Listen, I get it. The holidays are exhausting, movie theater prices are too high, and streaming is often more convenient. Given those factors, you likely missed some notable gems from 2024’s varied film releases. But, don’t fret, readers! I have compiled a diverse list of cinematic highlights to appeal to all taste levels. You won’t see films like Wicked or Deadpool & Wolverine on this list because they need no further promotion, but you might discover some titles that flew under your radar. Here are the ten most overlooked films of 2024.
1. Hundreds of Beavers (Directed by Mike Cheslik)
Hundreds of Beavers is a movie that simply defies words and evades categorization. It’s a work of creative genius, deeply stupid and completely unserious. When I say there is no other film like it, I mean that literally. It is a singular and confounding experience that demands to be seen with a big, eager, and enthusiastic crowd. What starts as a simple and mundane genre exercise evolves into something deeply engrossing, unpredictable, and experimental. The scope of the film is vast. What’s the plot about, you ask? All I can say is that there are beavers. HUNDREDS of them. And the narrative stakes could not be higher. Hundreds of Beavers is one of the year’s most exhilarating, inventive, original, and unexpected surprises.
Hundreds of Beavers is now available on Prime Video.
2. Babygirl (Directed by Halina Reijn)
Halina Reijn’s Babygirl is a stylish, sexy, and thought-provoking erotic thriller. Like Reijn’s runaway hit Bodies Bodies Bodies, the film intends to subvert audience expectations about its narrative objectives. Nicole Kidman is fabulously unhinged. Antonio Banderas is unassumingly hot. The score is sultry, unnerving, and pulse-pounding. While this is marketed as A24’s answer to 50 Shades of Grey, I do not think this film is really about sexual taboos or kinks. At least, not entirely.
Babygirl is about repressed desires and the ways women are conditioned to be ashamed of them. It is about their internal fears of judgment and ridicule for articulating their physical wants and needs. It is about liberation, trust, and letting go of control in vulnerable, healthy, and safe ways. The drama is very interior and Kidman navigates these complex and thorny emotions skillfully. Also, it may have you craving a large, cold glass of milk. Two things can be true at the same time.
Available now only in theaters.
3. A Different Man (Directed by Aaron Schimberg)
A Different Man is a dark comedy with a surprisingly empathetic and humane look at the duality of public perception. It finds biting humor and tender melancholy in the most unlikely places. Sebastian Stan is deeply affecting in the lead role, creating a three-dimensional character we simultaneously love, pity, and loathe depending on the circumstance. It handles its sensitive subject with delicacy and truth, provoking thought without being exploitative. It’s funny, heartbreaking, and provides a more nuanced, male-centered answer to The Substance.
Available now on VOD.
4. Nightbitch (Directed by Marielle Heller)
Amy Adams is a real gem. She’s one of the industry’s most reliable working actresses. Her performance in Nightbitch is sensitive, forceful, and honest. She is the glue that holds this tonally inconsistent and occasionally clunky premise together. However, as a metaphor for the unglamorous and arduous aspects of motherhood, it works surprisingly well. It is a far more empathetic and thoughtful film than the trailers indicate. It hits some soulful grace notes that ring emotionally true. It’s not a perfect film, but funny, introspective, and humane in all the right ways.
Available now on Hulu.
5. Maria (Directed by Pablo Larraín)
Angelina Jolie is MAGNIFICENT as Maria Callas, coined “the world’s greatest opera singer” as she lives out her final days in 1970s Paris. It features stunning costuming, cinematography, score, production design, and editing. The mileage may vary with viewers who are uninitiated (or unenthused) with Larrain’s previous work. Maria is not my favorite of Larrain’s “Tortured Women” trilogy (following Jackie and Spencer). However, that is not to suggest that the film is anything less than exquisite. It’s a poignant tribute to an extraordinary performer reclaiming her voice, literally and figuratively.
Available now on Netflix.
6. Exhibiting Forgiveness (Directed by Titus Kaphar)
Exhibiting Forgiveness is a soulful, transcendent, and lyrical meditation on generational trauma. Like Sing Sing, it is also a film about the healing power of art. It tells the story with a painterly eye, a rhythmic tone, and an empathetic spirit. I reflected on my unhealed wounds, drawing painful parallels to my experiences. André Holland, Andra Day, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and John Earl Jelks are magnetic. The performances are so stirring and authentically lived-in, they’ll grip you to the core.
Available now on VOD.
7. His Three Daughters (Directed by Azazel Jacobs)
His Three Daughters displays a triage of terrific performances from Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne. There is a theatricality to some of the dialogue that occasionally strains realism. However, there is also a quiet depth and power in the performances that give the film an understated authenticity. This is a conceptual drama confined to one location, but the storied lives these women represent is written across their faces. The single location gives the film an intimacy and a pressure-cooker level of dramatic intensity that is riveting to watch unfold. This is an acting showcase, through and through. Tender, abrasive, and heartfelt in equal measure.
Available now on Netflix.
8. Juror #2 (Directed by Clint Eastwood)
Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 is a sturdy, suspenseful courtroom drama plucked from a bygone era of cinema. Only Eastwood could give this film the tinge of late 80s-early 90s nostalgia on display. The premise is strong and novel. Sure, it recycles familiar narrative beats and themes from other films of its ilk (e.g. 12 Angry Men). Yes, the dialogue is occasionally contrived and hokey. Still, for all of my minor quibbles with the film, it hardly matters.
The story is rich in morally grey conflict which generates thoughtful discourse around ethics, integrity, and our imperfect legal system. The performances are top-notch. Especially, Nicholas Hoult as the morally tortured title character. And, we will collectively choose to forgive Toni Collette’s shoddy Southern accent because we all know she is great. Legal thrillers are like potatoes for me. I have never found one I did not like (no matter how it’s prepared). At age 94, this is likely Eastwood’s final film, which is solemn and nostalgic in its own right. He’s still got it. The climax is a doozy. Just shattering.
Available now on Max.
9. My Old Ass (Directed by Megan Park)
My Old Ass is the cinematic equivalent of a warm hug. Cozy, comforting, and melancholy. It’s a thoughtful coming-of-age film that wears its heart on its sleeve. It asks poignant, challenging questions about life, growing up, grief, and anxiety. It’s a real triumph. Maisy Stella gives an organic, star-making performance and Aubrey Plaza continues her winning streak of layered, dramatic roles with a dash of her signature acerbic humor. I imagine this film will become extremely important to a lot of teenage girls for years to come. Finally, My Old Ass is just such a great movie title. Wouldn’t you agree?
Available now on Prime Video.
10. Ghostlight (Directed by Alex Thompson, Kelly O’Sullivan)
Director duo Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan’s drama Ghostlight wrings raw emotion and poignancy out of a familiar storyline. In one of the most underrated performances of the year, Keith Kupferer shines in the lead role. Kupferer is lovely, tender, and devastating. The supporting cast is also great (most notably, Katherine Mallen Kupferer and Dolly de Leon). In 2024’s running theme of weathering grief through art and community, Kupferer finds peace and solace by joining a local theater production. Through the creative process, he finds the courage to heal from a family tragedy. The film has a warmth and sincerity that is infectious and heartwarming.
Available now on VOD.
For more reviews from Reel Insights’ Laron Chapman, check out his “Top 4 Genre Films of Summer 2024” HERE
