by Abb Jones
The Reelness

The most notable thing about 2024 in film is how many animated movies scored high marks – four, to be exact, with two placing in our Top 5 and two more garnering honorable mentions.  Here are The Reelness’ 10 Best Movies of 2024. Click on the movie titles for each film’s more detailed review.

#10 Civil War (Grade: A)

Writer/director Alex Garland’s final film is set in a dystopian, near-future America, where states have seceded from a nation run by a despotic, three-term president. Starring Kirsten Dunst and Callie Spaeny, the story follows a group of war correspondents racing to reach The White House as approaching rebels from the secessionist states advance in their mission to kill the president. It’s a harrowing look at the trauma war correspondents endure in their daily jobs.

#9 Ghostlight (Grade: A, Best Indie)

After stumbling into rehearsals for a local community production of Romeo & Juliet, a construction worker dealing with unprocessed grief becomes part of the cast. It is a poignant film about the healing power of art.

#8 Twisters (Grade: A, Best Action/Adventure)

Wow – who would have thought the sequel to 1996’s Twister would be the year’s Best Action/Adventure, but here we are. Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones star in this pulse-pounding thriller about a group of tornado chasers making their way across Oklahoma to see a monster tornado.

#7 Gladiator II (Grade: A)

Nearly two decades after Russell Crowe’s Maximus battled in the Colisseum, his exiled son Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, finds himself following in Dad’s footsteps. A worthy sequel to an incredible classic. 

#6 Conclave (Grade: A, Best Thriller)

Ralph Fiennes stars as the Cardinal leading the effort to elect a new Pope, following the unexpected death of the current pontiff. Internal politics, secret alliances and hidden agendas all play a role in determining who will lead the Catholic Church.

#5 Nosferatu (Grade: A, Best Horror)

Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult are early 1800s newlyweds with a problem – a bloodthirsty vampire Nosferatu, who wants to move from Transylvania to their plague-ridden German town to again feed on her as he did years prior. Writer/director Robert Eggers does a fantastic job capturing the dread-filled mood of the era.

#4 The Wild Robot (Grade: A)

A robot stranded on a new planet inhabited only by animals decides to become the mother to an orphaned baby goose. Lupita Nyong’o and Kit Connor star in this inspiring tearjerker about motherhood. The animation is incredible.

#3 Wicked (Grade: A, Best Musical)

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in the long-awaited film adaptation of the Broadway musical re-imagining of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Incredible performances (and singing!) and stunning visuals make this an instant classic.

#2 Flow (Grade: A+, Best Animated Film)

A cat left all alone after a massive tsunami ends up on an adventure with a super friendly Labrador Retriever, a kleptomaniac lemur, a narcoleptic capybara and a majestic secretarybird, in this dialogue-free, animated fantasy film from Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis. The tale, about learning to work together to survive, features some of the most gorgeous, innovative animation in decades.

#1 Dune Part 2 (Grade: A+, Best Sci-fi)

This sequel to the 2021 film is without a doubt the most epic sci-fi film ever made. It is massive in its scope. Sweeping scenic vistas, a stirring score and dazzling costumes, visuals and sound effects immerse the viewer into a fantastical yet realistic futuristic world unlike any other ever experienced in film.

Honorable Mentions: Juror #2, Daddio, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Best Non-English Language Film),The Promised Land, Inside Out 2, I Am Celine Dion (Best Documentary), Memoir of a Snail, Fresh Kills (Best Crime Drama), National Anthem (Best LGBTQ+ Film), Anora, Challengers