Stew’s Top 30 Movies Of 2024 (#10 – 1)

And now we are onto the Big Ten. Not, like, the football thing. The big ten as far as movies I saw that were released in 2024!

I have to admit: it wasn’t the strongest year for cinema. And as I was doing a top 30, some of the films I chose in the 21-30 range felt a bit like… “THIS makes my year end list, huh?”.

But hey, just because it wasn’t particularly deep doesn’t mean there weren’t some flicks I truly loved. And I 100% stand by everything in my top twenty. So imagine how I feel about my top ten here!

We’ve got a lot of diversity in this third act of my countdown, too, with some superhero fare, a family-friendly animated flick, two independent films, and some big budget to-do’s. There should be a little bit of something for everyone here.

As for me, this was a three-horse race for my #1 spot. There was the movie that held the spot for almost the entirety of the first half of the year, the one that did the same for the back half of the year, and then the winner, which swooped in late and took the crown.

So let’s check it out and see who those three were!

10. Here For Blood

For my full review, click HERE.

The first of two criminally underseen movies from this top ten, Here For Blood is a movie I got an advanced screener for, and I immediately fell in love with it.

The quick synopsis is that it is about an independent wrestler who has to sub in as a babysitter for his girlfriend so she can study for a midterm or something for school. He gets to the house and in short order ends up having to fight off the members of a strange cult who are trying to break in.

Shawn Roberts is tremendous as the lead, giving a very Beefcake Bruce Campbell style performance. The movie is funny, it’s gory, and it has entertaining action beats. If Horror-Comedy is a sun-genre you can vibe with, check this out!

9. Civil War

For my full review, click HERE.

Here’s a flick I really expected to hate, and then… didn’t. Civil War takes a frightening proposition–a second American civil war–and manages to keep politics OUT of it. And that’s why I thought it would suck. On what planet would California and Texas be on the same side, right?

But the story isn’t about the WAR, it’s about a group of reporters covering the war. And their character study is fantastic and mesmerizing. By making the war unrealistic (politically), it keeps any potential audience members from feeling alienated since the story is about PEOPLE rather than the war. And we should all be able to appreciate that.

8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Take Mad Max: Fury Road. Add a substantially better story. Lose some of the phenomenal action sequences and replace them with ones that, while still quality, are less than what you lost. And then toss in copious amounts of Chris Hemsworth just acting his whole ass off like he’s never going to get hired again.

Is what you are left with better or worse than the original Fury Road? Considering the predecessor here is known for its insane and almost-untoppable action beats, most folks will say worse. And that’s fair! I think it’s at least pretty close to pulling even. I really enjoyed Furiosa for its improved storytelling, but I can cop to the action being lesser than.

It’s definitely a great action movie, either way.

7. Boy Kills World

This movie came and went in the blink of an eye, and like last segment’s The Killer’s Game, it made basically no cultural footprint whatsoever. But screw that, because I dug it!

Bill Skarsgard had a strange 2024 with this, Nosferatu, and The Crow. A universally hated movie, a universally praised one, and the tie-breaker is this, which no one saw to judge.

Boy Kills World was a blast of comedy and action, with H. Jon Benjamin voicing Skarsgard’s inner monologue as he fought his way through a family crime syndicate in order to get revenge for his murdered loved ones.

Bonus points: Jessica Rothe is in this, and I have not seen NEARLY enough of her since the Happy Death Day movies. Too bad the bomb that was this movie won’t help me start seeing her any more often.

6. Blink Twice

For my full review, click HERE.

Zoe Kravitz’ directorial debut is a movie that came out, did all right for itself, and then I never heard anyone talk about ever again. It didn’t bomb or hit with as little impact on the zeitgeist as, say, Boy Kills World, but I have not seen any discussion of it in months. Which is a shame, because I was totally engrossed in this thriller tale about a couple of regular gals who get invited to a billionaire’s private island for an extended vacation of luxury.

Channing Tatum is one of the year’s best characters in this one, and the story is absolutely brutal. It can be positively a bit hard to watch at points, but I think it’s well worth while if you have the stomach for it.

5. Deadpool & Wolverine

There’s a very small part of me that wishes I had the willpower to like this less than I do. A part of me who recognizes that this flick is trash can enjoyment that doesn’t further the MCU or do anything important. It’s just a bunch of satisfying images and sounds designed to trigger impulses in my brain and make me express awe and glee.

And yet, here I am: full of awe and glee.

This is Junk Food: The Movie. And I LOVE junk food. I love references and I love humor and I love big, bombastic, MCU-style fight sequences. And I love the F-bomb being bandied about in a Disney movie like it’s NOTHING.

So yeah, screw my better intentions of being a film connoisseur; this makes my top 5.

4. The Substance

For my full review, click HERE.

When so many movies this year had rough or weak third acts, in walks The Substance to absolutely blow me away with its climactic act. I went from liking this outing to LOVING it with its absolutely gonzo, bonkers, spectacle of a conclusion. What. A. Treat.

Not that the whole movie isn’t great. It’s wonderfully made with astute care paid to the minor details like sound mixing and lighting. All of it works on every level. It just gets so damn special at the end.

3. Late Night With The Devil

For my full review, click HERE.

Here we have the move that dominated my rankings for the whole first half of the year. David Dastmalchian’s powerhouse performance in this one took him from character actor to bona fide leading man.

In a strong year for horror, this closes out as my #1 horror entry of the year. It was such a well-shot and brilliantly made flick.

2. Hundreds Of Beavers

For my full review, click HERE.

After being my #2 movie most of the year, Hundreds of Beavers supplanted Late Night With The Devil in the summer when I watched it for a second time with friends. I couldn’t deny how much I talked about it and how much I wanted to share it with others. A second watch just fortified how incredible it is.

I can’t stress this enough: this movie is free on Tubi, and you owe it to yourself to watch this. It’s the funniest, most creative thing I saw all year. It’s a live action Looney Tune. It’s absolutely wild. It pays off everything it does across its runtime, and it all makes you laugh the whole way home.

1. The Wild Robot

And then on November 30th, with just one month left to go in the year, I finally sat down to watch The Wild Robot, and I knew Hundreds Of Beavers had some stiff competition. I already know I’ll REMEMBER Hundreds Of Beavers better over the long haul. But Wild Robot was a truly special watch.

There’s some amazing animation going on in this one, and the story is so damn charming. It’s a variation on a regular theme–a fish out of water must learn to adapt to new surroundings and make do with its new lot in life–but the way it all is handled is unimpeachable.

Some decent voice talent across the board really helps sell the movie, with Lupita Nyong’o in the lead as the titular robot. I really just adored this flick, and it got me in my feelings.

*******

But, of course, those are just MY top ten!

Let me know in comments what YOUR ten favorite movies of 2024 were! And what are some of your underseen treasures? Have YOU seen Hundreds Of Beavers? You should.

Until next time… take care!