OSCAR, OSCAR!

1. ANORA

Here's one thing I have to say about "Anora" being my choice as the best film of the year. This year's list for me is all so close to call it a tie between my top eight really. Very little separates these films from each other in terms of greatness, but ultimately I felt that this film was just slightly better than the others to warrant being number one.

Sean Baker is one of the most unique and interesting of contemporary American filmmakers. He's the champion of people abandoned by society who are doing their damndest to survive. With each of his films, he holds a magnifying glass to the sort of character rarely given the big-screen treatment, finding beauty in both their perseverance and their (often sizable) flaws. Frequently working with first-time actors, Baker puts a premium on authenticity, and it shows.

The title character Anora (Mikey Madison) is an exotic dancer and part-time escort working at a strip club in New York. She also happens to be fluent in Russian, making her the perfect choice to entertain a new VIP named Ivan (Mark Eidelstein). Ivan, or "Vanya" as he's known, is a high-roller. The 21-year-old son of a powerful Russian oligarch, he idles away the day in his Brighton Beach mansion throwing booze-heavy parties, playing first-person shooters on the couch, and having copious sex at jackrabbit speeds which he's happy to pay for in cash. He's enchanted by Ani from the very first dance, and responds to her friendly working demeanor. He's giddy; he wants it all. It doesn't take long for their arrangement to balloon from a private room at the club, to a night together at his house, to a weeklong, all-inclusive girlfriend experience culminating in an impromptu trip to Vegas. When they return to New York a day or two later, it is no longer as a client and an escort, but as husband and wife - much to the chagrin of Vanya's parents. And from there, the movie becomes an unexpected roller coaster ride which never ceases to be entertaining.

In many ways this is familiar territory for Sean Baker, chronicling a few days in the life of a protagonist who would hardly be a side character in mainstream cinema. But typically there's been some level of abrasiveness to his characters. Whereas Ani is a total joy to root for from beginning to end. Even when she's wrong, she wins us over. Despite every rational instinct in me screaming that her whirlwind romance was doomed, I was as charmed by it as I would be any wholesome romcom classic. And when outside forces threaten her fairytale love story, I perceived it the same way she would. A crisis manufactured by joyless parents who don't understand matters of the heart, like a threat to something beautiful that needs to be extinguished. I felt optimistic because she was optimistic. And that's due SO much to the absolutely winning performance of Mikey Madison.

She so effortlessly inhabits the character of Anora. She's phenomenal, capable of carrying virtually every frame of Anora with perfection, or selling even the most problematic dialogue like it were Shakespeare. It's a dazzling performance, and it's vital for the tightrope Baker's script is walking.

While this is primarily a comedy, it also functions as an intensely moving drama. Far from being at odds with its lighthearted tone, the drama is actually deepened by it. What Vanya is offering to Ani is the hope of a better life. A life where she no longer needs to tailor her behavior to accommodate the whims of high-rolling assholes, but rather to live in their social strata, to be respected on her terms. This dream is so palpable, I frequently found myself on the verge of tears when nothing much was happening on screen: a silly party montage, say, or a trip on a private jet. It felt emotional, because it meant something to her. When the cracks in her dream start to reveal themselves, Ani fights with an intensity that has less to do with love than it does with self-preservation. On one occasion, Baker pulls back the curtain and lets all this subtext become text. It's a grace note that I'm still reeling from.

"Anora" is the whole package. It's wildly entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny, thought-provoking, challenging, and emotionally astute ... which in the end, is what makes for the truly great movies you would call the best of the year.

2. THE SUBSTANCE

One thing's for sure ... you either admire and love this movie or hate it. There seems to be no in between. And in another paradoxical occurrence of the greatness of certain movies this year, this is probably one of the greatest film achievements that I will never want to watch again. It's a film so haunting in its ideas and the vicious portrayal of those ideas, I was left deeply, deeply disturbed by what I had just witnessed. As we SHOULD be when experiencing this monumental achievement by director Coralie Fargeat.

What starts as a visually refreshing yet relatively simple commentary on unhealthy obsessions with age and beauty, slowly spirals into a brutal, uncomfortable, and necessary takedown of corporate misogyny. The film comments on the societal pressures placed upon women to both look and act a certain way, the world's long-standing fixation with defining women by their physical appearances, and the ridiculously short lease women are given in the entertainment industry, especially when compared to men.

The latter of which can even be seen in the career of the film's lead, Demi Moore, who has seen a sharp decline in mainstream opportunities since the turn of the century, despite being one of the most profitable actresses throughout the 1990s. It's only fitting that her return to the spotlight comes in the form of a film like this: one that is unapologetically devoted to her and the many similarly mistreated women in "showbiz."

The film also acknowledges the significant toll that corporate misogyny has on the way women see themselves. Demi Moore's character's self-loathing behavior is a consistently present aspect of her character that stems from her interactions with others throughout the film, women included. Even when faced with opportunities to rebound, her insecurities and shame are thrust into the foreground, distancing herself further and further from her true self.

"The Substance" is bold, unforgiving, and unafraid to address its thematic contentions head on. The film satirizes its male characters, painting almost all of them as either immature, greedy or creepy, and over-sexualizes its female characters - albeit, in ways that might be seen as excessive - observing the fact that their bodies are continuously valued over their personalities, skills, and accomplishments.

It's overly explicit, even to the point where it's exhausting, but never to the point where its exhaustion is counteractive. Instead, the film weaponizes the fatigue it imposes on audiences by feeding into it with its slowly escalating body horror and anxiety-inducing cinematography.

The film also leans into its levity on countless occasions, poking fun at its story's absurdity and grounding itself in a world that feels more accommodating to its ridiculous nature. As a result, there is hardly a moment that feels out of place.

The result is a film that concludes itself with a final act that refuses to end. For better and for worse, the last act goes on forever, becoming bloodier and nastier with each passing second. The film even buckles under its own weight at marginal intervals, only for it to get back up and continue wreaking havoc.

I also found it fascinating how this movie comes at a time when many people are experimenting with drugs which now allow them to lose weight. Is it THAT far fetched to see a drug like this that could be abused to some very detrimental outcomes, all in the hopes of bettering our appearance in a world that puts so much importance and emphasis on that?

While I'd consider it difficult to recommend to anyone who isn't freakishly comfortable with gore and dreadful imagery, it's undeniably a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience that I'll never be able to forget.

3. A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

Upon first hearing that Timothee Chalamet was set to play Bob Dylan in this film, I admit to thinking they could have found someone better. But after seeing him in the role of the legendary American singer-songwriter, I wondered who could have played Dylan better, as Chalamet delivers a knock-out performance in James Mangold's biopic. Chalamet tirelessly prepared for the role, learning how to play guitar and the harmonica while immersing himself into Dylan's iconic lyrics and singing style. Mangold certainly put the actor's training to good use. It's said that Chalamet performed an astonishing 40 songs for the film. But here's the best part - he surprisingly nails them which not only enhances his performance but strips away any hint of artifice.

Among the many good choices that make this film work so well is Mangold's decision to focus on one segment of Dylan's fascinating life, instead of a typical structure we've seen in so many other musician biopics. Rather, it's an ensemble movie that traces Dylan's musical journey from his arrival in New York City to his unforgettable 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival which sparked controversy after he took the stage with an electric guitar much to the dismay of his devoted folk music fans.

The film also explores Dylan's connection with fellow folk singer Joan Baez who is wonderfully played by rising star Monica Barbaro. Baez was already established when she first met Bob Dylan and she was one of the first to record some of his original songs which helped to put him on the map. Barbaro and Chalamet are terrific together, capturing the creative magic conjured whenever Baez and Dylan sang together while touching on the pair's more tumultuous personal relationship.

While Mangold spends plenty of time delving into the personal life of Bob Dylan, he also takes us on a tour of American music history. Not only does "A Complete Unknown" honor traditional folk music and its impact on American culture, but it also shows how music was changing alongside that very same culture. That culminates in the film's kinetic recreation of the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where Dylan shocked fans and angered festival heads by playing electric rather than acoustic. His brief set has been called a watershed moment for both folk and rock music.

While "A Complete Unknown" sweeps you away with its focused storytelling, timeless music, and phenomenal performances, it's also strengthened by its period-perfect production design and costumes as well as rich cinematography from Phedon Papamichael. But it's James Mangold's clear passion that brings it all together. It seeps from every pore of his movie. And while fans of the music may find more to enjoy, there's so much else to love that transcends mere musical tastes. It's a transporting musical journey and one of the year's best movies.

4. A REAL PAIN

Who's in more pain? The guy who holds nothing back, or the guy who keeps everything inside?

If it seems odd for a comedy to have such a heavy question at its center, that's all part of the magic trick that Jesse Eisenberg has pulled off as writer/director/star of "A Real Pain." While it may seem counterintuitive to make a road comedy about a couple American cousins going on a Holocaust tour in Poland, Eisenberg's film is perfectly balanced to the ways that laughter can percolate on the other side of discomfort and/or outright tragedy.

But the film is also very much aware of the ways in which the brightest smiles and broadest laughs can serve as masks for deep wells of feeling, a disparity it engages and provokes in dozens of different forms across its compact 90 minute runtime. The result is a small gem of a movie, consistent in its humor and boundlessly surprising in its humanity.

There's plenty of heavy subject matter to be dealt with, in both the contemporary struggles of these men and the historical atrocities that frame their family's history. But it needs be said that Eisenberg did not construct this film to wallow in griefs both historical and all-too present. Instead, he's built the film as an absolute pleasure of a film. The frame overflows with color, lavishing the Polish cityscapes and countryside with a romantic glow even as cinematographer Michal Dymek (a Warsaw native) zeroes in on the specificities of local life that don't usually catch the Hollywood eye.

And it's also a genuinely funny movie, maybe the best of the year. Really, earnestly, consistently funny. It helps that Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin are the driving force of every scene. They share an effortless chemistry that really does convey a meaningful lifetime bond. Both men have honed their craft to its top form over the course of their careers and bring everything they have to their respective characters. Eisenberg is better at playing discomfort than almost anyone, able to use the barest of twitches or eyebrow lifts to convey volumes of panic.

All that being said, Eisenberg's most effective weapon is the performance that Culkin gives here. As Benjy, he is so unbelievably charming and funny and sensitive ... until the wrong mood strikes him and he becomes unconscionably rude and nasty. Culkin makes a meal out of fitting those contradictions together inside the skin of this man, fully embodying everything charming and alluring about Benjy while also owning everything monstrous and infuriating about him. It's truly one of the most remarkable performances of the year.

By keeping the scope narrow and the histrionics in check, "A Real Pain" never feels like it is grasping for cheap pomposity or importance. Instead the emotions it conjures up, be they painful or not, are understated and deeply earned. You might even say: Real.

5. SING SING

"Sing Sing" is a quiet powerhouse of a film that rings loud with authenticity and heart. Based on a true story of incarcerated inmates who find purpose through a prison theater program, director Greg Kwedar crafts an incredibly absorbing and beautiful portrait that will leave you smiling through tears, much like the symbolic tragedy and comedy masks the theatre is represented by.

Based on the real-life program Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) and the people who experienced it firsthand, most of the film's cast includes formerly incarcerated actors and alumni of the program. Colman Domingo gives a rousing performance as "Divine G", a former ballet dancer serving a sentence for a crime he didn't commit. Despite his wrongful conviction, Divine G stands tall as a man of grace and goodwill. His inspirational outlook benefits the other men within the program, who learn to process their trauma through performances on stage.

There are so many moments of regret and reflection but there is also an inspiring number of moments that are hopeful and utterly moving. It leaves you crying for numerous reasons. It makes you sad for those lost within the system, for those that don't see a future beyond those walls, for those that want a true opportunity and for so many reasons squander those moments out of fear of failure or fear of actually achieving something. But it also makes you feel hope. It makes you feel a kind of human triumph and with its message that we are not our worst mistakes, it is something to carry within yourself forever. It's inspiring and gleefully persistent, always pushing toward a goal of self-improvement in all forms. I think most of all, "Sing Sing" is pure authentic storytelling of the very best kind.

6. FLOW

This was one of the most refreshing surprises of the year, and definitely the best animated film I've seen in quite some time. It's a film that is able to tell a story without an ounce of dialogue and takes us on an adventure that I can only describe as epic.

A movie brimming with sentiment but not sentimentality, this is one of the most moving animated films in recent memory, and, beyond that, groundbreaking too. The anthropomorphic animal characters of 21st century U.S. animated features have nothing on the animal stars of "Flow," who never utter a word and act as nothing more than animals. That's enough.

When the film opens, the cat is living in a house where there are no humans present, though there are signs that human life was very recently there. This cat was clearly loved. But now he's alone.

What caused the disappearance of humanity in "Flow" is never explained, and not even human remains are seen. It's like this extinction event was a vanishing, and to be fair, one animal later in the movie almost does seem to be raptured, pulled up into the heavens in one of the movie's most transcendent moments.

"Flow" features some of the best animation I've seen in any animated project this year. The locations we visit are rendered in vibrant colors that bring warmth to your heart, simply making you feel at ease. There are moments where "Flow"takes on a mystical quality with its visuals, and these are some of the most stunning scenes in the film. While the story itself isn't mystical, it feels that way in every other sense.

The designs of the animals are simple yet gorgeous, highlighting the beauty of a world now ruled by the animal kingdom. The absence of dialogue only enhances the experience, allowing you to fully absorb the visuals and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the film. If the cat is being swept away by the flood, you feel as though you are being swept away too.

It's a simple yet captivating story about a cat and a group of animals who must survive a flood. With visuals that evoke emotional warmth and a score that helps carry the narrative, "Flow" is clearly one of the year's greatest films and an absolute must see.

7. WICKED

For years, I had heard about the stage musical, but had never actually seen it. Also for years, we heard about so many starts and stops for trying to adapt this musical to the big screen. Finally in 2024, director John Chu managed it, and delivered one of the grandest and satisfying cinematic experiences of the year.

I think the most brilliant choice they made with this film was to make this simply a first part, with the sequel to arrive a year later. We not only get more scenes to establish Elphaba's backstory and flesh out the world of Oz and Shiz University, but also more action set-pieces that would simply not be possible on a stage. Songs that were once confined to a theater can now be sung in sweeping fields or magical forests. Elphaba is no longer bound to impressive stage-flight tricks; now she soars above the towering green spires of the Emerald City, her black cloak billowing in the sunset sky.

Everything about "Wicked" is a triumph of cinema, from its faithfulness to the musical to its gorgeous and creative sets, costumes, and special effects. Oz comes to life in a way we've never seen it before, a colorful steampunk fantasy world brimming with magic and possibility and danger. But it's the brilliant performances that really elevate the film.

Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba, an outcast from Munchkinland who was born green. Her life has been hard and when she arrives at Shiz University-originally just to keep an eye on her younger sister Nessarose, but quickly embraced by the sorcery professor, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh)-she quickly learns that some things never change.

She becomes roommates and bitter rivals with Galinda, a rich and beautiful-and very popular-young Ozian played by Ariana Grande. The relationship between these two women is the narrative backbone of the film, and the movie could not have picked better actors to play these parts.

"Wicked" is a stunning success in just about every way, from its stellar performances to its sound design and special effects, to its inventive practical sets and costumes and ability to capture what made the Broadway musical so special in the first place-defying both gravity and my expectations at every turn. It was definitely the most fun I had at the movies all year.

8. CONCLAVE

"Conclave" is an absorbing thriller that's fueled by powerhouse performances and driven by a filmmaker who maintains an assured grip throughout. The film is a captivating experience throughout, with a wild and completely unexpected ending which is just as assured.

"Conclave" is based on the 2016 international best-selling novel of the same name by Robert Harris and is directed by Edward Berger. For the majority of its time, screenwriter Peter Straughan's adaptation plays like a high-stakes political thriller. It's cloaked in mystery with several big reveals, some unexpected twists, and a lingering sense of paranoia. You can't help but be sucked in by this stunning film set within the hallowed halls of the Vatican.

Berger goes to great lengths to make his film look as authentic as possible, recreating with painstaking detail everything from the Vatican's ornate interiors to the vibrant priestly clothes. Meanwhile, Stephane Fontaine's cinematography and Volker Bertelmann's score add thick layers of tension as the story progresses. And it all builds our anticipation as we follow the machinations of a conclave searching for a new pope.

The ensemble is top-notch, the production design is stellar, the behind the scenes wrangling is riveting, and Berger's direction is methodical and propulsive.

9. NICKEL BOYS

An unwritten rule of cinema is that great books very rarely make great movies. RaMell Ross's astonishing featue debut is a film that proves it can be done. The central character in the story is Elwood (Ethan Herisse), an early 1960s African American teenager in racially segregated Tallahassee, Florida. Raised by his loving grandmother Hattie (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), Elwood is on track for academic excellence. One day though, Elwood accepts a lift in a flash car driven by a sharply dressed Black man. The vehicle is stolen and Elwood soon learns that his plea of being in the wrong place at the wrong time isn't going to cut it with the cops. He is shipped off to a state-run reform school, the Nickel Academy, where the brutality and cruelty experienced at the hands of the racist guards is mitigated, in part at least, by the close friendship he forms with another boy, Turner (Brandon Wilson).

It's a wrenching, enraging story. But what gives the film its savage potency is Ross's radical and daring formal approach. This is a picture that on a fundamental level demands that we relearn our way of looking. The most immediately striking of Ross's techniques is his decision to shoot the film almost entirely from the point of view of its two central characters, Elwood and Turner.

This POV device is disorientating at first, but it soon becomes clear just how effective it is. We experience the sickening challenge of the bullet-eyed stare of a white man locking on to the lens and looking for a reason to attack; we share Elwood's instinctive response, to drop his gaze to his shoes and avoid confrontation. In another bruising glimpse of casual discrimination, an elderly man with a smirk of triumph and the backing of a cop prods his walking stick just below the camera lens and into Elwood's chest. Our glimpses of Elwood's face, caught in reflections in the polished chrome of an electric iron, or the glass of a shopfront, are powerful moments.

Most notably, there are two moments of unbearable poignancy featuring Ellis-Taylor, laying out the truth for her grandson, that we watch through his eyes. Another devastating encounter is a chance meeting in a New York bar between the much older Elwood (Daveed Diggs) and another former Nickel boy, Chickie Pete (Craig Tate, delivering one of the most powerful single scene performances of the past year).

The POV shooting style would not be nearly as effective, however, were it not for the quality of the craft elsewhere. The sound design, for example, is a delicate, intricate tapestry that is every bit as meticulously detailed as the production design. And the scrapbook collage of archive footage is crucial to the film's potency - a device that adds weight and context to the story, and which tightens the threads between timelines that extend almost up to the present day.

10. THE BRUTALIST

This film presented me with an interesting quandary. When it was over, the movie left me feeling cold. I didn't feel the kind of love and heart that I would usually expect from a movie making my top ten, but there's also no denying that Brady Corbet's film is a monumental cinematic achievement AND one of the year's best films AND one of the year's best acted movies ... just not one I ever want to watch again.

This is a film with definite assured directness and storytelling force, a movie that fills its widescreen and three-and-a-half-hour running time with absolute certainty and ease, as well as glorious amplitude - and yet also with something darkly mysterious and uncanny in a film where you never quite know where it's going.

This bold, vast exploration of the American Dream is at times uplifting and stoic and at others demoralizing and borderline sadistic. But, regardless of your inclination toward any of these contradicting extremes, Corbet makes damn sure his film is impossible to turn away from. This is a movie filled with both beauty and ugliness, where the former is often buried deep within the latter. Make no mistake, though, when the beauty comes out to shine, it is absolutely radiant.

One of the things I most admired about this film was the beauty of being shot on VistaVision, a format shot horizontally for a higher resolution large screen image. Originated at Paramount Pictures in 1954, VistaVision had become mostly obsolete in the 1960s, as CinemaScope and 70mm rose to prominence as dominant wide-screen formats.

Corbet has clearly studied the techniques of epic filmmaking. The influence of SO many of our greatest directors are all present. "The Brutalist" is by no means a derivative film. In fact, it is the most quintessentially American film to come along in some time. And like so many other classic films, I believe it will also be recognized as an everlasting gem of world cinema ... yes, even as it left me cold. But maybe that's the point ... hmmm.

11. CHALLENGERS

One of the best surprises of the year was this one. It's a sports drama, a black comedy, and also an erotic thriller about three very unhappy people whose lives are seemingly forever intertwined and are constantly at odds fighting to be the winner. It's sexy, mean, and marvelous. It's about the concept of the winner and can that person ever truly be happy if they have to sacrifice the important relationships in their life to achieve career success. It's a love triangle where all of the lines touch and where each line is equally important. It's a character study where the true drama in the story comes from the more you learn about everyone and what's expressed in wordless moments. And the ending is one of my favorite of the year, not giving in to the usual demand that we absolutely must know how something ends. We're not meant to know in this case, which is the entire point of the movie.

"Challengers" is obviously a showcase for the incredible Zendaya who fulfills every bit of promise shown in her earlier projects and gives the audience something she never has before. She is electric in every moment here, even as her motivations and morality become increasingly murky. She does so much with a glance or a nod of her head, and rarely loses her cool. The more we learn about her and what's driving this character to take the actions she's taking. Does she really care about either of the guys fighting for her affection or her admiration or her respect? It's debatable. She wants to be the best in her game, and at a certain point, she can't be anymore, and that's where things really get interesting.

The film has director Luca Guadagnino's signature style all over it. The camerawork is so specific and so enthralling and at certain points toes the line of feeling like they're just showing off, but by the time we get there you'll be so invested in this story, you'll hardly notice. The tennis matches are filmed in a way that makes this viewer who does not care at all about sports, want to reconsider that. The blazing, pulsating score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross also toes the line of occasionally feeling like maybe a little too much, but it never feels inorganic and never takes away from anything going on onscreen. In fact, it's one of the year's best film scores.

It's not often we see films like "Challengers" in American cinema anymore - at least not the kind that get a wide theatrical release, and aren't relegated to arthouse cinema or streaming only films. We NEED more mid-budget dramas for adults. Because, when they are done this well, it can remind one why they love going to the movies in the first place.

12. WILL & HARPER

My favorite documentary of the year, "Will & Harper" is a revelatory and daringly honest look at the evolving relationship between two old friends, and also an older trans woman's affection for her country. Harper Steele, a former head writer on "Saturday Night Live" and a longtime collaborator of Will Ferrell's, publicly came out as a trans woman in 2021 after decades spent in the closet. When Steele finally decided to live as herself, she questioned whether she'd be able to maintain that same fond relationship with the United States. "I love it so much," she says in an early interview. "I just don't know if it loves me back right now."

Ferrell's idea, in conjunction with director Josh Greenbaum, was to take Steele across the country on a road trip, in part to get reacquainted with his old (and now kind of new) friend, but also to serve as a sort of battering ram for her.

What Steele learns, is that transitioning does indeed change your relationship with wide swaths of the country. There are fewer places where she feels safe, and some where she feels actively threatened. Casual interactions with clerks, waiters, and fellow travelers become fraught highwire acts. On the other hand, Steele does find surprising spaces of belonging, from a karaoke bar, to a hot air balloon ride, to a dirt track race in the middle of nowhere.

Besides being a great road trip documentary with an incredibly powerful story to tell, it's Ferrell's unvarnished responses throughout the production that really make this film shine. Ferrell, while incredibly supportive of his friend and longtime creative partner, was not previously familiar with trans people in his life, going so far as to say he had "zero knowledge" of the community beforehand. It shows. And that makes the film feel authentic and relatable.

Ferrell may be a celebrity, but he models what many Americans have gone through this past decade, figuring out how to accept a trans loved one with no guidebook. That process, much like the film that was made about it, is beautiful, messy, and perfectly imperfect.

13. INSIDE OUT 2

The first "Inside Out" was not only one of the greatest and most intelligent animated films ever made, but in the year it was released, it became the only animated film I have ever chosen as the year's greatest film. No such placement for its just as inventive sequel, but that's not because it's not a great film. It's simply a different film examining a different age for Riley and a whole new group of hilarious emotions, and no sequel could ever achieve the magic that the first film had.

"Inside Out 2" picks up with Riley now entering adolescence. This sequel introduces us to new situations and, crucially, new emotions that reflect the more complex inner life. Adolescence is a time of significant change, and the film beautifully captures this by introducing emotions like Anxiety, who plays a pivotal role in Riley's evolving emotional landscape.

Anxiety is introduced as a new character whose primary goal is to protect Riley. One of the most moving and impactful scenes in the film is the visualization of a panic attack. The film's creators have done an incredible job of portraying what a panic attack feels like from the inside out. This scene serves as a powerful reminder of how overwhelming and consuming anxiety can be, and I hope that the portrayal fosters empathy and understanding for those who experience such episodes.

"Inside Out 2" is more than just a fun sequel; it's a profound exploration of the emotional complexities of growing up. Through Riley's journey, we are reminded of the importance of understanding and navigating our emotions, the impact of anxiety, and the necessity of self-compassion.

14. DUNE: PART TWO

"Dune: Part Two" is a rare big, expensive blockbuster with a lot on its mind. Not content with just spectacle (and boy, there is a lot of that), Denis Villeneuve's sequel packs in heavy thoughts on religion, war, revenge, romance, and yes, really big worms. It's not entirely successful, but there's definitely a lot to love here. I thought Villeneuve's first "Dune," adapted from the book by Frank Herbert, was a superior film to this one, although I know I'm in the minority on that opinion.

"Dune: Part Two" picks up almost immediately where the first film concluded. Paul, who understandably wants revenge, and Jessica have gone deeper into the Fremen territory, while the Harkonnen, lead by the massive, frequently floating Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard), try to take over Arrakis. Lurking in the background is the treacherous Emperor of the Universe, played by Christopher Walken, and his distraught daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh). Neither Walken nor Pugh has a whole lot to do here, but it's a treat to watch Walken work - he shows up, delivers his ominous lines with a whisper, and wipes the floor with anyone he's acting against.

For most of the runtime, Paul is a rather passive character; a reluctant savior going about his business. He's happy to become one of the Fremen, but he's shy about the whole "messiah" thing. His paramore Chani (Zendaya, who has a lot more screen time here than she did in the first film), loves Paul, but she also doesn't believe in the prophecies. This clashes with the Fremen Stilgar (Javier Bardem), who is all-in on Paul being divine.

The film is never boring, and its hefty runtime moves at a brisk pace, but Paul's indecision and reluctance make the narrative stagnant. Eventually, Villeneuve rectifies this with a stunner of a third act; a big, loud, terrifying finale that caught me by surprise. I just wish the rest of the movie had been as effective.

That's not to say "Dune: Part Two" is a disappointment. It's a grand, overwhelming sensory experience. Villeneuve has a great grasp on scale, and everything here feels appropriately huge. A shot of those giant sandworms bursting forth through a sandstorm is genuinely frightening because we can sense how massive these things are. The costumes are gorgeous, the scenery stuns, and the score booms and drones just as it was in the first film.

Perhaps viewing the first "Dune" and "Dune: Part Two" back-to-back is the best solution, but I suspect most people aren't going to do that - they're going to see a new movie. And what they'll get is half of one. But even half a movie directed by Denis Villeneuve is still a hell of a lot better than a ton of other movies that take no chances.

15. SEPTEMBER 5

Tim Fehlbaum's "September 5" feels like a documentary, in the best of ways; it puts us in a long-ago room and lets us watch, spellbound, as a group of journalists scramble to cover an unexpected, terrifying act of violence taking place under the eyes of the world. It's the 1972 Summer Olympics, in Munich, Germany, and the first Olympics to be broadcast live around the world via satellite. All is going well, and the first few minutes of "September 5" are a pleasant reminder of the days of enormous cameras, paper maps, and rotary phones - until somebody hears gunshots ringing out in the quiet Olympic Village, early in the morning. It's an attack by the Palestinian militant group Black September, which takes a number of Israeli athletes hostage - and these sports journalists suddenly find themselves telling a very different kind of story.

The film effectively blends real-life documentary footage (the real voices and faces of veteran ABC journalists Jim McKay, Peter Jennings and Howard Cosell appear) with scripted drama, peopled by actors who look right at home in a dark, overheated control room. none of these feel like performances; instead, the actors disappear into their outwardly nondescript characters, leaving us feeling like we're eavesdropping on a workday turned upside-down. We get a hint of the power plays at the network - "You're sports. You're way over your heads," says a condescending Jennings - and smell the sweat in the room. And we wonder, as the journalists do, what's happening to the hostages, trapped in a place where the cameras can't go.

Unfolding like a thriller but uncomfortably real, "September 5" is a haunting portrait of a time when seeing terrorism live on television was something new and strange - and a reminder that, sadly, things may not have changed all that much. But it's also a stirring depiction of people simply doing their jobs, making decisions in the moment as best they can, trying to do things right when there's no playbook and hundreds of millions of people watching. It's a taut and confident film, leaving its viewer impressed by competence, if not feeling a bit sad that the days of legacy television news may be numbered.

16. SKYWALKERS: A LOVE STORY

Part-thriller, part-romance and part-heist film, this documentary performs a delicate balance of genres that pays-off that for me was the most tension filled ending I experienced in all of the movies this year. Has there ever been a heist documentary before? I wouldn't be surprised if not, because they're typically, you know, super illegal. Luckily, this heist-of-a-sort is just legal enough to be both documentable and also the most thrilling, life-or-death entry into the heist genre you've ever seen.

The film follows two of the world's most famous-and, to certain governments, infamous-rooftoppers (aka skywalkers, hence the title) Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau as they plan their riskiest climb yet. The director began the project in 2015 when Nikolau was just starting out as not only the first female rooftopper to make waves in the male-dominated social media craze, but also as the only one with a truly creative spirit; incorporating her gymnast background into photos and videos high above the horizon. A year into the project, however, Nikolau and Beerkus - the most famous rooftopper in the world at the time - began to collaborate. The angle had to shift. It wasn't just about one woman standing alone above the rest (literally), it was about asking a question: What's scarier; risking a fatal fall from a great height or falling in love?

One would assume a decade or more of access to such footage like these on YouTube, the TikTok "For You Page", and any other internet devices would risk the videos feeling very been-there-done-that, but it does not. The tense narrative constructed by Beerkas and Nikolau's footage, masterfully edited together aftre seven years worth of footage, along with the sheer dizzying madness of what the rooftoppers are doing, is a revelation. As Beerkus states during the jaw-dropping climax, "They say there are no miracles, but here's one."

"Skywalkers" presents an oft misunderstood art form as everything it is, as well as what it can be. It doesn't shy away from the danger of the stunts, as Nikolau is informed in a harrowing moment that almost the entirety of her old rooftopping crew has died in pursuit of higher heights. However, it also shows the effort, the commitment, and the beauty of what these two artists are doing: finding balance, both in their art as well as in their relationship.

17. JUROR #2

Warner Bros. opened this film in limited release last fall, with minimal fanfare, and no plans to report the film's domestic box office. It's not the typical treatment for a Clint Eastwood movie, especially one that some think might be the last Clint Eastwood movie. I hope they're wrong. Either way, the fact that Eastwood's longtime studio would bury his latest speaks to the various crises that have befallen the industry in general and Warner Bros. in particular. At 94, Eastwood seems ever more like an anomaly in American filmmaking: a Hollywood legend with nothing left to prove, still cranking out his unfussy, mid-budget dramas for a grown-up audience that the major studios have all but abandoned.

But no matter where it was seen, I loved seeing a strong return to form for Eastwood after many recent disappointments.

Nicholas Hoult stars as Justin Kemp, a Georgia-based magazine writer who's expecting a baby with his wife, played by Zoey Deutch. It's a high-risk pregnancy, and so the timing isn't ideal when Justin gets selected as a juror in a major murder trial.

The defendant, James Sythe, stands accused of killing his girlfriend, Kendall Carter, after the two had a heated argument in a bar one night. As the facts of the case emerge, Justin, who is recovering from alcoholism, realizes that he was at that same bar on the very night in question - and that he hit something he had assumed was a deer while driving home.

That setup alone makes for an intriguing film, and thankfully the execution did not disappoint. It all plays like a new riff on "12 Angry Men", where one man seeks to sway his fellow jurors, not to bring about justice so much as assuage his own conscience. But Justin isn't the only character held up for moral scrutiny. The courtroom's most compelling figure is the prosecutor, Faith, played with terrific nuance by Toni Collette. Faith does her job with skill, integrity and a great deal of ambition; she's running for district attorney, and she knows that securing a conviction could help her chances.

Eastwood may take his characters to task, but he also sees the bigger picture. He's long had a skeptical view of institutions and their failings, ll. In Juror #2, he takes measured aim at the American justice system, from the dogged attorneys muddling their way through the evidence to the exhausted jurors who just want to deliver a quick verdict to the procedural fault lines and blind spots that can make the truth seem so elusive.

It's a thorny, thoughtful film, and I wish its own studio had more confidence in it. If Eastwood does make another one, I wouldn't mind seeing him take on another broken American system rife with cynicism, self-interest, and compromise - and that, of course, is Hollywood itself.

18. EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS

The movies misunderstand forgiveness all of the time. To achieve the proper happy ending, forgiveness needs to be earned and absolute. But that's not reality. In real life, forgiveness is messy, and complicated, and rarely ends with two people walking off happily into the sunset, the past erased from history. Artist Titus Kaphar's remarkable feature directing debut understands how complicated it truly can be as he explores generational trauma and forgiveness between a son and his estranged father.

Pulling from his own troubled relationship with his father, Kaphar crafts a film that is, let's be honest, a really tough watch. And I mean that in the best possible sense. This is a movie that pulls no punches emotionally, and it will be triggering for a lot of people.

There are no easy answers here that Kaphar provides. For a first-time filmmaker and one with an artist background, Kaphar's film is simply constructed and graceful, allowing the wealth of talented actors to fully embrace their roles in some truly remarkable and lived in performances. Numerous movies find the filmmaker relieving their burdens through storytelling, but they all start to look and feel the same. "Exhibiting Forgiveness" feels like a story that only Kaphar could tell with this kind of specificity. This is a film that comes from someone who understands that forgiveness is rarely about the person asking for it.

19. EMILIA PEREZ

One thing's for sure ... you have not seen a movie like this. Oh, you've seen movies about drug cartels and their criminal enterprises. You've seen musicals. You've even seen movies about trans people, more and more so as society becomes more progressive - or at least, as it once was going. But all in the same movie? No, this definitely was a movie you could truly call unique, even as it remains an imperfect mess. But I would take an imperfect mess over a lot of the unoriginal films that come out of Hollywood.

Some people believe this makes Jacques Audiard's film a particular sort of trainwreck, which I can't deny that it is. Then there are those who criticize the film for the way it portrays the trans experience, which is obviously the aspect of this film that has superseded the others in terms of public discussion.

And the reality of "Emilia Perez" to me is that whatever missteps it may make - a tone-deaf musical number about sex-change operations being one - this is a glorious use of all the tools at Audiard's disposal as a filmmaker. To describe the plot of this film would be to give too much away.

There is always going to be an asterisk next to a film like "Emilia Perez", which occurs as soon as some voice in the audience questions its trans credentials, which they have every right to do. With "Emilia Perez" in particular, that's more than one voice. However, it's hard to imagine that the alternative would be preferable, that someone not make a movie like this because they're worried about not getting it just right - and therefore, delay further the representation it carries with it. Give me a slightly imperfect "Emilia Perez" any day, rather than tell me that no "Emilia Perez" is better.

20. HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA - CHAPTER ONE

In this day and age when major film studios are so resistant to taking a risk and producing something original, I'm continually inspired by the rare few filmmakers who will sacrifice their own money to see their vision come to life. None was more ambitious in 2024 than Kevin Costner, who released the first of what he hopes will be a four film series. As I write this, the future of any further movies in the series are in doubt as audiences did not turn out to see it, which I feel was a shame. Sure, this film didn't succeed quite as much as I had hoped, but I still think it was a beautiful addition to the western film genre, and I desperately hope that Costner will be able to finish this vision without going bankrupt.

It's not a perfect film, and the pacing and editing at times can feel a bit jarring, with time-jumps that leave too much out, rushing certain stories because even with three hours there is simply too much going on, too many characters and too many different stories to possibly keep track of everything, let alone develop every thread into something like what you'd expect in a Western. But that's what I actually like about it. It actually rewards the viewer that can stick with this (IF we do get the see the next three films), and rewards the patience to see how this first installment will set us up for something that will hopefully be extraordinary.

The movie has a great sense of place, with its sweeping vistas and distinct locations, and as long as you expect that the film will feel incomplete, I think you'll find this Western world that Costner has created quite intriguing and left with wanting more.

Costner spent $38 million of his own money on this project (so far). I genuinely hope he can raise enough money to finish all four films ... and that some studio is brave enough to make sure we have the opportunity to see them.

21. THE GREATEST NIGHT IN POP

This film was a beautiful surprise. It's a documentary that takes us inside the making of the 1985 hit single "We Are the World", written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie and performed by an ensemble of mega stars to fundraise for the devastating famine in Ethiopia.

At the start of the film we learn the whole thing was in fact Harry Belafonte's idea. He called Lionel Ritchie to get the project going, and the rest of the documentary is firmly fixed on Ritchie's heroic efforts to pull off a high-stakes, one-night-only recording session with some of the biggest artists of the 80s. The entire film is a rush - a weird, beautiful, excruciating, poignant, marvelously insane, wondrous capture of star-powered collision.

I was surprised just how much I hadn't known about the recording of this song, and loved every revelation. The film almost plays like a thriller, and you almost don't believe that they finally pulled it off.

There are so many moments to savor. Seeing Bob Dylan's vulnerability. Finding out that Prince was supposed to be involved but didn't show. Lionel Ritchie at large: his exceptional energy, his concern for all of the artists. The fact he hosted the American Music Awards, won a ton of awards at the same time, and then raced to the studio to get recording going gave me a whole new respect for him!

Then there's the ever-present brilliance of Quincy Jones. His authority over what must have been, even for him, an intimidating room. When he yawns at the end of the night and says "the adrenaline has taken the train," you want to hug and thank the man. When Lionel Ritchie tells us that Diana Ross was the last to go because she "didn't want to leave" you want to linger with her too.

"The Greatest Night in Pop" begs the question of what the superstars of today could achieve if they got into a room together, checked their egos at the door, and pooled their power for the greater good.

22. WOMAN OF THE HOUR

A serial killer taking part in a game show sounds like a nasty joke dreamt up in a true-crime podcast. Anna Kendrick's stunning directorial debut revisits the stranger-than-fiction real-life events which saw Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), in the midst of a murder spree, appearing on The Dating Game in 1978. It's a story that initially incorporates the sometimes ridiculous hamster wheel of television production, but also, and perhaps more importantly, the mind games and dangerous precision with which Alcala toys with perception and trust.

More a social commentary than a thriller, the film spends longer listening to the women who were long ignored - those who suspected him, those who trusted him, those who reported him - than witnessing his crimes. You don't need to see evil inflicted on a woman to feel her suffering. Kendrick plays actor/fellow contestant Cheryl Bradshaw with a precise focus and determination she's rarely been allowed before.

As a director, Kendrick displays wisdom in walking the knife's edge between the thrill of being seen and the danger of being watched. It's compelling the longer it sits with you - less engrossing than a schlocky genre film, and perhaps slightly more anticlimactic as a result, but you never doubt its intelligence.

Kendrick's knack for capturing period detail goes beyond the psychedelic synthetics and kipper ties. She taps into the treacherous sexism that was hardwired into the entertainment industry and wider culture of the time, both of which are shown to be minefields of fragile male egos and potential violence.

23. CIVIL WAR

One of the most sobering films of the year that felt a little too close to reality. In Alex Garland's war film, set in the near-present, we see a vision of the nation where a violent civil war has broken out between the Loyalist States, the Western Forces (an unlikely pairing of Texas and California), and the Florida Alliance.

The film does not give the viewer much information about the catalyst for this catastrophic war, only hinting that the film's fictitious President (Nick Offerman) broke with precedent by taking a third term. Instead, it drops us directly into the middle of a country that bears only a passing resemblance to the USA that we currently call home. In Garland's world, paramilitary units enforce their own laws, journalists are shot on sight in the capitol, and cellular service is suppressed.

Led by intrepid photographer Lee, portrayed by Kirsten Dunst in a career-best role, the film follows a group of photojournalists who attempt to reach Washington D.C. and interview the sitting President before he is inevitably assassinated by the soon-to-be-victorious Western Forces, a secessionist government. In their journey to the capitol, we bear witness to the brutal mental and physical violence caused by the war, heightened by Garland and Co's aggressive editing and forceful sound design.

Aside from the powerful visuals and grounded battle scenes, the film's most impactful element is its social and political commentary, which manages to feel timely despite a lack of partisan bias.

When Americans refuse to have honest and open debate despite their ideological differences, (i.e. secede from the nation or walk away from discussions that make them uncomfortable), it becomes that much easier to see the "other side" as an enemy. "Civil War" shows us the horror that unfolds when we lose sight of this humanity and vilify those with alternative viewpoints.

24. SATURDAY NIGHT

Others will call this slight or trivial, which I don't have an issue with. It's messy and absurd, too on the nose at times, and doesn't feel that it even needed to be made. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of it. And in a very difficult year, enjoying a movie all the way through was not only needed, but deserving of a place on a best of the year list.

After half a century worth of seasons, this film serves as a reminder of just how special "Saturday Night Live" was. Not just in the decades of incredible comedic geniuses filled its rosters, but in how its initial launch was a true comedic fantasy. And that all comes together here with its fast-pace supported by an amazing design and great performances. It's a little in your face at times with Easter eggs and impressions, but that's kinda the fun of it all.

The long takes and slick editing adds to the tension and brings the audience into the backstage of the first SNL. It's pure chaos and I couldn't help but constantly laugh and smile at the energy it brought. The production design brought the audience back to 70s New York, not just on the city streets but within 30 Rock. It's exactly what a film about SNL and the hectic production should feel like.

Without any true A or B listers, the cast pulls it off. The charisma, emotion, chaos, absurdity ... it's all there. I felt top to bottom, everyone held their own, which is incredible given the iconic impressions they were going for and the limited screentime most of the actors got. Sure, I don't believe for a second that SO many of these things actually happened on just that one night, but you gotta believe it happened at some point. And the whole experience was worth it if only for the hilarious take down of Chevy Chase by a ruthless Uncle Miltie who couldn't quite understand how this ragtag group could be TV stars.

25. LEE

A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon an article talking about World War II photographer Lee Miller. I was immediately fascinated by her story, discovering what incredibly powerful photographs she had taken during the war. And when I saw her iconic image taken of her in Hitler's bathtub towards the end of the war, I wanted to learn more about how she made it all the way to that place, and was thankful to read that a movie was in development to tell that very story.

When the film finally arrived, it was criticized by some as being too "conventional" of a biopic, but I actually think that worked in its favor, as Kate Winslet's performance and the story of Lee Miller alone are already fascinating enough without needing much more than a conventional story. In no way does this movie do full justice to the enormous audacity of her life, which stretches from New York (she was American) to Paris to Cairo and beyond, from work in the 1920s as a fashion model and into the early 30s as a fashion photographer and muse to, friend of, and collaborator with artists including Man Ray and Jean Cocteau, and as a surrealistic artistic photographer herself. No, "Lee" covers mostly just the less-than-a-decade of her WWII war-correspondent work. Miller was so incredible a character that this movie barely scratches the surface of her. And still it is an important and moving film.

Kate Winslet as Lee bears a passing physical resemblance to the photog, but much more vitally brings the necessary ballsiness as a woman who faced sexism at every turn but forced it to work for her, because what other choice did she have? Lee was, as we see here, accredited as a war correspondent but was constantly limited in the access she was allowed. When women weren't allowed into military press briefings, for instance, she detoured herself into investigating the barracks of women nurses. Because Miller was denied the opportunities that men got, she was forced to find untold stories to tell. And she did so with huge impact.

In maybe the best way, this is an homage to Lee Miller's work in that it is solid and workmanlike in its execution while also bringing a fresh perspective. But it's also joyous filmmaking, with additional terrific performances by Andrea Riseborough, Marion Cotillard, Alexander Skarsgard, and especially by Andy Samberg as Miller's war-photographer colleague David Scherman.

The film was a passion project of Winslet's (she also is a producer), and it clearly shows in the final product.