13 Jan The Jam Report’s top ten films of 2024

It’s time for The Jam Report’s annual look back at the best in cinema for the year. As is tradition, here are ten films that just missed out on my top ten but are still absolutely worthy of adoration.

20. Civil War
19. Nickel Boys
18. No Other Land
17. I’m Still Here
16. Better Man
15. The Seed of the Sacred Fig
14. Sing Sing
13. Hard Truths
12. Longlegs
11. All We Imagine as Light

And now, without further ado, presenting The Jam Report’s top ten films of 2024.

10. Challengers (full review)

“You have a better shot with a handgun in your mouth.”

Led by a fierce, fiery, and scheming performance from Zendaya and sensational supporting turns from Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, Challengers is a delicious portrait of the power dynamics at play in a dishy love triangle that sets the screen ablaze. Imbued with Luca Guadagnino’s evocative style and elevated by an absolutely banging score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, it might just be the most effortlessly cool and unapologetically campy film of the year.

9. The Wild Robot (full review)

“A Rozzum always completes its task.”

Stunningly animated with a superb ensemble voice cast, The Wild Robot is a gorgeous piece of cinema. With themes of nature, survival, and what it means to be alive, this absolute gem offers a profound exploration of both the human condition and the connection between technology and the natural world. Combining breathtaking animation, an engaging story, and thoughtful character development, the film is not only a visual feast but also a moving meditation on life, friendship, and survival in an unforgiving environment.

8. Nosferatu (full review)

“He is coming.”

A beautiful, grotesque, and chilling cinematic nightmare that descends into terror and obsession with Robert Eggers’ signature blend of meticulous world-building, atmospheric dread, and psychological tension is front and centre. While the film’s labyrinthine pacing and occasionally excessive style may alienate viewers seeking more traditional horror fare, Nosferatu is undeniably a visually arresting, thought-provoking, and hypnotic experience— one that will haunt and linger long after the credits roll.

7. Flow (full review)

“(silence)”

A wordless cinematic journey from director Gints Zilbalodis that speaks through its breathtaking visuals, gorgeous story, lovable characters, and evocative score, Flow delivers a staggering impressive film both meditative and emotionally charged. It’s a testament to the universal language of visual storytelling, even as it tests the patience of those more accustomed to conventional narratives. Stunningly crafted and deceptively emotional, Flow is an utter gem and one of the best animated films of the year.

6. The Brutalist (full review)

“Last night I met God. He gave me permission to call him by his name.”

Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist is a staggeringly impressive exercise in modern filmmaking and a film of relentless ambition and emotional depth that anchors its sweeping historical narrative with profound intimacy. With a running time of 3.5 hours, it’s a mighty epic in every sense of the word and a grand meditation on exile, creativity, and resilience. But it’s also a deeply personal story that examines the sacrifices artists make for their vision. As a young filmmaker, Corbet ascends to even greater heights here, crafting a new American classic that is both visually mesmerising and emotionally devastating.

5. Wicked (full review)

“I’m not afraid. It’s the Wizard who should be afraid of me.”

A soaring spectacle that’s as visually dazzling as it is emotionally resonant, Wicked is undeniably one of the greatest movie musicals ever made. Led with incredible gusto by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande and directed with endless style and impressive flair by Jon M. Chu, it’s an exhilarating, entertaining, and deceptively moving extravaganza that effortlessly captures what makes this beloved work so undeniably magical. Praise Oz, this one is an absolute triumph.

4. Dune: Part Two (full review)

“The visions are clear now. I see possible futures, all at once.”

Denis Villeneuve has delivered a cinematic achievement that’s unlikely to be rivalled in 2024. His ambition was mighty, but, dammit, he’s pulled it off. Dune: Part Two is a spectacular blockbuster but it’s just as impressive in its introspection of fate, religion, and politics. It completely turns the atypical hero’s journey on its head and subverts expectations in ways you will not see coming. With a third chapter a total certainty, this feels like the 21st-century equivalent of The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, it’s that good. Thrilling, emotional, impressive, and undeniably entertaining, it’s everything we go to the cinema for and then some.

3. Conclave (full review)

“Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand-in-hand with doubt. If there was only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery. And therefore no need for faith.”

With a sharp script that brings out the political intrigue beneath the façade of devout unity and powerhouse performances from a stellar ensemble cast led by an Oscar-worthy Ralph Fiennes, Conclave brilliantly explores how ambition, secrecy, and faith interweave in this cloistered environment. From its hushed conversations to bold confrontations, Edward Berger finds a way to build atmosphere without resorting to typical thriller clichés, achieving an absorbing blend of suspense and subtlety.

2. Anora (full review)

“Oh, stay jealous, babe. Stay jealous, honey. Jealousy is a disease, remember that, Diamond. I’m just gonna go chill in my mansion or whatever, you know, no big deal!”

A brilliant romantic comedy with plenty of laughs but an equal measure of humanity, heart, and a little dash of tragedy, Anora is Sean Baker’s most “accessible” film to date, but one no less sublime than everything else in his impressive back catalogue. Led by an absolute firecracker of a performance from the sensational Mikey Madison and elevated by one of the best screenplays of the year, Anora manages to be both wildly entertaining and deeply thought-provoking. Baker does it again with the film that might finally see him add “Oscar nominee” to his name.

1. The Substance (full review)

“Remember; you are one.”

After more than three decades of watching countless films every year, it takes quite a lot to shock and surprise this film critic. Then again, it’s not every day something comes along like The Substance; Coralie Fargeat’s disgustingly twisted, pointedly satirical, sickly comedic, and staggeringly entertaining body-horror that will either leave you fleeing for the exit or applauding with sheer joy. I was in the latter category.

A biting indictment of Hollywood’s obsession with youth and the way it discards women of a certain age, Fargeat clearly has a point to prove. And she’s making it in the nastiest way possible. Led by an utterly fearless performance from Demi Moore, it’s an unforgettable roller coaster that will genuinely leave you breathless.

Like a perverse interpretation of The Nutty Professor with a dash of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and a good dollop of The Fly, this is one of the most undeniably inimitable films of the year and one of the greatest examples of the body-horror genre of all time. It’s shocking. It’s sickening. It’s sexy. It’s satisfying. It’s satirical. It’s sharp. It’s salacious. It’s subversive. It’s sublime. It’s The Substance and it’s the best film of 2024.