Knock on Wood

Though it may not have reached the heights of years previous, for a variety of reasons – strike fallout, streaming reliance, a general lack of major blockbusters, or the disproportionate hit-to-flop ratio – 2024 has proven to be a fascinating year for cinema, but it was unable to capture the cultural zeitgeist as the previous year’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon did. Still, there was notably a plethora of genre offerings (perhaps even more than usual) that continued to shatter conventions and expectations.

We were also treated to new films from Jane Schoenbrun, Denis Villeneuve, Sean Baker, Brady Corbet, Robert Eggers, Coralie Fargeat, George Miller, Luca Guadagnino (x2!), Chris Sanders, Michael Gracey, Jesse Eisenberg, Megan Park, M. Night Shyamalan, Edward Berger, Adam Elliot, Walter Salles, Halina Reijn, Jason Reitman, Richard Linklater, Morgan Neville, Osgood Perkins, Clint Eastwood, Yorgos Lanthrimos, Alex Garland, Mati Diop, Michael Sarnoski, James Mangold, Mike Leigh, Steve McQueen, Ridley Scott, Kiyoshi Kurasawa, Tim Burton, Pablo Larraín, and many more, alongside marvelous debuts from Vera Drew, Josh Margolin, Malcolm Washington, Greg Jardin, Payal Kapadia, Sean Wang, and so many others.

Whether you adored this year or despised it, our contributors saw hundreds of films from January to December, and there were some clear favorites. What follows is the combined Knock on Wood Top 10 of 2024.

10. Dìdi

It’s the summer of 2008. You’re off school with nothing to do. The only thing on your calendar is catching The Dark Knight on opening weekend. You spend most of your time chatting with friends on AOL Instant Messenger, failing at learning new hobbies, and embarrassing yourself as you talk to your crush. Does any of this sound remotely familiar? Then you absolutely need to catch Dìdi. A true time capsule film that perfectly embodies the late ’00s and serves as a relatable coming-of-age tale. Even if you can’t connect with the exact specifics, the core decision-making of the characters in our film, and how those decisions impact the audience, lead to some of the most genuine emotional catharsis I’ve experienced this year. It’s at once painful and beautiful, as we have all lived through adolescent angst and immaturity, but worked to grow past that and find comfort in our life choices and loved ones. Mix this with some intentionally raw direction and editing, relatable and genuine performances, a minimalist script that hits all the right notes, and a soundtrack that will stick with you after the credits roll, and Dìdi is definitely one of the best films of the year. (Heath Lynch)

Available to stream on Peacock. Check out our review of Dìdi here.

9. Thelma

If you turned on Thelma, the movie whose poster shows June Squibb riding a scooter wearing the coolest-looking sunglasses in town, you wouldn’t expect it to feel much like a Mission: Impossible movie. And it doesn’t, really, but the influence fits more than you might think. Because after Squibb’s nonagenarian Thelma is scammed out of $10,000, she resolves to bring the scammers to justice and reclaim her money herself, just like Tom Cruise would in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, which she watches with her grandson, played by Fred Hechinger. Together, they’re quite the duo, as Hechinger’s Daniel is a lost twentysomething whose main passion is taking care of his grandmother. Parker Posey and Clark Gregg play his parents, and they’re the most lovably chaotic couple in all of 2024 moviedom. Add a charming Richard Roundtree to the foursome, and a general life-affirming vibe, and you’ll get Thelma, one of the best movies of the year. (Robert Bouffard)

Available to stream on Hulu. Check out our review of Thelma here.

8. Robot Dreams

America was in for a treat when Robot Dreams was first released in Spain and France at the end of 2023, and almost immediately joined the 96th Oscars race for Best Animated Feature. It was, however, a treat we’d have to wait quite a few months to get. Based on the 2007 comic by American Sara Varon, Spanish filmmaker Pablo Berger expertly and faithfully directs the tale of Dog and his mail-ordered friend, Robot. There is no dialogue, just as there was none in Varon’s work, but that only heightens the story’s universal themes of discontentment, friendship, and most importantly, the struggle to belong. There’s even a surprisingly subtle theme of questioning one’s purpose, a delicate homage to Isaac Asimov, who wrote a collection of short stories entitled Robot Dreams in 1986. The art design and animation are breathtaking, as we see New York City come vibrantly to life in the 1980s, every detail and backdrop richly explored, and beyond that, Robot and Dog’s distresses and joys are examined in the surreal dream sequences, which blur the line of reality but never venture past the point of relatability. I promise you’ll never hear the song, “September” the same way again. (Ian Hubbard)

Available to stream on Hulu.

7. A Real Pain

The sheer manic energy generated by Jesse Eisenberg and Keiran Culkin occupying the frame at the same time deserves to be studied. Their performances as cousins David and Benji are as authentic pieces of acting as you will see all year. Set against the backdrop of a Holocaust tour in Poland, David and Benji’s interactions with each other and the tour group as a whole make for an incredibly meaningful portrait of familial love and pain. Something wonderful happens when an unlikely group of strangers can bond over their shared life experiences, and A Real Pain captures that dynamic in a way that you as a viewer feel as changed as if you were a member of their tour. Eisenberg’s writing and direction for the film are so beautifully messy and real that it can be easy to underrate; there is no denying that A Real Pain is one of the best movie experiences of the year. (Foster Harlfinger)

Available to stream on Hulu. Check out our review of A Real Pain here.

6. Sing Sing

If there’s a compelling argument for the place of theatre in society, it’s this movie. It’s living proof of the process, that life can be changed through art, and art itself can be therapeutic, constructive, and beneficial to human life. It reminds us why life is worth living, and that our redemption is in our own hands, and the hands of the people we come to trust and love. Sing Sing doesn’t take the traditional approach to this kind of story, focusing on both the arc of the ensemble and Divine G’s journey through his pursuit of systematic clemency. Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, who plays himself, is another standout (delivering what might be my favorite supporting performance of the year), and Sean San José is excellent as Divine G’s best friend, Mike Mike. Those three are at the center of the film’s brilliant company, which balances the intensity and vivacity needed to survive in a maximum security penitentiary. Colman Domingo’s turn as Divine G (a playwright imprisoned for a crime he did not commit) is both empathetic and heartbreaking, a truly singular showcase that I have not seen replicated so far this year. The man’s an absolute pro, and a small-scale film with big ideas about humanity is the perfect vehicle for his talent. (Rowan Wood)

Check out our review of Sing Sing here.

5. Wicked

Good news! After being put on hold twice, and spending seven years being worked and waited on, Wicked is like the best kind of confection imaginable – sweet and satisfying. The movie is popular, yes, and deservedly so, masterfully taking a massive Broadway hit and serving it onto the silver screen. The scale is enormous: Director Jon M. Chu and cinematographer Alice Brooks show off their visual rapport; glitz and glamor dexterously featured in each carefully crafted shot. It is as if In The Heights (their most recent collaboration) was given the extra pop of color that the fantastical Land of Oz demands, and this combined with the stunning work by production designer Nicholas Crowley and the impeccable costumes from Paul Tazewell makes you feel as if Oz was simply a country you hadn’t visited yet. So as perfect as Wicked is as an aural project, with every song bubbling up like a tour through a greatest hits album, it is most of all a feast for the eyes. Not to be neglected, the choreography by Christopher Scott is so exhilarating it dares even the least dexterous among us to try it out for ourselves. Cynthia Erivo proves a unique force in the daunting role of Elphaba, while Ariana Grande’s performance nails every comedic beat and still carries the emotional weight of a friendship that struggles for good. Most dynamically, Wicked was split in two (leading the cliffhanger to be, well, you-know-where), which lends a slightly darker tone to this film as a whole. Who can say if the sequel will maintain the same quality, but this Wicked stands tall on its own. (Ian Hubbard)

Check out our review of Wicked here.

4. Nosferatu

What could happen if the reins of a classic gothic and German Expressionist horror film were given to cinema’s master of horror and history, Robert Eggers? You get a modern classic of horror in the form of Nosferatu. The original silent film that started as an illegal rehash of Bram Stoker’s Dracula created its own legacy that has influenced horror and film culture for a century since its release. This tale of lust, creeping death, and repression was meant for the masterful cinematic talents of Eggers. His version of the film is strikingly gorgeous, from its dynamic camera work (big credit goes to his cinematographer, Jarin Blaschke), impeccable production design and costuming (Eggers is ever the detailed historian), and a bone-chilling score (composed by Robin Carolan). This is a symphony of terror, lust, and emotion as a woman is on the path of a powerful fixture of death who will rot and destroy anyone along his path to her. Bill Skarsgård is fully transformed into the titular “Nosferatu” (also known as Count Orlok) whose voice will make your skin crawl, as well as his impressively crafted visage mixing the classic design that incorporates authentic imagery from Eastern European aristocracy. Lily-Rose Depp is powerful in her command of the screen with the physicality and emotion that she brings in every scene. The cast is stacked with Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Simon McBurney, Ralph Ineson, and the always dynamic and bold Willem Dafoe. There is a chilled heart at the core of this gothic haunt surrounded by scares, atmosphere, and unmatched technical prowess. Eggers’ masterpiece has certainly earned a spot in the history of vampire cinema. (Shane Conto)

Check out our review of Nosferatu here.

3. Anora

Anora, if anything, is proof that Sean Baker is one of the most valuable creative voices working in the medium today. His penchant for telling emotional, grounded, and honest stories of real people already set him apart with his keen observation and deep empathy. He also has some of the most expressive camerawork in the modern landscape while also being able to capture real places like it seems no one else can. He makes movies that truly don’t feel artificial or plastic at all. The most extraordinary part of Anora is that Baker retains all that makes him special while also rising to a commercial peak unseen in any of his films so far. Mikey Madison’s performance as the titular character is most definitely one of the biggest reasons for this commercial success. I would personally nominate her portrayal of Anora as one of the new greatest film characters of all time. She’s bursting with ferocity, but also sensitivity… tenacity, but also naivety. She’s flawed and contradictory in a way that is so deeply human, which allows us to fall in love with her and her dreams. This is easily the movie I’d call the most empathetic of the whole year, and add onto it the emotional whopper of an ending, you easily have yourself one of the best films of the year. (May Honey)

Check out our review of Anora here.

2. Challengers

What I admire most about Challengers is not Marco Costa’s whip-smart editing, or Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s bombastic techno score (though both are nothing short of phenomenal); it’s the tennis. I have an implicit bias toward sports movies – for me, a compelling sports movie is a film with a complete story and engaging arc divorced from the sport itself, with the sport serving as a backdrop to reinforce the film’s themes. Challengers takes that concept and runs with it, making tennis the metaphorical center that is also essential to the core of the film. Tennis is portrayed the same way most films would show a sexual encounter – it’s intimate, emphasizing the connection (or lack thereof) and passion between the characters, from the initial tension to the film’s emotional climax. It all coalesces into an enticingly sexy soap opera that catapults Luca Guadagnino’s filmmaking capability to new heights – but he has proven to be the rare and unique kind of creative who continues to outpace himself with every new project, and I firmly believe this is only the beginning. Outside-the-box star turns from Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor complete the triumvirate of unparalleled performance work that dominated the screen (and the culture) in 2024. I only wish it had gotten a fighting chance when it came to this year’s awards season, as its April release date (after having been delayed from September due to the strikes) handicapped those chances significantly. (Rowan Wood)

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

1. Dune: Part Two

An absolute juggernaut of a film, Dune: Part Two is the sort of epic spectacle that comes around once, maybe twice a decade. Denis Villeneuve directs the film in god mode as Timothée Chalamet dominates the screen with one of the most commanding performances you will ever see. It is such a thrill to watch every member of the Dune cast and crew operate at full creative capacity, constructing the most convincing fantasy world since Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Watching the arc of Paul Atreides as he fully steps into his messiah role for the Fremen is nothing short of chill-inducing, and being backed by an all-timer score from Hans Zimmer certainly doesn’t hurt. Dune: Part Two is not only the greatest film of the year, it instantly enters the ranks of the greatest films of all time. Decades from now, future movie-watchers will look back to Dune and reminisce about the good old days of filmmaking from directors like Villeneuve with honest-to-goodness movie stars like Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, and Florence Pugh. (Foster Harlfinger)

Available to stream on Netflix and Max.

Honorable Mentions

• A Different Man
• The Brutalist
• Exhibiting Forgiveness
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Saturday Night
• Hundreds of Beavers
• Conclave
• The Wild Robot
• Hit Man
• Flow
• The Substance
• Monkey Man
• Argylle

Before we go, it’s worth mentioning some stats – specifically, how our favorites have changed since the Midyear Report. Of the ten, only Thelma, Challengers, and Dune made the final cut at the year’s end. (Dune remained in the top spot, Challengers moved up one, and Thelma was bumped down four)

Only one other film that made the final cut was released when the Midyear list was made, and that’s Pablo Berger’s Oscar-nominated Robot Dreams. It would seem that not as many of our contributors had seen it up to that point, and some summer or fall viewing led it to claim the #8 spot on our end-of-year list.

Stay tuned for our most anticipated films of 2025, coming soon!