Read the Top 6 Worst Movies of 2024 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read Dave Scaddan\u2019s Top 20 Albums of 2024 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, onto the Best of the Rest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 11 Conclave<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclave<\/em> is a fairly engrossing political thriller set within the walls of a Vatican conclave, where secrets, power, and faith collide. Based on the novel by Robert Harris, the story follows the tense election of a new pope after the sudden death of the previous pontiff. Cardinals from around the world gather as alliances form and betrayals simmer. With its high-stakes intrigue and intimate exploration of faith and morality, Conclave<\/em> offers a look at the hidden machinations of one of the world\u2019s most secretive institutions. It\u2019s very well made from a technical standpoint, it\u2019s well-acted, and it asks some good questions about faith and the church. The ending felt a bit tacked on, or like it was from a different film than the rest of the story, but this didn\u2019t hold the movie back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 12 Deadpool & Wolverine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ryan Reynolds\u2019 wisecracking Deadpool faces off against Hugh Jackman\u2019s grizzled Wolverine in this action-packed clash of titans. It\u2019s a pretty darn entertaining spoof and satire of late-stage comic book films. It\u2019s crass, gory, and ultra-violent, albeit, in a cartoonish way. There are also some deeply emotional moments buried in the noise, thanks to Hugh Jackman\u2019s performance. Though, if you hate Deadpool\/Reynolds, you\u2019ll hate this. But I enjoyed it. Here\u2019s my video One-Minute Movie Review<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 13 Civil War<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kirsten Dunst stars in this poignant drama set against the backdrop of a divided America, exploring personal and political conflicts that mirror the nation\u2019s struggles. A moving and thought-provoking film, it delves into themes of identity, loyalty, and survival. You can read my full review here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 14 Kneecap<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This Irish-language comedy-drama follows the antics of a Belfast-based rap group navigating fame, politics, and friendship in a chaotic, unforgettable journey. It\u2019s occasionally a bit too earnest or on-the-nose, but otherwise it\u2019s a smart, funny, engaging movie about the power of language. Anchored by a strong and likeable cast who feel genuine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 15 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The next chapter in the Planet of the Apes<\/em> saga sees a young ape embark on a journey, years after the reign of Caesar, that causes him to rethink everything he thought he knew. Directed by Wes Ball, this visually stunning epic expands the series with emotional depth and thrilling action. It ended on a note that made me want to see more stories set in this world. Hey, you damn dirty apes! Invent some pants already!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 16 VHS: Beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The latest installment in the VHS<\/em> anthology series dives into new realms of terror, this time sci-fi inspired, with each found-footage story delivering inventive scares and eerie surprises. Perfect for horror fans seeking creative and unsettling thrills. These anthologies are uneven by nature, but I thought this was a fairly strong entry into the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 17 Heretic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hugh Grant stars as a reclusive man who is visited by teenage missionaries. As their seemingly routine visit spirals into terror, Heretic<\/em> explores themes of belief, manipulation, and the darkness within. Grant\u2019s sinister performance is fun as he plays against type. It\u2019s a bit silly at times, but pretty effective at building dread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 18 It\u2019s What\u2019s Inside<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A surprise guest arrives at a gathering of college kids with a mysterious suitcase that changes how they look at reality. A clever high concept twist on body swap stories, mostly inventively told, with some good twists. There\u2019s a lot going on and I may have lost the plot at times, but overall it was unique and entertaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 19 Thelma<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n June Squibb shines once again as Thelma, a 93-year-old woman who is scammed by someone pretending to be her grandson. She sets out to get back what is hers. This was fun. It was directed like a Mission Impossible<\/em> movie for the elderly (and they nod to that series as well). It\u2019s a well-worn genre of safe cinema for older people (like The King\u2019s Speech<\/em> or The Duke<\/em>), so it\u2019s sometimes predictable or mawkish, but it\u2019s also deeply sweet, sad, and amusing. Richard Roundtree is great too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 20 Flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Made on open-source animation software, Flow<\/em> is the story of a cat who is displaced by a flood in some sort of climate-change affected future. He takes refuge with other animals and they have to face this damaged world together. It\u2019s beautiful and dreamlike, sometimes minimal to a fault. But it has profound things to say about its ecological themes and the intimacy of friendship in hard times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 21 I Saw the TV Glow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two lonely teenagers discover a mysterious TV show that seems to blur the line between fiction and reality, leading to unsettling consequences. I Saw the TV Glow<\/em> has a playfully colourful aesthetic, but it\u2019s also brooding and thoughtful. It might get a little lost sometimes trying to be David Lynch and not everything works, but the movie goes beyond being just entertainment. It has trans and LGBTQ+ themes, but I\u2019d say that no matter your orientations, it also speaks to the misunderstood weirdo in all of us. It must be all the more powerful for those that it\u2019s holding space for, but it works on both levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 22 Hundreds of Beavers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This black-and-white slapstick comedy follows a fur trapper who must hunt hundreds of beavers to survive a harsh winter. It has some absurd humor and inventive storytelling, like Chaplin or Keaton mashed up with Looney Toons<\/em>. If this movie was an hour and a half instead of almost two hours, it would probably be in my top 10. Unfortunately, as fun as it is, it also wears out its welcome by the end. But it\u2019s still worth a watch and some guaranteed laughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 23 Kinds of Kindness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lanthimos is back (so soon) with a trio of modern fables told as anthology stories but featuring the same actors playing different roles in each. Lots of interesting ideas and engaging scenes, though I\u2019m not sure I was always smart enough to get the point. It\u2019s something unique from the franchise IP we\u2019re constantly force fed, so I love that, but it also feels somewhat half-baked and self-indulgent. It reminded me of Moe from the Simpsons talking about post-modernism: \u201cYou know, weird for the sake of weird.\u201d This sounded negative, but the movie still landed on this best of list. Not Lanthimos\u2019 best work, but better than all but 22 of the other movies I saw this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 24 Rebel Ridge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeremy Saulnier delivers a high-octane thriller about a former marine uncovering corruption in a small Southern town while evading violent forces. It\u2019s reminiscent of First Blood<\/em> or some classic westerns. Sometimes it takes a bit too long to get where it\u2019s going (and it\u2019s longer than necessary), but it\u2019s a strong action movie with a great cast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 25 Last Stop in Yuma County<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At a remote desert gas station, strangers\u2019 lives collide in a tense standoff fueled by secrets and survival instincts. I watched this because I like Jim Cummings, though he didn\u2019t direct it. The movie feels like an attempt to pay homage to Tarantino or the Coen Brothers. It gets a bit derivative in the first third but it eventually opens up and takes some exciting twists and turns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 26 The Bikeriders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff Nichols\u2019 gritty drama chronicles the rise of a 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club, blending themes of loyalty, rebellion, and identity. It doesn\u2019t always hit the mark and it gets too melodramatic in places (Jodie Comer\u2019s high-pitched performance doesn\u2019t help). It\u2019s Goodfellas<\/em>-lite vs Sons of Anarchy<\/em>. Its real strength is that it has a deeper commitment to telling a story about how times move on and the only constant is change. It doubles as a homoerotic takedown of toxic machismo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 27 In a Violent Nature<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A monster is unleashed in the wilderness after a locket is removed from a fire tower. I could see why its very deliberate pacing and artsy fartsy delivery could throw people but I dug the confidence it had to let you simmer in that vibe. The killings start out lo-fi and realistic but get increasingly silly; it was better when it was focused on terrifyingly dumb brutality. It won\u2019t be for everyone but it\u2019s an interesting take on the Jason-style slasher film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 28 Oddity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A psychic medium seeks revenge for her sister\u2019s murder. It has a low budget TV production look and it\u2019s not perfect. Characters do that dumb thing where they keep doing dumb things, some of the dialogue is pretty on-the-nose, and the story is somewhat far-fetched. However, if you take it in the vibe of the old EC Comics<\/em> morality tales, it works. And more so, it\u2019s goddamn terrifying at times. It\u2019s super effective in terms of both the atmosphere and tension as well as the jump scares. All of this helps gloss over its faults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 29 Brats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A captivating documentary from Andrew McCarthy exploring the rise and cultural impact of the Brat Pack, the group of young actors who defined a generation of 1980s cinema. This was a strangely fascinating one. McCarthy over directs it and he feels somewhat pathetic, working out his therapy on camera and perhaps squeezing the last bit of fame out of the Brat Pack concept. However, this actually serves to make the movie more interesting — and he also asks great questions about how certain cultural movements work, who was truly involved in the Brat Pack, and whether it was actually a thing. Maybe I\u2019m a sucker for pop culture theory, but this was both intriguing and entertaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 30 My Old Ass<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A young woman takes shrooms and comes face-to-face with her 38-year-old self. 10% Hallmark movie. 10% Life as a House<\/em>. It loses its high concept premise for long stretches (and Aubrey Plaza is front and centre in the marketing, but must have shot a day or so and phoned in the rest). But it\u2019s a decent story with well-drawn characters and likeable actors playing them. It\u2019s a bit sloppy and melodramatic in places, but it\u2019s also genuinely funny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the Top 10 Best Movies of 2024 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.craigsilliphant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/conclave-188391.jpg\")
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