Many in 2024 were surprised by the all-round greatness of animated hit The Wild Robot
List compiled by Eddie on 20/12/2024
In a year of some serious downs, namely being some huge blockbusters that failed to launch both critically and commercially and also the general state of the cinemagoing experience across the globe in the face of increasing competition from the streaming marketplace and cost of living crisis, there were still some great success stories to appear in the 2024 calendar.
Still reeling from the aftermath of a 2023 that was plagued by industry strikes and discord, 2024 always faced an uphill battle to overcome the odds and while those odds proved to be insurmountable in some instances films like box office smashes Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine and Dune: Part 2 reminded us that the big screen shared cinematic experience isn’t dead, while a raft of smaller festival type films such as The Substance, Anora and even risky alt-studio ventures such as Civil War and Longlegs delivered on savvy marketing campaigns and strong word of mouth to gift us some surprising 2024 results.
With enough to remind us that if audiences are willing, cinema still has a lot to give, here’s some of the best and worst of 2024 and the perfect chance to see if there’s some content you need to add or scratch of your watch list this holiday season.
Happy reading and see you at the movies.
Disclaimer – this list is based off Australian releases dates that may include films that screened elsewhere in 2023 or have yet to screen outside of the Australian marketplace.
10 Best Films of 2024
Mads Mikkelsen delivers a typically strong performance in The Promised Land
10. The Promised Land
The newest collaboration between director Nikolaj Arcel and partner in crime Mads Mikkelsen, The Promised Land is a loaded Danish epic that covers some significant ground across its engrossing two hour runtime. The true story of soldier turn explorer Ludvig Kahlen, The Promised Land has been curiously lost amongst the films of the past 12-18 months but it’s well worth tracking down.
9. Joker: Folie à Deux
This isn’t a pick to insight a reaction, Todd Phillips much-maligned sequel to his beloved 2019 original Joker: Folie à Deux is an audacious Hollywood event picture that quite clearly didn’t resonate with general audiences or most critics who appeared to have their pitchforks ready and sharpened before a viewing. Not for everyone and in many instances not as smart or inventive as it thinks it is, underneath all the misses is a lot to like about this effort that willing to take a mighty swing. Backed by another stunning lead turn from Joaquin Phoenix, one gets a sense in time this follow-up will be appreciated more or what it did and tried to do.
8. Civil War
Arguably not the film it was promoted as being, Alex Garland’s incendiary exploration of America at war with itself and also the world of the journalistic trade is a unique and well made studio film with a difference. Featuring two memorable turns from both Kirstin Dunst and rising star Cailee Spaeny, Civil War is another feather in the cap of Garland who one can only hope continues to sit in the directors chair in the future.
7. The Iron Claw
A film that was curiously shut out of the Oscar season despite much acclaim, The Iron Claw features an array of career best turns, lead by the Oscar worthy Zac Efron, as director Sean Durkin explores the true life tale of wrestling royalty the Von Erich’s. Heart-breaking and full of human interest and passion, The Iron Claw is one of the best sport-themed dramas of the modern era and a feature that will have a long and valued life in the hearts of audiences for some time yet.
6. Monster
Hirokazu Koreeda’s beautiful and haunting coming of age drama is a unique and emotionally devastating experience that will linger long in the memory. A powerful piece of Japanese filmmaking with a great collection of acting turns, memorable imagery and a mesmerising score from the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, Monster hasn’t managed to find the widest audience outside of its home country but its one that deserves to find its way into my cinephiles watchlists.
Monster is one of the best Japanese films of the modern era
5. The Zone of Interest
A World War 2 film unlike any other before it, Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar winning examination of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig living beside the horrific concentration camp is a stunning feat of filmmaking and storytelling. Filming his movie with hidden cameras and allowing his performers to play out scenes as if they were occurring in real time gives The Zone of Interest an indescribably eerie feeling that creates a movie going experience you won’t soon forget.
4. The Wild Robot
I’ll be the first to admit that The Wild Robot wasn’t a film on my radar until a plethora of stunning reviews started to emerge for Chris Sanders’s now adored adaptation of author Peter Brown’s story. A fantastic achievement in not only the animation and family entertainment space but in the broader movie-making spectrum, there’s little doubt that The Wild Robot will be a long-standing family classic that deserves all the plaudits it gets.
3. Anatomy of a Fall
A critical and audience darling, director Justine Triet and star Sandra Hüller announced themselves in big ways with this captivating court-room/relationship drama woven around a mysterious death. Anatomy of a Fall is a film driven by its dialogue and smart filmmaking and becomes a film that’s impossible to forget. A worthy recipient of this years Best Original Screenplay Oscar.
2. The Road to Patagonia
The little Australian documentary that could, The Road to Patagonia is a beautifully human tale of adventure and finding ones place in the world. A labour of love for its star and director Matty Hannon who combed through 100’s upon 100’s of hours of footage shot over multiple years to create this finished product, Patagonia may not be as easy to access as some films are but it’s a feature well and truly worth your time experiencing as you’ll be all the better for it.
1. Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two is an instantly iconic feature
An unforgettable follow up to Dune: Part One, Dennis Villenuve’s return to Arrakis and the world of Frank Herbert is a genuine magnum opus of blockbuster filmmaking that absolutely should be regarded amongst the best of the best in the sci-fi cinematic cannon. A film bursting with life, imagination and heart, Dune: Part Two is an all encompassing experience that provided a big screen spectacle that put most of its fellow 2024 counterparts to shame. An instant classic that deserves to be a key award player in the months too come.
10 Worst Films of 2024
Blake Lively lead the ill-fated It Ends with Us, a commercial hit that is hard to take seriously
10. It Ends with Us
A box office hit and a film that managed to swindle everyday audiences into thinking it was something its not, It Ends with Us is a Blake Lively vanity project that feels about as fake as you would ever get from a Hollywood exercise. There’s an important message here around all the sheen but its mostly lost in a bizarre exercise that proves Lively may never truly become the award worthy starlet she so desperately wants to be.
Read my review here.
9. The Boys in the Boat
Another failure for George Clooney behind the camera, The Boys in the Boat is a lame and tame sports drama that fails to engage on any level. Wasting a great true story on some seriously pedestrian and amateurish delivery, after so many failures too launch its about time Clooney sticks to in front of the camera ventures.
8. Brothers
We all want big screen/feature length comedies to exist but if they keep on being churned out like the quality of Amazon original Brothers we may need to reconsider our wishes. Criminally wasting the services of Peter Dinklage, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close and Brendan Fraser, Brothers is an unfunny mess of a film that fails in almost all of its instances. An embarrassing effort from all involved.
Read my review here.
7. Spaceman
Ending a hot-run for the Netflix and Adam Sandler run of films, Spaceman is a horribly misguided space drama centred around Sandler’s lonely astronaut and a giant spider voiced by Paul Dano. Directed by hit show Chernobyl’s main man Johan Renck, there was initially a fair amount of hope that Spaceman was going to be a rare Netflix delight but it ended up being another big cross for the streaming giants original films offering.
6. Argylle
One of 2024’s most notable and costly failures, Argylle should have been a big fun spy romp with memorable action and brilliantly witty but instead it was nothing more than a hard too sit through slog that wasted a talented cast and the skillset of director Matthew Vaughn. Blessed with an abundance of talented cast members and a budget that would make most films blush, the failures of Argylle are a mystery but at the same time highly evident on screen.
An expensive dud for Apple, Argylle was a monster failure
5. Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver
We all hoped with all our might that somehow Zac Snyder’s second instalment of his Rebel Moon series was going to be a big step up from the failures of his first outing but sadly not only was that not the case, The Scargiver was a lot worse. A film that appears to be made up in large part by slow motion wheat shots, The Scargiver is another sad and sorry release from a director who was once one of the most exciting working in Hollywood.
4. Night Swim
Ever thought how fun it would be to watch a haunted pool for 90 minutes? If so Night Swim is the film for you! A genuinely terrible horror effort that is about as freighting as an episode of Mr Rogers’ Neighbourhood, Night Swim is a film you wish had sunk to the bottom of the depths it arose from never to have seen the light of day.
3. The Crow
A remake no one wanted, The Crow always faced an uphill battle to be a film worth caring about and on inspection of the final result, everyone’s doubts and fears were warranted. A bizarre adaptation of the source material and a further reminder just how good the 90’s The Crow was, this is a Hollywood exercise best left avoided at all costs.
2. Madame Web
A film that feels almost purposefully bad, Madame Web is an all time comic stinker that needs to be seen to be believed. Fun in a sense that you wont believe what you are seeing with your own eyes Madame Web’s terribleness is on display in every way shape or form as it goes along its merry way onwards and upwards into the top-tier levels of Hollywood stinkers. Now where can I get a cold bottle of Pepsi?
1. Borderlands
You’ll struggle to watch many worse films than Eli Roth’s Borderlands
Nothing could have prepared the world for Borderlands. Not even the most pessimistic of pundits would have ever predicted that Eli Roth’s troubled Borderlands adaptation was ever going to be the dumpster fire it ended up being. Costing its studio and financial backers losses that would number in the millions upon millions, Borderlands is a film devoid of anything you could say was a success. An all time failure to launch that will sadly not soon be forgotten.
Best Director
Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two)
Dune: Part Two further established director Denis Villeneuve as an all-time master
Proving himself time and time again that he should be regarded as one of the best directors of all-time after more than a decades worth of stunning works, Denis Villeneuve only enhanced his impressive legacy with the captivating and cinema defining Dune: Part Two. A film that has it all, its easy to get lost amongst everything else and forget that the true star of all of what we are seeing is Villeneuve’s whose Dune: Messiah can’t come soon enough.
Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet (Dune: Part Two)
He won’t win awards but Timothée Chalamet was awards worthy in Dune: Part Two
While he is sadly to not get recognition officially come awards season time, Timothée Chalamet’s complex turn as the complicated Paul Atreides is his true and undeniable star-making moment. Morphing into something unforgettable in the films second half, Chalamet is as commanding and brilliant as any recent lead acting turn in the last few years.
Best Actress
Demi Moore (The Substance)
The Substance provided actress Demi Moore with a major career revival
While the film itself may have its flaws one undeniably fantastic element to Coralie Fargeat’s brazenly bonkers body-horror The Substance is the lead turn of Demi Moore as aging starlet Elizabeth Sparkle. As good of a career comeback performance as we’ve seen in recent times, Moore has arguably never been better than she was here playing a hauntingly realistic version of a person doing whatever she can to remain the version of herself she believes is the ultimate one.
Read my review here.
Worst Director
Eli Roth (Borderlands)
Hopefully Roth is arrested and banned for future crimes against cinema
It’s not like the director responsible for giving us the Death Wish remake, Knock Knock or The Green Inferno could ever be regarded as an all-timer but it was hard to believe director Eli Roth could have been the man responsible for the dire Borderlands. The type of film you’d expect from Uwe Boll in his heyday, even though there’s talk director Tim Miller directed a lot of reshoots when Roth bailed on the film during production, at the end of the day the end result lays at the feet of Roth who should be ashamed for his crimes against cinema.
Worst Actor
Bill Skarsgård (The Crow)
A talented performer, Bill Skarsgård is in major need of a hit
While he has the much-hyped and highly likely very good Nosferatu to come out in the very near future, there’s no denying that post IT life has not been kind to promising actor Bill Skarsgård. Leading the charge of the lifeless The Crow remake marked a new career low for Skarsgård who struggled to do anything with his version of Eric that at the days end sported a notable mullet and some bad tattoos. There’s an expectation of this era of Skarsgård’s career being merely a phase, here’s hoping that’s proven right soon.
Worst Actress
Blake Lively (It Ends with Us)
Lively may have laughed all the way to the bank but it’s unable to mask the fact she delivered an atrocious turn in her passion project
Ever wanted to see an actor desperately attempt to snag an Oscar nomination? If not here’s your chance with Blake Lively’s turn in It Ends with Us. A film she reportedly took over final cut duties on when she felt she had more of a right or knowledge to make a better film from the listed director Justin Baldoni, Lively’s turn as the complicated Lily Bloom is an irksome one that does nothing but flame the fires of the sentiment that Lively isn’t ever going to be much more than her Gossip Girl self and may not in fact be a very pleasant person to work with/for.
3 Underrated Films
Smile 2 should see its star Naomi Scott catapult into superstardom
3. Smile 2
Not ground-breaking by any means, Smile 2 is absolutely another surprisingly great horror addition that shows massive growth for its director Parker Finn and its main star Naomi Scott who is destined for big things after her efforts here. Predictable in ways, there’s enough uniqueness and imagination on display in Finn’s film to ensure many will find something unexpected from what should be a mere cash-grab sequel.
2. The Promised Land
A notable film in its home country, the Danish The Promised Land may have gotten some significant critical plaudits and audience reactions but talk about the film oddly never arose too much with many not even knowing of its existence. An all rounder of an historical epic, The Promised Land is a film well worth discovering however you can.
1. The Iron Claw
It’s got great reviews and general cinemagoers have reacted strongly too it but The Iron Claw takes this podium finish purely off the fact it was almost entirely shut out of all major award shows in the early parts of 2024. How none of the films performers managed to get significant awards play for their turns in this haunting real life drama is beyond my comprehension.
3 Overrated Films
A visual delight with little substance, Furiosa was a big step down from Fury Road
3. Furisoa: A Mad Max Saga
It hurts to put Furiosa here as it is far from a bad film but many overhyped a fun action film that pales in comparisons to what has come before it. A film that’s many ideas and half-baked concepts get lost amongst some curiously unmemorable set-pieces, Furiosa has some fun moments but its not hard to see why overall this is one of 2024’s major under performers financially despite all the critical hype.
2. Longlegs
One of 2024’s most surprising success stories both critically and commercially, I wanted desperately to like Longlegs but having witnessed Osgood Perkins Nicolas Cage infused horror ride I just couldn’t get on board with what many were hailing as the horror experience of the year. Unquestionably weird, there’s some neat elements to Longlegs but for the most part this is a odd affair with little to hold onto.
1. The Fall Guy
A key player in the 2024 box office pack leaders, The Fall Guy was bizarrely hailed by many critics as some form of god-tier Hollywood action/comedy but it’s hard to imagine they watched the same film I did. A laboured affair that proves the schtick of Ryan Gosling’s comedic nice guy turns has worn thin, The Fall Guy was a waste of talent, time and money and the exact type of film Hollywood doesn’t need to be investing in should it wish to recapture cinemagoers imaginations.
Australian Film of the Year
The Road to Patagonia
The Road to Patagonia is a feast for the senses and the heart
A beautifully made documentary that will hopefully continue to find a wider audience as it hits home video markets and streaming services, The Road to Patagonia was one of 2024’s greatest feature film surprises and a clear standout for local offerings in the year that’s been.
Read my Q and A with director Matty Hannon HERE.
Biggest Disappointment
Gladiator II
Paul Mescal was lost in a mindless sequel to a beloved original
There was always an abundance of fears when it was formally announced that Ridley Scott was heading back to the ancient Roman empire to take us to the battle arenas of old but there was also an air of excitement that we could be taken on another thrilling and emotionally packed ride at the same time. Sadly Gladiator II was a dull and lifeless big-budgeted epic that suggests Scott has without question lost his ability to craft these type of films to the level he once did.
Biggest Surprise
The Wild Robot
As wholesome as you could ever hope for, The Wild Robot was a surprise 2024 delight
A film that has captured the hearts and imaginations of the world with its stunning animation and emotion charged storytelling, The Wild Robot is a film deserving of all its praise and a hopeful winner of next years Best Animated Feature Oscar. Even if animation isn’t usually your thing, The Wild Robot is proof age is no barrier as it appeases the young and old in equal measure.
Best Poster
While it promotes action we never get to see in the movie, studio A24 did a great job at hoodwinking audiences into thinking that Civil War was an out and out action flick, this poster for Alex Garland’s commercial and critical success is a great use of an iconic location that ensured interest in the film was there amongst casual fans right from the start.
Worst Poster
If a poster this year screamed amateur hour it was this one. An effort that on face value looks photoshopped out of this world, there’s no doubt lacklustre promotional material like this contributed to The Fall Guy being one of 2024’s biggest box office bombs.
Best Trailer
A horror movie trailer made all the more horrific and unnerving thanks to Hugh Grant playing against type but sticking to his rom-com charisma, Heretic might not have been the years best genre effort but this trailer certainly helped get it noticed in a crowded marketplace and sold us on the prospect of a Grant turn like we’ve never seen before.
Worst Trailer
One thing the world of Gladiator didn’t need was a Kanye West infused trailer. The first official look we got at the long coming sequel, many fans were put off by Gladiator 2’s strange marketing that didn’t do a good job of mixing the old with the new.
Top 3 Scenes of 2024 (SPOILERS)
It might not have danced to much success but the Joker sequel had some moments of genuine brilliance
3. Joker: Folie à Deux – Arthur’s “Foghorn Leghorn” Court Scene
Say what you will about the film (of which many have) there’s no questioning lead Joaquin Phoenix’s acting chops and the scene in which he takes over his defence in court, sporting a Foghorn Leghorn like southern accent is an acting masterclass. Fitting in a range of emotions that gets quite confronting when Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck questions his old friend Gary, for all of what this sequel might have gotten wrong, this is one it got undeniably right.
2. The Wild Robot – Brightbill’s Migration
Who’s that cutting onions in the cinema? A beautifully realised animated scene that transpires after a great build up, the segment in The Wild Robot in which robot Roz helps young bird Brightbill take to the skies backed by Kris Bowers award worthy score is a wonderfully constructed scene that goes down as one of the great individual moments in recent animation history.
1. Dune: Part Two – Paul and Feyd-Rautha’s Duel
In reality the entire list of top scenes from 2024 could be picked exclusively from Denis Villenuve’s modern day masterpiece from the stunning black and white journey to Giedi Prime, Paul’s first worm ride or the stunning opening scene but the one scene that stands out above all others is Dune: Part Two’s stunning end duel between Timothée Chalamet’s Paul and Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha.
It’s a segment that has to go down as one of the best duel moments in cinematic history. Culminating in white knuckles and some serious moments of concern that then leads into Part Two’s unforgettable final few minutes, Dune: Part Two’s 10 minutes of brilliance is but part of the reason why this blockbuster epic became the industry shaking event it did.
What were your favourite or least favourite films of 2024? Let me know the comments below!
This article concludes activity on the blog for 2024. Have a great holiday season and see you at the movies in 2025.
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys) 
Excellent choices ! The Zone of Interest, Anora and certainly Dune will be in my list too.
Some fantastic films there mate, although I did find Anora slightly overrated. I still appreciated how unique it was and didn’t expect the comedic hijinks in provided in the second half.
E
I must put in a word or two for ‘Conclave’ which was pretty gripping considering how the plot – electing a new Pope – is very far from most of our experiences. It has some great performances.
But the film I loved most in 2024, which I hadn’t heard of, and only watched because it suddenly started pouring with rain and I was close to the cinema, was ‘All We Imagine As Light’ (director Payal Kapadia) which is about the lives of two nurses and a cook who work in a Mumbai hospital. It’s very tender and understanding towards its characters, and the cinematography, both in the city and later in the countryside, is beautiful.
Good list, and some I still need to see! Although, I saw the Fall Guy when I was not doing too well, and it was the perfect remedy in its stupidity and fun – for me, hugely needed escapism – and I followed it up with Love Lies Bleeding!
I also thought Longlegs was okay, but things I’d seen before – no doubt atmospheric and weird, but nowhere near the hype it found with.
Aaand, the less we see of Eli Roth going forward, the better. The trailer for Borderlands looked bad enough, and I literally didn’t hear anything positive about the film.
Good shout for All We Imagine as Light as well, I happened to see that at BFI HQ! Smart and measured.
Can’t wait to see All we Imagine! Looks like its getting a very small run here in Aus but hoping it becomes more readily available soon.
E
I’ve had medical issues this year that have kicked me off my feet so I’ve not been able to watch as many movies as I normally do. So thanks for the list, I’ll start catching up with the ones you rate the highest and the hidden gems. I have seen Argyle, it was terrible but I laughed throughout and found it entertaining. I’m the only person on earth to think so but I’m weird. The Iron Claw was a very good movie, hard to watch since back in those days we knew the family, but was a good movie and solid on the way it seemed to be for them. Gladiator 2 made the oops list, as I’ve seen it do on some others. That’s disappointing but something I was afraid of.
I hope you are feeling better mate and ready for a great 2025.
Iron Claw was shocking in so many ways, I can’t believe what that family went and put themselves through, a real underrated film when it came to last years awards runs.
Looks like this year has a lot of great content coming our way, hope you get to enjoy it as much as you can/want.
E
Wasn’t Zone of Interest a 2023 film? I remember the director at the Oscars earlier this year.
Aussie release dates mate! Their a funny thing. We often get films a lot later than other territories when it comes to the indies.
E
I didn’t really like Joker: Folie a Deux but I can understand why some people would.
I hate, hate, hate, hated Heretic. Pure misery for two hours. I saw the ending coming from 100 miles away. The theological debates were boring. It’s actually a ripoff of the 2008 French film Martyrs, which is a masterpiece (although I wouldn’t recommend most people see it). In Martyrs the director doesn’t waste time trying to make us think the torture cult is charming. Casting Hugh Grant as Dr. Mengele meets Christopher Hitchens might seem like a good idea. But when they actually tried it it turned into a slog.
The Quebec movie Red Rooms is a masterpiece but too much of a niche movie to win best picture.
Super keen to check out Red Rooms mate, I will have to keep an eye out on where I can watch in Australia.
E
I liked Civil War but the timeline threw me off.
A 23-year-old Gen Z photographer using film?
They were clearing going for the “journalists are cool” angle. At the end the photographers storm the White House with “the troops.” The are the troops.
Funny how so many expected this one to be an out and out action thriller then got more of a journalism expose!
E