Written by Cameron Geiser

2024 has been a wild ride for me when it comes to watching movies. By the time this article has been published I will have seen 373 Movies this year. Mostly these were films I have not watched before, but there were several rewatches along the way. Some were of 2024 films that I just wanted to catch a second time (like Dune 2 and Furiosa) and others were just to see them again, but with friends (Alien Romulus and Deadpool and Wolverine). This year I was surprised to find that half of my top ten films were in the Horror genre, and I could not have predicted that at the beginning of the year. While it may not have been the biggest year for the box office, there were a slew of highly entertaining and fascinating films out there if you were willing to explore the possibilities.

This year my list for the top ten films of 2024 will only be of the newly released films in 2024- otherwise Wim Wenders' Perfect Days would easily be my number 1 for 2024, but it actually came out last year, I just saw it this year. In fact, out of every single movie I saw this year, Perfect Days is my favorite film I have seen all year. Though admittedly, I know this slice of life film isn't going to be to everyone's taste or inclination, but I found it to be a modern masterpiece. It is, after all, essentially a new Yasujirō Ozu movie sixty one years after his death. If you remember anything from this article, remember this: Go watch Perfect Days.

Honorable Mentions:

• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• Late Night with The Devil
• Hit Man
• Deadpool and Wolverine

10. Megalopolis

I had to include Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis, if only because it was a truly unique experience that could not have been made by anyone else. While not all of it worked, we need more big creative swings where filmmakers have the chutzpah to create more enthusiastic films like this. I would take twenty more films like Megalopolis over whatever Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson does next. Anyways, this film is incredibly ambitious and brimming with ideas, wild performances, strange plot points, and abstract visual ideas where everything is symbolic. There's a lot of monologues, occasionally literally Shakespearean, and sometimes certain characters feel like they're in entirely different stories, but it's strangely effective in certain scenes? Megalopolis is full of hope and optimism for the future, and while the story is messy and a bit disorganized at times, the heart and wit on display earns it a spot in my top ten for the year. Watching Megalopolis is akin to having lunch with your grandpa after he discovered psychedelic drugs. He may not always be making sense, but he's a creative old codger and you love the ambition he has for life.

9. Terrifier 3

Terrifier 3 picks up a few years after the events of the second film with Sienna (Lauren LaVera) getting released from a psychiatric hospital and getting adjusted to living with her aunt and uncle with Christmas fast approaching. However, the way these films have been structured, usually with an insanely violent opener before the titlecard drops, we get Art (David Howard Thornton) back on screen right away with him brutally axe-murdering a family in a full Santa Claus outfit. These films are strangely compelling for how absolutely vicious and violent they are. This third outing is also surprisingly really damn funny at times. Color me impressed!

Damien Leone's trilogy is, or at least should be, an inspiration for micro-budget filmmakers everywhere. David Howard Thornton really is the perfect actor for this role, the whole thing wouldn’t work as well without him. The audience loves him not only for his unexpectedly cruel depravity, but for the creative new ways he can, and will, kill anyone unlucky enough to come across him. There is both terror and curiosity in asking, just what will that clown do next? I can't believe this film is on this list, but it was impactful, well made, and it got the most boisterous reactions out of me this year. No other movie had me nauseous, laughing, and wincing harder than I did at the true terror of Art The Clown. I recommend it- but only if you know you can handle the most intense violence ever put to screen. You have been warned.

8. Nosferatu

Robert Eggers is one of my favorite working filmmakers. I adore his obsession with historically accurate films that all dabble in Horror and abstraction. This remake of the iconic Dracula knockoff from over a century ago turned out to be both referential and entirely its own thing. I honestly had not looked into the cast before giving this one a watch and was constantly impressed by the talent showing up for this film. I knew Bill Skarsgård was cast as Count Orlok, and that Lily-Rose Depp was in the film opposite him, but almost everybody else was a surprise to me. Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Ineson, and Willem Dafoe all have significant roles and their performances were all commendable. I'm also quite infatuated with the way Eggers uses the English language in his films.

While Nosferatu may not reach the heights of The Lighthouse's nautical monologues- it was all done quite well. Far and away the most mesmerizing part of the film was in the visuals and through the use of shadows. It really imbued Orlok's evil presence as one that pervades time and space, cursing the very air he occupies. Which, by the way, I have to take a quick note to detail just how impressive Bill Skarsgård's voicework, make-up and prosthetics were. It all combined to craft a truly terrifying persona that has zero trace of the actor. If I hadn't known going in that he played Orlok- I may have debated that reality with you because he really is invisible as the character. Credit to Nicholas Hoult's performance as well because his fear and dread really sold Orlok's power early on in the film. Oh, and if you're wondering, my ranking of Robert Eggers' films, from best to worst, are as follows: The Lighthouse, The Witch, Nosferatu, The Northman. Though don't let that suggest that my experience with The Northman wasn't enjoyable- I just liked the other films more.

7. The Substance

This was one of the most pungent, in your face, horror satires I have ever seen. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance is a fun, punchy jab at Hollywood and how it treats female actresses, especially anyone past the age of 29. This film isn't subtle, nor is it incredibly deep- but the execution of the ideas present are a riot to watch unfold. Demi Moore stars as Elizabeth Sparkle, an aerobics TV star that gets abruptly ousted from her role and ends up looking into a product called The Substance, which creates a younger version of herself that can continue to operate in the entertainment business. This new younger version of Elizabeth names herself Sue (Margaret Qualley) so she can maintain the new show that she knew was available after being fired. Dennis Quaid shines here as the disgusting Movie Mogul named Harvey (Makes sense). He does a lot with his few scenes and it's all so gross in the way he's constantly eating and exemplifying the awful male gaze of pursuit and sexualization above all else. But, much like in Gremlins, there are rules when it comes to The Substance, and as you might imagine- those rules are broken in every conceivable way resulting in a bonkers third act that I personally found highly entertaining. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Coralie Fargeat does next!

6. MaXXXine

Personally, I loved this film. I loved the world Ti West built, the characters that inhabit it, but more than anything else I love the style and imagery of MaXXXine. Maybe it’s the sprinkling of nostalgia for a time of tapes, wires, and cables- but I did love everything the film was riffing on. The satanic panic of the 1980’s culture around horror movies of the time, paired with brutal violence crafted by practical effects, all with that fierce attitude from Mia Goth’s Maxine. This movie was a riot, and honestly it was pretty gnarly. There are direct and subtle references to other movies all over MaXXXine but I see it as a lovable homage to not only horror, but Hollywood’s past as a whole, the good and the bad. Six years after the events of X, Maxine Minx has made a name for herself in the adult film industry but now she’s trying to break out into Hollywood. After a particularly successful audition for the lead role in the hotly anticipated horror sequel The Puritan II, Maxine is riding high until her past begins to slowly creep back into the picture. I know a lot of people thought MaXXXine was a downward turn for the trilogy of Ti West films starring Mia Goth, but it was my favorite of the three. I will concede though, that Pearl is a better film overall. X was okay, but it is easily at the bottom of the trilogy for me.

5. Longlegs

Psychological Horror and Supernatural Horror are my two favorite sub-genres of Horror. So when this year's Longlegs from Osgood Perkins came around, I was ecstatic to discover that his new film was indeed both of those things. I know that this one won't be for everyone, especially because the film relies more on atmosphere, a sense of dread, and mystery above all else as our lead, FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) gets closer and closer to the truth. There was an idea, or connection, to the third season of David Lynch's TV Show Twin Peaks in this film in my opinion. Specifically the idea that Evil is omnipresent, but that Good is steadfast and stubborn. Always there to counter each other in fascinating ways. Plot here is irrelevant. The tension, the horror, is in the anticipation. In the mist and mystery. There is so much about this film that I was impressed with– and Nicolas Cage as Longlegs was a big part of that. He is used just enough to merit his worth, any more would have been too much, and a little less wouldn’t have scratched that itch either. Osgood Perkin’s Longlegs is an excellent slow burn supernatural mystery, and I highly recommend it.

4. The Last Stop in Yuma County

This film came out of nowhere. I had not heard of this one, not through marketing, trailers, or even word of mouth. I was scrolling through Amazon Prime and randomly saw this title and the reason I clicked through was because Jim Cummings was on the poster and I assumed he had directed it since he often acts in the films he directs, but not this time. No, Francis Galuppi directed The Last Stop in Yuma County and it was his directorial debut. This Neo-noir Western Thriller is a one location master class in crafting tension. Every new twist and turn in the taught script brings new levels of escalation that I found reminiscent of the best parts of Quentin Tarantino's evolution as a filmmaker. As far as story details go, a knife salesman (Jim Cummings) arrives at the titular gas station and diner and is told that they're out of gas and waiting on a refill. He's warmly invited to wait it out in the diner and it isn't long before more and more people begin to appear in the diner, all awaiting that precious fuel- but everyone there has their own stories and secrets and it all gets dragged into the sunlight eventually. If you're going to give a smaller movie a chance, this one is certainly worth your time.

3. Hundreds of Beavers

While this little film debuted initially in 2022 at a film festival, it finally got out to most of its screens this year through a roadshow style distribution. It's honestly a miracle of indie filmmaking and I highly encourage people to seek it out. Trust me, I did not think a Black and White Silent movie employing Looney Toons and Tex Avery Cartoon logic would make it into my top ten- but here we are. This film is a pure delight and a mystifying anomaly that I want more of. The story, essentially, is that Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) initially runs an Applejack Distillery in Wisconsin but once some local Beavers destroy it, he's bent on revenge and spends the majority of the remainder of the runtime in pursuit of that vengeance. The film is constantly inventive and downright hilarious. Once the comedic antics get rolling it's nonstop creative comedy firing on all cylinders. The cartoon logic employed here is ruthlessly adhered to and becomes increasingly absurdist and surreal as it goes on. This was the most unique film I saw this year, and it was a joy to discover!

2. Dune: Part 2

I kept going back and forth between Dune: Part 2 and Furiosa for most of the year. While Furiosa ultimately did earn the top spot, don't let that fact stop you from diving into the Sands of Arrakis Sequel. Dune: Part 2 is one of the best cases for adapting rich, compelling Novels. It is also a reaffirmation of Denis Villeneuve as the best current working Director in cinema today. Granted, that is my personal opinion, but when the man keeps consistently delivering modern Sci-Fi masterpieces like Dune: Part 1, Blade Runner 2049, and Arrival to name just a few- then I will keep showing up to everything the man makes. Part 2 exquisitely expands on all of the best parts of the first film, while adding new actors to crucial roles that further enrich the film overall. The returning cast members Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dave Bautista all meld perfectly with the newcomers to the franchise in Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Léa Seydoux, and Christopher Walken.

However, the strongest turn was Timothée Chalamets' lead performance as Paul Atreides. I thought he did quite well with the first film, but it was here that he became fully immersed and aligned with that character. By the end of the film I fully believed in the character and how he came to prominence through this story. Knowing now that the third film will indeed be taken on by Villeneuve once again, it is near the top of my list of most anticipated films over the next few years. (*The film I am most anticipating though is Steven Spielberg's The Dish, which is his return to science fiction- specifically on the topic of UFOs or UAPs as they are now known).

1. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

The best prequel of all time came in hot earlier this year in the last days of May. While I haven't yet constructed a shrine to George Miller (though I should)- this movie is the one that lives in my head rent free since seeing it twice earlier this year. I have no idea how or why this film wasn't a bigger hit at the box office, but I found it to be mesmerizing, fantastic, and pure escapism in the best way possible. There are four things that ultimately made this film my number one for the year. The first two are Chris Hemsworth as the villain Dementus and Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa. The duality and relationship between these two characters, how they evolve and oppose one another is thoroughly engaging and more layered than you would expect. The other two are the consistent and rich world building of the wasteland and the filmmaking itself. George Miller's insistence for on location shooting, practical effects, insane kinetic cinematography all combine to create what most movies could only hope for: Modern Mythology.

Cameron Geiser is an avid consumer of films and books about filmmakers. He'll watch any film at least once, and can usually be spotted at the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Northern Michigan. He also writes about film over at www.spacecortezwrites.com.

The 10 Best Films of 2024 (by Cameron Geiser)