Looking back at a beautiful and varied year in film. 

In the years since the pandemic, the phrase “the movies are back” became popular in the media, suggesting that one of the greatest artforms had somehow receded, and then reemerged. Some forget that Tenet (2020) arrived during the first summer of the pandemic. The heath-blown dream of The Green Knight arrived in 2021, and Summer of Soul lit up our eyes and ears. Top Gun: Maverick joined the fine tradition of the blockbuster in 2022, Nope bent our minds, and 20 Days in Mariupol devastated us in the same year. Then, Barbie, Oppenheimer and John Wick 4 blazed across 2023, while American Symphony blended the making of music with the fight for life. 

The movies never went anywhere. The writer’s strike didn’t lead to a cinema desert. Hollywood is not broken. While it may be extremely difficult for films to get made, and even harder for them to be distributed, it’s never been easy. The Great Depression, the Hays Code, World War II, McCarthyism, the great studio system shift, the seismic emergence of a “new” Hollywood, the corporatization of the industry, 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, the takeover of streaming, the pandemic, and now the polycrisis environment in which we all live – during every one of these events, exceptional movies were made. Films that both chronicled these disasters and metamorphoses

About timing, the increasingly force-reckoning director Ava Dunervay has said, "Don't wait for permission to do something creative.” About genre, the singular director Sean Baker thought he’d make action movies but instead found himself “falling in love with personal cinema.” About thinking ahead, legendary DP Roger Deakins said “things usually work out better than you plan.” These ideas speak to the unknowability of the future, the absence of a roadmap for the creation of art, and the always available but easily forgettable truth that all is not lost – despite how we might feel about the times in which we live or the languishing state in which we may find our dreams. 

Film is history; they mark us where we find them, and serve as postcards from the past. Here are a few films and moments that stand out from the past year. They carry with them the reminder that great is being created everyday, and the promise of even more wonderful stories to come.

“Look at this piece of man candy.”

Gentlest and most nuanced performance by an actor: Sebastian Stan in A Different Man 

In this unusual fable, Stan plays an actor living with neurofibromatosis, which causes tumors to grow on nerves and can result in facial deformities. He agrees to a radical medical treatment that restores his face, and then meets another man with that same condition. When the film came out, many were quick to praise the performance of Adam Pearson, the other male lead, and an actor actually living with neurofibromatosis (last memorably seen in Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin from 2013). But it is Stan who truly shines, having shed his bulk from playing Bucky for Marvel, and tiptoeing around other people as if trying to minimize his shadow. He does more with his neck and shoulders than many do with their whole body, belying a fragility and small sense of worth with which he has lived his whole life. You can feel his insides cave in when, face restored and real estate career climbing, a colleague gestures at a cardboard cutout of him and says, “Look at this piece of man candy!” It makes a good companion piece with Stan’s other buzzy performance, as Trump in The Apprentice(2024), which is another great performance. But it’s this one, in this very curious tale of identity, normality and possibility, that shows his range – which we’re hopefully just discovering.

“Your dog is barking!”

Best moment of sweet comedic relief: Will & Harper

While Saturday Night satisfied some fans of the storied sketch show, it’s this story, about former SNL writer Harper Steele and her journey of transformation in her early 60s, that offers more to think about. The film captures parallel experiences: Steele’s resolve, vulnerability and bravery, and Ferrel’s awkwardness and open willingness to learn about his friend and her journey. At first you might think, “What’s the big deal? It’s 2024. Of course Will Ferrel is liberal.” But then we recall that Ferrel was the king of the bro comedies, and we watch as he sits in discomfort at the difficult questions facing his friend and their relationship. This honest tension continues, and the film does a great job at resisting the temptation to show us too much of Ferrel’s natural everyday comedy. But when they take a hot air balloon ride with their fellow SNL alum Will Forte, there is a burst of improvised comedy as they pass over a barking dog that had me howling. And in that way the film is like life: odd, difficult, and sometimes a blast.

“Yayy…”

Best jokes and insights about parenting: The Wild Robot 

Parenting is one of life’s ultimate adventures. “You figure it out” is one of the core messages about parenting in this story of a service robot looking for a job on an environmentally advanced Earth. It’s full of great bits, and one of the strongest is how a mother possum, played perfectly by Catherine O’Hara, teaches her children (called joeys, like kangaroos) to play dead to avoid predators. And she has seven, which would be enough to drive any parent mad. After a calamity, she thinks she’s lost one. But reappear the joey does, exclaiming, “Mom, I’m still alive!” all she can muster is a croaky “Yayy…” Dreamworks Animation, while creating successful franchises, has been known more for Shrek 2001) and Kung Fu Panda series (2008 and onwards). This marks an enormous leap forward, not only in technical animation but in rich storytelling for all ages. The orchestral store, by Kris Bowers, will also have you out of your seat. And if you have a heart, bring Kleenex.

“*rawr”

Best hero’s journey: Flow

My first thought during this Latvian masterpiece was about the unusual animation. The corners blurred. Smooth leaves and creatures looked like they were morphing into blocks. Movement seemed choppy in areas. “Is this file corrupt?” I thought as I watched in the theater. But it’s simply a different kind of animation, a mix of hand-drawn and 2D that looks and feels markedly different from the high gloss we’ve been treated to thanks to lightspeed advances in technology. And my second thought was: “This feels like heaven.” The combination of the imagery, indefinite and ethereal, with a magnificent orchestral score, and the total absence of dialogue (and humans) transports you to a different realm. The world is flooding, and human life has been extinguished. Animals of all kinds flee the flood, and a ragtag band forms, complete with a capybara (you’ll recognize it), a dog, a noble secreterybird and the vulnerable anonymous black cat at the center of this Odyssean journey. 

“There is no hope!”

Best mythological prequel with David Lean vistas: Furiosa

Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015) was acclaimed for its unparalleled action and efficient storytelling: director George Miller called it “a chase and a race.” Furiosa did not engage quite as big of an audience, but there is still plenty to marvel at, like the shift to mythological storytelling and more patient pacing between set pieces. One scene I always rewind to watch again is when Dementus and his horde of hundreds on motorbikes make their way to the Citadel, around 28 minutes in. The pack moves like a swarm of bees, as we watch from height and distance as they curve along the ground around staggering Buttes and rocky outcroppings. It’s a great role for Chris Hemsworth, giving him much more to do than his superhero parts, and allowing a bit of desert Shakespeare to peek through. In a pivotal scene, he admonishes two of our protagonists, screaming “There is no hope!” from behind his gnarled beard. David Lean might have captured the desert unforgettably in his storied masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia (1962), but few since him have rendered it like Miller does, in this more than worthy installment into the franchise.  

“Genius.”

Best genre perfection: Dune: Part Two

When I walked out of the theater after the second chapter in Denis Villenueve’s Dune trilogy, I thought, “He did for science fiction what Ridley Scott did with Alien in 1979.” The genre has been perfected and elevated. Original and stunning non-human worlds; sagas spanning millennia; inventive costumes and inimitable sound design… It became part of the cinematic culture instantly, moving from must-see-in-theaters to late-night-comfort-watch among many. This line, growled by Stellan Skarsgård’s bulky Baron, could describe Villeneuve to a T. From the minimalist iconography of the black-armored Harkonnen scaling burnt orange sands, to the soaring rock score that accompanies the sandworm rollercoaster ride, every feature and sequence are memorable, making the next question impossible to answer: how will Villenueve and team top it in Part Three? Power over good endings is power over all.

“I was thinking of the prophets…”

Most emotionally devastating: Norman/Norman

Director Gabrielle Blackwood’s stunning family documentary made its way around small festivals, but still does not have distribution. So it goes for most independent films these days. Its premise alone induces chills: in Jamaica, a child witnesses the murder of his mother – by his father. Cut to thirty years later, and Norman (the younger), now married and raising four daughters, journeys back to Jamaica to meet his father, who he hasn’t seen since the tragedy. Anyone looking for a blistering example of modern male vulnerability should look no further. It is definitely the film at which I wept the hardest this year. Norman (Jr.) utters this line in the opening minutes, describing the feeling of his journey for truth and redemption, if it’s even possible.

“I can’t tell you exactly what minute her heart stopped.”

Most wrenchingly essential: Zurawski v Texas

The maternal mortality rate in Texas has risen 12% since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which is after the 56% it rose in the aftermath of the pandemic. An abortion in Texas is legal only upon “a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy.” So you wait for the mother’s life to be in danger – and then it’s okay. Got it. Zurawski v Texas (produced in part by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence) tells the story of a number of women from different backgrounds who join a lawsuit brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights against the state of Texas for denial of abortion care and its devastating effects. One of the central women of the story utters this line on the phone as she tries to explain what is impossible to. Their stories are so powerful, even this kids-free bachelor with very little to relate to was consumed by the plight of women to make the most basic decisions about their own health and receive life changing (and sometimes saving) care.

“I liked a man who could dominate me.”

Best mind-expanding celebrity documentary: Liz Taylor: The Lost Tapes

HBO Documentary films revolutionized documentary storytelling, making the current mess being made of the HBO brand an even sadder story. This is the kind of celebrity gossip doc I usually skip, especially when a subject is telling their story in their own words. But I felt my mind expand as I watched and learned about someone whose story we all assume we know well because of her ubiquity in Hollywood. To learn about how someone who was crafted within the old studio system, and had to work tirelessly to assemble and assert her own identity – and what an identity it was – was fascinating and revealing. This line shattered my presumptions about her, and invited me to be open to her story in her words. Quite a woman.

“Fifteen. Cash. Up front.” 

Best everyone-is-a-person story: Anora

I’ve yammered on about one of my favorite films of 2024 already, but in the spirit of celebrating women often dismissed as punchlines, another mention is due. It’s standout filmmaking – a picture with a different tone than anything else that’s been buzzed about this year. Everyone is a person – even the goods on the side – in Sean Baker’s tough-times misadventure, from the stripper at the center to the goon on the side. And as with A Different Man garnering buzz for supporting stars, Yuriy Borisov has won that round for Anora, but turn your gaze to Mark Eydelshtyn as the insufferable Vanya and there’s a lot of nuance to enjoy there too. The jittering, the quirks, the base immaturity. And, whatever awards Mikey Madison garners for her turn as a girl who’s game for a game but not to be dismissed – she’s earned.

“You want a big man to treat you like a little bitch?”

Best WTF-is-happening surprises: Femme

Technically released in December 2023, this English indie gained cult appreciation in this calendar year, for its bold premise and killer performances by its two leads. In contemporary London, a drag performer is attacked and injured by a tattooed punk. And then they become – enemies with benefits. Fans of the show-of-the-season Black Doves will have to look hard to recognize Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as the drag performer, alongside George McKay in a stark departure from 1917 (2017) as the punk. Twisty and tingly, its tension was followed up wonderffully in this year’s Babygirl (2024), in which a McKay lookaline, Harris Dickinson, plays an intern who brings his best against Nicole Kidman’s CEO. Both ask the same question: What’s behind the dark curtains of risk? See this first; this is a tale for the queer and the curious that doesn’t disappoint.

“He’s got a gun!” “Well, so do I!” 

Best pretzel: Strange Darling 

This is a film that trades on noir tropes and clichés – the garish neon motel sign, the offbeat country couple in the remote house, the femme fatale – but they are fucked with in satisfying ways in this indie thriller. Some of us discovered this 2024 entry from the news that actor Giovani Ribisi was holding the camera – and we’re treated to many great shots and sequences in this story that involves a one-night stand, a serial killer and more twists than you’ll find at Auntie Anne’s. Both leads, Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, are well suited for the pulpy tale of hopeless violence on the edge of society. Ed Begley Jr. and Barbara Hershey play a country couple they encounter, and help complete director JT Mollner’s odd, sour story, like a jawbreaker that you just know is a trip to the dentist. In this moment, our lady of the night confronts a “roughneck” at a motel during a moment of much needed comic relief.

“A gaucho gaucho.”

Best capturing of a beautiful world: Gaucho Gaucho

Last year, The Truffle Hunters (2020) became a darling of the festival circuit and a favorite of filmmakers around the world. It was made by verité documentary filmmakers Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, whose crew traveled for days in the high pampas region of northern Argentina to reach and capture the vanishing way of life of the gauchos (or “gaucho gaucho”s the way a young character in the film exclaims). Horses, cattle, rodeos, agriculture and craftsmanship are the traditions of the women and men that populate this world that seems galaxies away from our own. Dweck is a fine art photographer, and every frame is composed as a portrait. Screenings of the film features matted art on easels featuring stills from the film. It is the kind of film that places a calm hand on your heart, reminding you that your world is only that, and there are many cultures on this planet, filled with beauty and simplicity all their own.