Letter 10 - Top 25 films of 2024
Hi,
Following up on my top 50 albums and songs of 2024, I’ve picked my top 25 films from 2024.
This is my last letter of 2024, so I also wanted to say thank you so much for reading and subscribing. I appreciate you parsing through my ramblings, and I love hearing about readers liking (or not liking) any of the music or films that I’ve recommended, so please do comment below, contact me via Substack, or message me on Instagram to let me know what you’re loving and what you’re not.
I’ve really enjoyed researching and writing each letter, and playing around with different formats and approaches, and general feedback about the newsletter is always appreciated, so if there’s anything I can do to make it easier for you to find/watch/listen to any of my recommendations, do let me know.
Finally, if there’s any music or film lovers in your life who you think might enjoy reading The Odhracle, I’d appreciate you sharing it with them.
Much love, Odhran x
Top 25 Films of 2024
All of these films had a 2024 UK theatrical release, as that’s when I had the chance to watch them in the cinema.
This top 25 is very major-studio heavy for some reason, which was probably not the case for the last few years. A big year for the mid-tier big studio movies I suppose, and I love a movie star and think we’re moving into a strong movie star period, so that’s definitely an influencing factor.
I’m not complaining, I’ve really enjoyed lots of films from this year, and looking at the upcoming slate of releases for 2024, I suspect next year’s list will be more independent film weighted.
If you want to see a (slightly) longer list of every UK 2024 release I’ve watched so far, you can see it on my Letterboxd here.
Poor Things
Genre(s): Drama, comedy & sci-fi.
For fans of: The Favourite, Being John Malkovich & The Lobster.
UK Streaming: Disney+
The Odhracle Rating: 5 stars.
The second of Emma Stone’s collaborations with auteur director Yorgos Lanthimos, following up on their 10-Oscar-nominated Favourite (2018). An adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s postmodern gothic-horror reworking of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Poor Things follows a grotesque and absurdist story of a mad scientist who puts the brain of a baby into the body of a grown woman. The film then follows the journey of this hybrid child-woman experiencing the joys and horror of life.
Emma Stone’s performance is astounding, and she deserved her second Academy Award, and Mark Ruffalo as a deplorable dandy is an all-timer black-comedy performance.
Not for the faint-hearted, Poor Things is equal parts hilarious and horrifying. I suspect the film could have benefitted from some Emma Stone (or another woman) having more influence on the script, if only to fill some gaps on the experiences of womanhood. It’s no great feminist text, but it is pure entertainment.
Kneecap
Genre(s): Comedy & drama.
For fans of: Human Traffic, Trainspotting & The Guard.
UK Streaming: Amazon Prime
The Odhracle Rating: 5 stars.
The semi-autobiographical music biopic of the Belfast-trio. Funniest film I’ve seen this year. There are scenes in this that are some of the most I have ever laughed at in the cinema, and the weaving of the Irish language and Kneecap’s unwavering support and promotion of it into the film is so well done.
Also a special shout-out to DJ Próvaí (J.J. Ó Dochartaigh)’s acting - I remain in disbelief that he is a DJ/producer/former teacher and not a professional actor. Worth a watch even if you’re not a massive fan of their music.
Outside of a handful of outliers like Max Cooper, Bicep, Lisa McGee etc, the artistic merit in this film is rarely achieved in contemporary times by people born and raised in Northern Ireland (or the North of Ireland, pick your preference), at least not in any mainstream context.
There’s lots of interconnected reasons for this - underfunding of the arts, lack of third-level education outside of Belfast, high levels of deprivation, high youth-suicide rates, inter-generational trauma etc, so watching this film in a packed Q&A advance screening in London back in June, seeing how creative and funny it is, and how clearly it spoke the experience of living in a post-conflict North, was inspiring.
The Holdovers
Genre(s): Drama & comedy.
For fans of: Ladybird, The Royal Tenebaums & Good Will Hunting.
UK Streaming: Sky Cinema & NOW TV
The Odhracle Rating: 5 stars.
I recommended this last week as an essential Christmas watch. I watched it again with my family this Christmas, and it has risen even higher in my estimations from when I first watched it in the cinema last January. Such a witty, funny and heartening film. Beautifully shot, with incredible casting.
I paid greater attention to the film’s appearance this time. Director Alexander Payne and his cinematographer Eigil Bryld (In Bruges (2008) & House of Cards (2013)) chose to shoot on digital instead of film, and to use certain camera lenses to make the film look more like it was shot in the 1970s in which it is set. Generally I think this was done as well as I’ve seen it - sometimes the colour grading makes it look a little too Instagram sepia-tone, but it really does give the movie a sense of time and place.
Giamatti’s performance also stood out even more on this re-watch - a career best.
Perfect Days
Genre(s): Drama & comedy.
For fans of: Lost in Translation, Columbus & Paris, Texas.
UK Streaming: Mubi.
The Odhracle Rating: 4.5 stars.
I recommended this film back in Letter 4 - “A film about finding joy in small moments amongst the mundanity of the routine of life, and seeking that joy to distract from sadness, loneliness & loss. From legendary director Wim Wenders, Perfect Days follows Hirayama throughout his daily routine as a cleaner of public toilets in Tokyo. Given the toilets were paid for by the Nippon Foundation, I presume 90% of Perfect Days budget was spent on its stellar soundtrack of 60’s and 70s US radio hits. A beautiful film that made me cry in the cinema.”
It’s such a lovely film. Set aside the time some Sunday afternoon, turn your phone off and put it in a drawer, and embrace the slow and gentle pace of Hirayama’s routine.
Anora
Genre(s): Drama & comedy.
For fans of: Shiva Baby, Uncut Gems & Tangerine.
UK Streaming: Still in (some) cinemas.
The Odhracle Rating: 4.5 stars.
Finally got around to watching this a few weeks ago. Mikey Madison in a star-making role as Ani/Anora - a stripper and escort who is the unfortunate victim of a largely failed-caper, and subsequent hi-jinks ensue. It’s best to go into this mostly blind so I’ll be light on details, but we need more movies that are primarily people shouting at each other in rooms and cars.
There’s definitely some questionable sexual-politics in this, and having now watched most of his filmography I’m iffy on director and writer Sean Baker’s broader political outlook, but he’s a fantastic director and this is a fantastic film.
5A. Monster (Editor’s Note 30/12: I somehow didn’t translate this across from my Letterboxd list to this list, so this is now my top 26 films…)
Genre(s): Drama & mystery.
For fans of: Moonlight, Shutter Island & Tree of Life.
UK Streaming: BFI Player.
The Odhracle Rating: 4.5 stars.
A Hirokazu Kore-eda-directed story told in 3 parts from 3 different perspectives. A single mother notices her son acting strangely, and goes to her sons school to report a teacher for physically harming him. The first act of the film is from the mother’s perspective, the second from the teacher’s, and the third from the child’s.Incredibly acted and written, the mystery of the monster will keep you guessing right until the last.
Monster was scored by the legendary Ryuichi Sakamoto, who dies two months prior to the film’s debut at Cannes. The score is incredible, swelling and emotional, and the film being dedicated to Sakamoto’s memory is a fitting tribute.
Dune: Part Two
Genre(s): Sci-fi, drama & action.
For fans of: Blade Runner 2049, Lord of the Rings & Star Wars.
UK Streaming: Sky Cinema & NowTV.
The Odhracle Rating: 4.5 stars.
The sequel of the year, it’s more of the same after the first movie - vast sci-fi landscapes, space battles, space Jesus, space politics, giant worms & lots of Chalamet - you know the score.
What Part 2 improves on the first film is (a) more worms; and (b) a frightening psychotic villainous performance from Austin Butler. Alongside Timmy & Austin, with a more prominent role for Zendaya and a minor role for Florence Pugh, this is a fitting vehicle for some of 2024’s biggest stars.
The Zone of Interest
Genre(s): Drama & history.
For fans of: Schindler’s List, Downfall & Under the Skin.
UK Streaming: Amazon Prime.
The Odhracle Rating: 4.5 stars.
Set primarily in the house of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig (played by Sandra Hüller of Anatomy of a Fall (2023)), which shares its garden wall with the walls of the camp itself.
One of the core themes of Jonathan Glazer’s film is acquiescence and passivity in the face of genocide and atrocity, and the ultimate consequence of dehumanisation of sections of people. At the Academy Awards in March, when accepting the award for Best International Picture, Glazer expressly drew parallels between the film and the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza, saying “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people”.
The film was shot in a replica of the Höss’ actual house, built just a few hundred yard away from the original. Cameras were placed around the house in a CCTV style, and no crew were present in the room whilst they were rolling, creating a cold and sterile atmosphere immediately adjacent to the horrors of the concentration camp.
It’s a harrowing picture that will stay with me for a long time.
The Taste of Things
Genre(s): Drama & romance.
For fans of: Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Julie & Julia & Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
UK Streaming: Mubi
The Odhracle Rating: 4.5 stars.
My wife and I cook for each other, mostly from scratch, most nights of the week. Despite hectic jobs and social schedules, we make significant effort to maintain this ritual. Taking the time to choose a recipe, plan the meal, prepare it and serve it to someone can be a sincere expression of love.
The Taste of Things is a period movie set in in 1889 France about the relationship between a gourmet and his cook. It contains some of the most beautiful representations of food ever put to film, and captures the essence of love communicated through cooking.
Starring Juliette Binoche (of the Three Colours trilogy and The English Patient (1996)) and Benoît Magimel, in the starring roles. The pair were a couple in the early noughties and have a daughter together. They separated in 2003 and had not acted in a film together since 1998.
Certainly not a thriller, but a beautiful and relaxing movie. Warning, do not watch if you are hungry and do not have nice food at hand.
Challengers
Genre(s): Romance, sport & drama.
For fans of: Call Me By Your Name, Past Lives & Passages.
UK Streaming: Amazon Prime.
The Odhracle Rating: 4.5 stars.
Director Luca Guadagnino is fantastically consistent - zero misses so far - and Challengers is another hit in his Roger Federer style-run.
This love triangle film starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist set in the world of elite tennis is one of the most electrifying films in recent years. The tension built between the three is near-eruption for its entire 131 minute runtime. In a time where most Hollywood films feel entirely devoid of sex or even the suggestion of it, Guadagnino manages to shoot one of most sexually-charged scenes in Hollywood history, entirely within the context of a tennis match.
The outstanding score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross also continues a similar Federer/Djokovic-esque streak of hitting it out of the park (excuse the mixing of sport metaphors, this would be bad in tennis).
The Iron Claw
Genre(s): Drama & sport.
For fans of: Foxcatcher, Warrior & The Wrestler.
UK Streaming: Amazon Prime
The Odhracle Rating: 4 stars.
Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White (of The Bear) and Harris Dickinson, The Iron Claw is the unbelievable tale of the cursed professional wrestling family the Von Erichs. A tale so tragic that it had to be toned down for the film to make it believable to audiences. I’d recommend avoiding the family’s Wikipedia page until after you have watched the movie.
The story truly is beyond belief, and stellar performances from Efron, White and Dickinson really bring it home. The film intentionally pulls on the heartstrings a tad too much, but I fully enjoyed it and it’s another movie I openly wept at.
Rebel Ridge
Genre(s): Action & thriller.
For fans of: John Wick, Jack Reacher & Training Day.
UK Streaming: Netflix.
The Odhracle Rating: 4 stars.
I absolutely loved this B-Movie action thriller, in which an ex-US Marine (played by Aaron Pierre) faces off against a corrupt local police force led by Don Johnson (a man only capable or interested in playing southern US scum bags, apparently).
From director Jeremy Saulnier (Green Room 2015)), the film uses the horrendous practice of civil forfeiture by US police departments and some specific personal consequences of it, as its main driver. It perhaps gets a little bogged down in the legalities of the practice in the middle act, but it generally works as a motivating factor.
Rebel Ridge is very restrained in terms of violence, with Pierre’s character taking a Batman-like approach to dealing with adversaries. I adored the movie primarily due to Pierre’s performance. Slick and smooth in some scenes, brooding and restrained in others, and ultimately monstrously aggressive at climaxes, this is a star-making performance for the Englishman. I don’t know what plans the Broccoli family have for the next James Bond, but they would do well to scrap them and immediately announce Pierre.
Monkey Man
Genre(s): Action & thriller.
For fans of: John Wick, The Raid & Oldboy.
UK Streaming: Sky Cinema & NowTV.
The Odhracle Rating: 4 stars.
A high-octane action starring, written and directed by Dev Patel. A vengeance story set in a fictional Indian city, there’s a lot of not-particularly subtle political commentary throughout, which I’m not sure is sufficiently deep in its analysis, but it creates a justifiable setting for some of the action and violence doled out by Patel. An exhilarating watch that solidifies Patel as a bonafide action star - and I really love some of the Indian mythology weaved into the plot.
Gladiator II
Genre(s): Action & drama.
For fans of: Gladiator, The Northman & 300.
UK Streaming: Still in cinemas.
The Odhracle Rating: 3.5 stars.
I’ll lead with the negatives: it’s not as good as the original, some of the CGI is pretty hammy, some of the set pieces are beyond far-fetched, it seems like substantial chunks of key story building were cut, the story is in large parts a rehash of the original and as much as I love our Paul, he doesn’t compare well to the magnetic performance of Russell Crowe, nor when acting opposite one of the greats in Denzel Washington.
But I still really enjoyed this - Mescal is great despite the above (and we just don’t make movie stars like we used to) and does what the role needs of him. The scale of Gladiator II is expansive and the story is engaging. Denzel is on fire and absolutely loving every moment, and each scene he’s in with the deranged emperors is as good as anything in the original.
However my main positive is the action. Gladiator II contains gore usually only reserved for horror and martial arts movies, so as a fan of those genres it was great to see some of the more gruesome scenes in this action blockbuster setting. A film I’ll definitely revisit, and a great time at the movies.
Alien: Romulus
Genre(s): Horror, sci-fi & action.
For fans of: Alien, Aliens & Sunshine.
UK Streaming: Rental only.
The Odhracle Rating: 3.5 stars.
I recommended this film in Letter 1 - “Although I adore Alien it never really frightened me, nor did I ever find it particularly horrifying. I suspect this is because of how pervasive its biggest scares are in popular culture – it's not horrifying seeing a xenomorph brutally kill a soldier when I've seen Peter Griffin suffer the same fate. Romulus however, had me covering my eyes at multiple points, and they really go for it in the last 20 minutes. Yeah it’s a straightforward rehash of Alien, and there is a particularly egregious CGI appearance from a dead actor, but from my perspective this is a strong sci-fi horror.”
Priscilla
Genre(s): Drama & music.
For fans of: Walk The Line, Lost in Translation & Elvis.
UK Streaming: Mubi.
The Odhracle Rating: 3.5 stars.
Sofia Coppola’s alternative take on the Elvis story (dramatically different in tone and framing from Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis (2023)). A tragic and well written story in a film that looks great, if a little quiet at times.
It’s really carried by the performances of Cailee Spaeny as the titular character, and Jacob Elordi’s Elvis, which are both excellent. Not Coppola’s best work, but it looks great and I’ll definitely revisit it.
The Substance
Genre(s): Horror & sci-fi.
For fans of: The Fly, Titane & Midsommar.
UK Streaming: Mubi.
The Odhracle Rating: 3.5 stars.
I recommended this film in Letter 1 - “very entertaining, outrageous body horror with Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, examining body image and the entertainment industry. I loved the performances, sound design, photography and body horror. I also loved how the early scenes with Qualley at the start are so sexually charged and framed around her attractiveness, but at the same time devoid of eroticism and to some extent repulsive. It's not all rosy, the dialogue is often poor, there's too many concepts and references to older (better) horror movies, and it's discussion of those key themes is pretty surface level (don't look to modern French filmmakers for ahead of the curve thinking on feminist topics), but a great time at the movies”.
Robot Dreams
Genre(s): Animation, comedy & drama.
For fans of: Up, Wall-E & Big Hero 6.
UK Streaming: Mubi.
The Odhracle Rating: 3.5 stars.
A charming animated film largely without words for its entire 102 minute run time. Robot Dreams is a touching story of loneliness and companionship, focussed on the friendship of an introverted anthropomorphic dog and his mail-order robot pal.
Twisters
Genre(s): Disaster, action & thriller.
For fans of: Twister, Top Gun Maverick & The Day After Tomorrow.
UK Streaming: Rental only.
The Odhracle Rating: 3.5 stars.
Pretty harrowing at the outset, this is pretty much as good as the original, with some white-knuckle set pieces and Glen Powell really doing the movie star thing. There’s a scene where the tornado rips the screen from a movie theatre that broke my heart, as I was watching it at home and not in the cinema.
My Old Ass
Genre(s): Comedy.
For fans of: Lady Bird, The Edge of Seventeen & Booksmart.
UK Streaming: Amazon Prime.
The Odhracle Rating: 3.5 stars.
A coming-of-age comedy directed by Megan Park, introducing Maisy Stella playing an 18-year-old who is imminently leaving her rural family home to go to university, who enters into a dialogue with her 39-year old self, played by Aubrey Plaza, when on a psychedelic mushroom trip.
An exploration of womanhood and family dynamics, there’s a lot of laughs in this. A surprising delight of a film that features some breathtaking landscapes and a house I would kill to live in.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Genre(s): Comedy & animation.
For fans of: All the other Wallace & Gromit films.
UK Streaming: BBC iPlayer.
The Odhracle Rating: 3.5 stars.
Feathers McGraw rocks, and I really enjoyed Norbot. Laughed throughout this, and as always it generally looks great. I do think it’s too reliant on references to previous films however, and the premise (robot/AI goes wrong) is pretty much the plot in each of A Grand Day Out (1989), The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1994).
Also iPlayer auto-played The Wrong Trousers immediately after Vengeance finished, and it’s more tightly constrained sound-stage like setting, and imperfect models and animation, looked much better than more expansive and CGI-altered world in Vengeance.
I Saw the TV Glow
Genre(s): Horror & drama.
For fans of: Donnie Darko, Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Titane.
UK Streaming: Rental only.
The Odhracle Rating: 3.5 stars.
I recommended this film in Letter 1 - “Jane Schoenbrun's second feature, an allegory for the horror of suppressing one’s true self, particularly when that identity is a gender you were not assigned at birth. An important film, and loved the schlocky TV horror/Buffy clone, if a bit boring at times”.
Hit Man
Genre(s): Action-comedy, romcom.
For fans of: Nice Guys, The Man From U.N.C.L.E & Bad Boys.
UK Streaming: Netflix.
The Odhracle Rating: 3 stars.
Another Glen Powell vehicle, where he plays a nerdy undercover cop who poses as a suave hitman, who tries to save a woman (played by Adria Arjona) who wants to hire him to kill her husband. A really fun action-comedy/romcom of a sort that we don’t really get anymore - if this came out in 2005 it would have made approx $250 million.
Inside Out 2
Genre(s): Animation, comedy & family.
For fans of: Inside Out, Soul & Turning Red.
UK Streaming: Disney+.
The Odhracle Rating: 3 stars.
Not as strong as the original, but a nice update and continuation to the series. Some strong laughs from the new puberty feelings introduced, and some touching moments. A little repetitive but I think kids will still get something out of this, and I enjoyed it all the same.
Woman of the Hour
Genre(s): Thriller.
For fans of: Zodiac, Silence of the Lambs & Summer of Sam.
UK Streaming: Netflix.
The Odhracle Rating: 3 stars.
Starring and the directorial debut of Anna Kendrick, a tense thriller telling the story of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who appeared on reality TV show The Dating Game during his ongoing murder spree. I always thought I enjoyed Kendrick as an actor, but she’s spent years acting in films that I do not like, I’d convinced myself I was mistaken, but she’s super engaging and charming in this, and it’s tightly directed and is a strong start for her. Daniel Zovatto is pretty menacing as the killer, and is able to generate significant tension with just a small look.
There’s not really a lot to chew on in this, but an enjoyable 90 minutes.
Civil War
Genre(s): Thriller & action.
For fans of: Hurt Locker, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay & Children of Men.
UK Streaming: Rental only.
The Odhracle Rating: 3 stars.
The third film starring Cailee Spaeny in this list, Alex Garland’s Civil War tells the story of a war photographer and her tag-along wannabe, travelling from New York City to Washington D.C. during a modern day civil war in the United States.
The political commentary in this is both a little on-the-nose, and the setting is too far-fetched to be worth thinking about much, and it also this doesn’t stack up well with most of Garland’s previous work (Ex Machina (2014) & Annihilation (2018), but its a tense thriller and I’m a sucker for anything set in a dystopian world. There’s enough in this and in the performances for it to be worth your time.