Zach’s Top 10 Best Movies of 2024

As we head into 2025, it’s time to look back at 2024 and give my picks for the top 10 best movies of 2024. We traveled into the Hollow Earth, through the Multiverse of the MCU, across the deserts of Arrakis, and more. Horror was also particularly great this year, and several of the year’s horrific releases are on my list. Check out my picks for the Top 10 best movies of 2024.

Dune: Part Two: “Dune: Part Two is a masterpiece on almost every level and cements Denis Villeneuve as one of the greatest directors working today. His storytelling, visual style, and action bring the world of Dune to life in an astonishing way and the combined parts of Dune are the equal of anything you want to stack against it from the world of sci-fi and fantasy”
Deadpool & Wolverine: “Deadpool & Wolverine is an absolute blast and one of the most fun and funny movies in the history of the MCU. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are clearly reveling in this chance to team up and use every moment to its fullest, with tons of great banter and back and forth, along with some excellent fight scenes. The plot is a bit thin due to everything else crammed into the movie, but you will hardly notice or care about all the cameos, action, and jokes constantly happening. This is a Spider-Man: No Way Home-level celebration of fandom and a must-watch for Deadpool, X-Men , and Marvel fans”
Alien: Romulus: “Fede Álvarez delivers arguably the third-best movie in the Alien franchise, returning to the aesthetics of the first two classic movies in the series while providing some unique and exciting set pieces that let the Xenomorphs be terrifying in new ways. There may be too much fan service for some people, but Alien: Romulus is a visceral, gory, and fun time…”
Late Night with the Devil: David Dastmalchian gets a well-deserved star turn as late-night host Jack Delroy, whose idea to boost ratings for a Halloween episode of his show Night Owls goes horrifically awry. The movie does a great job nailing the 70s talk show feel, and there’s a fantastic slow burn from the trapping of a cheesy talk show to something horrific and dangerous. Dastmalchian does a great job channeling the upbeat energy of a 70s talk show host, trying to stay positive for the audience even when it becomes clear something terrible is starting to happen, and Ingrid Torelli is fantastic as Lily, a girl who is allegedly possessed by a demon. It’s a tremendous and interesting spin on the found footage genre.
The Shadow Strays: One of the most exciting martial arts/action directors working, Timo Tjahjanto was back with a vengeance on Netflix with The Shadow Strays. Aurora Ribero delivers a stunning physical performance as 13, an assassin who betrays her group called Shadows to defend a young boy from gangsters. The action is visceral and brutal, with some incredible sequences that build as they progress and some novel and gruesome things you’ve probably never seen before. The plot is pretty standard, but it does its job to get us to the next insane action sequence. It’s maybe not quite as good as The Night Comes for Us, but it’s still a must-see for martial arts and action fans.
The Bikeriders: “The Bikeriders is a great movie that takes a fairly standard plot and, because of the cast and directing, elevates it. The main cast is excellent, and the supporting cast is outstanding; the movie has an authentic and realistic style that adds grit and a genuine 60s/70s feel. Even if you’re not in motorcycles, The Bikeriders is still worth checking out”
The First Omen: The idea of a prequel to The Omen sounds like the makings of a creatively bankrupt cash grab, but The First Omen provides a compelling and incredibly creepy backstory to the birth of Damien. Nell Tiger Free plays Margaret, a novice nun who arrives at an Italian orphanage and slowly uncovers a conspiracy by a church faction that believes the only way to bring people back to the faith is to unleash the antichrist. Tiger Free is incredible and gives a 100% dedicated and fearless performance, especially given some of the genuinely gnarly things she sees and has happen to her. There is some truly horrific and shocking imagery that will make even the most jaded horror fan sit up and take notice. Much like Rogue One, The First Omen is a prequel that adds to and enhances the movie it’s a prequel to while telling a compelling story with interesting characters. If you skipped it because you thought it was a pointless cash grab, do yourself a favor and check it out.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: “If you’re going in to Godzilla x Kong expecting the emotional heft of Godzilla Minus One, you are going to be sorely disappointed but, if you go in looking for a big, dumb, fun monster mash, than Godzilla x Kong more than delivers”
Smile 2: “Smile 2 is an extremely solid and entertaining horror movie that improves on everything that its predecessor did well and brings plenty of solid scares and gory violence”
Bad Boys: Ride or Die: “Martin Lawrence and Will Smith continue to have exceptional chemistry, bouncing off each other as well as any of the other entries in the franchise. There’s a fun inversion to their usual dynamic where Marcus, who survives a heart attack early on, feels invincible and becomes the reckless one. At the same time, Mike, now with the responsibility of marriage, begins to hesitate and has panic attacks. After almost 30 years with the duo, it’s fun to see them flip their usual roles, and it adds some new, hilarious beats to their banter”