential new voice with their already astounding debut We’re All Going to the World’s Fair just a couple of years ago, it is their latest that feels just as bold as that while expanding into unexpected yet completely enthralling new directions. Centered on two young high school friends who become obsessed with a show known as The Pink Opaque, which poses a problem when it is subsequently canceled, sending both of them in opposite directions. The film is an explicit trans allegory, capturing the pains of finding yourself and the terror of what happens when you attempt to bury it away as the years pass. When we look back on the cinema of 2024 decades from now, it is the way Schoenbrun brings this to vibrant and visceral life that will ensure it will remain at the pinnacle. — Chase Hutchinson

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'The Idea of You'

Directed by Michael Showalter

There simply are not enough romantic movies being made in the 21st century. Thankfully, 2024 has reignited the rom-com craze with an utterly delightful and oft-nonsensical film starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine that had audiences swooning and falling head-over-heels, just as we deserved. Based on the novel by the same name (that was definitely not a self-insert Harry Styles/Reader fanfiction), Prime Video’s The Idea of You centers around single mom Solène (Hathaway), a fashionable and savvy art dealer, who falls in love with Hayes (Galitzine), the lead singer of the popular boy band August Moon that her daughter Izzy (Ella Rubin) used to be obsessed with. They have a chance encounter at Coachella that jettisons them into an unexpected and torrid love affair that forces them to reconsider a lot of aspects of their lives.

There are a lot of moving pieces that threaten to tear the couple apart, and shockingly, it’s not just their completely believable May/December relationship. Hathaway and Galitzine have a sizzling chemistry that hooks audiences from the very first look and keeps them fully engaged until the credits roll. The Idea of You is the ultimate wish-fulfillment, but then again, who wouldn’t fall in love with Anne Hathaway? — Maggie Lovitt

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'Immaculate'

Directed by Michael Mohan

Fresh off the success of Anyone but You (and the non-success of Madame Web), Sydney Sweeney continued her domination over Hollywood and flexed her scream queen muscles in Immaculate. Michael Mohan’s nunsploitation horror film has Sweeney playing Cecilia, an American nun who has recently joined a remote convent in Italy. This being a horror movie, things aren’t what they seem, and soon the innocent young woman gets caught in the middle of a shocking plot that unveils the convent’s true intentions.

For most of the runtime, Immaculate plays out like your average horror movie, barring some gnarly twists. It is shot beautifully and Sweeney is clearly having the time of her life in this role. However, it isn’t until the movie’s final act that everything finally comes together. The final five minutes of Immaculate are a bold and effective swing by Mohan, one that elevates Immaculate into being one of the most memorable and creative movies of the year so far. — Nate Richard

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'Inside Out 2'

Directed by Kelsey Mann

Inside Out 2 is one of the rare sequels that manages to not only match, but outdo its predecessor, achieving the coveted balance of humor and depth that Pixar does so well. Smartly shifting the focus from Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) relationship with her parents to her relationships with her friends, Inside Out 2 tackles growing pains and introduces four new emotions — Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos). As Riley struggles to figure herself out, her newfound feelings inadvertently wreak havoc on her psyche on their quest to get her on the high school hockey team and prepare her for whatever life throws her way (a job which Anxiety, expectedly, takes much too seriously).

While the movie has some laugh-out-loud moments, Inside Out 2 is an incredibly powerful story about the internal battles we all face, be it while we wrestle with adolescence, watch our children do the same, or simply remember a time when our mom barging unexpectedly into our bedroom was grounds for a total meltdown. While the movie flaunts a variety of unique animation styles — shoutout to James Austin Johnson’s Pouchy — the heart of the film lies in its energetic performances and moving story, never trivializing Riley’s problems but rather immersing us in them. Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith continue to perfectly embody their roles as the juxtaposing duo of Joy and Sadness, and Tony Hale, Lewis Black, and Liza Lapira lovingly round out the chaotic ensemble. Another feather in Pixar’s brimming cap, Inside Out 2 reminds us to embrace every complicated part of ourselves, and that every time our anxiety leaves us paralyzed, we can take comfort in the fact that it’s just a zany orange tyrant in a striped sweater, trying its damnedest to keep us alive. — Shaina Weatherhead

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'Janet Planet'

Directed by Annie Baker

If there is one movie on this list that will hit you hardest if you wander into it without knowing about it, it would be Annie Baker’s outstanding feature debut Janet Planet. Honestly, if you haven’t yet experienced it for yourself, best just go see it right now, then come back. In the event you need more convincing, continue on. Telling the story of a mother and daughter as they each grow over the course of a summer, this film is so beautifully calibrated that it feels like you’ve been taken back in time to a childhood you never had. Central to this is the best duo of central actors you’ll ever be lucky enough to see. The titular Janet is played to perfection by Julianne Nicholson, while the young Lacy is brought to life by the brilliant newcomer Zoe Ziegler and each bounce off each other with an authenticity that lays you flat. As the film plays out with a measured yet no less melancholic rhythm, it becomes completely devastating as we feel every inch of the distance as a daughter drifts out of the orbit of her mother. — Chase Hutchinson

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'Kinds of Kindness'

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

While Yorgos Lanthimos has made some of the best films of his career recently, with last year's Poor Things and The Favourite, they haven't quite had the same level of haunting weirdness that his earlier works had. But with his latest film, Kinds of Kindness, Lanthimos has reteamed with his Dogtooth and The Lobster (amongst others) co-writer Efthymis Filippou, and that dark humor and inherently unsettling vibe is back, baby! In telling three short stories, Lanthimos has enlisted some of his favorite actors, including Emma Stone, Margaret Qualley, and Willem Dafoe, yet he might have found his latest muse in the brilliant Jesse Plemons, who absolutely steals the show. Each story is delightfully wild and goes in directions you could never expect, as Lanthimos and Filippou explore ideas of personal independence and dependence on others. Kinds of Kindness is the type of bold, strange film that takes big swings and makes you happy movies can still show you stories you've never seen before. — Ross Bonaime

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'La Chimera'

Directed by Alice Rohrwacher

Sorry Indiana Jones, but there is a new film about searching for treasure that’s here to steal your soul. Though Alice Rohrwacher's La Chimera was supposedly inspired by that classic film, it’s something that stands on its own as one of the most unexpectedly magical and spellbinding movies of recent memory. Accompanying the troubled Arthur, played by Josh O'Connor at his very best, it takes us into the places of sublime beauty that are hidden out of sight before they are uncovered. However, it is a film where this isn’t a triumph, but a gentle, growing tragedy. It asks big questions about art, beauty, and loss with a subtle grace, never once falling out of balance even as it takes us into the lives of those existing on the margins. The less that is known about how this all unfolds the better, but the important thing is that it ends up uncovering something absolutely wondrous just before it all fades away. — Chase Hutchinson

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'Late Night With the Devil'

Directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes

While a lot of you might think that found footage horror movies are a thing of the past, 2024 gave us one of the best twists on the subgenre. Colin and Cameron Cairnes’ Late Night With the Devil takes the format back all the way to the 1960s. Late-night talk show host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian), in a desperate attempt to increase viewership, plans a Halloween special like no other. The movie starts off by telling us that we are about to see the actual footage from this recording, which has not been viewed since that fateful night. What ensues is a blurring of the line between showbiz facade and sinister forces beyond our control.

Late Night With the Devil is one of the most fun, fresh, and creative horror films of recent years. It may not be doing anything groundbreaking plotwise, but it’s a clever combination of found footage and straightforward storytelling that brings the much-maligned subgenre to be appreciated by a wider audience. It’s also a stellar star vehicle for David Dastmalchian. Right from the beginning, Dastmalchian has you in the palm of his hand, and as the movie progresses, you slowly realize that you may have put your trust in the wrong person. It’s a wildly entertaining and exhilarating ride that has a few tricks up its sleeve until its jaw-dropper of an ending. — Emma Kiely

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'Lisa Frankenstein'

Directed by Zelda Williams

If you like camp, ’80s music, and a little bit of blood, there’s no better movie for you than Lisa Frankenstein. Zelda Williams’ directorial debut is Heathers by way of Mary Shelley, with a romance at its heart that’s arguably better than any rom-com that’s come out this year. Its aesthetic is perfectly matched to the era, from the shoulder pads to the dusty pink wallpaper to the sheer amount of awful workout gear sported by CarlaGugino. Add to that a scene-stealing performance from an entirely silent Cole Sprouse (though horror queen KathrynNewton is nothing to scoff at either) and you’ve got a film that somehow perfectly emulates the horror comedies of the era, the story of a lonely girl just looking for a little love and appreciation. — Maggie Boccella

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