Not Too Loud

Film Criticism Free From Exaggeration

Top 50 Films of 2024

Hamish Calvert
5–8 minutes
A collage of images from 2024 films. It includes images from the films All of Us Strangers, Priscilla, Blink Twice, Poor Things and Alien: Romulus.

With the final cinema tickets sold, the last streaming titles released and awards season just around the corner, it’s time to look back and celebrate the very best films that 2024 had to offer.

Judging by the ten highest-grossing films of the year, it was sequels that really dominated this year’s box office. There were also attempts to recreate the counter-programming success of Barbenheimer with Gladiator II and Wicked – “Glicked,” however, didn’t quite defy box office gravity in just the same way. You won’t find either of those titles, or most of those ten highest-grossing films of the year on this list, but there was still plenty of great cinema to enjoy elsewhere. Take the following fifty for example. But first, some rules:

For films to be eligible for this list they must have been released in the UK/Ireland in 2024. Films that have had their festival debuts in 2024 but have yet to be released generally are not eligible, sorry! Come back next year to see how the likes of The Brutalist, Babygirl and Nosferatu fare.

So without further ado, Not Too Loud’s Top 50 Films of 2024:

#50. MaXXXine
Directed by Ti West

An image from the film MaXXXine. It features a woman (Mia Goth) looking startled. Some of her hair is hanging in front of her face.
A24

A killer conclusion to Ti West’s “X” film trilogy.

#49. Rebel Ridge
Directed by Jeremy Saulnier

An image from the film Rebel Ridge. It features a man (Aaron Pierre) walking down a corridor. He is wearing a shirt drenched in sweat and has cash stuffed in the waistline of his trousers.
Netflix

Aaron Pierre confidently announces himself as one of Hollywood’s most capable modern action stars.

#48. Between the Temples
Directed Nathan Silver

An image from the film Between the Temples. It features a man (Jason Schwartzman) and a woman (Carol Kane) in a split screen, they are each sleeping with their heads tilted to the side.
Sony Pictures Entertainment

Jason Schwartzmann and Carol Kane charm in oddball comedy.

#47. Fly Me to the Moon
Directed by Greg Berlanti

An image from the film Fly Me to the Moon. It features a man (Channing Tatum) and a woman (Scarlett Johannson) standing on a raised walkway.
Apple TV+

Who needs the moon when you have stars that shine as bright as Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson.

#46. Unicorns
Directed by Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd

An image from the film Unicorns. It features a man (Ben Hardy) sitting outside a garage smoking.
Signature Entertainment

Drag-queen drama sees Ben Hardy impress as a single-dad questioning his sexual identity.

#45. Joy
Directed by Ben Taylor

An image from the film Joy. It features two men (Bill Nighy and James Norton) and a woman (Thomasin McKenzie) holding a new-born baby, they are wearing hospital scrubs.
Netflix

Details the development of IVF with much feeling and emotion.

#44. Dìdi
Directed by Sean Wang

An image from the film Dìdi. It features a boy (Izaac Wang) posing for a school photograph.
Focus Features

A noughties, nostalgia-soaked coming-of-age story.

#43. My Old Ass
Directed by Megan Park

An image from the film My Old Ass. It features two women (Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza) sitting on a log looking at each other.
Amazon Prime Video

Manages to be incredibly moving, despite its truly terrible title.

#42. The Greatest Hits
Directed by Ned Benson

An image from the film The Greatest Hits. It features a woman (Lucy Boynton) standing in a crowd at a music festival.
Searchlight Pictures

A time-travel movie that taps into the transportive power of music.

#41. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Directed by Wes Ball

An image from the film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. It features an ape with a metal crown on.
20th Century Studios

The modern Apes franchise remains one of the 21st century’s strongest.

#40. Dune: Part Two
Directed by Denis Villeneuve

An image from the film Dune Part II. It features a man (Timothée Chalamet) in a desert setting. He has a black tube running from his nose to behind his ear.
Warner Bros. Pictures

Twice the spice of Part One.

#39. Late Night with the Devil
Directed by Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes

An image from the film Late Night With the Devil. It features a man (David Dastmalchian) screaming with a black and white spiral behind him.
IFC Midnight

Almost as scary as The Late Late Show with James Corden, almost.

#38. Civil War
Directed by Alex Garland

An image from the film Civil War. It features a woman (Kirsten Dunst) standing by the side of a building with a camera in her hands. Three men are standing behind her.
A24

Alex Garland’s look forward to an imaginable American future sees him firmly back on filmmaking form.

#37. Strange Darling
Directed by JT Mollner

An image from the film Strange Darling. It features a man (Kyle Gallner) in a forest holding a shotgun.
Icon Film Distribution

Kyle Gallner, the scream queen that you are.

#36. Immaculate
Directed by Michael Mohan

An image from the film Immaculate. It features a woman (Sydney Sweeney) dressed in lavish religious clothing.
Neon

Sydney Sweeney should make a habit of this horror thing.

#35. Kneecap
Directed by Rich Peppiatt

An image from the film Kneecap. It features the group performing on stage.
Wildcard Distribution

A riotous call to keep the Irish language alive that will have you singing “I’m an H.O.O.D” long after the credits have rolled.

#34. American Fiction
Directed by Cord Jefferson

An image from the film American Fiction. It features a man (Jeffery Wright) standing in front of a large beach house.
Curzon Film

A comical and creative contemplation on the consumption of Black art.

#33. Smile 2
Directed by Parker Finn

An image from the film Smile 2. It features a woman (Naomi Scott) wearing a poster outfit screaming in a backstage area.
Paramount Pictures

All horror sequels should be centred around pop girlies.

#32. Conclave
Directed by Edward Berger

An image from the film Conclave. It features a Cardinal (Ralph Fiennes) standing in front of a large crowd of other Cardinals.
Focus Features

Carry on Cardinal, oh the campery of it all.

#31. Longlegs
Directed by Oz Perkins

An image from the film Longlegs. It features a woman (Maika Monroe) looking out of a window and holding her hand over her mouth in shock.
Neon

Some of the most chilling cinema all year.

#30. The Bikeriders
Directed by Jeff Nichols

An image from the film The Bikeriders. It features a man (Austin Butler) and a woman (Jodie Comer) standing in front of a motorcycle.
Universal Pictures

Bikes, brawls and a brooding Butler.

#29. Monster
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda

An image from the film Monster. It features two young boys running through a field with tall plants and grass.
Picturehouse Entertainment

A poignant presentation of perspective.

#28. Twisters
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung

An image from the film Twisters. It features two men (Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos) and a woman (Daisy Edgar-Jones) standing in the doorway of a cinema during a twister.
Warner Bros. Pictures

Glen Powell continues to take Hollywood by storm.

#27. Blink Twice
Directed by Zoë Kravitz

An image from the film Blink Twice. It features a man (Channing Tatum) and a woman (Naomi Ackie) walking beside each other in an island villa.
Warner Bros. Pictures

Zoë Kravitz turns an island paradise into the holiday from hell.

#26. Alien: Romulus
Directed by Fede Álvarez

An image from the film Alien Romulus. It features a woman (Caliee Spaeny) standing in front of a large elevator shaft holding a gun.
20th Century Studios

Despite one especially misguided choice, Álvarez’s Alien adventure is big, bold and bursting with brutality.

#25. The Zone of Interest
Directed by Jonathan Glazer

An image from the film The Zone of Interest. It features a woman (Sandra Huller) holding a baby in front of some plants in a large garden.
A24

A must-see you’ll probably only watch once.

#24. The End We Start From
Directed by Mahalia Belo

An image from the film The End We Start From. It features a woman (Jodie Comer) holding a baby at the top of a set of escalators.
Signature Entertainment

A realistic end-of-the-world film that goes for emotion over action.

#23. Housewife of the Year
Directed by Ciaran Cassidy

An image from the documentary film Housewife of the Year. It features a close up of an older woman on a theatre stage.
Wildcard Distribution

Deftly demonstrates the sexism present in the famous Irish pageant while also celebrating the wonderful women who competed in it.

#22. Woman of the Hour
Directed by Anna Kendrick

An image from the film Woman of the Hour. It features a man (Tony Hale) and a woman (Anna Kendrick) on the set of a TV dating show.
Netflix

Anna Kendrick skilfully pulls the strings both in front and behind the camera of this chilling true-crime thriller.

#21. The Room Next Door
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar

An image from the film The Room Next Door. It features two women (Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton) sitting on a bright green sofa together.
Warner Bros. Pictures

Alomodóvar’s first English-language feature, and thankfully none of his brilliance is lost in translation.

#20. Sing Sing
Directed by Greg Kwedar

An image from the film Sing Sing. It features a close up of a man (Colman Domingo) in prison wearing glasses.
A24

A wonderful true story that demonstrates the magic of the stage. Make sure to stay for the credits.

#19. The Apprentice
Directed by Ali Abbasi

An image from the film The Apprentice. It features a man (Sebastian Stan) standing in front of a group of buildings at night. The man has a wavy fringe and is slightly pouting his lips.
StudioCanal

The Trump assassination attempt that succeeded.

#18. Lee
Directed by Ellen Kuras

An image from the film Lee. It features a woman (Kate Winslet) smoking in a room that has been bombed.
Sky Cinema

A striking snapshot of WWII photographer Lee Miller.

#17. Society of the Snow
Directed by J. A. Bayona

An image from the film Society of the Snow. It features two men standing in front of a plane wreckage on a snowy mountain.
Netflix

A shocking and sobering survival drama.

#16. Priscilla
Directed by Sofia Coppola

An image from the film Priscilla. It features a close up of a woman (Cailee Spaeny) wearing a wedding veil.
A24

Cailee Spaeny and Sofia Coppola give power to Priscilla.

#15. Better Man
Directed by Michael Gracey

An image from the film Better Man. It features a monkey performing on stage.
Entertainment Film Distributors

What do you mean the Robbie Williams monkey movie is brilliant?

#14. The Wild Robot
Directed by Chris Sanders

An image from the film The Wild Robot. It features a robot, a fox and a duckling sitting by a tree in the forest.
Universal Pictures

A gorgeously animated tale of love and loss.

#13. Small Things Like These
Directed by Tim Mielants

An image from the film Small Things Like These. It features a man (Cillian Murphy) walking along a street at nighttime.
Lionsgate

A story of Ireland’s troubled past, lead by the best actor of their present.

#12. Monkey Man
Directed by Dev Patel

An image from the film Monkey Man. It features a man (Dev Patel) holding a gun out in front of him. He’s wearing a waiter’s uniform.
Universal Pictures

Dev Patel delivering the strongest directorial debut of the year.

#11. Juror #2
Directed by Clint Eastwood

Warner Bros. Pictures

Clint Eastwood courtroom drama presents a compelling case for why he should never retire.

#10. I Saw the TV Glow
Directed by Jane Schoenbrun

An image from the film I Saw the TV Glow. It features a man (Justice Smith) and a non-binary person (Brigette Lundy-Paine) sitting on a sofa, a purple glow from the TV can be seen in the room.
A24

Quite possibly the most effective representation of trans experience put to screen yet.

#9. All of Us Strangers
Directed by Andrew Haigh

An image from the film All of Us Strangers. It features two men (Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott) in a lift.
Searchlight Pictures

Andrew Haigh back at it again with the – expertly crafted – gay trauma.

#8. Poor Things
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

An image from the film Poor Things. It features a man (Mark Ruffalo) and a woman (Emma Stone). The woman is sitting down and the man has his arms around her, she looks unimpressed.
Searchlight Pictures

Poor Things, as in Emma Stone’s fellow Best Actress nominees.

#7. Anora
Directed by Sean Baker

An image from the film Anora. It features a woman (Mikey Madison) dancing in a club.
Neon

Hilarious and heartbreaking, often only moments apart.

#6. The Count of Monte Cristo
Directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière

An image from the film The Count of Monte Cristo. It features a man (Pierre Niney) holding and looking at a mask.
Pathé

An epic, elaborate and extremely entertaining tale of revenge.

#5. The Iron Claw
Directed by Sean Durkin

An image from the film The Iron Claw. It features a group of five men in a huddle in the middle of a wrestling ring.
Lionsgate

A deeply emotional family drama masquerading as a wrestling film. Zac Efron in particular will devastate you.

#4. Queer
Directed by Luca Guadagnino

An image from the film Queer. It features a man (Daniel Craig) sitting at a table reading a newspaper.
MUBI

A stirring, sad and surreal contemplation on the queer experience. They better use Daniel Craig saying “homosexual” for his Oscar clip.

#3. The Holdovers
Directed by Alexander Payne

An image from the film The Holdovers. It features two men (Dominic Sessa and Paul Giamatti) standing outside in the snow.
Focus Features

Now it won’t be Christmas until Dominic Sessa crosses the Rubicon.

#2. The Substance
Directed by Coralie Fargeat

An image from the film The Substance. It features a woman (Demi Moore) looking at herself in a bathroom mirror. Her makeup is slightly smudged and she looks sad.
MUBI

A behemoth of a body horror, boasting both beauty and brains.

#1. Challengers
Directed by Luca Guadagnino

An image from the film Challengers. It features a man (Josh O’Connor) playing tennis. He is holding a racquet and is pointing it in front of him.
Warner Bros. Pictures

In an absolute ace of a cinematic year, both in general and for director Luca Guadagnino specifically, it’s his steamy, sweaty sports drama Challengers that ends up the ultimate serve.

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Happy New Year!

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