Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2024

Each year, people in the movie punditry world say, “There were no good movies this year!” And every year I laugh uncontrollably.

Movies are art and art is subjective. So, the thought that there were ‘no good movies’ makes no sense to me.

This year between going to the theater, Netflix, and the other streaming platforms, we saw over 45 movies. That’s a lot more than most, but not as many as some.

So, I thought I’d make a list of my favorite movies of 2024. Not the best made, or acted, just my favorites. I have two major criteria for a movie to be on this list.

One: Did I have fun watching this movie?

Two: Rewatchability!

Also, this is my personal ranking and I don’t speak for anyone else at The Geekiary. I’m sure they all have their own favs.

Let’s get started.

First, my honorable mentions are, Fly Me To The Moon, Red One, Monkey Man, Carry On, and Argylle.

Photo courtesy of Variety

#10 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

You can’t tell me those monkeys aren’t real! I have enjoyed the modern take of Planet of the Apes and this installment is another great entry. Telling a story so far into the future where the teachings of Cesear are used to empower some and enslave others was an amazing story to tell. I’m ready for more in this world.

#9 Godzilla X Kong: A New Empire

Giant monster beating the poo out of each other? Yes, please! There is a nice, if not simple story in here about finding your place on this planet but we aren’t here for that. We’re here to see Godzilla and King Kong fight side by side, with little care of the human cost. And I know I wasn’t the only one who cheered when mini Kong jumped into the fight. By the way, watch Monarch on Apple+. It’s set in this world and is great.

#8 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

If they aren’t going to let Henry Cavil be James Bond, they at least got him in a story, roughly, about the muse for Ian Fleming. The story is set in WWII when the English decided they needed to stop fighting nicely. Letting Henry, Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding, Eiza Gonzalez, and the rest of the cast do some of the most dangerous and unspeakable things, in the name of the good side, all while laughing their way through it all… Chef’s kiss. And Alan Ritchson with that accent and those glasses makes me laugh every time!

#7 Gladiator 2

Did we need another Gladiator movie? I didn’t think so. But sometimes you just need to let go of your preconceived ideas and let the story come to you. Yes, this sequel hit on some of the same beats as the first. But spoilers, soldiers becoming slaves, and fighting for their lives in arenas around the Roman Empire happened. It was bloody, yes, but also as emotional and uplifting as the first. Denzel Washington is the best villain of the year! I won’t be taking any questions.

#6 Furiosa

Again, I didn’t want more stories about a great character like Furiosa. Telling her origin story does help flesh out more of Fury Road. George Miller wrote the script for Furiosa before Fury Road, and everyone in Fury Road read it before they filmed. It has added so much depth to Furiosa, that I want more of her story after returning to The New Green Place. OK, I lied. Chris Hemsworth’s Dementus is the second greatest villain we got this year. Chris is amazing in this film and shows that he is more than the God of Thunder.

#5 A Quiet Place: Day One

Science fiction is one of my favorite genres of storytelling and I love a good alien invasion story. Going back to tell us about the first day the aliens landed on Earth was emotionally stressful to watch, in a good way. They didn’t waste time having the characters learn what the audience already knew. Instead, they showed the best of humanity coming together in a crisis. Lupita Nyong’o gives us a powerhouse performance. Joseph Quinn took the next step into superstardom. He was so amazing, Marvel came a calling. And, I’m not a cat person but Frodo was the real star of the film.

#4 The Fall Guy

If we can’t get stunt performers an Oscar category, The Fall Guy will have to do. The rom-com story wrapped around all the practical stunts is what makes this movie a step above almost everything I saw this year. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt gave some great performances and chemistry was off the charts. Being someone who loves the movie-making process, the use of Oners makes me super happy. It was one of the best theater experiences we had all year. Hannah Waddingham with her giant dark hair and her Diet Coke with a straw again, makes me giggle every time I see it.

#3 Dune Part 2

Denis Villeneuve has dreamed of doing Dune since he first read the book as a teenager. So, he made sure to bring his A-game. Telling the Dune story is a lot and breaking it up into two movies was a bold choice. He nailed the landing with Part 2. Emotional, visually the best-looking film all year, and the score is amazing. This level of filmmaking is inspiring. Timothee Chalamet’s performance had a weight and power you couldn’t ignore. He continues to prove he is one of the best young actors living today. Give us Messiah!

#2 Twisters

When I tell you my wife and I have an unhealthy obsession with storm chasing, would you think less of us? The original Twister is a holy film in our home. (Our daughter loved the original.) So, we were super hesitant when they were going back into this world. It was the sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat movie we were hoping for. The CGI looked great. The music was on point. Daisy Edgar-Jones felt like the daughter of Helen Hunt and Bill Paxson, and that may have been the direction they wanted to go, but it made the movie better that she was her own person.

Glen Powell! That’s the post! He is a movie star. He is good-looking, an amazingly nice person, funny, and he showed a level of depth in this fun chase movie that makes you want to watch all his other films. And, the IMAX experience was worth every penny!

#1 Deadpool and Wolverine

When I was the age where I should have been reading comic books, I was at the baseball card shop. I never had friends that were into comics at that age. So, I never got exposed to X-Men stories. It was later in life when I first saw the Fox X-Men movie that I fell in love with comic book characters and their stories.

Deadpool and Wolverine, piloted by Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy, took a loving if not sarcastic, final journey with the characters that made it possible for modern comic book stories to happen. Hugh Jackman gave us a performance to remember. He is the pillar that Deadpool needs to keep him centered. I’m not kidding when I say that I believe Hugh should get an Oscar nomination for what he did in this foul-mouthed, road trip movie. Do I need another movie with these two? No! Do I want Ryan and Hugh to play these characters until they are 90? Yes, please!

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We didn’t see every movie in 2024, so your list might be different.

Tell us in the comments below what movies were on your Top 10 Favorites of 2024.

Author: Sean Miley

I’d rather find the things that I like about a story, movie, or tv show, than lead with negativity. I love Star Wars, Doctor Who, MCU, comic book and conventions.

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