This article originally appeared in the January 2025 edition of The Commuter.
10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
This film is a fantastic prequel to 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” with some amazing performances. Anya Taylor-Joy is incredible as the titular character Furiosa and Chris Hemsworth gives a career-best performance. The set pieces all have that typical George Miller stylization that helps create an incredibly engaging and kinetic story. The movie also feels very grand compared to previous “Mad Max” movies because it is a life-spanning epic. “Furiosa” is by far the most high octane movie released this year.
9. Wicked
“Wicked” is one of the most well-crafted musicals released to theaters in a while. The entire cast really maximizes the potential of the adaptation as well. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande become nearly indistinguishable from their characters throughout the movie and both give spectacular performances. This movie only adapts the first act of the Broadway musical, so I can’t wait for part two, titled “Wicked: For Good”, to come out later this year.
The relationship between the two leads of “Love Lies Bleeding” is developed a lot better than many other Hollywood LGBTQ+ romances this year. The chemistry between Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brien is top notch and Ed Harris as the villain does a great job as well. The dive into surrealism towards the end, although not for everyone, was an amazing addition to help separate the movie from other noir crime thrillers released in 2024.
7. Monkey Man
What a fantastic directorial debut from Dev Patel. It’s nearly impossible to not compare it to the John Wick franchise, and somehow, it reaches the same heights. Each action scene feels deliberate and every one of them is tied together with a surprisingly deep story that tackles self realization and political criticism. Dev Patel clearly has a talent for directing both action scenes and drama; I can’t wait to see what he does next.
6. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
“Kingdom” is a wonderful continuation of the masterfully crafted Planet of the Apes trilogy. The story leaves off in a place that left me wanting more, but in a way that filled me with intrigue rather than disappointment. The new main character, Noa, is compelling, and it will be interesting to see him transform into a more Caesar-like figure throughout the remaining movies in the new trilogy. This film also has some of the most breathtaking CGI and motion capture I have ever seen; that alone makes “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” worth the watch.
5. Challengers
This was a movie that had me on the edge of my seat for a surprising amount of the runtime. Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor give some of the best performances of the year and the chemistry between all three of them is fascinating to watch, particularly the chemistry between Faist and O’Connor. This movie also has some of the most creative camera work that I’ve seen in recent memory with the final match having multiple shots that are simply fascinating to watch.
4. Look Back
“Look Back” is a beautiful piece of art. This short film adapts Tatsuki Fujimoto’s 140-page manga of the same name and it is absolutely amazing in every way imaginable. For being just under an hour long, it packs an incredible amount of emotion into every scene and strikes a beautiful crescendo in the final 15 minutes. The use of brand new voice actors also brings a deep authenticity to the two main characters that really helps the emotions come through in the strongest way possible.
“The Wild Robot” is an emotional story about motherhood and family told through the lens of a robot in the woods. The animation style is refreshingly creative, with a mixture of normal CG animation and water brush CG animation to create a hard differentiation between mechanical and natural characters and settings. Lupita Nyong’o is amazing as the main character Roz and somehow makes a robot one of the most human characters in an animated movie this year.
2. Nosferatu
Another Robert Eggers movie means another masterfully crafted Gothic story. The makeup design is incredible on Count Orlok, making Bill Skarsgärd unrecognizable. Lily-Rose Depp gives a career-defining performance as Ellen Hutter. The story expands on the plot of the original 1922 movie in great ways that make the premise better and tie it much closer to the original source material of “Dracula.” The cinematography is simply the best of the year and every frame looks like a piece of art, especially the final breathtaking shot.
An epic conclusion to a monumental science fiction epic. Everything about this movie is beautifully crafted. The performances, set pieces, and story are all some of the best sci-fi ever seen on film. It was nice getting to see Zendaya actually play a prominent role in this movie and Timothée Chalamet absolutely embodied Paul Atreides by the end of the movie. “Dune: Part Two” is much more action-packed than the first movie, and for many, a much more engaging film.
