2024 was a year of a lot of records being broken, phenomenal films hitting the screens, and some of the best performances of all time for many an actor. The year may be over but it is one that will be remembered fondly, for films. For some studios the year was marked by standout films, ups, downs, and the box office giving them the runaround. Even so, there are ten that stood out in regard to story, production, visuals, and performances that just made for the most enjoyable watching experiences. These films brought pure enjoyment to their audiences something that every movie wants to do and yet only a select few reach that level of universal love where just about everyone can find something to enjoy. A great movie isn’t one you think back on for the rest of your life, it’s one you would want to rewatch for the rest of your life. A great movie doesn’t necessarily have to be groundbreaking, original, beautiful, or even fantastical, it has to be a story told with a love for stories. As a wise probably human once said even a flawed story is better than a story never told, and these were the favorite stories told this year.

Here is MXDWN’s writer’s choice for the best films of the year.

10. Hundreds Of Beavers

Now, any film being made should be considered a miracle. However, Hundreds of Beavers still feels like it’s too good to be true. A masterpiece of independent filmmaking that feels like the absolute peak of what can be done with a micro-budget and a lot of creativity. The most entertaining film of the year for sure, this is a must-see. Ryland Brickson Cole Tews is a modern-day Buster Keaton who should be in the best-actor conversation. Hundreds of Beavers showcases that creativity can surpass any lack of resources, and is an absolute triumph of modern independent filmmaking. Not to mention it’s hilarious.

– Austin Waybright

This is the only film I have willingly watched all the way through twice in one day, I would have watched it a third time but the TV remote was taken away from me. This is probably one of my favorite films, Ryland Brickson Cole Tews is at the start of his career, and by God I hope it’s a long one, I would love a dozen more films from him. If Hundreds Of Beavers is the future of filmmaking then the future is bright and full of beavers. Not a second is wasted in this film as it builds to gags, jokes that work so much better than expected thanks to ingenious editing, and the centerpiece of it all, the Rube Goldberg machine that is this film’s third act. This is the only third act of any comedy film I have laughed all the way through in its entirety. I am laughing as I write this now thinking about that horse joke.

-Vanessa Winders

9. Transformers One

Across the 40 years that the Transformers have been around many of the best stories within the franchise have focused on the Transformers themselves, and on their own. This movie is the perfect representation of that in the film format. The whole story hinges on the dynamic of Optimus Prime and Megatron before they became as many know them, and it doesn’t pull its punches when showing how these two, once brothers, became sworn enemies. It’s fun, the stakes are high, and the story cuts to the raw emotion; as a Transformers die-hard, this movie spoke to me on every single level possible.

-Raymond Adams

8. I Saw The TV Glow

A unique and bold take on a psychological horror film. Its style perfectly evokes the vibes of a 90s late-night TV show, and it takes that and injects it with creepy imagery and unsettling lighting. Its not-so-subtle trans allegory is effective in putting a knot in your stomach, but it can fill anyone with the dread of wasting your life away.

– Justin Brayer

Jane Schoenbrun’s cautionary tale of obsession and repression is by far the most haunted film of the year. The story is of two teens who become so invested in a TV show, that their realities blur. Schoenbrun uses aesthetics from 90’s-00’s television and a soundscape of queer indie artists to build two distinct universes: One that will keep you alive and one that keeps you from living.

-Dempson Juvenal

I Saw The TV Glow is a beautiful film filled with deep messages that resonated deeply with members of the queer community. The cinematography, in particular, invited the audience into Schoenbrun’s confusing and uncomfortable world in the most majestic way.

-Samantha Breslauer

7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Furiosa is a masterful odyssey; a journey that was begging to be seen on the biggest screen possible. It’s an example of how to craft a perfect prequel or sequel. It gives us a taste of what audiences loved from other Mad Max films, but it very much takes its own path. A sometimes quiet and deeply emotional story, Furiosa somehow perfectly deepens the best character from Fury Road. Combine that with excellent performances from Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth and some truly beautiful shots, Furiosa is what should have been the most epic blockbuster success of the year. Its 5-part structure is perfectly balanced, mirroring and complimenting itself constantly. And that final confrontation is something I’ll be thinking about for a very long time.

-Justin Brayer

Furiosa, while not the masterpiece that Mad Max Fury Road was in 2015, was still an excellent piece of worldbuilding, coloring in the lines of everything that Fury Road hinted at and showing every piece of Furiosa’s survival and ascension as well as Chris Hemsworth’s impressive turn as the insidious Dr. Dementus.

-Raymond Flotat

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga had amazing special effects. I think it was a very good prequel that delivered more of what made Fury Road so great.

-Sarah Ashwell

6. The Substance

The Substance is an incredibly punk rock feminist body horror film that yells its message and themes to the audience, forcing us to live in the skin of our judgments and insecurities. Coralie Fargeat created an unapologetically female film, showing the most beautiful and disgusting sides of a woman. I love movies about the female experience that don’t spare the viewers and how fun it is when women rage.

-Kylee LaRue

5. Dune: Part Two

Not only matched the quality of the first film but exceeded it. Villeneuve took his time to meticulously set up the world and the story and now is able to have it all payoff. An even greater sense of scale, and pushes the characters to extremes that the actors perfectly portray. It works expertly as an adaptation, as well, keeping the structure intact, but the major changes never detract from the themes at hand. A colossal achievement of storytelling that deserves its praise as an instant classic.

-Raymond Adams

Dune: Part II finally kicks this modern telling of Frank Herbert’s Dune into gear. The first film was gorgeously shot and a fine piece of world-building, but it felt only like the first small taste of a massive series. This next chapter took each character to their logical extremes, pushing their morals and worldview to the test amidst the worst of possible circumstances. It also furthered the recent win streak of Timothée Chalamet considerably, proving him capable of confidently portraying a massive “step into his throne” such as this film’s Paul Atreides.

-Raymond Flotat

A once in a generation movie. Stellar cast

-Eric Hernadez

Dune stood out to me in its own way and medium, and also a personal connection to the story.

-Chiara Ng

4. The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot for portraying a film about motherhood without being forceful with it.

-Izaiah Shupe

By far the best-animated film of 2024 is The Wild Robot. It’s a visually stunning film with each frame like a moving painting, a style Dreamworks has only used once before and is used here to a master level of artistic achievement for its animators. The voice cast may be the best one for an animated film in decades with Lupita Nyong’o as the center of it all bringing this story’s heart out with each word, and the emotion of her performance letting audiences feel the pain and joy of motherhood. This is a family film and it embraces family with a story about what real love and dedication is. The story is one of the best adaptions of a book and I hope Dreamworks animates the rest of that book series.

-Vanessa Winders

3. Deadpool & Wolvarine

Deadpool and Wolverine finally delivered on the long-anticipated pair-up between Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking merc with a mouth Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s perfect depiction of Marvel’s legendary Wolverine. It’s a wild, over-the-top ride, but it manages to be funny, heartfelt, and action-packed through every single moment. It proves as any great superhero movie can, if the story is good, and the actors playing the characters are worthy, superhero movies can make for stellar cinema.

-Raymond Flotat

Deadpool & Wolverine was a lot of fun to watch. It kept me entertained and laughing at all the jokes. It is one of the best Marvel movies in a while.

-Sarah Ashwell

2. The Brutalist

Not only is The Brutalist fantastically directed and written, the sound and production design make it a masterpiece. Corbet was able to create an epic with the budget of an independent film. Brody, as well as the rest of the cast, clearly put their hearts and souls into their roles. It was the easiest runtime I’ve ever sat through.

-Samantha Breslauer

1. Wicked

Wicked is easily the most fun film of the year. Erivo and Grande are multi-faceted talents whose commitment and dedication was obvious. The music was exciting and the set design was extraordinary.

-Samantha Breslauer

Wicked not only for its incredible performances and dazzling musical numbers but also for its themes of friendship and diversity.

-Izaiah Shupe

Wicked, because of how beautiful and majestical the cast and crew did with this classic story. The visuals, the performances, and the story were all so well done. You can tell they put a lot of work into this film.

-Chelsea Koeing

Great music and choreography.

– Eric Hernandez

Wicked wins by default. I love Jonathan Bailey. Cynthia Erivo should get her EGOT. Ariana Grande was great.

-Veronica Garza

I loved the way it was carried out based on what was already put out for fans and newcomers alike.

-Nia Roman

I have had to edit at least 2 articles every week about Wicked since its primer, and I am not tired of it. This is a film that deserves to have people talk about it for a very long time. I didn’t get to see the film until late December so I knew going it was going to be good. As a fan of musicals I knew I would enjoy this movie so imagine my surprise when I walked into a half-full theater still having people show up for a screening of a musical that premiered Thanksgiving on December 22nd. I then acquired a new favorite musical and the story isn’t even done, Part Two comes out 2025, and the sheer scale of passion that is Wicked makes it by far my favorite theatrical experience of 2024. This feels like a Hollywood great, something meant for a screen as big as the side of a building. A classic right out of the gate.

-Vanessa Winders

Everyone’s favorite film is different, even if it’s the same film it’s for different reasons and that’s the beauty of great films, like a cut diamond no matter which side you view it at its still a shining diamond. Like diamonds films can only be made with an incredible strength to take something and shape it into that magnificent gem. Cinema is one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments and this year showed that with films that brought worlds together. May movies never die.