Epoch Times 2024 Top 10 Best Movies of the Year

2024 had some great films to enjoy. Master1305/Shutterstock

Furthuring the trend that began in the early 2000s, my 2024 Top 10 list bears little to no resemblance to those of my contemporaries. At first I thought this was an unconscious decision on my part to be a deliberate contrarian, but that’s not it. Every title on my 2024 list has positive critical and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

This year it finally hit me. My idea of quality simply differs from the vast  majority of other critics, especially those who champion movies with overt social or moral messaging. My tastes line up more with general audiences.

I prefer thrillers, documentaries, and dark comedies. I want to be entertained, see something original, and, if I’m real lucky, to watch something that makes me feel better for having seen it.

After each description in parenthesis will be the Rotten Tomato critic/audience scores and where you can view them: Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime, Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock, or theaters.

‘Daruma’

Camilla (Victoria Scott) and her father Patrick (Tobias Forrest) get to know each other, in "Daruma." Daruma Media

This prototypical “under the radar,” shoestring budget movie came to my attention only a week before I finished compiling this list. It is one of those ultra-rare instances where I expected nothing, and received so much more. A wheelchair-bound, angry, unemployed alcoholic veteran is informed he has a 4-year-old daughter whose mother just died, and he is now her legal guardian. Giving away more plot than that would rob all interested viewers of the many twists that unfold along the way. Suffice to say, it will first break your heart, put it back together, and then pleasantly melt it. (100/99 - Fandango at Home)

‘Flow’

A capybara, ring-tailed lemur, Golden Lab, and a cat have an adventure together, in "Flow." Dream Well Studio

This is quite simply my favorite animated movie of all time. The second effort from Latvian visionary Gints Zalbalodis, it is a postapocalyptic dramatic adventure. Four animals (a Russian Blue cat, a Yellow Lab, a ring-tailed lemur, and a capybara (the world’s largest rodent) end up in a dilapidated sailboat after a flood that has wiped out most of life on earth. Yes, that sounds like a downer, but believe me, it’s not. The drawn animals look like real animals that don’t talk, sing, dance, or behave like humans. This in itself makes it more than worth your time. (97/94 - Fandango at Home, Theaters)

‘The Blue Angels’

"The Blue Angels" documentary shows how the special team of Navy pilots prepare for their spectacular air shows. Kirk Wester/Shutterstock

The timing for this documentary couldn’t have been better. As “Top Gun: Maverick” did in 2022, “The Blue Angels” unabashedly celebrates the exceptionalism of the American military without ever drifting into political dogma or partisan squabbling. It examines the rigorous qualification process of getting into a very exclusive club that has only had less than 300 members during its nearly 80 years of existence. (83/98 - Amazon Prime Video)

‘Cabrini’

Pope Leo XIII (Giancarlo Giannini) meets Maria Francesca Cabrini (Cristiana Dell’Anna), in "Cabrini." Angel Studios

In my opinion, “Cabrini” is the best feature effort to date from the upstart Angel Studios. It’s also the only one that lost money at the box office ($20.5 million take versus a $50 million budget). This could be because director Alejandro Monteverde (“Sound of Freedom”) crafted an epic period piece that had the big budget look of “The Godfather II” and “Gangs of New York.” The film stars Cristiana Dell’Anna as the title character, the first American female citizen who achieved sainthood for her work in establishing missions across the world that benefited orphaned children. (90/98 - Fandango at Home)

‘Woman of the Hour’

Director Anna Kendrick behind the scenes, in "Woman of the Hour." Netflix

The directorial debut from actress Anna Kendrick is a fact-based dramatic thriller set in late ‘70s Los Angeles. Kendrick casts herself in a supporting role as Sheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress who agreed to appear on “The Dating Game” TV show for the sole purpose of getting exposure. Little did Bradshaw know, the guy she picked was Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) who, at the time, was the unidentified wanted serial killer that killed up to 130 women. Reminiscent of Martin Scorsese’s best ‘70s work, it is an amazing film, and shows Kendrick to be a visionary with immense promise. (91/68 - Netflix)

‘My Name is Alfred Hitchcock’

Behind the scenes of “The 39 Steps”: Center are (L–R) Madeleine Carroll, Robert Donat, and director Alfred Hitchcock. Gaumont British Distributors

Arguably the best of the 20-plus biographical films about the most famous director in history, this documentary from Northern Ireland cinephile Mark Cousins is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Rather than dissect every Hitchcock movie, Cousins examines them by groups of themes (“Escape,” “Desire,” “Loneliness”), which sheds new light on the entire Hitchcock catalogue. Making everything all the more special is the first-person narration by Alistair McGowan. He imitates Hitchcock so well, I didn’t know it was McGowan or AI until the end credits rolled. (93/67 - Theaters)

‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’

American actor Christopher Reeve played Superman in the 1978 "Superman." MovieStillsDB

Originally planned as a single weekend Fathom event, this biographical documentary caught fire so fast, and was met with such great critical and audience response that Warner Brothers put it into wide release. A classically trained Juilliard School student, Reeve (a classmate of Robin Williams) caught the attention of director Richard Donner; Donner cast him as Clark Kent and the rest is history. Far more interesting was the situation Reeves faced as a quadriplegic after a freak equestrian accident and his tireless dedication to humanitarian causes in the aftermath. (98/98 - Fandango at Home, HBO Max, Theaters)

‘September 5’

The crowded control room crew, in "September 5." Paramount Pictures

Something of an opening bookend to Steven Spielberg’s 2005 “Munich,” Swiss director Tim Fehlbaum presents the unfolding events of the terrorist capture of the Israeli wrestling team at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany, from the perspective of the ABC Sports crew televising the event. Fehlbaum employs distressed era-appropriate analogue film stock along with actual ABC news footage. He carefully restaged retellings of the ABC staff (Roone Arledge, Jim McKay, and Peter Jennings) to weave a story with an already-known ending into a gripping, no-frills thriller. (90/81 - Theaters)

‘Conclave’

Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes, center) is in charge of the proceedings, in "Conclave." Focus Features

For lack of a better term, “Conclave” is a “sausage factory” look at the process of electing a new pope. Ralph Fiennes leads an all-star ensemble cast (Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini), as the Catholic cardinal in charge of selecting the new pontiff in Vatican City after the sudden death of an unnamed fictional pope. Austrian director Edgar Berger (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) approaches his first English-language feature with great finesse and delicacy. For something so top-heavy with dialogue, “Conclave” is a nuance-filled mystery-thriller that shouldn’t be missed. (93/86 - Fandango at Home, Peacock, Theaters)

‘Civil War’

Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), a photojournalist who covers events, in “Civil War.” Murray Close

Filmmaker Alex Garland’s prophetic drama is so au courant and on the mark, it plays out like a live, nonfictional war thriller set in the near future. An unnamed U.S. president (Nick Offerman) declares himself the winner of a third consecutive term. The country finds itself at war, pitting a faction in California, Texas, and Florida against the rest of the country. As seen through the eyes of four journalists (two of whom are photographers played by Kristen Dunst and Cailee Spaeny), the conflict comes to a jarring end that offers no clear answers, but a certain level of finality. (81/69 - Fandango at Home, HBO Max)

Also: Best Director: Alex Garland for “Civil War” Best Lead Actor: Ralph Fiennes in “Conclave” and “The Return” Best Lead Actress: Danielle Deadwyler in “The Piano Lesson” Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin in “A Real Pain” Best Supporting Actress: Aubrey Plaza in “Megalopolis” Best Acting Ensemble: “Conclave” Best Original Screenplay: “Civil War” Best Adapted Screenplay: “Conclave” Best Animated Feature: “Flow” Best International Feature: “Flow” (Latvia) Best Documentary Feature: “The Blue Angels” Best First Feature by a Director: Anna Kendrick for “Woman of the Hour” Best Breakthrough Performance: Daniel Zovatto in “Woman of the Hour” Best Voice Performance: Alistair McGowan for “My Name is Alfred Hitchcock”

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