We’re back. Another annual list.
But before we get into the nitty-gritty of it all, there are some silly list rules I have invented for myself that constitute my annual lists. If it only made its debut during the year at limited-access festivals then it doesn’t qualify. As long as the film made its debut through wider theatrical releases in either South Africa, UK or USA, as well as streaming outside the confines of the festival bubble, then it qualifies. Some of these titles I was only actually able to watch on circuit in South Africa in 2025, but because they made their large-scale debuts in either the UK or the USA in 2024, they made it in time for my annual list.
Throughout 2024 and into 2025, I watched 288 films that qualify as 2024 titles. And as always, whittling that down to just 50 of my favourites was incredibly tough (I used to do a top 100 list but that’s a young man’s game). So without further ado, 50-26…
50. Yannick
Director: Quentin Dupieux
Genre: Comedy Length: 1 Hour 7 Minutes Language: French Country: France
Cast: Raphaël Quenard, Pio Marmaï, Blanche Gardin, Sébastien Chassagne
Synopsis: Bored and unsatisfied by the comedy play he is witnessing, Yannick (Raphaël Quenard) takes the theatre hostage as he demands a better production, one he will write himself.
My Take: Let’s be real, so many of us have sat with an unsatisfactory piece of entertainment and claimed we could do a better job. From a lousy movies to sports. We yell at the TV “I would’ve scored that!”. Prolific filmmaker Quentin Dupieux takes the idea of audience expectations and entitlement to the premise that is Yannick. Played brilliantly by Raphaël Quenard, Yannick, a seemingly dimwitted but ultimately tired and fed-up individual who feels he deserves better due to his circumstances. Although short at only 1 hour and 7 minutes, Yannick is hilarious, tense and unpredictable – a creatively meta-comedy that gives into the intrusive thought of creating without a real plan, providing both insightful and useless perspectives from the outsider who may or may not know what good entertainment is. As tables turn and then turn back again, only to be flipped over, we get a hilarious piece of satire that relishes in its ability to play with the expectations of its viewer as they look to satisfy their own urges, only to disappoint everyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot.
Where you can watch it: MUBI (Worldwide).
49. Bad Press
Directors: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker & Joe Peeler
Genre: Documentary Length: 1 Hour 38 Minutes Language: English Country: USA
Synopsis: Journalist Angel Ellis of Myskoke Media goes to war with her tribal government’s corruption and censorship of their press.
My Take: Bad Press follows Myskoke Media in Oklahama and the battle with their Tribal government as they look to amend their constitution (one which has only existed since 1978) in order to protect the freedom of the press. And it’s not an isolated incident, out of the 574 federally recognised tribes in America, only five have passed laws on freedom of the press. Sexual harassment, embezzlement, corruption, etc. are just some of the cases that their democratically elected leaders are caught up in, quashing any idea of freedom of the press as they dictate which stories journalists pursue, primarily positive ones far from the smoke they themselves are bellowing. For the longest time, white America has only ever portrayed Native Americans as Godless savages incapable of looking after themselves, but when these Native American journalists are denied the responsibility of making their leaders accountable for their own bad behaviour, the well-meaning desire to rewrite their image is completely lost, only making the grey area even greyer. In a world where freedom of the press is now in more danger than ever, Bad Press is vital in its plea to remain.
Where you can watch it: The Criterion Channel (USA).
48. Wicked
Director: John M. Chu
Genre/s: Musical/Fantasy/Adventure Length: 2 Hours 40 Minutes Language: English
Country: USA
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James
Synopsis: Adapted from the smash hit Broadway musical, Wicked is the origin story of The Wizard of Oz’s villain, Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.
My Take: Sitting next to my sobbing Wicked superfan girlfriend on opening night, it’s impossible to not get caught up in the magic that is Wicked. From the songs to the set pieces, it’s all so satisfying. And although it’s not the prettiest of films to look at, it leans fully into its source material – a Broadway spectacular not only driven by catchy songs, but compelling characters delivered perfectly by its players, making any visual shortcomings a minor scruple rather than a movie destroying blemish. Cynthia Erivo is simply one of the most impressive vocal performers I’ve seen in any musical ever, perfectly capturing the essence of Elphaba whilst still offering something new in her own vocal flourishes that lets her take ownership of a character that is all about otherness and the importance of such. Then there’s Ariana Grande as Glinda, the Yin to Elphaba’s Yang, a performance of impeccable comedic timing that is not only there for laughs, but to balance the scale with which Elphaba’s origin story is determined. It’s fun, it’s touching and it’s bloody wonderful. Bring on Part 2.
Where you can watch it: In theatres (Worldwide), most VOD platforms (Worldwide), 4K UHD, Bluray.
47. Kinds of Kindness
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Genre/s: Comedy/Drama Length: 2 Hours 44 Minutes Language: English
Countries: Ireland/UK/USA/Greece
Cast: Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, Hunter Schafer, Yorgos Stefanakos
Synopsis: Three thematically linked stories about love and control that follow a sex cult, an employer dictating every aspect of his employee’s life and a husband reuniting with his long lost wife who may not be who she claims to be.
My Take: The things we do for love right? To be accepted. To be valued. It’s something that makes way for opportunistic abuse - a toxic cycle that takes what it demands, only to abstain from giving any of it back. With Kinds of Kindness, a film comprised of three stories linked together by the primary theme of love, Lanthimos looks to talk about that: identifying the toxic cycles of self-hatred linked to the desperate need to be adored as characters seek the approval of their abusers. And it all stems from control, right? The power that it wields as it pretends to be acts of kindness instead of being what they really are: acts of cruelty. It’s consistently strange and darkly funny as Lanthimos repeats each routine, highlighting humanity’s need to be loved and accepted by those who see it as a means to control and exploit. With an outstanding cast relishing in the sardonic humour found in Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou’s screenplay, Kinds of Kindness is as strange and as fucked up as you’d expect from the Greek auteur while still delivering a poignant definition of conditional and unconditional love as we look to achieve it by any means necessary.
Where you can watch it: Disney+ (Worldwide), Bluray.
46. Small Things Like These
Director: Tim Mielants
Genre: Drama Length: 1 Hour 38 Minutes Language: English Countries: Ireland/Belgium/USA
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson, Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley, Claire Dunne, Zara Devlin, Mark McKenna
Synopsis: Adapted from the book of the same name by Claire Keegan, Small Things Like These follows coal merchant Bill Furlong (Cillian Murphy), who, after discovering the cruelty of his town’s convent towards the young women living and studying there, begins conversing with his past, uncovering truths that will drive him to do what is right.
**IMPORTANT NOTE Magdalene Laundries were institutions, or asylums posing as something called Penance Rehabilitation where convents would take in young women who they would consider promiscuous – “fallen women”. These “fallen women” would include sex workers, pregnant women outside of wedlock, etc. Thousands upon thousands of women filtered through this system, enduring cruelty and hard, unpaid labour on top of the church plucking their children from them and giving them away.
My Take: With bated breath, Small Things Like These feels like a living creature—an entity that longs to confront its demons but is paralyzed by fear of retribution and judgment. When Furlong discovers the existence of a Magdalene Laundry at his town’s convent, he is forced to come to terms with his own past - collecting the small acts of kindness he’s received and given, ultimately culminating in the greatest act of kindness he will need to give: the courage to act in the face of widespread silence and the ever-growing shadow of the Catholic Church in his community. The film’s dominant motif is an audio one: breath. Heavy, erratic, anxious, panicked, and finally calming. This use of sound makes the film feel so alive. And although it lacks clear and definitive answers to its questions, Small Things Like These challenges its audience, never wanting or needing to dumb it down. It’s written with such simplicity, such subtlety that it opts to simply show instead of tell. It needs someone like Cillian Murphy to elevate the film – highlighting its complex conflict at the heart of it, its moral obligations. His mastery of expression—his slight changes in speech, body language, and even his breath—imbues every moment with meaning far beyond the script. Through this, he transforms Small Things Like These into a poignant statement on religious hypocrisy and the profound impact small acts of kindness has on those around us.
Where you can watch it: Most VOD platforms (USA, UK), in theatres (AU), Bluray.
45. Better Man
Director: Michael Gracey
Genre/s: Drama/Musical Length: 2 Hours 15 Minutes Language: English
Countries: UK/USA/China/France/Australia
Cast: Robbie Williams, Jono Davies, Stevene Pemberton, Kate Mulvany, Alison Steadman, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Jake Simmance, Liam Head, Jesse Hyde, Tom Budge, Chase Vollenweider
Synopsis: The rise and fall of pop star Robbie Williams as played by a CGI monkey.
My Take: If a sweary monkey doing coke, heroin and getting a handy is on your movie bingo card, then I got good news for you: Better Man is here, without a doubt the wildest musical of 2024 that also happens to be one of the boldest movies of 2024, regardless of genre. Musicals are normally glitzy and glamorous, literal escapes into fantasy using song as a means for characters to communicate how they really feel. Here, Better Man is gritty and confrontational whilst still possessing the spectacle of a grand musical. And despite the CGI monkey that could potentially plaster itself over the warts and all of its subject, it enhances it – creating a self-deprecating portrait of Robbie Williams himself as he comes to terms with addiction, family, fame and most importantly, the crippling self-doubt that lets the monkey avatar make perfect sense. And despite its financial failure, we still need more mainstream films like this: ones that swing so hard for the fences and actually succeed in all that intends to do from a storytelling point of view. It may drag a touch towards the end, but Better Man is funny, sad, dark, weird, absolutely insane and most importantly, completely authentic. Unlike other attempts at musicals from last year who took big swings, this one connects on all accounts. Simply put, the monkey absolutely rules.
Where you can watch it: In select theatres (SA), most VOD platforms (USA, UK, AU).
44. Sugarcane
Directors: Emily Kassie & Julian Brave NoiseCat
Genre: Documentary Length: 1 Hour 47 Minutes Languages: English/Secwepemctsín/French Countries: Canada/USA
Synopsis: An investigation into the abuse and missing children that swept across Indian Catholic residential schools across Canada over the course of a hundred years. Sugarcane follows the survivors, their children and grandchildren.
My Take: Residential Indian Schools, primarily catholic, are a major stain on not only America’s bloody past with its indigenous people, but Canada as well. And although Canada is seen as the friendly neighbour, a beacon of kindness and decency to the world, its past and present with its Indigenous Peoples remains just as complicated, just as cruel as it continues to battle with the ugly truths of its past. This year, we have seen notable Canadian documentaries about its people from Red Fever (a film about Indigenous People’s representation in media) to Yintah, an inspiring but maddening look into various clan’s war against industrialists vying to steal their land once more. But Sugarcane proves to be the toughest watch, dealing with harrowing stories of sexual abuse and murder at the hands of those who claim to be righteous – cleansers of the land who view them as nothing but barbarians needing to be purified. Sugarcane doesn’t offer much investigative journalism in its filmmaking, but what it does offer is raw, emotive life. It’s a film that feels ghostlike, a specter in desperate need of peace as it looks to confront the demons that placed them there in the first place, from the unwanted children of rape committed by priests to those who survived their harrowing years suffered at schools as well as being chastised and outcast by their own community. It’s so important that we break these traumatic, generational cycles and with Sugarcane, it looks to listen and embrace its subjects, reminding them that they need not suffer in silence ever again.
Where you can watch it: Disney+ (USA, UK, AU).
43. Dahomey
Director: Mati Diop
Genre: Documentary Length: 1 Hour 8 Minutes Languages: French/Fon/English
Countries: Senegal/Benin/France/Singapore
Synopsis: 26 royal treasures and artifacts from the kingdom of Dahomey are being returned from France to what is now present-day Benin, sparking conversation amongst its citizens on where this will take them going forward.
My Take: Mati Diop’s second feature-length after 2019’s phenomenal ghost romance Atlantics, has her shifting focus from her native Senegal to that of Benin, particularly the contents of what was once a part of the Kingdom of Dahomey. And although a documentary instead of a narrative, Diop’s vision is still supernatural, making the 26 treasures returning to Benin characters in themselves where one voice in particular represents their journey. #26 speaks to us in an otherworldly voice, one in its native Fon tongue as it tries to make sense of its 130-odd year experience in captivity and what it now means to come back home. Just what am I returning to? How will they receive me and what is to become of me? It’s an intriguing setup that allows Dahomey to feel so unique, putting an interesting, subjective spin in a medium intended to be more objective than anything. We follow 26 from Paris back to Benin, it’s a journey that is initially met with celebration until an ellipsis halts it all. Diop then takes it to the people, letting us become a fly on the wall as we witness a forum discussing what the return of these artifacts means for the country going forward as they look to make sense of who they are, where they came from and what they will become. Dahomey confronts the lingering scars of colonialism and how it still continues to imprison those living in its legacy. These aren’t just lifeless objects, but an important representation of a once powerful nation - a people whose culture was robbed from them hundreds of years ago, depriving them of the pride and identity that they’re entitled to. It’s smart filmmaking veiled by a sad longing to reclaim its past, yet invigorated by a future that is owed to them.
Where you can watch it: MUBI (USA, UK), most VOD platforms (USA, UK).
42. Witches
Director: Elizabeth Sankey
Genre: Documentary Length: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Language: English Country: UK
Synopsis: Director Elizabeth Sankey draws parallels between witches in history and her own experiences with womanhood, motherhood and mental illness.
My Take: Ever since she was a little girl, director Elizabeth Sankey always wanted to be a witch cue Goodfellas-esque freeze frame and music. But little did she know, she would eventually form her own real-life coven, one in a mental facility with women who, like her, are experiencing dark and disturbing thoughts as new mothers. From feeling regret to guilt to suddenly wanting to harm their children, these women are experiencing a phenomenon that happens more often than we’d care to admit: post-partum depression. And in some extreme cases, post-partum psychosis, leading these women down paths that for them, the only escape is death. It’s estimated that hundreds of thousands of women were executed between the 15th and 18th centuries for witchcraft. Pulling real testimonies and confessions, we discover that almost every instance is a sign of depression, of post-partum depression and in some cases of describing hallucinations, post-partum psychosis. But also, these cases stem from women gaining power where men feel threatened. They’re all linked. It’s a fascinating documentary that explores the very idea of what it means to be a woman, especially in a man’s world where gender bias most certainly dictates the diagnosis of such an often-ignored phenomenon. Starkey does a great job in identifying and understanding this dark period of time in her life, and along with fellow survivors, reminds us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. This is her testimony. Her confession. She’s a witch. And in a world where women’s rights appear to be sprinting backward once more, being a good witch might not cut it anymore.
Where you can watch it: MUBI (Worldwide).
41. Tatami
Directors: Zar Amir Ebrahimi & Guy Nattiv
Genre/s: Drama/Thriller/Sport Length: 1 Hour 45 Minutes Languages: Farsi/English
Countries: Georgia/UK
Cast: Arienne Mandi, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Jaime Ray Newman, Nadine Marshall, Lirr Katz
Synopsis: Representing Iran at the world Judo championship, judoka Leila (Arienne Mandi) and her coach (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) find their potential glory halted when forced to reckon with an ultimatum placed down by their government.
My Take: Politics has almost always dictated sports. Either as a tool to unite or a weapon to divide nations. Just look at what the US and Soviet Union were doing in the cold war. When they weren’t fighting each other via proxy wars, they’d be in direct competition with one another at the Olympics, desperately trying to prove who has the stronger citizens. In Tatami, politics is the main antagonist, forcing the in-form judoka Leila to pull out of a tournament as she may potentially face Israel in the final. Iran has consistently tried to play the moral high ground against Israel. And although I do not side at all with most of what Israel has come to represent in the Middle East, especially with Zionism, Iran does not have a leg to stand on, doubling down on their cruelty towards its citizens, particularly women as the men in charge continue to be threatened by the independent, strong and educated (see The Seed of the Sacred Fig in this list). Here, that battle is in full flow, making use of claustrophobic framing and breathless pacing that lets us feel the oppressive grip tightening around our throats. And although sport can be used as a political weapon, it can also very easily be used as a means to fight back, to protest, to resist and most importantly, to unite. It’s a powerful thing. And thankfully Tatami doesn’t ever feel cheesy or heavy-handed in its intention: a metaphor for the daily courage of those caught in this exhausting struggle – one maneuver at a time as it edges closer to victory.
Where you can watch it: Most VOD Platforms (France).
40. The Boy and the Heron
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Genre/s: Animation/Fantasy/Adventure/Drama Length: 2 Hours 4 Minutes Language: Japanese Country: Japan
Cast: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Takuya Kimura, Shōhei Hino
Synopsis: After losing his mother to the war, 12-year-old Mohito struggles to fit into his new environment in a small rural town. But once his new stepmother disappears, Mohito finds himself traveling with a talking heron to a strange world inhabited by both the living and the dead, searching for his stepmother while also confronting his own destiny.
My Take: It’s virtually impossible to decipher what The Boy and the Heron means upon first viewing. It’s both imaginative and incredibly frustrating – a film that has both the best and worst aspects of Miyazaki’s storytelling, from layered metaphors to seemingly lazy solutions to lingering, almost unsolvable plot points. But it’s what also makes it his densest work. One that reveals layer upon layer with each rewatch, slowly massaging out those squabbles I once had with it. Of the Studio Ghibli stalwart, he is arguably the hardest to figure out and with The Boy and the Heron, it is both his most complex and personal film to date as it merges aspects of his personal life from youth to adulthood and eventually to where he is now, coming to terms with his twilight years.
I’d be lying if I fully understood it when I first watched it. But with the power of good art, it forces you to return, searching for new answers in its intricate design. And that’s what Miyazaki does so well here. He refuses to provide finite answers, forcing the audience to work for it as they debate with one another and themselves about what it could all mean. Death, grief, self-doubt, acceptance, and living up to the impossible expectations inherited by you. These are just some of the big themes Miyazaki deals with here, mirroring aspects of his late years as those closest to him begin to pass away, eventually making him the sole proprietor of the legendary studio. It’s deeply personal and reflective of its author. I love cinema like that, taking us back to the very essence of what true, personal storytelling should do: providing insight into its creator, but most importantly, open doorways to our own joys and turmoils as we try our best to understand who we were, are and most importantly, who we can become once we take control of our own fate.
Where you can watch it: Netflix (SA, UK, AU), MAX (USA), 4K UHD, Bluray.
39. Love Lies Bleeding
Director: Rose Glass
Genre/s: Thriller/Romance/LGBTQIA+ Length: 1 Hour 44 Minutes Language: English
Countries: UK/USA
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Ed Harris, Dave Franco, Jenna Malone, Anna Baryshnikov
Synopsis: Stuck in a dead-end job at a local gym, Lou (Kristen Stewart) falls for ambitious bodybuilder Jackie(Katy M. O’Brian). But soon their relationship is in danger when Jackie gets involved with Lou’s violent family business.
My Take: When someone wows on their debut like Rose Glass did with Saint Maud, a religious horror about trauma, guilt and the obsessive search for spiritual redemption, you wonder what their sophomore work will be. Will it be another horror? Much like the three current darlings of the genre in Jordan Peele, Robert Eggers and Ari Aster, you’d expect her to stay on this path, at least for one more movie. But here, she opts for a romantic thriller. A super gay, holy marriage of Bound and Thelma & Louise…sort of like True Romance but for lesbians. And it absolutely shreds. What is always interesting with director’s follow-ups, is that you get to see just what themes they’re most attracted to – what effectively makes them tick as artists looking to scratch the human psyche. Here, we see a lot of the same themes from Saint Maud peering through, from addiction to obsession to guilt to trauma and even dabbling in body horror as characters undergo extreme changes in their physicality, reflecting the demons surging within them - looking to embrace or purge them entirely. It’s a gloriously dirty, bloody, sexy, sleazy, grimy 80s grindhouse picture, but what it really is, is a sweet tale about unconditional love, and what its star-crossed lovers are willing to do to achieve just that.
Where you can watch it: MAX (USA), Prime Video (UK, AU), most VOD platforms (USA, UK, AU), 4K UHD, Bluray.
38. Civil War
Director: Alex Garland
Genre/s: Thriller/Action Length: 1 Hour 49 Minutes Language: English Countries: USA/UK
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jesse Plemons, Sonoya Mizuno,Jefferson White, Nick Offerman
Synopsis: Civil war is ravaging America. But as it begins to hurdle towards its conclusion, journalists (Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson) and an ambitious young photographer (Cailee Spaeny), race to Washington DC in the hopes of catching an interview with the president (Nick Offerman) before the coalition forces get to him.
My Take: Right now it appears as though we are witnessing the downfall of America. When Civil War came out, there were so many people saying that this scenario was too far-fetched to ever happen. But after Trump’s election win and the chaos that has ensued since then, Civil War is looking more and more like a documentary of the future. Especially when you take into account that Project 2025 wants to dismantle the FBI as well as them floating the idea that Trump can run for a third term (literally two of the points mentioned in Civil War that have landed them in a state of war). Although Civil War lacks big loud context like we have in the real world, Alex Garland crafts a tight thriller about journalistic integrity - a road trip racing against the clock as it all comes into focus, only to get blurry once again. The lines remain unclear, and we see that throughout, never quite fully knowing who the bad guys are until it’s too damn late. Although it may not be as nuanced as great journalist warzone movies like Salvador and The Killing Fields, it remains an incredibly entertaining, unsettling and important reminder of journalistic integrity. And as the US government and other populist leaders around the world look to make news media the enemy, it remains more important than ever.
Where you can watch it: Showmax (SA), MAX (USA), Prime Video (UK, AU), most VOD platforms (Worldwide), 4K UHD, Bluray.
37. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Director: George Miller
Genre/s: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Thriller Length: 2 Hours 28 Minutes Language: English Countries: Australia/USA
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, George Shevtsov, Lachy Hulme, Angus Sampson, Charlee Fraser
Synopsis: The origin story of Furiosa, the beating heart of Mad Max: Fury Road (as originally played by Charlize Theron). After being abducted from the green paradise that is her home, Furiosa must fit in to survive, biding her time before she can make a break for it and return home.
My Take: Although not as compact and hyperactive as the batshit insanity of Fury Road, Furiosa benefits from its slower pacing that allows George Miller to expand on his world of story and characters while still keeping the feminist reckoning of Fury Road intact. Anya Talyor-Joy shows she can do pretty much anything at this point, a badass who says so much by showing rather than telling, while Chris Hemsworth is on the other end of the spectrum: fully leaning into the unpredictable insanity of his character that is both hilarious and genuinely terrifying. Fury Road may be more relentless in its action, but Furiosa is far more bloody and brutal. And while Fury Road is a breathless chase movie in search of redemption, Furiosa is a ruthless tale of vengeance akin to that of a Western. One that can pause to take a breather before jumping back into the mad world ready to devour without mercy. It’s a crying shame that this didn’t receive the box office love it so deserved - denying us more films of unrelenting carnage, but most importantly, strong heroes in a world in desperate need of them, reminding us that amidst all the chaos that continues to take us one step closer to complete annihilation, anyone of us is capable of being that hero - ready to reclaim the future before it fades into the sunset.
Where you can watch it: MAX (USA), Netflix (USA, AU), Prime Video (UK, AU), most VOD platforms (Worldwide), 4K UHD, Bluray.
36. My Old Ass
Director: Megan Park
Genre/s: Comedy/Drama/Romance Length: 1 Hour 29 Minutes Languages: English
Countries: Canada/UK/USA
Cast: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Percy Hynes White, Maria Dizzia, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks
Synopsis: Elliot (Maisy Stella) cannot wait to escape from her family farm to study in the city. But after taking shrooms on her 18th birthday, Elliot meets her older self (Aubrey Plaza), providing sound advice as well as stern warnings for her future, particularly that of Chad (Percy Hynes White), a young man who has just started working for her father.
My Take: If you could talk to your older self and get a sense of what is to come, what to do right and what to avoid, would you? Would you also warn your younger self of the road ahead, what job to take, what school to attend and who to stay far away from? That’s the premise of My Old Ass - a case of wish fulfillment for its protagonist’s future self as she hopes to steer the ship towards potentially sunnier shores. It’s a film that could’ve been overpowered by its premise, but what it turns into is a very sweet coming-of-age story that isn’t about changing your future, but taking charge of it - embracing the potential heartbreak that’ll define you for better or for worse. At the end of the day, it’s 18-year-old Elliot’s story, one that dictates the path she will ultimately choose, regardless of the blaring warning signs from the future. Funnily enough, it works as a far lighter, less gross companion piece to 2024’s The Substance (hear me out), a film about older and younger selves coming into contact with each other that ultimately is about being kinder to yourself, embracing the present moment rather than latching onto what you used to be or what you will become. Although the film tends to abandon the whole “I can speak to my future self” (through text even) idea in large gaps of the film, it ends up working the better for it, focusing on what matters most for its story and its characters: Not the future. Not the past. But the now.
Where you can watch it: Prime Video (worldwide).
35. Our Body
Director: Claire Simon
Genre: Documentary Length: 2 Hours 48 Minutes Languages: French/English/Spanish
Country: France
Synopsis: Filmmaker Claire Simon observes the patients of a gynecology ward in Paris.
My Take: Equipped with an all-female crew, Claire Simon’s fly-on-the-wall documentary simply sits and observes. It never needs to contextualize much, offering us what is essentially sit-ins on appointments as we encounter women of all shapes and sizes, young and old as well as both cis and transgender patients. It’s a lengthy but completely absorbing piece of empathetic filmmaking that showcases just how effective the medium can be as we look to understand the world around us, placing us in the shoes of others so that we may better understand them. But Claire Simon is wise not to overcrowd Our Body with information bombs. By offering a highly intimate, minimalist, observant and unobstructed viewpoint, Our Body is able to showcase just how much women have in common with one another, as well as some of the stark differences that make each one of them unique in their own health battles and triumphs. And although I am a cisgender male, Our Body remains just as effective, reminding me of the important shared bond between all women whose hopes, concerns and fears are linked. And while men in power are so eager to make decisions for all women, the title of the film aptly reminds us that it’s their body and theirs alone.
Where you can watch it: The Criterion Channel (USA), MUBI (UK, AU), most VOD platforms (USA, UK, AU).
34. Smile 2
Director: Parker Finn
Genre/s: Horror/Thriller Length: 2 Hours 12 Minutes Language: English Country: USA/Canada
Cast: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Miles Guiterrez-Riley, Lukas Gage, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo, Kyle Gallner, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson
Synopsis: Pop superstar Skye Reilly (Naomi Scott) is about to embark on her big comeback tour. But after witnessing a grisly death, strange things begin to happen as her grip on reality begins to slip.
My Take: Smile 2 may be messier and not as tight as the original, but I found it to be a more interesting character study – one that enriches and ties its visual motif of a sinister smile even closer to its central themes. Although trauma is still a major theme here, writer/director Parker Finn primes his focus on fame and the fallout of it – the double standards it incurs on whoever is both lucky and unlucky enough to possess it; highlighting Isolation, addiction and depression just to name a few. And do you know what? Famous people just have to smile through it. Pretend that it’s all OK when it most certainly isn’t. Because after all, that’s what they signed up for, right? So it’s a perfect setting for the next entry of the Smile universe, one whose visually simple although overused aesthetic in horror, can benefit from the many different things one could interpret a smile as. Naomi Scott is the driving force behind it all, and thanks to great writing and directing, Parker Finn doesn’t need to rely too heavily on jump scares to drive his points home, but let Naomi Scott inhabit and react to the atmosphere he has created. It’s one of the greatest performances of 2024 for me – a relentless, exhausting marathon of Skye Reily’s deepest insecurities and fears as the curse latches onto her psyche, flicking the switches that’ll drive her to lose her mind. If the quality of writing, performances and direction is going to be at this level every time, I welcome Parker Finn’s vision for the future of the series, showing us what really goes on behind a smile ready to convince you that everything is ok before it destroys you.
Where you can watch it: Paramount+ (USA), Prime Video (UK, AU), most VOD platforms (SA), 4K UHD, Bluray.
33. The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
Genre/s: Drama/Thriller Length: 2 hours 47 Minutes Language: Farsi
Countries: Germany/France/Iran
Cast: Soheila Golestani, Missagh Zareh, Setareh Maleki, Mahsa Rostami
Synopsis: As protests and civil unrest rock Iran, Judge Imam (Missagh Zareh) begins to suspect his wife (Soheila Golestani) and daughters (Setareh Maleki & Mahsa Rostami) of stealing his gun which has gone missing.
My Take: The Iranian government is at war with its people, particularly women. Taking place around the 2022/2023 protests in Iran after a woman died in police custody, Iranian women bravely stepped forward to challenge the monster that is the Iranian government, but unfortunately, the regime doubled down on its cruelty – further inflicting more pain on its citizens with mass arrests and violent retaliations, many of whom have never been seen or heard from since. So making any film in Iran with this government in charge is incredibly brave for everyone involved. And throughout the film, we feel that sense of danger. Director Rasoulof often cuts to real cell phone footage of witnesses and protestors taking a stand as we see the brutality of the police cracking down on them. This visual device fuels the anger throughout Seed, cleverly contextualizing its central plot of family and how perceived good intentions are sour at its core. Its characters, particularly that of the father and the mother, are among the most well-realised and developed characters you will see from 2024 – both tragic figures so desperate to keep their family together in a time of crisis but are locked firmly in place thanks to the system that has unfortunately imprisoned the mother and propelled the father, while the daughters seek to set fire to the system so that they may all be free from it. It’s a cautionary tale, a call to action, really. A taut thriller serving as a moral tale that, at its core, is about family – one that implores us to break down the machine before it blows us apart for good.
Where you can watch it: Most VOD platforms (USA), in theatres (UK, AU).
32. Hit Man
Director: Richard Linklater
Genre/s: Comedy/Romance Length: 1 Hour 55 Minutes Language: English Country: USA
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao, Molly Bernard
Synopsis: College professor Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) doubles as an undercover hitman for his local police department. But things get complicated when he starts to fall for a woman looking to hire him for his services.
My Take: Based on the real-life, super chilled undercover hitman Gary Johnson that is (mostly) true, Richard Linklater’s rom-com with the cadence of a thriller is among the funnest and most satisfying films of the year - one that cemented my undying devotion for both Glen Powell and Adria Arjona as they light the screen on fire with unmatched chemistry. Reuniting with his fellow Austin city native in Richard Linklater (after the criminally overlooked hangout sports comedy Everybody Wants Some!!), Glen Powell leads the charge as Gary Johnson, a man who finds enjoyment in creating and playing the role of different people as he catches the bad guys. But once he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), he buries himself deeper into the role of a confident, gentlemanly hitman who is very much who he always was, just never realised it. Think Clark Kent and Superman. But before it takes you in one direction, Linklater sends our lovers on a sharp left turn that makes Hit Man so unpredictable but most importantly, so damn entertaining. Although the premise is built upon the idea of deception and roleplaying, Hit Man is about self-discovery and reinventing yourself as you look to figure out who you have always wanted to be but too afraid to pursue. It’s one of Linklater’s best - a smart, sexy and fun-as-hell screwball comedy that further proves Glen Powell’s arrival as a star.
Where you can watch it: Netflix (Worldwide), Bluray (Canada, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia).
31. Conclave
Director: Edward Berger
Genre/s: Thriller/Drama Length: 2 Hours Languages: English/Italian/Spanish/Latin
Countries: UK/USA
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Isabella Rossellini, Sergio Castellitto, Carlos Diehz, Brían F. O'Byrne
Synopsis: After the death of the pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with leading the process of selecting a new pope. But when all the Catholic Church’s key figures from around the world descend on The Vatican; secrets, schemes and conspiracies threaten not only the event but Cardinal Lawrence’s entire faith.
My Take: There’s an outstanding speech Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) gives to the clergy before voting takes place to select a new pope. In this speech, he talks about how the church is built on, or at least centered around, faith. But in order for a living thing like faith to exist, doubt needs to as well. It’s a powerful sentiment that effectively sets up Cardinal Lawrence’s journey with his own faith as secrets and lies come to the surface - a political battleground, one seemingly devoid of faith as leaders scramble to gain votes and become a pope that’ll either unite or dismantle its congregation. It’s a political thriller more than anything, one taking place entirely within the walls of the Vatican as men of faith fight for personal gain rather than spiritual. Its finale is one of the most talked about endings of 2024, one that nails the assignment regardless of whether you love or hate it. It forces you to do the same as Cardinal Lawrence, confronting everything he thought he knew about his church, his faith - a huge decision to make, one that could shake the foundations of the church and most importantly, his faith. It’s powerful and like all good art, creates discussion. It’s impeccably shot, written and performed, with Ralph Fiennes proving once more why he is one of the best talents of his generation.
Where you can watch it: In theatres (SA), Peacock (USA), most VOD platforms (USA, UK, AU), 4K UHD, Bluray.
30. Inside Out 2
Director: Kelsey Mann
Genre/s: Animation/Comedy/Adventure Length: 1 Hour 36 Minutes Language: English
Country: USA
Cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Phyllis Smith, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Liza Lapira, Kensington Tallman
Synopsis: Riley, along with familiar and new feelings, finds herself having to navigate puberty while at an Ice Hockey boot camp.
My Take: Nine years after the wonderful Inside Out, we finally get the sequel we have been waiting for: Puberty. Oof. What a terrible phase of our lives, right? It either blessed you or made life a living hell. Count me in the latter. Thankfully, my adult years allowed me to grow into my nose, but unfortunately, the crippling anxiety and depression stuck around. Yay. And although the first Inside Out may be a better film overall, Inside Out 2 spoke to me on a deeper level. Introducing new feelings Envy, Ennui (the boredom), Embarrassment and Anxiety, these new feelings essentially make up the teenage experience. But as mentioned before, we lean hard into some of these deep into our adult years. For me, it’s anxiety, which, appropriately, is the film’s antagonist. What made Inside Out so revolutionary in the field of learning, is that teachers began using it to help kids understand their feelings and how each one is different but how they can also work with one another. Inside Out 2 does the same thing here, working with more complex feelings that’ll define people well into their adult years. I found myself unable to keep my emotions under control in the film’s climatic finale, a terrifyingly personal vision of what is always happening in my own head as my other feelings wrestle anxiety away from the control board before it ends me for good. But it’s films like this that help us confront those feelings, to help us understand what we need to do in order to get better. To learn to live with it, not letting it destroy us completely.
Where you can watch it: Disney+ (Worldwide), most VOD platforms (Worldwide), 4K UHD, Bluray.
29. Exhibiting Forgiveness
Director: Titus Kaphar
Genre: Drama Length: 1 Hour 57 Minutes Language: English Country: USA
Cast: André Holland, John Earl Jelks, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Andra Day, Ian Foreman, Jaime Ray Newman
Synopsis: An artist’s rising stardom is put on hold when he is forced to confront the demons of his past when his estranged father attempts to reconnect with him.
My Take: Art has the amazing ability to both heal and wound its creator. Exhibiting Forgiveness is a hidden gem where, for Tarrell (André Holland), forgiving and forgetting are not mutually exclusive—and the act of either is harder said than done. As he helps his mother (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) pack for her move upstate with him and his family, his estranged drug-addict father (John Earl Jelks) arrives at their doorstep. Appearing clean and seemingly changed for the better, he hopes to repair their broken relationship. While generational trauma and family reconciliation aren’t entirely new in film, they feel incredibly sincere here, never offering easy solutions or journeys for its characters or story. Gorgeously written, performed, shot, and scored, it’s a fine showcase of how art is crucial in confronting our past, present, and future—not just for its creators, but for whoever consumes it. Whether we choose to hold onto that pain or finally heal from it is up to us. “You took the past, but the future, that’s mine.”
Where you can watch it: Most VOD platforms (USA), Hulu (USA, 18/03/25).
28. The Settlers
Director: Felipe Gálvez Haberle
Genre/s: Western/Drama Length: 1 Hour 37 Minutes Languages: Spanish/English
Countries: Chile/Argentina/UK
Cast: Camilo Arancibia, Benjamin Westfall, Mark Stanley, Alfredo Castro, Mishell Guaña, Sam Spruell
Synopsis: Set in Chile, 1901, a wealthy landowner hires three horsemen in the form of a British lieutenant (Mark Stanley), an American mercenary (Benjamin Westfall) and half-Indegenous rider Segundo (Camilo Arancibia) to secure land for him. But Segundo soon realises that this expedition comes at the cost of exterminating any and all Indigenous peoples they come across.
My Take: South America’s history is a bloody one. And with this revisionist Western from Felipe Gálvez Haberle, we see the blood and horror that formed a part of it. Following Segundo is important in this story, a man at odds with his own identity, his cultural and racial heritage battling with his conscience as his white masters make light work of the horrors they commit. It’s an increasingly disturbing film to endure. Felipe Gálvez Haberle is careful in how much he shows, never sinking into depraved bloodletting for shock value. There are shocking moments, but he implies most of it, leaving a particularly gruesome and life-altering section out on purpose as its victors choose how the story lives on through word of mouth. In the film’s sobering final third, Haberle explores the idea of reconciliation within a country desperately wanting to shed its bloody past, to embrace its true originators as it looks for forgiveness for the sins of their forefathers, of the men who saw indigenous life as nothing other than an expendable currency, a nuisance. It’s a haunting film whose finale only reminds us of the horrors still to come as its bloody dictatorship waits for them all in the future, once again preying on its people as it looks to retain power by silencing those it deems a threat. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, but The Settlers is important, combative storytelling from a fresh new Chilean voice.
Where you can watch it: MUBI (USA, UK), SBS on Demand (AU), most VOD platforms (USA, UK), Bluray.
27. Black Box Diaries
Director: Shiori Itô
Genre: Documentary Length: 1 Hour 39 Minutes Languages: Japanese/English
Countries: Japan/UK/USA
Synopsis: Journalist Shiori Itô investigates and documents her journey to confront and seek persecution against a high-profile individual who sexually assaulted her.
My Take: An eye-opening account of how sexual assault is dealt with and perceived in Japan, Black Box Diaries is among the most personal and important films of the year. Shiori Itô directs this documentary about her experience, providing the important through-line of the subject’s experience at the eye of the storm. Both persecuted and supported by colleagues and strangers alike, it shows us both how different and similar such experiences are for women in other parts of the world, but what differentiates Black Box Diaries is just how vulnerable it always is and chooses to be. Itô refuses to put up a shield that obscures and hides the pain, fear and uncertainty she faces, and what we get is some of 2024’s most viscerally charged, truthful moments captured on screen – from panic attacks to tearful gratitude towards the kindness of strangers needing to do what is right so that she may obtain justice and most importantly, closure, for her own healing. It’s vital, furious filmmaking that looks to confront and make sense of its author’s trauma, however painful it may be.
Where you can watch it: Paramount+ (USA), BBC iPlayer (UK), DocPlay (AU), most VOD platforms (USA, UK).
26. Perfect Days
Director: Wim Wenders
Genre: Drama Length: 2 Hours 4 Minutes Language: Japanese Countries: Japan/Germany
Cast: Kōji Yakusho, Tokio Emoto, Aoi Yamada, Arisa Nakano, Min Tanaka
Synopsis: Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho) balances his peaceful life of cleaning public toilets in Tokyo with his passions of photography, literature and music.
My Take: I love slice-of-life movies. They don’t necessarily have a real storyline per se, instead, they just go with the flow really – moving from one moment to the next as we get to see people be people in their environments. The first half of Perfect Days is really all about routine and although repetitive, is not as mundane as you’d think. Instead, director and co-writer Wim Wenders reminds us of the simple pleasures that come with a routine, one that balances the responsibilities of work with those little moments and activities that add joy to your life. Hirayama’s (Kōji Yakusho in an extraordinarily nuanced performance that won him best actor at Cannes) routine outside of cleaning public toilets around Tokyo has him taking photos of the light passing through the trees (“Is that tree your friend?”), looking after his house plants, reading and listening to his treasured cassette tapes, and greeting each day with a warm smile. Life really can be lovely when we find that sweet spot. But Hirayama really starts to reveal himself in the second half of the film as the mystery unfurls – from connecting with his runaway niece to tough discussions about his aging father with his sister, to a game of shadow tag with a stranger from a bar. These interactions pull back the facade of complete and utter happiness and add context to the man, suggesting that neither he or this life can ever be completely perfect. It’s those little hobbies and snapshot moments that give Perfect Days its charm, but it’s those interactions with both strangers and those close (and distant) to him that give Perfect Days its humanity. And like previous entry Inside Out 2, one thing can’t exist without the other. And in most cases, their co-existence with one another enriches the highs and lows we need to be truly happy or in some cases, sad. It’s heartbreaking but even more so, completely joyful. A wholesome, warm hug of a movie that reminds us to savour each moment, each individual as we hold on for one more day.
Where you can watch it: Hulu (USA), MUBI (UK), most VOD platforms (USA, UK, AU), 4K UHD and Bluray.
Stay tuned for part two (25-1).
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