The 20 best films of 2024

Thanks to last summer’s Hollywood strikes, there were fewer movies released than usual in 2024. That doesn’t mean it was a worse year for film though. Far from it. Among the below are terrifying indie horrors, emotional music documentaries, gripping erotic thrillers, blockbuster sequels and even the odd Marvel spectacular, despite an overall comic book downturn. Our favourites broke creative boundaries and established norms to rip up their respective genre rulebooks while saying something that truly hadn’t been said before – from The Substance’s grisly, feminist dark comedy to part biopic part documentary part surrealist drama Kneecap.

So as we prep for a return to super-stuffed cinema schedules in 2025, why not use the Christmas break to catch up? There really is something for everyone.

Alex Flood, Managing Editor (Entertainment and Partnerships)

Words by: Jordan Bassett, Paul Bradshaw, Martyn Conterio, Rhian Daly, Liberty Dunworth, Georgia Evans, Nick Levine, James Mottram, Gary Ryan, Jack Shepherd, Ali Shutler, Lou Thomas and Andrew Trendell