Ah, the year is coming to a close. And with that comes the obligatory year-end top 10 list. So here are the top 10 movies of 2024 according to me, James Jay Edwards. Remember – this is my list and does not claim to reflect the opinions of anyone else.
10 – A Different Man
As a fan of Adam Pearson’s, I was thrilled to see him in a role he could really sink his teeth into. Bonus points to writer/director Aaron Schimberg for including a scene that addresses the question of representation vs. exploitation.
(Irish musical biopic Kneecap is sort of a 10.5 here. On any given day, it could flip spots with A Different Man.)
9 – Sing Sing
A movie about the transformational power of the theater in the most unlikely of places – a prison. Sing Sing reeks of authenticity, not only because many of the characters are played by actual formerly incarcerated men, but it was based on the story of prison theater alumni Clarence Maclin, who portrays himself in the film.
8 – The Substance
At first, The Substance is just a scathing indictment of consumerism and the shallowness of celebrity. But as it moves on, it turns into a full-blown Cronenbergian nightmare. And if it wasn’t a schlocky horror movie, Demi Moore’s performance would win all the awards. And it still might win some of them.
7 – Flow
Flow is this year’s Robot Dreams. And I loved Robot Dreams. Flow is a sweet little animated movie about a cat and a bunch of their furry and feathered companions that have to navigate through a catastrophic flood. It’s a Latvian film, but that doesn’t matter much because, just as with Robot Dreams (which was Spanish), there’s no dialogue. Just beautiful visual storytelling.
6 – Longlegs
Longlegs is what you get when you sprinkle a little of the occult into The Silence of the Lambs, add Nicolas Cage in a creepy transformative villain role, and set it to the music of T-Rex. Slim and weak, the teeth of the Hydra upon you indeed.
Credit: Courtesy of A24)
5 – Civil War
Due to recent events in the U.S., Civil War may be more prescient now than it was when it was released back in April. Kudos to writer/director Alex Garland (who is, incidentally, English) for never letting the movie pick a side. It tells the story of the war itself without letting the politics get in the way.
4 – Love Lies Bleeding
Not only does Love Lies Bleeding re-affirm Kristen Stewart as one of the best actors of her generation, but it also continues to keep audiences hungry for whatever director Rose Glass does next. Proving that action star Katy O’Brian can also act is just icing on the cake.
3 – I.S.S.
ISS raises the stakes on the contained thriller genre. Six astronauts – three American and three Russian (so really three astronauts and three cosmonauts) – are aboard the International Space Station when a nuclear war breaks out between their countries. Who to trust, who to trust?
2 – Nosferatu
Robert Eggers is a meticulous filmmaker, so it’s no surprise that Nosferatu is such a beautiful movie. It is a bit surprising that it breathes fresh life into a story that is over 100 years old. It’s both modern and classic at the same time. And Willem Dafoe aping over the old Dracula motif is never not fun.
1 – Strange Darling
Strange Darling is one of those movies that just came out of nowhere blew me away. It’s about a serial killer’s last few murders…and that’s all you should know going in. It’s packed full of twists and surprises. And it’s even more fun the second time around after you already know its secrets.
This post was last modified on December 29, 2025 3:58 pm