Best Movies of 2024 (So Far)

We are at the halfway point of 2024, which means it is time to look back at the best movies of 2024 so far. I have seen 64 new release movies so far in 2024 (92 total including film festival movies and movies that will be released later this year.

Overall, 2024 has been an interesting year for movies. Due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes last fall, a lot of movies in production were delayed, which has caused the first six months of the year to feel thin when it comes to big Hollywood productions, but ripe with plenty of great indie and smaller-budgeted films. Looking at my top ten movies of the year so far, it is one of the most unique top tens I think I’ve ever made I think I’ve ever produced. It’s all over the place in terms of genre and budget, which is very exciting.

Below you will find my picks for the best movies of 2024. I am first going to rank my ten favorite films of the year in order. Then share my picks for the best performances of the year, ranking each category (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress) in alphabetical order, with my pick for the winner being highlighted in bold. I will also give my picks for the best technical achievements of the year.

Here are my picks for the best movies of 2024 so far.

 

Best Picture

1. Dune: Part Two

• The second chapter in Denis Villeneuve’s epic space story is bigger and more emotional than the first film while also being a technical marvel on every level.

2. Hit Man

• Richard Linklater and star Glen Powell reteam to create a crafty comedic thriller that is the year’s most entertaining movie.

3. Ghostlight

• Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan’s beautiful Chicago story about a family who learns to cope with tragedy through the power of theater.

4. Challengers

• The sexiest movie of the year is Luca Guadagnino’s pulsating sports romance about the complicated love triangle between three tennis players.

5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

• George Miller took us back to the wasteland to show us the origins of Imperator Furiosa in this exhilarating action spectacle.

6. The Last Stop in Yuma County

• One of the biggest surprises of 2024 came in the form of Francis Galluppi’s lean, mean, tension-fueled chamber piece.

7. The First Omen

• Terrifying, shocking, and expertly made, The First Omen is one of the greatest horror prequels ever.

8. Love Lies Bleeding

• Kristen Stewart gives the best performance of her career as a woman whose past comes back to haunt her in this queer revenge flick.

9. What You Wish For

• Underseen and underappreciated, What You Wish For is a devilishly fun Hitchcockian thriller.

10. Wicked Little Letters

• A delightfully funny true story led by two outstanding performances from Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley.

 

Best Director

Luca Guadagnino, Challengers

Richard Linklater, Hit Man

George Miller, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two

Alex Thompson & Kelly O’Sullivan, Ghostlight

• Denis Villeneuve’s vision and ability to work on the biggest scale possible helped make Dune: Part Two the best movie of the year so far.

 

Best Actor

David Dastmalachian, Late Night with the Devil

Keith Kupferer, Ghostlight

Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness

Glen Powell, Hit Man

Justice Smith, I Saw the TV Glow

• My favorite performance from any actor in 2024 is Keith Kupferer’s layered and powerful turn as a blue-collar father learning to handle his emotions through starring in a play.

 

Best Actress

Nell Tiger Free, The First Omen

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tuesday

June Squibb, Thelma

Kristen Stewart, Love Lies Bleeding

Zendaya, Challengers

• As stated above, Stewart gives the best performance of her career as a woman trying to bury her past as she falls in love.

 

Best Supporting Actor

Austin Amelia, Hit Man

Austin Butler, Dune: Part Two

Ed Harris, Love Lies Bleeding

Chris Hemsworth, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Gabriel LaBelle, Snack Shack

• In a loaded category filled with great performances that pop off-screen, Ed Harris gives his best performance in years as the calming, menacing father with a dark past.

 

Best Supporting Actress

Adriana Arjona, Hit Man

Jesse Buckley, Wicked Little Letters

Katy O’Brian, Love Lies Bleeding

Reneé Rapp, Mean Girls

Zendaya, Dune: Part Two

• Zendaya is the heart and soul of Dune: Part Two, anchoring the emotional weight of the film while also showcasing her physicality and movie stardom. 

 

BEST OF THE REST

Best Original Screenplay – Ghostlight

Runner Up – The Last Stop in Yuma County

Best Adapted Screenplay – Hit Man

Runner Up – Dune: Part Two

Best Editing – Dune: Part Two

Runner Up – Challengers

Best Cinematography – Dune: Part Two

Runner Up – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Best Production Design – Dune: Part Two

Runner Up – I Saw the TV Glow

Best Ensemble – Love Lies Bleeding

Runner Up – Ghostlight

Best Comedy – Hit Man

Runner Up – Wicked Little Letters

Best Action Movie – Dune: Part Two

Runner Up – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Best Horror/Thriller – The First Omen

Runner Up – What You Wish For

Best Animated Movie – Inside Out 2

Runner up – Kung Fu Panda 4

Biggest Surprise – The Last Stop in Yuma County

Runner Up – The Beekeeper

Movie I Liked More Than Most – IF

Runner Up – Lisa Frankenstein

Biggest Disappointment – Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Runner Up – Immaculate

Worst Movie – Argylle

Runner Up – Road House

Five Movies I Missed But Will Eventually See

The Bikeriders

Evil Does Not Exist

Horizon: An American Saga

Problemista

A Quiet Place: Day One

Five Movies To Seek Out That You May Have Missed

Ghostlight

Last Stop in Yuma County

Love Lies Bleeding

What You Wish For

Wicked Little Letters

Five Movies I’ve Already Seen You Need to Seek Out

A Different Man (comes out September 20)

A Real Pain (comes out October 18)

Daughters (comes out August 14)

It’s What’s Inside (release date TBD)

Sing Sing (comes out July 12)

 

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