We're officially at the halfway point of the year, and time sure flies when you spend all your waking hours in the cinema, doesn't it? While it didn't seem like anything could beat the blockbuster year of movies that was 2023 (Anatomy of a Fall and All Of Us Strangers?! We're still counting our lucky stars...), 2024 is already giving last year a run for its money.
Already this year, we've been gifted with some of the best movies we've seen in yonks. Consider Challengers, Zendaya's complex tennis romance with Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist that is equal parts horny and ridiculously funny, with Luca Guadagnino's directing at the peak of his career thus far (so much so, the audience becomes the tennis ball).
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Or maybe Love Lies Bleeding is more your speed, with Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian taking queer muscle mommies to the forefront of mainstream cinema (and forever living in our minds rent-free).
But 2024 isn't done yet. While the first half of the year has been packed with fantastic movies, the second half is looking even more promising, with some serious flicks coming our way. Alien: Romulus will scare us silly in August, whilst Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix will blast onto our screens in October for Joker: Folie a Deux, a musical thriller (yes, you read that right) sequel to the highly acclaimed Joker.
Ahead, the best movies of 2024 so far — and what you can look forward to for the rest of the year.
The Best Movies Of 2024 (So Far...)
Challengers
This romantic sports dramedy stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor (The Crown), and Mike Faist (West Side Story) as three rising tennis stars named Tashi, Patrick and Art. Tashi meets the two best friends during their teenage years, and the trio form a quite intimate relationship. Some years later, however, an injury-ridden Tashi has coached her now-husband Art to tennis fame, and Patrick is no longer in their lives. But when Art starts to slump into a losing streak, Tashi enters him into a challenger tournament that has him back on the court facing Patrick — who also happens to be Tashi’s ex. Challengers is one of the hottest, horniest, and surprisingly, the funniest film that we've seen in 2024.
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Civil War
One of the most polarising films of 2024 is also one of the best. In Alex Garland's new film (and last directorial venture for a while), Civil War reimagines the United States in a — you guessed it — civil war. It follows a group of photojournalists who document the confict, played by the phenomenal Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Cailee Spaeny.
Visually stunning and innovative, Civil War tows the line of apoliticism while still making a very real, very haunting statement about the United States and Western countries as a whole.
Love Lies Bleeding
Dubbed by this journalist as a film that will make you "gayer and hornier than ever", Love Lies Bleeding is one of the most inventive and unique films of 2024. Starring a brooding Kristen Stewart in a role that fits her like a glove, as well as the transformative Katy O'Brian as a bodybuilder, it have you oscillating between salivating at your screen, to being shocked at the absurd amount of blood and gore in it. But like, in the best way.
Late Night With The Devil
If there's one thing Australian cinema does well, it's horror. Reinventing the found footage genre, Late Night With The Devil is a must-see for those who like quirky supernatural horrors. Starring David Dastmalchian (Oppenheimer, Dune) and directed by Australian filmmakers Colin and Cameron Cairnes, this is a fun as heck horror set in a 1977 live television broadcast where the devil came to visit. It was also filmed in Melbourne's Docklands Studios.
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Monkey Man
Monkey Man is an ode to Dev Patel's talent, with the actor not just being the leading man in a John Wick-style action film, but also the director. Produced by horror king Jordan Peele, Monkey Man has been met with standing ovations around the world — and it's not hard to see why. A celebration of Indian culture and bursting at the seams with progressive social commentary, this blood-fuelled action flick is a sensory experience in every way possible.
The Idea of You
The girlies screeched that they wanted more charming rom-com movies — and Anne Hathaway delivered. Based on the book by Robinne Lee, The Idea of You is an age-gap romance where Hathaway stars as a mother in her 40s who meets the lead singer of a boyband in his 20s, where they swiftly fall in luuuuurve. It's charming and cute and perfect if you're after a flick to give you the warm and fuzzies.
La Chimera
2024 is the year of Josh O'Connor, and nowhere else is that more obvious than in La Chimera. O'Connor is Arthur, a British archaeologist leading a band of grave robbers in 1980s Italy. It's a mesmerising film about the fragility of the beautiful things in life and a cautionary tale about how easily they can be lost.
Perfect Days
Winning the Best Actor Award for Kōji Yakusho at Cannes Film Festival 2023, Perfect Days is poetry in cinematic form. This zen Japanese drama follows the silent Hirayama (Yakusho), who leads a simple yet happy life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. It's an ode to good music and finding beauty in the world, regardless of your circumstances.
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Dune: Part Two
Once again directed and cowritten by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, the sci-fi epic continues the story of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel. Exiled nobleman Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is still caught up in war on the desert planet Arrakis and is seeking revenge against the people who killed his family. Now, he’s joined forces with Chani (Zendaya) and her overlooked people, the Fremen, but soon may be faced with saving the universe or protecting his newfound love. Florence Pugh and Austin Butler are also among the new cast members.
Villenueve (whose other films include Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival) has already proven that he can create transportive images and sweeping narratives — you know, the kind of movie you want to see on the biggest screen possible — so to finally have the chance to see the next part of this story is a big deal. In fact, it may just be the movie event of the entire year.
The Fall Guy
Ryan Gosling is leaving Just Ken behind, but, luckily for us all, he’s keeping his comedic streak going in The Fall Guy. Set in Sydney, Australia, Gosling stars as former stuntman Colt, who returns to the business to double for an actor he’s worked with in the past (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The catch? The movie is being directed by his ex-girlfriend, Jody (Emily Blunt). Matters become even more complicated when the actor goes missing, and Colt has to search for him in order to save the movie, inadvertently dragging him into a risky and dangerous IRL situation. Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham and Stephanie Hsu also star.
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Gosling was a comedic force long before Barbie (seriously, watch The Nice Guys if you haven’t already), Blunt is an underrated action star (ditto Edge of Tomorrow), and it looks like the pair will have irresistible chemistry. A trailer never shows the full picture, but with a solid sense of humour, lively action sequences and solid jokes, The Fall Guy is set to be the perfect way to kick off the blockbuster season.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Very rarely has there been a reawakened franchise years after it began that hits even harder than the original. But 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, masterfully directed by George Miller, was exactly that.
Both a spin-off and a prequel, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga follows the origin story of the fearless renegade (originally played by a shorn Charlize Theron, and this time by the great Anya Taylor-Joy), promises to be one of the best of the year. Sure, it may be early to call it, but with Miller back in the directing seat, an unrecognisable Chris Hemsworth playing smiley villain Dementus, and even Junkie XL returning to score, this is a recipe for perfection.
This also marks the first instalment in the Mad Max franchise not to star Max himself (originally played by Mel Gibson and, later, Tom Hardy), and if the recently released trailer is anything to go by, it’ll keep up the heart-pumping tension and stunning action sequences that’ll leave your breath in the dust.
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The Most Anticipated Movies Of 2024
Alien: Romulus
A new Alien movie in 2024? We really have been blessed. One of the most iconic sci-fi/horrors that have graced our screens, Alien: Romulus will continue the legacy and sees a group of young space colonisers come face-to-face with downright terrifying life forms while scavenging in a derelict space station. With Cailee Spaeny at the helm, we're already shaking in our (space) boots at this one.
Kinds of Kindness
Off the back of his most successful mainstream film Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos' Kinds Of Kindness is set to be a return to form for the quirky Greek director. This time, the absurdist black comedy will feature a packed line-up, including: Emma Stone, Hunter Schafer, Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe. With a cast like that, we don't even need to know what Kinds of Kindness is about to know that we'll be seeing it as soon as it's out.
Release date: 11 July
The Bikeriders
Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and and Tom Hardy's new drama is set to hit screens mid 2024, following a Midwestern motorcycle club over the course of a decade, as it evolves from a gathering place for locals to a dangerous world filled with violence.
Release date: July 4
Beetlejuice 2
From the second we knew that Jenna Ortega was teaming up with Tim Burton for Wednesday, a fun, gothic update on The Addams Family, it was almost too obvious that Ortega was also destined to star in a sequel to the director’s iconic 1988 comedy/horror Beetlejuice. So, naturally, the two made it happen and Beetlejuice 2 is heading our way.
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Here’s the thing, though: As of right now, Burton and co have revealed next to nothing about what this movie — which is a proper sequel, not a remake — is actually about, so all anticipation for it is entirely wrapped up in nostalgia and the cast. Fans will remember that the OG followed the Deetz family (which included Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara) as they move into what should be an idyllic home, only to discover it’s being haunted by its previous owners (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), pulling them into the matters of the afterlife and the titular, havoc-wreaking supernatural being Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton). Decades later, Keaton, O’Hara and Ryder are all reprising their original roles, while Ortega is set to play Ryder’s daughter.
Maybe it’s wrong to start from a skeptical place here — especially with the credentials of everyone involved — but I’ll admit that my curiosity here is if there’s a real narrative reason for this movie to exist, and if they’ll be able to pull off the retro (if outdated) magic that has made the first one so beloved.
When: 5th September 2024
Twisters
The most unexpected anticipated films of 2024 is Twisters. I know — I'm surprised, you're surprised, we're all surprised. Starring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jnes, this is an update to the 1996 classic Twister. In this take on the disaster classic, we'll watch more storm chasers risk their lives to test and experimental weather alert system.
Release date: 18 July
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MaXXXine
She's a star! The third instalment to Ti West's X horror franchise, MaXXXine is set in 1980s Hollywood and will follow adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx as she finally gets her big break. But when a serial killer emerges in the streets of LA, her sinister past risks being exposed. The cast for this one is absolutely stacked, featuring an all-women line-up including the phenomenal Mia Goth as Maxine, Halsey, Elizabeth Debicki, Lily Collins and Sophie Thatcher. If they can pull this off, it might just be one of the best horror trilogies... ever.
Release date: August 1
Tuesday
An A24 film starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus? Yeah, sign us up. In Tuesday, a mother and her teenage daugher (Lola Petticrew) must come face-to-face with death when it arrives in the most unlikely form — a talking bird. I'm already crying... and I've only watched the trailer.
Release date: TBD
Inside Out 2
In this sequel to the beloved Pixar film, Inside Out 2 follows Riley — this time, as a teenager. As is the rite of passage, she has a few new emotions movie into her mind, including Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) and Envy (Ayo Edebiri). I know I'm gonna be weeping by the end of this film already.
Release date: 13 June
A Quiet Place: Day One
The beloved apocalyptic horror franchise, A Quiet Place, is finally getting a prequel! And this nihilist couldn't be more excited. Starring Lupita Nyong'o, Djimon Hounsou and Joseph Quinn, A Quiet Place: Day One goes back to the day the world went quiet. Warning: don't eat loud popcorn during this one.
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Release date: 27 June
Deadpool & Wolverine
While we thought we were done with seeing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, we'll thankfully get him to see him reprise his role in what might be the funniest combinations yet alongside Ryan Reynolds at Deadpool. In what will undoubtedly be one of the funniest and silliest flicks of 2024, Deadpool & Wolverine l will watch the titular characters unite to defeat a common enemy.
Release date: 25 July
Hit Man
Glen Powell… again?! Yep, he's back, but this time it's alongside Adria Arjona in the action-comedy, Hit Man. Directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, The Before Trilogy), Powell is set to test his acting prowess and play several roles in the new film, starring as an undercover police officer who pretends to be a hitman to save a woman in need.
Release date: 7 July
Gladiator 2
Ridley Scott returns for the highly-anticipated sequel to the box office hit, Gladiator. The time, we'll see everyone's internet boyfriends take on the historical epic, including Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan. The sequel will follow Lucius (Mescal), the son of Maximus' love Lucilla (a reprising Connie Nielsen), after Maximus' death (who was, of course, played by Russell Crowe).
Release date: 22 November
Nosferatu
Robert Eggers is back for another spooky film this year and this time, he's taking on the vampire classic Nosferatu. Starring Bill Skarsgård as said vampire, the well-known story follows an ancient Transylvanian blood sucker who stalks a haunted young woman in 19th-century Germany. This one also stars Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult, so it's bound to be good.
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Release date: 1 January 2025
Blitz
Steve McQueen is back with his new movie Blitz, and we've never been more ready. The highly-acclaimed director and screenwriter, who's famous for 12 Years A Slave and Hunger, will be taking on yet another historical drama in Blitz. Starring Saoirse Ronan (in what might lead to an Oscar win), Harris Dickinson, Erin Kellyman and Stephen Graham, Blitz is set during World War II and follows different Londoners as they try and navigate their new normal.
Release date: TBD
Nightbitch
Yep, the famous BookTok book has finally found a home in the movie theatres — and it's set to be a good one. Amy Adams stars in Nightbitch, a story about an artist who pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mum. But she soon becomes aware of surreal and bizarre signs that she might be turning into a dog. Yes, a dog.
Release date: 6 December
Borderlands
If the last few years have taught us anything, it's that the video game resurgence is officially upon us with the success of The Last of Us and Fallout. This time, we'll see popular video game Borderlands adapted into a film, with a stacked cast in tow including Ariana Greenblatt, Cate Blanchett, and Gina Gershon.
Release date: 9 August
Moana 2
If 2024 is the year of the sequels, then Moana 2 might be the pièce de résistance. This time, our beloved Disney character (and favourite princess), Moana, joruneys to the far seas of Oceania after receiving an uunexpected call from her ancestors. My pipes are ready and I am here to sing!
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Release date: 28 November
Mickey 17
At this point, it doesn’t matter that we barely know anything about Mickey 17. Even before director Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite cleaned up the 2020 Oscars with six wins (including Best Picture, Director and Original Screenplay), anyone familiar with his work would consider his films essential viewing, and his latest — his first movie in five years — is certainly no different.
Here’s what we do know about the sci-fi film. It’s adapted from Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel, Mickey7. It’s set during an expedition to colonize a distant ice planet, in which an “expendable” employee is set out on the most dangerous tasks and is cloned each time they die. And it stars Robert Pattinson — who seems committed to do something new, unexpected and often weird with every role — Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette. I don’t know about you, but that’s more than enough info to get me to line up for tickets as soon as humanly possible.
Release date: 31 January 2025 (pushed back from 2024)
Ballerina
It’s a rare thing for a movie franchise to get better with age, but, somehow, that’s exactly what John Wick has done. Now, with Ballerina, the first movie spinoff of the Keanu Reeves-led action series, we’re about to find out if that will extend beyond the character of Wick himself.
Ana de Armas steps into the ass-kicking main role for this action flick (though Reeves’ take-no-prisoners hitman character is also involved), which is intriguing for everyone who holds the (correct) opinion that her sequence in No Time To Die is the James Bond movie’s best stretch. She plays Rooney, a ballerina/assassin seeking revenge against the people who murdered her family. That’s good news on two fronts: We can expect more breathless, how-did-they-do-that fight sequences, and we won’t have to relive the devastating death of Wick’s cherished dog that kicked off these movies in the first place.
Release date: 5 June 2025 (pushed back from 2024)
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