As with every year, depending on my mood, this list could change. The one thing that I think is consistant is the top 3. All 3 of the top 3 are movies that have a high level of rewatchablity and each time I rewatch I connect with them emotionally. Due everything that happened in my life in 2024, I didn’t go to the movies as often. I saw 32 movies that were released in 2024. That is down from previous years.

Here is the list:

10- Alien: Romulus

This movie is more of a nostalgia pick. I can’t say I am a fan of the “Alien” franchise that started in 1979, but one of the earliest horror movies I saw was the 1986 Sigourney Weaver-led movie “Aliens.” In all the movies, the protagonists fight the alien Xenomorphs, who will eat people or plant eggs inside them. “Alien: Romulus” takes place around the same time as the 1986 story but with a different cast, and they are fighting to survive in a space station. The characters are relatable and easy to route for. It is an enjoyable ride, and I hope we see the surviving characters again. Based on this film’s reception when it hit streaming, we will surely see a sequel.

9- I.S.S.

As I go through my list of movies to choose for this list, there is always one that surprises me.  I forgot that I saw this movie this year! Here is what I like about this. The story follows Dr Kira Foster, an American astronaut, as she joins the international space station crew. It is a mix of Americans and Russians on the station. They are all getting along great until World War 3 breaks out on earth, and each team is told by their governments to collect a specific item of research vital to winning the war and to kill everyone that is not of their nation of origin.  This is a great thriller that is worth watching.

8- Mufasa: The Lion King

The original “The Lion King” from 1994 is probably my favorite Disney (non-Pixar) animated movie. The original film follows the young lion Simba, who blames himself for the death of his dad, Mufasa, who was killed by his brother Scar. This is a prequel and sequel to the 2019 “The Lion King” remake. The story starts a few years after the first movie’s events. Simba is dropping off his daughter Kiara to be babysat by the monkey spiritual leader, Rafiki. Kiara is scared because her parents are gone, and a storm is coming. To distract her, Rafiki tells how her grandfather, whom she never met, became the original Lion King. What I love about this story is that I enjoy generational stories. It is fun to learn the stories of those who came before you. Kaira may have not known Mufasa, but she can learn and connect with with his story.

7- A Complete Unknown

This may be recency bias since I saw it yesterday, but I added it to the list anyway. Timothee Chalamet plays the folk singer Bob Dylan at the beginning of his career. What is impressive is that Chalamet becomes Bob Dylan. He looks like him, he sings like him, and he plays like him. In this movie, Bob Dylan is very destructive as he doesn’t respect his relationships, but my big takeaway is that sometimes things need to break to bring about change. Dylan wanted to break out of the Folk scene and move into Rock; by doing that, he had to alienate people who helped him start his career and the fans who loved his early work. There is no easy way to do it. Sometimes, you must take charge of your life and not allow others to dictate who you are. I have had to do that in my own way, and it isn’t easy. It does get easier over time, but sometimes, you have to move on from people and places, and it will hurt. Also, many of Bob Dylan’s songs have been a part of my life for so many years, it was nice to hear the origin of many of my favorites.

6- Civil War

Civil War is a fun “what if” take on what if the United States descends into Civil War in modern times. The tensions in this country feel very real. The one thing that this movie does successfully is not choose sides in our country’s current divides. At the film’s beginning, they say that California and Texas are on the same side, which signals that it has nothing to do with our real-world divide. The story follows a team of journalists whose job is to document what is happening in the war. They witnessed and took photos of multiple battles on their journey to DC, where they wanted to interview the US President. It is very dark, but, again, it feels genuine.  

5- Heretic

Heretic is a psychological thriller where Hugh Grant’s character, Mr. Reed, traps two missionary girls in his house and sends them on a series of tests in his maze-like house to test their faith. This movie addresses many topics of faith and belief and why we believe. It is very tense and thought-provoking. What I enjoy is that, despite the villain of the film’s animosity against religion, the movie itself doesn’t take a side and leaves the question of why you believe up to the audience.

4- Deadpool & Wolverine

I love a couple of Marvel superheroes, and they are both in this movie. Deadpool and Wolverine.  One of my all-time favorite movies was the 2017 Wolverine movie “Logan.” In that movie, Wolverine discovers that he has a daughter, Laura, whom a group is trying to capture to use her as a weapon. He goes on a road trip with her to take her to safety in Canada… and spoilers… he dies at the end of the movie saving her. The slightly comical plot of “Deadpool & Wolverine” is that Deadpool’s universe is getting pruned because of the importance of Wolverine to his universe (the plot doesn’t make sense, but I love it), so Deadpool finds the worst Wolverine from another universe to bring him to his universe thinking it will save it. What I enjoy about this is that the movie has a lot of heart, and I love anything involving the multiverse, so I want the odd team they put together across the multiverse to defeat the villains. This is high on my list because it is just so much fun which makes it easy to rewatch.

3- Origin

“Origin” is a documentary and biopic about Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson. Wilkerson is known for her book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent,” which explores the roots of racism. The film follows her journey as she researches this book and delves into her personal life during the writing process. As she worked on the book, she experienced the loss of multiple loved ones due to natural causes. Despite these challenges, she remained committed to her work, which she felt was vital for herself and those she had lost.

I watched this film in January 2024, and the lessons I learned from it have stayed with me. One compelling moment, which I won’t spoil, involves her interaction with someone who exhibited racist views. Wilkerson chose to humanize this person, leading to a profoundly moving outcome.

After seeing the movie, I purchased the audiobook and enjoyed it. While the film covers enough of her research that the audiobook isn’t strictly necessary, I appreciated listening.

2- Wicked

So, this movie took me by surprise. I didn’t expect to hate it, but I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did. I attended an early screening thanks to my friend Tammy, who loved the musical. This movie is based on a Broadway musical that follows the origin story of the Wizard of Oz characters Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Glenda (the Good Witch). They go from being enemies as roommates in school to being best friends and dealing with significant challenges. What I love about the movie is that you feel the friendship between these two women, and the emotions feel real. I have seen this three times and every time, I cry. There is no way at the beginning of this year, long before I saw this, that I thought it would make my list. This makes the top of my list because it makes me feel something every time I see it, the visuals, and the acting are fun to watch. I’m looking forward to the sequel coming out later this year.

1- We Live In Time

The movie “We Live In Time” was more than just a movie; it was an experience! The story follows a couple through three different stages of their lives, portrayed by Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. The music, cinematography, acting, and storytelling were all outstanding. I don’t want to give too much away, but the story’s three parts show their early days together, their struggles to have a baby, and their life with their daughter. Each part had emotional and heartwarming moments that made me cry and smile. What amazed me was that the theater was packed on a Thursday on opening night, which is rare for a movie distributed by A24. The day it was available to buy on streaming I purchased it and enjoyed watching with my parents. See this movie but have klenex available. You will have both sad and happy tears.