Nothing forces the folks in “Here” to stay.
Yet stay they do until you’re tired of them whining about the house, the relatives, the economy, the world.
In short, “Here” is neither here nor there.
Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks have a long and fruitful history together dating back to “Forrest Gump” and “Cast Away.” Less good was 2022’s “Pinocchio,” so hopefully the pair are back on track in “Here.” Appearing to be filmed in one take, Zemeckis’ latest chronicles a single spot of land through history. After a home is built on it, Hanks and Robin Wright move in and raise a family. (Nov. 1, in theaters)
Sony Pictures via AP
Perhaps that’s because director Robert Zemeckis is too enamored with the film’s technical aspects. Shooting from a specific location, he shows how different lives pass through the space and, often, obsess over mundane issues.
Tom Hanks and Robin Wright play the two who appear the most, though there are others.
He’s an artist who has to take a job in sales once he discovers his girlfriend (Wright) is pregnant. Because they can’t afford their own home, they live with his parents. And stay until, finally, the folks move out.
At one point, she becomes resentful of the situation – and why not? Even though they toss in a line about money, they could have struck out on their own.
Zemeckis’ conceit – shooting the activity from one vantage point from a largely locked-down camera – becomes tedious and hardly the account you’d want it to be. When the camera finally moves (and shows a huge room attached), you wonder why so much attention was paid to the one with the bay window. (Couldn’t the dining room be a place for activity?)
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There, they hold a wedding, a funeral, countless dinners, a birth and a couple of deaths.
Paul Bettany and Kelly Reilly turn up as Hanks’s parents, but they’re merely a plot device.
What fascinates (besides the footage of dinosaurs and early Americans) is how Zemeckis isn’t afraid to move phrases (like “thank you for your service”) out of their time period. He shifts other things, too, and often winds up with a soap opera look to his film.
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis is the director behind blockbuster hits including 1985's "Back to the Future," 1994's "Forrest Gump," 2000's "Cast Away," and 2012's "Flight," so it is safe to say there's buzz surrounding his upcoming film "Here." Starring frequent collaborator Tom Hanks, reuniting with his "Forrest Gump" co-star Robin Wright, "Here" follows the lives of people who occupied the same room at various points over the course of centuries. The film harnesses Metaphysics Live, an AI tool, to without the need for postproduction digital effects. The film is based on a graphic novel of the same name written by Richard McGuire.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic // Getty Images
Wright and Hanks, reunited after their turn in “Forrest Gump,” aren’t all that compelling as the couple. Suffering in silence through much of her stay, she’s not really a fan of the house. Because of poor financial planning, he abandons painting, then takes it back up again.
That “de-aging” process is used to make them look believable as teenagers but it wasn’t really necessary. All the action is shot at such a distance it’s like watching a play and buying the idea that Stockard Channing is a teen.
While the furnishings barely switch out (a couple of couches are in too many scenes for anyone’s good), the “bones” of the room remain the same. Only during those prehistoric and early American scenes do you really get to eyeball what the plot of land is like. All sorts of animals romp by, but the focus is on Hanks and Wright.
They’re OK, even though you expect more from both. The story tries too hard to make points about all our lives and winds up capturing none of them.
Like other Zemeckis films, it’s a bold experiment. But, sometimes, effort needs to be put into the script before it’s lavished on the shooting technique. This isn’t another “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” or, sadly, even another “Forrest Gump.”
The best movies of 2024 so far
The best movies of 2024 so far
The year may have just gotten started, but 2024 is already looking to be an exciting year in film if the following list is any indication.
As a result of the monthslong Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strikes last year, industry experts, like those at Deadline, are expecting to see a set to premiere by the end of the year. Although last year saw 124 wide releases, 2024 expects to see just over 100, which will equate to a roughly $1 billion drop in domestic ticket sales.
That said, we'll still be getting a fair number of blockbusters over the course of the year, with titles like "Madame Web," "Dune: Part Two," "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," "Deadpool & Wolverine," and "Gladiator 2" all poised to hit theaters this year. Those are just a taste of the movies expecting a theatrical release in 2024.
In the first two months of the year, however, we've already seen a number of truly wonderful films hit the big screen—stories that help audiences see the past and their lives just a little differently.
looked at data on the best films of 2024 so far and ranked the top five. Ordered by Metascore, the films had to have been released in the U.S. in 2024 and have at least seven reviews from critics in order to qualify for this list. user ratings were provided for popular reception context.
Read on to find some new titles to add to your queue and then come back throughout the year as the list, and this year in memorable cinema, grows exponentially.
PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images
#25. Ghostlight
- Directors: Kelly O'Sullivan, Alex Thompson
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes
A story about the healing power of art, "Ghostlight" follows a grieving construction worker who processes the death of his teenage son through a community theater production of "Romeo and Juliet." Messy, pure, and earnest, the film features an actual family of actors (partners Keith Kupferer and Tara Mallen and their daughter Katherine Mallen Kupferer), making everything feel incredibly real.
John Nacion // Getty Images
#24. Janet Planet
- Director: Annie Baker
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 6.2
- Run time: 1 hour 53 minutes
Set in the early '90s, this drama follows a hippie mother (Julianne Nicholson) and her preteen daughter (Zoe Ziegler) over the course of one slow summer as they spend nearly all of their time together and confront changes in their relationship. The movie is the feature directorial debut of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker, who also wrote the screenplay.
Steven Ferdman // Getty Images
#23. Crossing
- Director: Levan Akin
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Run time: 1 hour 46 minutes
Following a promise she made to her dying sister, a retired teacher heads to Istanbul in search of her transgender niece. Her path soon crosses with a young man on a quest of his own, and the story of "Crossing" unfolds from there. The setting and cinematography are half the draw here, which, combined with the quiet emotional through line of the film, make "Crossing" one of the year's most worthy watches.
Marleen Moise/WireImage // Getty Images
#22. Evil Does Not Exist
- Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Run time: 1 hour 46 minutes
The winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 80th Venice Film Festival, "Evil Does Not Exist" is a Japanese film about the residents of a small village who are pushing back against the development of the forest they live near. Described as by NPR, "Evil Does Not Exist" is far from predictable with an ending that leaves audiences with plenty to think about.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
#21. Terrestrial Verses
- Directors: Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Run time: 1 hour 17 minutes
In this Iranian film, directors Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami follow nine individuals as they face off against different iterations of power in the Middle Eastern country. At times comedic and difficult, the stories examine the way certain codes of behavior (whether dictated by culture or religion) can often be used as a channel for more deeply held prejudices.
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Lionel Hahn // Getty Images
#20. Between the Temples
- Director: Nathan Silver
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 6.3
- Run time: 1 hour 51 minutes
Jason Schwartzman stars in this comedy-drama about a widowed cantor whose grade school music teacher seeks his wisdom in prepping for her adult bat mitzvah. Aptly described by The New York Times as a "," "Between the Temples" offers a unique look at how our toughest moments are often dotted with comedy. The movie's helps to create a viewing experience "as volatile and hilarious as it is sweet and profound," per The Associated Press.
John Lamparski/Getty Images
#19. Sing Sing
- Director: Greg Kwedar
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Run time: 1 hour 45 minutes
A prison drama unlike any you've seen before, "Sing Sing" is about a man who has been imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit but finds purpose in a theater group composed of fellow incarcerated men. Colman Domingo plays the lead role, and much of who participated in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, a decision that gives the project an authenticity it may not have had otherwise.
Amanda Edwards // Getty Images for Film Independent
#18. His Three Daughters
- Director: Azazel Jacobs
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Run time: 1 hour 41 minutes
Exploring themes of sisterhood, loss, and grief, "His Three Daughters" follows three estranged sisters as they reunite to prepare for their father's death in his tiny New York City apartment. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon, and Natasha Lyonne, the Netflix original is being touted as and has even garnered Oscar buzz for Lyonne in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Jason Mendez // Getty Images for Netflix
#17. Chicken for Linda!
- Directors: Sébastien Laudenbach, Chiara Malta
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 1 hour 13 minutes
In this animated film, a mother sets out to make amends with her daughter by cooking her favorite meal, despite her lack of culinary knowledge and a strike that's essentially shut down their city. The French project is playful and emotional, exploring themes like grief and memory in ways that will appeal to audiences of all ages.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
#16. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
- Directors: Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Run time: 1 hour 44 minutes
"Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" sets out to show that "Superman" star Christopher Reeve was just as much a hero in real life as he was on-screen. The intimate documentary covers the whole of the actor's life, from his early days in Hollywood in the 1970s through his meteoric rise as the man of steel. From there, the film explores the 1995 horseback riding accident that left him paralyzed, his second act as a disability rights advocate, and his death at 52 in 2004.
Moving and emotional, the film contains never-before-seen footage from the Reeve family's personal home movie collection as well as lengthy interviews with his three children and Hollywood A-listers like Whoopi Goldberg and Susan Sarandon.
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Jamie McCarthy // Getty Images
#15. Daughters
- Directors: Angela Patton, Natalie Rae
- Metascore: 85
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Run time: 1 hour 48 minutes
"Daughters" made its debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in January, where it won awards from audiences and festival insiders alike. This emotional documentary follows four girls preparing for a father-daughter dance with their incarcerated dads. It jumps back and forth between the girls' lives and their fathers' as they go through an intense 10-week parenting course in preparation for the event. The movie provides a fresh look at the way the American prison system affects all of those it touches.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix
#14. The Wild Robot
- Director: Chris Sanders
- Metascore: 85
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Run time: 1 hour 42 minutes
An adaptation of the book series of the same title, "The Wild Robot" is a family-friendly animated movie about a robot named Roz who must figure out how to survive after being shipwrecked on a remote island. Featuring the voices of Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, and Catherine O'Hara, among others, the film has a timely message for audiences about chosen families and what defines a family in the first place. Critics have praised how deftly "The Wild Robot" , noting that, unlike other kids' movies that force some nudge-nudge-wink-wink jokes for adults, the .
Raul Terrel/Europa Press via Getty Images
#13. Close Your Eyes
- Director: Víctor Erice
- Metascore: 85
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 2 hours 49 minutes
"Close Your Eyes" is a pessimistic meditation on memory, identity, and cinema from 84-year-old Spanish director Victor Erice. Told across two timelines, it follows the disappearance of an actor in the middle of a film shoot in the '90s and the present-day reinvestigation of the mystery. Clocking in at almost three hours, its leisurely pace won't be for everyone, but those willing to go along for the ride will be rewarded with a touching, thought-provoking ending.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
#12. I Saw the TV Glow
- Director: Jane Schoenbrun
- Metascore: 86
- IMDb user rating: 5.8
- Run time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Dubbed by NPR, "I Saw the TV Glow" centers on two teenagers who bond over a supernatural TV series only to have their lives go off the rails years after the show's cancellation. Produced by Emma Stone and Dave McCary's company Fruit Tree, the movie stars Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine and is far more unsettling than may have led viewers to believe.
Frazer Harrison // Getty Images
#11. Good One
- Director: India Donaldson
- Metascore: 87
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Run time: 1 hour 29 minutes
"Good One" follows 17-year-old Sam (Lily Collias), her father, and her father's longtime friend as they embark on a weekend hike in the Catskill Mountains. The journey, which may sound picturesque on the surface, proves to be anything but when the men let past issues bubble to the surface and put Sam in a position that's well beyond her years. Critics rave about almost every aspect of "Good One," from to the , and director India Donaldson's absolute refusal to hold audiences' hands through its .
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Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Museum of Modern Art
#10. Pictures of Ghosts
- Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes
In this documentary, filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho revisits his life in Brazil, recalling its glory days through the prism of the various cinemas he frequented as a child. The New York Times praised the film, which combines both new and archival footage, for the way it inspires a ", and those complicated, invariably haunted places we call home." Meanwhile, IndieWire hailed the documentary's celebratory spirit, noting that Filho gives it "."
Theo Wargo // Getty Images for FLC
#9. About Dry Grasses
- Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Run time: 3 hours 17 minutes
This Turkish-language drama centers on a teacher who finds his future threatened after a female student alleges inappropriate contact. As is the case with many of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's projects, the movie is slow and sparse, with a strong . The New Yorker called it "," stressing that it "brims with a bitingly melancholy Chekhovian spirit," something that's sure to appeal to certain moviegoers.
Lionel Hahn // Getty Images
#8. Green Border
- Director: Agnieszka Holland
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Run time: 2 hours 32 minutes
as "the best and most important film to be released in the U.S. so far this year," "Green Border" examines the ongoing European refugee crisis. Set on the border of Belarus and Poland, the movie is gorgeously shot in black and white and manages to perfectly walk the line between real and melodramatic. It's a must-watch for any politically minded viewer.
Gerald Matzka // Getty Images
#7. La Chimera
- Director: Alice Rohrwacher
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Set in the '80s, "La Chimera" centers on a lovelorn archaeologist who unwittingly finds himself as the head of a ragtag gang of grave robbers, stealing artifacts and passing them on to a mysterious buyer. The Guardian called it "," noting that its tone—and the way it teems with life—is one of the best things about it. Meanwhile, Slant loved the way it and its effect on all of our lives.
Theo Wargo // Getty Images for FLC
#6. Sugarcane
- Director: Emily Kassie, Julian Brave NoiseCat
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Run time: 1 hour 47 minutes
National Geographic documentary "Sugarcane" looks at the abuse and death that transpired in a Canadian Indian residential school system, following survivors and investigators as they learn what went on behind closed doors in one of the more troubling parts of the country's history. While the movie is a difficult watch, it's also a powerful one, relying not on talking-head or gritty reenactment approaches, but rather inviting audiences to sit alongside those most affected by the program. A must-see, "Sugarcane" won the Directing Award for documentaries at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
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Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
#5. Tótem
- Director: Lila Avilés
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 1 hour 35 minutes
The National Board of Review named "Tótem" one of the , which is as winning of an endorsement as one could hope to receive. The Mexican project is about a 7-year-old girl celebrating her father's birthday and struggling to come to terms with the fact that it will likely be his last. Variety called the movie "" and commended filmmaker Lila Avilés' "generous, open-ended" style.
Sebastian Reuter // Getty Images
#4. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus
- Director: Neo Sora
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Run time: 1 hour 43 minutes
Called "" by The New York Times, "Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus" is the pianist's final performance. There are no interviews or introductions in the film, it's simply 103 minutes of the Japanese artist sitting at his piano playing some of his greatest hits. While it may not sound like the most exciting film the year has had to offer, the space it offers for contemplation is unlike anything else the big screen has given us.
Arturo Holmes // Getty Images for FLC
#3. Here
- Director: Bas Devos
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Run time: 1 hour 24 minutes
Dubbed "" by The New York Times, Bas Devos' "Here" follows the lives of a Romanian construction worker and a Belgian-Chinese academic who studies moss. Their lives, which have almost no reason to intersect, inevitably do in the most unusual of places. The quiet film is beautifully photographed and captures a sense of connection where "nothing much and everything happens—or could," according to the Times.
Sebastian Reuter // Getty Images
#2. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
- Director: Thien An Pham
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 2 hours 59 minutes
Straddling the line between surrealism and realism, "Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell" centers on a young Vietnamese man navigating the unexpected loss of a family member and grappling with larger questions of faith, god, and the afterlife. At the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the movie won director Thien An Pham the Camera d'Or, the award given to the best debut feature. Outlets like IndieWire have gushed over the project's (there are long, uninterrupted shots that run for up to 20 minutes at a time), which has earned praise from critics internationally.
Lionel Hahn/Getty Images
#1. Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World
- Director: Radu Jude
- Metascore: 95
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Run time: 2 hours 43 minutes
In this black comedy, a production assistant is tasked with shooting a workplace safety video, only to find their plans upended when an interviewee makes a surprising statement. Completely unique in its form (it's a mix of new footage; edited excerpts of another 1981 film, "Angela merge mai departe"; and the main character's TikTok videos), Variety called the movie a ", an all-fronts-at-once attack on the zeitgeist, and a mischievous, often hilarious work of art about the artifice of work."
Data reporting by Luke Hicks and Rob Powell. Story editing by Jaimie Etkin and Carren Jao. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
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Alessandro Levati // Getty Images
#25. Evil Does Not Exist
- Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Run time: 1 hour 46 minutes
The winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 80th Venice Film Festival, "Evil Does Not Exist" is a Japanese film about the residents of a small village who are pushing back against the development of the forest they live near. Described as by NPR, "Evil Does Not Exist" is far from predictable with an ending that leaves audiences with plenty to think about.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
#23. Between the Temples
- Director: Nathan Silver
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 6.3
- Run time: 1 hour 51 minutes
Jason Schwartzman stars in this comedy-drama about a widowed cantor whose grade school music teacher seeks his wisdom in prepping for her adult bat mitzvah. Aptly described by The New York Times as a "," "Between the Temples" offers a unique look at how our toughest moments are often dotted with comedy. The movie's helps to create a viewing experience "as volatile and hilarious as it is sweet and profound," per The Associated Press.
John Lamparski // Getty Images
#19. Chicken for Linda!
- Directors: Sébastien Laudenbach, Chiara Malta
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 1 hour 13 minutes
In this animated film, a mother sets out to make amends with her daughter by cooking her favorite meal, despite her lack of culinary knowledge and a strike that's essentially shut down their city. The French project is playful and emotional, exploring themes like grief and memory in ways that will appeal to audiences of all ages.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
#18. Dahomey
- Director: Mati Diop
- Metascore: 85
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Run time: 1 hour 8 minutes
"Dahomey" is a documentary feature that follows the return of 26 artifacts that French troops once stole from the Kingdom of Dahomey (in the present-day republic of Benin), following a massive campaign for their reparation. Rather than taking a strong stance on reparations in general—in terms of whether or not they're enough to right the wrongs of the past—the movie elects to, as put it, "observe [the process] lovingly, encouraging dialogue on and off screen." That approach is crystallized through the , written and voiced by Haitian author Makenzy Orcel.
Monika Skolimowska/picture alliance via Getty Images
#16. A Real Pain
- Director: Jesse Eisenberg
- Metascore: 85
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Run time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Written, directed, and produced by Jesse Eisenberg, "A Real Pain" follows two cousins (Eisenberg and "Succession" standout Kieran Culkin) who embark on a journey through Poland following the death of their grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. called Culkin's highly emotional performance one of the best of the year, praising its raw and organic feel. Meanwhile, Eisenberg's script won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival, where the project premiered in January 2024.
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Neilson Barnard // Getty Images
#15. The Wild Robot
- Director: Chris Sanders
- Metascore: 85
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Run time: 1 hour 42 minutes
An adaptation of the book series of the same title, "The Wild Robot" is a family-friendly animated movie about a robot named Roz who must figure out how to survive after being shipwrecked on a remote island. Featuring the voices of Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, and Catherine O'Hara, among others, the film has a timely message for audiences about chosen families and what defines a family in the first place. Critics have praised how deftly "The Wild Robot" , noting that, unlike other kids' movies that force some nudge-nudge-wink-wink jokes for adults, the .
Raul Terrel/Europa Press via Getty Images
#14. Close Your Eyes
- Director: Víctor Erice
- Metascore: 85
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 2 hours 49 minutes
"Close Your Eyes" is a pessimistic meditation on memory, identity, and cinema from 84-year-old Spanish director Victor Erice. Told across two timelines, it follows the disappearance of an actor in the middle of a film shoot in the '90s and the present-day reinvestigation of the mystery. Clocking in at almost three hours, its leisurely pace won't be for everyone, but those willing to go along for the ride will be rewarded with a touching, thought-provoking ending.
Jesus Hellin/Europa Press via Getty Images
#12. Good One
- Director: India Donaldson
- Metascore: 87
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 1 hour 29 minutes
"Good One" follows 17-year-old Sam (Lily Collias), her father, and her father's longtime friend as they embark on a weekend hike in the Catskill Mountains. The journey, which may sound picturesque on the surface, proves to be anything but when the men let past issues bubble to the surface and put Sam in a position that's well beyond her years. Critics rave about almost every aspect of "Good One," from to the , and director India Donaldson's absolute refusal to hold audiences' hands through its .
Michael Loccisano // Getty Images
#11. Pictures of Ghosts
- Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes
In this documentary, filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho revisits his life in Brazil, recalling its glory days through the prism of the various cinemas he frequented as a child. The New York Times praised the film, which combines both new and archival footage, for the way it inspires a ", and those complicated, invariably haunted places we call home." Meanwhile, IndieWire hailed the documentary's celebratory spirit, noting that Filho gives it "."
You may also like:
Theo Wargo // Getty Images for FLC
#10. About Dry Grasses
- Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Run time: 3 hours 17 minutes
This Turkish-language drama centers on a teacher who finds his future threatened after a female student alleges inappropriate contact. As is the case with many of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's projects, the movie is slow and sparse, with a strong . The New Yorker called it "," stressing that it "brims with a bitingly melancholy Chekhovian spirit," something that's sure to appeal to certain moviegoers.
Lionel Hahn // Getty Images
#9. Green Border
- Director: Agnieszka Holland
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Run time: 2 hours 32 minutes
as "the to be released in the U.S. so far" in 2024, "Green Border" examines the ongoing European refugee crisis. Set on the border of Belarus and Poland, the movie is gorgeously shot in black and white and manages to perfectly walk the line between real and melodramatic. It's a must-watch for any politically minded viewer.
Gerald Matzka // Getty Images
#8. Sugarcane
- Director: Emily Kassie, Julian Brave NoiseCat
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Run time: 1 hour 47 minutes
National Geographic documentary "Sugarcane" looks at the abuse and death that transpired in a Canadian Indian residential school system, following survivors and investigators as they learn what went on behind closed doors in one of the more troubling parts of the country's history. While the movie is a difficult watch, it's also a powerful one, relying not on talking-head or gritty reenactment approaches, but rather inviting audiences to sit alongside those most affected by the program. A must-see, "Sugarcane" won the Directing Award for documentaries at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Matt Winkelmeyer // Getty Images
#6. Anora
- Director: Sean Baker
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Run time: 2 hours 19 minutes
The romantic dramedy "Anora" follows the ill-fated marriage of a Brooklyn-born stripper and the immature son of a Russian oligarch. Described by multiple outlets as a the film won the top prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, the coveted Palme d'Or. Relative newcomer Mikey Madison's , as is Yura Borisov's supporting turn as Igor. Outlets like Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and others currently list "Anora" as a frontrunner to possibly win Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars.
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Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
#4. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus
- Director: Neo Sora
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Run time: 1 hour 43 minutes
Called "" by The New York Times, "Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus" is the pianist's final performance. There are no interviews or introductions in the film, it's simply 103 minutes of the Japanese artist sitting at his piano playing some of his greatest hits. While it may not sound like the most exciting film the year has had to offer, the space it offers for contemplation is unlike anything else the big screen has given us.
Arturo Holmes // Getty Images for FLC
#3. Here
- Director: Bas Devos
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Run time: 1 hour 24 minutes
Dubbed "" by The New York Times, Bas Devos' "Here" follows the lives of a Romanian construction worker and a Belgian-Chinese academic who studies moss. Their lives, which have almost no reason to intersect, inevitably do in the most unusual of places. The quiet film is beautifully photographed and captures a sense of connection where "nothing much and everything happens—or could," according to the Times.
Sebastian Reuter // Getty Images
Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal.
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