2024 was yet another trying year for American cinema. While it did mark the one year anniversary of the end of 2023’s Writers Guild of America strike, the residual effects of the nearly five-month long work stoppage could still be felt this year with a dearth of films in multiplexes and countless delays of projects throughout Hollywood. As a result, box office totals dipped this year at three percent less than 2023’s totals, still struggling to reach pre-pandemic levels when annual box office totaled over $11 billion (it clocked in at just $8.75 billion in 2024).
Despite the depressed output, some notable auteuristic, director driven films did make their way onto the big screen this year with several newcomers behind the camera releasing impressive early entries. Hopefully, their arrival is a harbinger for great times yet to follow. Below is our ranking of the 50 releases we watched this year.
-
Conclave
-
Strange Darling
-
Dune: Part Two
-
Gladiator II
-
Civil War
-
Nosferatu
-
The Brutalist
-
Kinds of Kindness
-
My Old Ass
-
Nightbitch
- A Real Pain
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Bad Boys: Ride or Die
- Anora
- Emilia Perez
- The Substance
- Babygirl
- Trap
- Wicked
- A Quiet Place: Day One
- Monkey Man
- Challengers
- Sing Sing
- Nickel Boys
- The Piano Lesson
- The Fall Guy
- A Complete Unknown
- The Bikeriders
- Argylle
- Blitz
- Blink Twice
- Unstoppable
- The Order
- The Book of Clarence
- Drive-Away Dolls
- Saturday Night
- MaXXXine
- The Last Showgirl
- Love Lies Bleeding
- Maria
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
- Bob Marley: One Love
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- Shirley
- The Watchers
- Queer
- Hard Truths
- Joker: Folie à Deux
- I Saw The TV Glow
- Megalopolis
