Cinema was cinemaing with these movies that lived rent-free in our minds throughout 2024.
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2024 was a weird time for the movie industry. As the first full year following the 2023 Hollywood strikes, 2024 was notably uneven in terms of big-hitting movie releases and box office hits. For every blockbuster like Inside Out 2, there were more that disappointed at the box office. In the Philippines, while the year saw the release of the highest-grossing Filipino film in history (Hello, Love, Again), it proved to be the exception rather than the rule. And let’s not forget continuously high ticket prices and the increasing censorship displayed by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
Yet, despite all that, this year’s films had their share of hits, bangers, and surprise drops worth talking about. From big studios to the indie space, movies proved once again that they still are a force in driving the cultural conversation. Below, we listed some of our favorite movies of 2024 that we adored, and we feel you might, too, in case you haven’t seen them yet.
ALIPATO AT MUOG
In a few ways, Alipato at Muog represents the injustices Filipinos face daily. This documentary, which had a roaring debut in this year’s Cinemalaya, puts the focus on politically motivated disappearances as it recounts the story of JL Burgos and his search for his brother, activist Jonas Burgos, who went missing at the Ever Gotesco mall in Quezon City in 2007.
The movie served as another sobering and compelling reminder about how a brother who’s been missing for decades is not unlike other activists who have suffered the same fate under the government’s desire to snuff out dissenting voices. The movie had something important to say, which is why it was disappointing (but not surprising) when the MTRCB initially gave the film an X rating, preventing it from being screened in cinemas, before they eventually changed course. Let’s never forget that while movies are fun escapes, they can also be needed drivers of discourse that should not be censored just because of their subject matter.
BLINK TWICE
One of the best horror movies of 2024 is also one of the year’s best movies in general. When two women are invited by a mysterious billionaire to his remote island for a never-ending vacation in paradise, it seems like they hit the jackpot. But the more time they spend on the island, the more things aren’t what they seem to be.
What makes Blink Twice so effective is that its villains aren’t from another world or desire something grand, but rather their motivations are so rooted in reality, that it’s scary. When it’s revealed what the billionaire and his friends are doing on the island, it will leave jaws on the floor, but what makes it scarier is that it isn’t hard to imagine that happening in real life as well. It makes for a riveting narrative and an impressive directorial debut from Zoe Kravitz.
CHALLENGERS
In a year when the pop culture conversation was driven by, among other things, BRAT summer, Challengers came at just the right time with a vibe unlike any other. Few could have imagined a movie about three tennis stars in a love triangle to be hot, heated, horny, sexy, sexual, and sleek, yet Challengers did that and then some.
The movie is a tour de force that gave the sports movie an unapologetically cool makeover with tension for days that’s aided by, a bop of a soundtrack, a captivating story, a killer trio main cast, and confident direction from Luca Guadagnino. Challengers took over Gen Z feeds for a reason as it turned tennis matches into the hottest thing ever.
CIVIL WAR
A24 was lowkey cooking when they decided to drop this movie in the middle of the 2024 US Presidential elections (and we all know how that turned out). But more than just capitalizing on the political tension of the moment, Civil War impresses with its sharp and focused narrative on navigating a divided America.
The story of journalists traveling the country to Washington D.C. in hopes of interviewing the president captured our attention with its gritty, gripping, and thrilling action and storytelling. In particular, the final act set in the streets of D.C. and the White House is some of the best sequences ever put to film this year and ones you’ll remember long after the credits have rolled. Alex Garland, you did that.
DUNE: PART TWO
This might be a bit of a hot take, but the Dune movie franchise might be the closest cinema has gotten to giving us a modern franchise that can rival the sci-fi wonder of the OG Star Wars trilogy. Just look at Dune: Part Two. The sequel to an already impressive movie managed to do everything right about the first film and took it one step ahead. Not only were expectations met, but the sequel arguably surpassed them as well.
The visuals were jaw-dropping, the storytelling was grand, the world-building was engaging, and the acting was great. What’s even more impressive is that while Dune: Part Two expands the scope even further, it manages to ground itself with its characters and anchors the drama on the humans at the center. Paul Atreides accepting his destiny may have unleashed a holy war across the galaxy, but it made for a truly epic viewing experience and a trip to the IMAX cinema worth it.
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
Don’t let the movie’s box office returns fool you, Furiosa has enough gas to drive itself all the way to our Best of Movies 2024 list. This prequel set in the Mad Max universe delivers everything you expect from the franchise as it focuses on a young woman on her journey to find hope in a bleak world. Furiosa’s battles against Dementus (in a career-best performance from Christ Hemsworth) hit the mark with some of the best action scenes of the year. Do yourself a favor and watch Furiosa on the biggest screen you can.
INSIDE OUT 2
If Inside Out changed the way we saw our emotions, Inside Out 2 had us looking at the perils of puberty and growing up in an all-new light. The movie takes the relatable stage of growing up as the setting for a film that hits us in the feels. Pixar had no business depicting Anxiety as real as they did and how our physical and mental well-being can easily take a back seat when societal pressure takes hold of us.
Anxiety is a non-intentional villain here, which is how often anxiety in real life operates. Riley’s struggle with Anxiety as she wanted to fit in a new setting spoke to so many people, especially teens and young adults because these are the battles many of them go through every day. From themes of self-discovery, the push and pull of pleasing others, and what it means to grow up, Inside Out 2 did that.
MONKEY MAN
Dev Patel, come to the front, here are your flowers. More than just being an Asian John Wick, Monkey Man carves its own identity as a high-octane revenge thriller that embraces its Indian roots and setting. As both the lead star and the movie’s director (which also served as his directorial debut), Dev Patel is an absolute force on and off the screen with an unshakable confidence. The action scenes obviously deliver, but it’s the story of one man against a corrupt system that hits particularly hard with its many allegories to current events. Dev Patel really said ACAB and Trans Lives Matter all in one movie, and we love that for him.
THE SUBSTANCE
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley come together for one of the most iconic joint slays (literally and figuratively) of the year. When veteran celebrity Elisabeth is fired from her show on her 50th birthday, she grows increasingly desperate to get her fame back. Because of that, she agrees to take The Substance, a self-induced procedure that can spawn a younger and more beautiful version of yourself for seven days at a time. The process births Sue, and she recaptures the glory Elisabeth had during her younger years. But as Sue begins to take over more of Elisabeth’s life, the two struggle to respect the balance in a diva off to remember.
If you want to talk about body horror, The Substance is where it’s at as writer-director Coralie Fargeat gives us an unapologetically disturbing, bold, and feminist tale of beauty standards. From the daring direction, *chef’s kiss* acting, a superb OST, nasty practical effects that will have you squirming, and more, the movie just does it as it leaves no prisoners. No spoilers but the last thirty minutes will stick with you as a finale to remember.
WICKED: PART 1
The pairing of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo may be one of the best things we got in movies this year. Many things could have gone wrong with the movie adaptation of Wicked (well, at least the first act), but the movie comes alive as a true passion project. Leading the way are the two lead actresses, whose performances are magnetic from start to finish and chemistry that knows no bounds.
Beyond the movie’s production value (which is excellent), Wicked stands tall as a moving tale of female friendship. And of course, the movie’s musical aspect is great. There’s just something so moving about seeing Cynthia Erivo belt Defying Gravity so effortlessly in a packed cinema. We love a competent musical.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE: A thrill ride that will have you holding your breath.
ALIEN: ROMULUS: The Alien franchise is back, and we couldn’t be happier.
BALOTA: This Cinemalaya gem has our vote.
CONCLAVE: Who knew voting for the next pope could be so spicy?
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: A meta love letter made first and foremost for the fans of the Fox era of Marvel movies.
FLY ME TO THE MOON: A pleasant surprise in the form of a romantic comedy, something we’re getting less of these days.
HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES: Even if tears aren’t shed, this is still a damn fine family drama.
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL: Now this is how you do found footage horror right.
LONGLEGS: Police procedural, but make it demonic.
THE FALL GUY: The action-comedy crown is for Ryan Gosling’s taking at this point.
THE WILD ROBOT: This movie is way too good for people to dismiss it as a “kiddie movie”.
THE MMFF 2024 MOVIES: Specifically, And The Breadwinner Is…, Uninvited, Isang Himala, and Green Bones.
TRANSFORMERS ONE: A competent animated origin story that the franchise absolutely deserves.
Continue Reading: 11 Of Our Favorite Movies From 2023
