The 10 Best Hollywood Films of 2024
2024 has been a phenomenal year for cinema. It’s impossible to list a definitive selection of the year’s best films from all over the world, so we’re taking the easy route and closing out the year with our favorite American productions. This excludes some wonderful films like China’s YOLO, the comedy-drama directed by and starring comedian Jia Ling about a woman’s journey of self-improvement that features Jia’s own real-life weight loss and strength conditioning; or South Korea’s Exhuma, a horror film that is a double gut punch of fear and exploration the uncomfortable subject of Imperial Japan’s occupation of Korea; and gems like Thailand’s How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, a tearjerker tale of a young man’s get-rich-quick scheme that unexpectedly transforms into a genuine love for his ailing grandmother. Both YOLO and How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies are streaming on Netflix, while Exhuma is available to rent or own on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
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Honorable Mention: The Beekeeper
David Ayer’s over-the-top action movie starring Jason Statham isn’t an exceptional film. But it deserves recognition for pure cathartic release alone. Statham is a retired former Beekeeper, an agent of a secret intelligence organization tasked with protecting United States interests and operating outside of governmental purview. If you’ve ever been scammed online—and at this point, really, who hasn’t been?—The Beekeeper is the unapologetic violent revenge story we all deserve. The Beekeeper is streaming on Prime Video.
Honorable Mention: Civil War
What was ostensibly Alex Garland’s cautionary tale of an America that had gone down the wrong path eerily and uncomfortably feels more prescient than necessary, but Garland’s visceral storytelling and gritty realism ushered through handheld cameras is a shocking and brutal take on what happens when we don’t pay attention to history. Kirsten Dunst turns in a powerful performance all the way to the shocking end, and Civil War teaches us that history teaches us nothing. Civil War is streaming on Max.
10| Transformers One
This unheralded soft reboot/prequel to the Transformers franchise is far better than it has any right to be. The animated feature film that on the surface appears to be aimed at kids actually has a grounded and solid story about the friendship between Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), who would go on to become the mortal enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron. Transformers One underperformed at the tills for a myriad of reasons, but it isn’t for being a bad movie. Arguably one of the best Transformers feature films of all, if you missed this one at the cinema, it’s available to rent or own on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
9| Monkey Man
Dev Patel’s long and troubled journey to bring his Indian culture-infused version of John Wick to the big screen resulted in one of the best action films of the year. A hyper-violent and frenetic journey through the dirty and rotten underbelly of Mumbai, Monkey Man is at once a satisfying and entertaining revenge story and a biting commentary on Indian politics. Monkey Man is streaming on Prime Video.
8| Dune: Part Two
In Denis Villenueve, we trust. While the first chapter of the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sprawling space epic did little but set up the world of Dune, the second installment of a planned trilogy ramped up the action and scale on the unforgiving sands of the Arrakis. Films like Dune: Part Two are what large format cinema is made for, and Villeneuve took full advantage, giving filmgoers cinematic grandiose and breathtaking artistry, particularly in the chiaroscuro of Feyd-Rautha’s (Austin Butler) scenes. Dune: Part Two is streaming on Max, with the bonus of Dune: Prophecy, a prequel series set 10,000 years earlier
7| A Quiet Place: Day One
Speaking of prequels, the not-quite-origin story to the sleeper hit franchise of blind monstrous aliens that attack anything that makes a sound is an unexpectedly tender tale driven by powerhouse performances from Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn. Set on the day when the aliens first arrive, A Quiet Place: Day One focuses more on the chaos that ensues and how humanity picks itself up right after rather than provide any explanation or detailed origin of the invaders, but by going small and focusing on the relationship between two people the film achieves big things. A Quiet Place: Day One is available to rent or own on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
6| Furiosa
It’s hard to overstate how unfair it is that Furiosa didn’t blow away audiences the same way Mad Max: Fury Road did in 2015 because it’s simply one of the most outstanding cinematic experiences of the year. It’s the unfortunate consequence of pedigree simply because Fury Road is arguably the best action movie of all time. But Anya Taylor-Joy delivers an iconic performance as the titular hero and George Miller is still in top form with Furiosa’s cinematic language. We hope you have a large 4k or 8k UHD TV because that’s the only way to do justice to Furiosa when you stream it on Max.
5| Fly Me to the Moon
This Apple TV+ production had a short run in the cinemas, but director Greg Berlanti brings all his television production experience and mastery to the table with this Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum starrer about the story behind the faking of the moon landing. It’s a clean and stylishly shot story that’s infused with a much-welcome brightness and hope that can only come from Berlanti. Fly Me to the Moon is streaming on Apple TV+.
4| Alien: Romulus
It might be hard to believe, but the Fede Álvarez-led installment in the Alien franchise might just be the best one yet. Although James Cameron’s Aliens will likely stay on top of most people’s lists, Alien: Romulus introduces two great and memorable heroes in Cailee Spaney’s Rain Carradine and David Johnson as her synthetic adoptive brother Andy. It’s a wonderful blend of horror, action, and loving homage that opens the door to more stories in the xenomorph universe. Alien: Romulus is streaming on Disney+.
3| The Substance
This Black Mirror-esque tale of body horror sees Demi Moore turn in a powerhouse performance as Elisabeth Sparkle, an actor that Hollywood has deemed to be past her prime. It’s a literal and visceral reinterpretation of The Picture of Dorian Grey that’s at once enthralling and grotesque, a scathing criticism of the entertainment industry’s unfair beauty standards that drives women to a mental and physical breaking point. The Substance is available to rent or own on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
2| The Wild Robot
Based on a trilogy of books with the same name, The Wild Robot is an earnest animated science fiction adventure that is as beautiful as it is emotionally complex. This DreamWorks Animation production follows the journey of Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), a robot designed to improve urban domestic life, and how she becomes part of the wilderness where she accidentally finds herself. The Wild Robot is an ambitious film that attempts to cover many themes, from parenthood to death to purpose to co-existence, and succeeds at all of them while being presented in an enchanting, painterly style. The Wild Robot is available to rent or own on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
1| Wicked
There might be a little bit of sacrilege in claiming that the film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s hit musical surpasses the original, but it’s true. As beloved and iconic as Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel’s career-defining performances were, future generations will know Glinda and Elphaba as Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The Jon Chu-led production is a flawless translation of the stage musical to the silver screen and improves upon it in every imaginable way, from infusing favorite musical numbers with more spectacle and emotional heft to expanding the world and adding nuance to the story. Wicked is merely Part 1 of a two-act arc that concludes in November 2025, but all 160 minutes of the first film is an entertaining, crowning testament to all that a musical can be. Wicked is available to own on the U.S. editions of Prime Video and Apple TV+ on December 31.
