(This article is part of our Best of 2024 series.)
Every year, I say I am going to watch more movies than I did the previous year and every year, I fail. In 2024, however, I actually followed through! And I’m glad I did. Some people may say 2024 was a down year for film, but I disagree. I had a great time both in the theater and on my couch, and I think some real gems came out of 2024. If you’ve read my reviews, you know I’ve never been one to salivate over Oscar bait. I like what I like, and I will not apologize! So, with that said, here are my favorite movies from 2024.
Your Monster
I will be forever bitter that Your Monster didn’t get better marketing. Melissa Barerra gives a career-best performance as an aspiring Broadway singer struggling through illness and a difficult breakup. Tommy Dewey is hilarious and charming as the droll Monster living in her closet. Their dynamic chemistry fuels this horror rom-com, providing plenty of laughs and wtf moments. I think I smiled the entire length of the movie, and the ending solidified it as one of my favorite films of the year. Here’s hoping that over the years, this movie develops the kind of loyal following it so rightfully deserves.
The Fall Guy
I was still riding high from Ryan Gosling’s iconic performance as Ken (Barbie), so obviously, I had great expectations going into this movie. The Fall Guy met those expectations and then some. A love letter to Hollywood stuntmen (and women), this movie is the quintessential summer blockbuster. Gosling’s on-screen charisma should be studied, because I feel he could make even the most mediocre film enjoyable. This is the only movie I saw twice in the theaters this year, and I have no regrets. I simply need more big-budget rom-coms released in theaters, whether they’re action or horror, or… I don’t care! Just give them to me, please!
Abigail
A group of criminals kidnap the young daughter of a wealthy businessman and take her to an isolated mansion, where they’re soon locked in and picked off one by one. Did someone say vampire ballerina? After seeing the trailer, Abigail instantly became one of my most anticipated movies of 2024. Not only did it look like a great deal of fun, but Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett also directed it, the duo responsible for Scream (2022) and one of my favorite films of 2019, Ready or Not. Abigail did not disappoint! It’s suspenseful, with the perfect cast and the right amount of humor. And to say it’s pretty bloody would be an understatement. This movie also made me appreciate Dan Stevens more. He’s so good at being a jackass that I just want to see him play villains for the rest of his career.
Lisa Frankenstein
This is another movie from 2024 that I felt was sorely overlooked and deserved better. Lisa Frankenstein is a nostalgic callback to 80s horror, deftly directed by Zelda Williams. It may not be a perfect horror film, but I found it quirky and dark, with a fantastic Winona Ryder-esque performance by Kathryn Newton, whose Lisa is a trauma survivor slowly descending into madness. Like Your Monster, it has some wtf-moments that are both disturbing and funny as hell. Having grown up on the teen comedies of the 80s and 90s, Lisa Frankenstein hit all the right buttons for me.
A Quiet Place: Day One
I’m a big fan of The Quiet Place universe, so I was ready for Day One. What I wasn’t ready for was walking out of the theater pretty convinced that Day One was my favorite entry in the trilogy. Lupita Nyong’o gives a strong, heartbreaking performance as Sam, a terminally ill woman caught in New York City when the aliens attack. Joseph Quinn’s quietly engaging performance tells me he may be one of the only kids from Stranger Things with the talent for career longevity. While Day One is as suspenseful as the first two films, it’s more intimate in that it focuses on how humanity aids survival. It stayed with me for a long time after I watched it and honestly, how can anyone dislike a movie where the real MVP is a cat named Frodo?
What are your thoughts on the movies that made my top five? Share them down below!
