#1 Conclave
 |
The riveting story of cardinals, power and faith. |
| The genius of Conclave kind of sneaks up on you. The (fictional) story of electing a pope becomes a riveting and at times suspenseful power struggle between men. A line near the beginning said by Stanley Tucci’s Cardinal Bellini, a line also said in politics (but not often enough), goes, “the person who wants the position the most, is exactly the type of person who should not get it.” Those who seek power are those who should not have power. | 2024 Directed by: Edward Berger Screenplay by: Peter Straughan, Robert Harris Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini | |
| See full review of Conclave | ||
#2 September 5
 |
A riveting look when sports journalism and politics intersect. |
| I wasn’t expecting September 5 to be a companion piece to Civil War (in a good way), but it basically is. An examination of the role journalists play in the coverage of a terrorist attack. In this particular case, sports journalists and the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack. It is remarkable in how it’s able to keep its focus small but touch on so many relevant and important topics in both today’s world and in 1972. | 2024 Directed by: Tim Fehlbaum Screenplay by: Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum and Alex David Starring: John Magaro, Peter Sarsgaard | |
| See full review of September 5 | ||
#3 Juror #2
 |
The flawed justice system in a smart and tightly written courtroom drama. |
| Every aspect of justice is explored in Juror #2, a courtroom drama from veteran filmmaker Clint Eastwood. Justin (Nicholas Hoult) and his wife Allison (Zoey Deutch) have a baby on the way when Justin is selected for jury duty of a murder trial. “Don’t worry,” he tells her, “It will be a quick trial.” It’s also a high-profile case with lead prosecutor, Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette), currently running for district attorney. | 2024 Directed by: Clint Eastwood Screenplay by: Jonathan A. Abrams Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Chris Messina, J.K. Simmons, Zoey Deutch | |
| See full review of Juror #2 | ||
#4 Thelma
 |
Authentic depiction of aging and absolutely hilarious. |
| Thelma is one of the best movies about aging you’ll ever see, all wrapped up in a thoroughly entertaining, absolutely hilarious story. Thelma (June Squibb) is 93 years old and still living on her own. Her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger) comes over regularly, he helps her check her email on her computer and reminds her to wear her life alert bracelet - she refuses because she can take care of herself on her own. | 2024 Directed by: Josh Margolin Screenplay by: Josh Margolin Starring: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger | |
| See full review of Thelma | ||
#5 Anora
 |
The hilarious and heart-breaking life lived in excess for a call girl. |
| Sean Baker knows how to structure a film. Like all good stories, there are three distinct acts. Most viewers are apparently expecting only Act 1 because it tells the beginnings of a story where other movies end (hello Pretty Woman). Ani, short for Anora, (Mikey Madison) is a stripper and call girl; working at a large, high-end strip club, she gets hired by Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn) a young, obscenely rich Russian party boy. | 2024 Directed by: Sean Baker Screenplay by: Sean Baker Starring: Mikey Madison | |
| See full review of Anora | ||
#6 Woman of the Hour
 |
Captivating and smart portrayal of a true crime thriller. |
| Woman of the Hour can be an uncomfortable watch, a movie that doesn’t really all come together until the end when you realize how succinctly it has told a true crime story with real implications from the sexism of the 1970s. How women weren’t believed and how easily people can present themselves differently. It's a measured and careful movie, a smart blend of what's needed to tell both a small story of one game show and an epic tale of misogyny. | 2024 Directed by: Anna Kendrick Screenplay by: Ian McDonald Starring: Daniel Zovatto, Anna Kendrick | |
| See full review of Woman of the Hour | ||
#8 Fitting
 |
Funny, heartbreaking, uplifting exploration of being different. |
| Fitting In is one of the best teen sex comedies ever. Mostly because it’s so different it seems as though it hardly fits in that genre at all. Other than being more heartbreaking than it is funny, it is a coming of age comedy about a girl in high school struggling with being different, how to fit in, and accepting how not to fit in. The title is perfect on multiple levels. | 2023 Directed by: Molly McGlynn Screenplay by: Molly McGlynn Starring: Maddie Ziegler, Emily Hampshire | |
| See full review of Fitting In | ||
#8 Hit Man
 |
A devilishly smart crowd-pleaser. |
| An interesting distinction needs to be made with Hit Man: It’s based on a real person, but it’s not based on a true story. Meaning, the main character and all his various personas and jobs and identities – all true, but the main plot and most of the action of the second half, all fabricated. Writer and director Richard Linklater has spent his career throwing in a few ‘based on a true story’ movies among his humorous and touching movies about the human existence. It's only fitting that Hit Man deftly combines the two. | 2024 Directed by: Richard Linklater Screenplay by: Richard Linklater, Glen Powell, Skip Hollandsworth Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona | |
| See full review of Hit Man | ||
#9 A Real Pain
 |
Past tragedies, current pain. |
| Take a walk through Poland with cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) as they join a Holocaust tour group. While on the surface it may seem like A Real Pain is a reflection on a tragic past with the cousins and the other Jewish members of the tour group discussing what their ancestors went through as they visit museums, memorials and a concentration camp, it is actually a discussion on mental health in the present day. | 2024 Directed by: Jesse Eisenberg Screenplay by: Jesse Eisenberg Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin | |
| See full review of A Real Pain | ||
#10 I Used to Be Funny
 |
Combining comedy and tragedy in a valid and effective way. |
| I Used to Be Funny is a funny and sobering look at PTSD. Stand-up comedy meets depression and grief, sexual assault, and the inherent misogyny within law enforcement. Sam (Rachel Sennott) is a stand-up comedian – was a stand-up comedian as she corrects everyone; these days she can barely get out of bed and even just washing herself gets a non-sarcastic congratulations from her supportive roommates. | 2023 Directed by: Ally Pankiw Screenplay by: Ally Pankiw Starring: Rachel Sennott | |
| See full review of I Used to Be Funny | ||
#11 Twisters
 |
A fun movie grounded into something real and emotional. |
| The marketing for Twisters has been primarily Glen Powell, which is fair since he might be the hottest movie star around right now. Absent from the marketing, but perhaps the most significant element is director Lee Isaac Chung. Not yet a household name, Chung is only known for the indie awards darling Minari – a family drama about Korean Americans living in Arkansas. The connection between that and Twisters is not obvious; however, he knows how to ground it into real human drama and he’s from tornado alley. | 2024 Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung Screenplay by: Mark L. Smith, Joseph Kosinski Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell | |
| See full review of Twisters | ||
#12 My Old Ass
 |
A perfect mix of genres, characters and choices in life. |
| Let me just get one thing off my chest: I don’t like the title. I think it cheapens the movie; it may fit the characters in the beginning, but the movie grows so far beyond that. My Old Ass presents a few different themes but it evolves into something so sweet, uplifting and relatable (minus the parts that ignore the laws of time). | 2024 Directed by: Megan Park Screenplay by: Megan Park Starring: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza | |
| See full review of My Old Ass | ||
#13 The Fire Inside
 |
An underdog boxing story that goes so much further. |
| On its surface, The Fire Inside appears to be like most other sports biographies – underdog athlete overcomes adversity to win a championship. But there’s a moment, and it comes very suddenly, where boxer Claressa Shields achieves her dreams and then you realize we’re only half-way into the movie. Director Rachel Morrison and writer Barry Jenkins realized something important – sometimes the more interesting moments come after the big victory. | 2024 Directed by: Rachel Morrison Screenplay by: Barry Jenkins Starring: Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry | |
| See full review of The Fire Inside | ||
#14 The Way We Speak
 |
A character study about wrong vs right, good vs bad. |
| The Way We Speak is a character study. A low-key dialogue heavy examination of a man as he embarks on a career-pivotal debate and cares for a wife dying of cancer. It’s also a career-defining role for Patrick Fabian. An actor that most people will recognize from decades of TV work including Better Call Saul, Big Love and Veronica Mars. He has a knack for playing bad guys that can hide behind charm and smarm. | 2024 Directed by: Ian Ebright Screenplay by: Ian Ebright Starring: Patrick Fabian, Diana Coconubo, and Kailey Rhodes | |
| See full review of The Way We Speak | ||
#15 A New York Story
 |
A love story that really pulls you in. |
| A New York Story is heavily influenced by Whit Stillman and Woody Allen. A tale of class differences in New York City anchored by a pair of young lovers who often find themselves walking the New York sights as autumn changes to winter. It’s a romantic aesthetic which I loved as a teenager but in recent years it no longer feels fresh or mature. However, it really fits the tone and these characters as they make their way towards each other across the class lines. | 2024 Directed by: Fiona Robert Screenplay by: Fiona Robert, Sofia Robert Starring: Fiona Robert, Paul Karmiryan | |
| See full review of A New York Story | ||