As we say goodbye to 2024, some of our writers take a look back at their favourite films of the year. From blockbuster hits to historical epics and experimental thrillers, this is just a handful of the incredible work that’s graced the silver screen over the last 12 months.
Sing Sing (dir. Greg Kwedar)
Colman Domingo has reminded everyone in the last couple of years, with Rustin, The Colour Purple and now Sing Sing, that he is one of the finest actors that the industry has to offer.
He leads Greg Kwedar’s film with such heartfelt emotion and care, exactly what is needed given the true story behind the New York prison Sing Sing.
For Domingo to then be surrounded by the real people who have experienced Sing Sing firsthand, most notably Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, packs an extra punch and takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster like no other. One minute you’re smiling ear to ear, the next you’ve got goosebumps or are uncontrollably blubbering.
Both Domingo and Maclin deserve recognition as we approach award season, as does the film as a whole. I can’t wait to revisit Sing Sing and get lost in such an emotional story once again.
Words by Jamie Rooke
The Brutalist (dir. Brady Corbet)
While it is not out in the UK until January, there is one film that took the crown as best film of the year from the moment I first watched it. There is no film this year that compares with the monumental piece of work that The Brutalist revealed to be.
Set immediately after the Second World War, The Brutalist follows the story of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Jewish architect who emigrates to the United States from Hungary after surviving the Holocaust and being forcibly separated from his wife and niece. While exploring the high and lows of László’s life, the film gives us a poignant commentary on the American Dream and who is (or isn’t) allowed to accomplish it.
The expectations for this film may be high given the very positive criticism that the film got from international audiences and, more specifically, at the Venice Film Festival where it premiered, but for once audiences can believe the hype. Brady Corbet’s latest film is as stunning, groundbreaking, and epic—if not more—as everyone promises it to be.
Words by Clotilde Chinnici
AGGRO DR1FT (dir. Harmony Korine)
My detractors would say you can’t tell people something is cool. But you absolutely can.
Released via his new IP-based studio EDGLRD, Harmony Korine’s AGRRO DR1FT may appear like a divorced dad’s idea of what the kids want, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a divorced dad’s idea of what the kids want. As a 36-year-old dad, I’m fine with that.
Shot through thermal lenses, and enhanced with VFX and AI animation, this looks and sounds great. Miami becomes an infrared arena where “melancholic assassin” Bo exchanges fire with various NPCs under textured, tropical skies in pursuit of his mysterious, demonic target.
Soundtracked by araabMUZIK’s score—plucking from the dark and beautiful corners of EDM, trance, ambient and hip-hop—AGGRO DR1FT’s apocalyptic edge is heightened by this dripping, melting music. There’s hints at grandiosity on tracks like ‘Medieval’ or ‘King’s Arrival’, but elsewhere the producer’s ethereal majesty glimmers on songs barely a minute long. It’s a beautiful balance of sight and sound. The purest of vibes.
Words by Jeremy Arblaster
The Substance (dir. Coralie Fargeat)
Coralie Fargeat’s phenomenal, genre-defying The Substance was without a doubt, the movie of the year. The Substance masterfully fuses satire, horror, and comedy to deliver a poignant commentary on ageism and beauty standards in the entertainment industry.
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley combine forces as they play foils of each other, as Elizabeth, a washed up aerobics instructor and former actress, and Sue, her younger, ‘more perfect’ counterpart. The pair’s performances are phenomenal as the audience is drawn into the harrowing consequences of the obsession with perfection and stardom and the lengths to which individuals will go to achieve it.
The medium of body horror is cleverly utilised by Fargeat to explore the grotesque extremes of societal pressures, with deeply unsettling scenes designed to leave a lasting impact.
Words by Zahra Hanif
Young Woman and the Sea (dir. Joachim Rønning)
Norwegian director Joachim Rønning’s biopic of Gertrude Ederle—the first woman to swim the English Channel—is a strong contender not only for best film of 2024, but also the most underrated. One of the reasons it went almost unnoticed is probably because, despite being an Olympic gold medallist, world record-breaker and general absolute icon in her lifetime, most people have never heard of Ederle.
Star Wars alumnus Daisy Ridley is fantastic in the lead role, making you root for Trudy all the way as she battles life-threatening measles, obstructive coaches, and 1920s–style sexism to achieve her dream of becoming a professional swimmer and crossing the Channel. It is unfailingly inspiring and wholesome, and will hopefully go some way to bringing this underrecognised sporting legend back into the public eye.
Words by Eleanor Harvey
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