Thereβs a trigger warning note at the beginning of βBlink Twiceβ that seems a bit excessive.
Once the film unfolds, however, you understand why itβs there.
βBlink Twiceβ is a highly upsetting film β particularly when you realize itβs something that could happen.
This image released by Amazon/MGM Studios shows Naomi Ackie, left, and Alia Shawka in a scene from "Blink Twice."
Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her roommate Jess (Alia Shawkat) serve as waiters at a gala hosted by a tech giant, Slater King (Channing Tatum), who is coming back from some unidentified βproblem.β
The event is lavish and, sure enough, the two servers figure out how to mingle with the rich and mighty after theyβve passed a tray of appetizers. When Frida falls, the person whoβs there to help her is none other than Slater. He expresses considerable interest and invites the two to his private island for a getaway.
Naomi Ackie, left, and Channing Tatum in a scene from "Blink Twice."Β
There, everything is provided. The guests donβt have to worry about food, clothing or fun and can basically relax. Drink and drugs are plentiful and then one of the guests goes missing.
Thatβs essential to the story and the start of βBlink Twiceβsβ problems. While this easily could be a commentary on the culture that led to #MeToo, thereβs enough here that others could find unsettling.
In Jordan Peeleβs hands, the concept could work. Zoe Kravitz, however, isn't quite sure where she wants to point the finger. As director, she exhibits great visual style but gets into murkier territory with the story. It wants to head everywhere.
This image released by Amazon/MGM Studios shows Channing Tatum in a scene from "Blink Twice."
Immediately, βEpsteinβs Islandβ comes to mind when you see the hosts and their guests. Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment and Simon Rex are among the men entertaining the women. Theyβre a mixed bag (particularly when stirred with Kyle MacLachlan as a therapist and Geena Davis as Slaterβs sister). Dinners have a creepy, βtry thisβ tone and soon guests are passing out.
When Frida decides to cool it on the drugs, she gets a clearer head and realizes all is not what it seems.
This image released by Amazon/MGM Studios shows Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie in a scene from "Blink Twice."
She finds an ally in a contestant from a βSurvivorβ-like show and begins her escape. Unfortunately, Kravitz doesnβt view that as a way to right the wrongs but as one to turn the tables. Thatβs where βBlink Twiceβ loses its power.
Ackie and Tatum are fine in their roles; Slater is overdone and Rex has potential. But this is one of those βwhat if?β dramas that makes you want to exit, not learn more.
When Kravitz gets to her big βa-haβ ending, βBlink Twiceβ becomes a means to an end, not an end to a problem.
The best movies of 2024 so far
The best movies of 2024 so far
Updated
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 huge drop in the number of major films 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 screenβstories that help audiences see the past and their lives just a little differently.
Stacker looked at Metacritic 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. IMDb 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.
#5. The Settlers
Updated
- Director: Felipe GΓ‘lvez Haberle
- Metascore: 80
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 97 minutes
Felipe GΓ‘lvez Haberle's feature directorial debut, "The Settlers," is a revisionist Western that follows three horsemen who find themselves mixed up in the South American land grab and the genocide of the Selk'nam people at the beginning of the 20th century.
Premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the film didn't get a widespread release until early this year, but critical reviews have been overwhelmingly positive since its debut. Writing for Observer, one critic called it "a brutal, chilling indictment of capitalist colonialism," while IndieWire wrote that "it's one of the most chilling art-Westerns to come along in some time, as provocative for its ideas, dialogue, and characterizations, as for the beauty of its empty landscapes."
#4. Inshallah a Boy
Updated
- Director: Amjad Al Rasheed
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 113 minutes
Wrestling with the devastating effects of Jordan's patriarchal inheritance laws, "Inshallah a Boy" is a thriller about a woman who pretends to be pregnant with a son in order to save herself and her young daughter. The film was the first Jordanian project to ever compete at Cannes, and what a stunning debut it was. The New York Times praised the performance of Mouna Hawa (a Palestinian actor), calling it "commanding," and Variety applauded Al Rasheed's prowess in casting a social-realist drama as a riveting escape thriller.
#3. Pictures of Ghosts
Updated
- Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Run time: 93 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 archived footage, for the way it inspires a "rumination on life, death, family, movies, and those complicated, invariably haunted places we call home." Meanwhile, IndieWire loved the film best for its celebratory spirit, noting that Filho is able to give the film "a joyful rhythm, full of hope and wonder."
#2. Totem
Updated
- Director: Lila AvilΓ©s
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 95 minutes
The National Board of Review named "Totem" one of the best international films of the year, which is as winning of an endorsement as one could hope to receive. The Mexican project follows a 7-year-old girl as she celebrates her father's birthday and struggles to come to terms with the fact that it will likely be his last. Variety called the movie "lifelike and lived-in" and commended filmmaker Lila AvilΓ©s' "generous, open-ended" style.
#1. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
Updated
- Director: Thien An Pham
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 179 minutes
Straddling the line between surrealism and realism, "Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell" follows a young Vietnamese man as he navigates the unexpected loss of a family member and grapples with larger questions of faith, god, and the afterlife. Director Thien An Pham's feature debut, the movie won the Camera d'Or (the award given to the best debut feature film) at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Outlets like IndieWire have gushed over the project's unique cinematic style (there are long, uninterrupted shots that run for up to 20 minutes at a time), which has already earned praise from critics internationally.
Data reporting by Luke Hicks. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
#25. How to Have Sex
Updated
- Director: Molly Manning Walker
- Metascore: 79
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Run time: 91 minutes
First premiering at the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard competition, "How to Have Sex" follows three young women as they embark on their first real adult vacation. RogerEbert.com called the movie, which is Molly Manning Walker's feature directorial debut, "a blisteringly real survey of female coming of age." The visuals here are arguably among the year's best, which is perhaps not all that surprising considering Walker's background as a cinematographer.
#24. Dune: Part Two
Updated
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Metascore: 79
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Run time: 166 minutes
The follow-up to the 2021 smash-hit adaptation of the Frank Herbert sci-fi novel, "Dune: Part Two" continues the story of Paul Atreides and the Fremen people as they wage war against the cruel House Harkonnen. The commercially successful film has a massive, all-star cast that includes actors like TimothΓ©e Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Josh Brolin. Critics, like those at Slate, have sung the movie's praises, celebrating everything from its complex, attention-grabbing plot to its jaw-dropping special effects to its cinematography and score.
#23. Io Capitano
- Director: Matteo Garrone
- Metascore: 79
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Run time: 121 minutes
Inspired by the real stories of migrants' journeys to Europe through Africa, "Io Capitano" tells the story of two young men who leave their native Dakar in search of a better life in Italy. Nominated for Best International Feature Film at this year's Oscars, the movie's cast comprises mostly unknown actors, which lends an even more raw and real tone to the story. Audiences should note that the film is a hard watchβheavy topics like abuse and slavery are tackledβbut, as Observer notes, it's important in that it keeps the reality of this international crisis at the forefront of conversations.
#22. Hundreds of Beavers
Updated
- Director: Mike Cheslik
- Metascore: 80
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Run time: 108 minutes
One of the most unique comedies of the last few years, "Hundreds of Beavers" is a black-and-white, slapstick gem about an enterprising woodsman who finds himself facing off against a slew of forest creatures for control of his homestead. With little to no dialogue, a wild soundtrack, and a cast of human actors in mascot-style animal costumes, it's safe to assume you've never seen anything like this ever before. Critics and audiences alike love the way the film pays homage to the cartoons of yesteryear (think "Looney Tunes") and how genuinely funny the physical humor actually is.
#21. The Settlers
- Director: Felipe GΓ‘lvez Haberle
- Metascore: 80
- IMDb user rating: 7
- Run time: 97 minutes
Felipe GΓ‘lvez Haberle's feature directorial debut, "The Settlers," is a revisionist Western that follows three horsemen who find themselves mixed up in the South American land grab and the genocide of the Selk'nam people at the beginning of the 20th century.
Premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the film didn't get a widespread release until early this year, but critical reviews have been overwhelmingly positive since its debut. Writing for Observer, one critic called it "a brutal, chilling indictment of capitalist colonialism," while IndieWire wrote that "it's one of the most chilling art-Westerns to come along in some time, as provocative for its ideas, dialogue, and characterizations, as for the beauty of its empty landscapes."
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#20. The Beast
Updated
- Director: Bertrand Bonello
- Metascore: 80
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Run time: 146 minutes
Loosely based on a Henry James short story titled "The Beast in the Jungle," "The Beast" is essentially about how humanity's pursuit of authenticity is often thwarted by roadblocks of its own making. A bizarre sci-fi and horror mashup, the film is set across three distinct time periods (1910, 2014, and 2044) and follows one woman as she attempts to rid herself of all emotion and the ripple effect that has on all of her past lives. Unsettling and thought-provoking, the movie certainly isn't a mindless watch, but it is an important one.
#19. Housekeeping for Beginners
Updated
- Director: Goran Stolevski
- Metascore: 80
- IMDb user rating: 7
- Run time: 107 minutes
Set in North Macedonia, "Housekeeping for Beginners" follows one woman as she does her best to raise her deceased girlfriend's two daughters despite never wanting to be a mother herself. Full of found family and LGBTQ+ themes, the movie is deeply emotional and raw, feelings that are compounded by the fact that director Goran Stolevski allowed the actors (many of whom made their big-screen debut here) to improvise large sections of the finished product.
#18. Skin Deep
Updated
- Director: Alex Schaad
- Metascore: 81
- IMDb user rating: 6.2
- Run time: 103 minutes
"Skin Deep" is a philosophical relationship drama that follows a young couple who find themselves in a body-swapping situation during a visit to a mysterious island. The New York Times lauded the way the film handled deep questions that might arise in romantic relationships and broader society should body-swapping become an established, serious possibility. Written by brothers Alex and Dimitrij Schaad, the film first premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and only made its way to the U.S. this year. It is also Alex's feature-length directorial debut.
#17. Aisha
Updated
- Director: Frank Berry
- Metascore: 81
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Run time: 94 minutes
Set in Ireland, "Aisha" examines the complicated friendship that grows between an asylum seeker and a security guard at the accommodation center where she is living. Perhaps best known for her role in the "Black Panther" movies, Letitia Wright has been praised by outlets across the internet for the controlled anger, dignity, and quiet power she infused into the character. While the film is understated in its tone and emotional pull, it's sure to have viewers reevaluating their thoughts on the immigrant experience around the world.
#16. Challengers
Updated
- Director: Luca Guadagnino
- Metascore: 82
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 131 minutes
Starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist, "Challengers" follows the tense dynamic that unfolds between a tennis coach, her player/husband who is on a losing streak, and his former best friend and rival/her former lover. Told largely through a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards, the movie is messy, dramatic, and very, very sexy (including a highly charged churro scene). Critics have praised the stars' performances as well as the complex editing, which makes what could be a fairly basic story far more compelling.
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#15. Hit Man
Updated
- Director: Richard Linklater
- Metascore: 82
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 115 minutes
In this Netflix original, Glen Powell (who co-wrote the screenplay) plays an undercover cop posing as a hit man who falls in love with a woman who has hired him to help kill her husband. The black comedy has garnered tons of praise for feeling like an old-school movieβone of those delightfully fun romps that's also well-acted, sufficiently funded, and not unduly concerned with getting a message across.
#14. Inshallah a Boy
- Director: Amjad Al Rasheed
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Run time: 113 minutes
Wrestling with the devastating effects of Jordan's patriarchal inheritance laws, "Inshallah a Boy" is a thriller about a woman who pretends to be pregnant with a son in order to save herself and her young daughter. The film was the first Jordanian project to ever compete at Cannes, and what a stunning debut it was. The New York Times praised the performance of Palestinian actor Mouna Hawa, calling it "commanding," and Variety applauded director Al Rasheed's prowess in casting a social-realist drama as a riveting escape thriller.
#13. Evil Does Not Exist
Updated
- Director: RyΓ»suke Hamaguchi
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 106 minutes
The winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 80th Venice Film Festival, "Evil Does Not Exist" is a Japanese film that follows the residents of a small village as they push back against the development of the forest they live near. Described as "sparsely written" and "unsettling in tone" by NPR, the film is far from predictable with an ending that leaves audiences with plenty to think about.
#12. Terrestrial Verses
Updated
- Directors: Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Run time: 77 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.
#11. Janet Planet
Updated
- Director: Annie Baker
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Run time: 113 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.
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#10. Chicken for Linda!
Updated
- Directors: SΓ©bastien Laudenbach, Chiara Malta
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 73 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.
#9. I Saw the TV Glow
- Director: Jane Schoenbrun
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 7
- Run time: 100 minutes
Dubbed "weird and transfixing" by NPR, "I Saw the TV Glow" follows 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 the previews may have led viewers to believe.
#8. Pictures of Ghosts
- Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Run time: 93 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 archived footage, for the way it inspires a "rumination on life, death, family, movies, and those complicated, invariably haunted places we call home." Meanwhile, IndieWire hailed the documentary's celebratory spirit, noting that Filho is able to give the film "a joyful rhythm, full of hope and wonder."
#7. About Dry Grasses
Updated
- Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Run time: 197 minutes
This Turkish-language drama follows 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 emphasis placed on still photography. The New Yorker called it "nimble, alert, and alive," stressing that it "brims with a bitingly melancholy Chekhovian spirit," something that's sure to appeal to certain moviegoers.
#6. La Chimera
Updated
- Director: Alice Rohrwacher
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 130 minutes
Set in the '80s, "La Chimera" follows a lovelorn archaeologist who unwittingly finds himself the head of a ragtag gang of grave robbers, stealing artifacts and passing them on to a mysterious buyer. The Guardian called it "uproarious and celebratory" noting that its toneβand the way it teems with lifeβis one of the best things about it. Meanwhile, Slant loved the way it wrestles with time and its effect on all of our lives.
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#5. TΓ³tem
Updated
- Director: Lila AvilΓ©s
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 95 minutes
The National Board of Review named "TΓ³tem" one of the best international films of the year, which is as winning of an endorsement as one could hope to receive. The Mexican project follows a 7-year-old girl as she celebrates her father's birthday and struggles to come to terms with the fact that it will likely be his last. Variety called the movie "lifelike and lived-in" and commended filmmaker Lila AvilΓ©s' "generous, open-ended" style.
#4. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus
Updated
- Director: Neo Sora
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Run time: 103 minutes
Called "a parting gift from a master musician" 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 ever given us.
#3. Here
Updated
- Director: Bas Devos
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Run time: 84 minutes
Dubbed "a celebration of connection" 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 happensβor could," according to the Times.
#2. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
Updated
- Director: Thien An Pham
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Run time: 179 minutes
Straddling the line between surrealism and realism, "Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell" follows a young Vietnamese man as he navigates the unexpected loss of a family member and grapples with larger questions of faith, god, and the afterlife. The movie won director Thien An Pham the Camera d'Or, the award given to the best debut feature, at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Outlets like IndieWire have gushed over the project's unique cinematic style (there are long, uninterrupted shots that run for up to 20 minutes at a time), which has earned praise from critics internationally.
#1. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Updated
- Director: Radu Jude
- Metascore: 95
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Run time: 163 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 "dizzying, dazzling feat of social critique, 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. Story editing by Carren Jao and Jaimie Etkin. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
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#25. Hundreds of Beavers
- Director: Mike Cheslik
- Metascore: 80
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Run time: 1 hour 48 minutes
One of the most unique comedies of the last few years, "Hundreds of Beavers" is a black-and-white, slapstick gem about an enterprising woodsman who finds himself facing off against a slew of forest creatures for control of his homestead. With little dialogue, a wild soundtrack, and a cast of human actors in mascot-style animal costumes, it's safe to assume you've never seen anything like this ever before. Critics and audiences alike love the way the film pays homage to the cartoons of yesteryear (think "Looney Tunes") and how genuinely funny the physical humor actually is.
#24. Housekeeping for Beginners
- Director: Goran Stolevski
- Metascore: 80
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Run time: 1 hour 47 minutes
Set in North Macedonia, "Housekeeping for Beginners" centers on a woman doing her best to raise her deceased girlfriend's two daughters despite never wanting to be a mother herself. Full of found family and LGBTQ+ themes, the movie is deeply emotional and raw, feelings that are compounded by the fact that director Goran Stolevski allowed the actors (many of whom made their big-screen debut here) to improvise large sections of the finished product.
#23. 20,000 Species of Bees
- Director: Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
- Metascore: 80
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Run time: 2 hours 8 minutes
A coming-of-age story set against the slow, Spanish summer, "20,000 Species of Bees" follows a child who begins to realize that her gender identity may not be in line with the gender she was assigned at birth. Understated and emotional, the film delves into the journey many transgender young people, and their families, go through as they start to understand their identity.
#22. Skin Deep
- Director: Alex Schaad
- Metascore: 81
- IMDb user rating: 6.2
- Run time: 1 hour 43 minutes
"Skin Deep" is a philosophical relationship drama about a young couple who find themselves in a body-swapping situation during a visit to a mysterious island. The New York Times lauded the way the film handled deep questions that might arise in romantic relationships and broader society should body-swapping become an established, serious possibility. Written by brothers Alex and Dimitrij Schaad, the film first premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and only made its way to the U.S. this year. It is also Alex's feature-length directorial debut.
#20. Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
- Director: David Hinton
- Metascore: 82
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Run time: 2 hours 11 minutes
In this essay film, Martin Scorsese guides audiences through the oeuvre of two of the most influential filmmakers of his own career: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Part chronological documentary, part film analysis, part personal narrative, the movie is a great way to get to know Powell and Pressburger as well as Scorsese himself, and was described by The New York Times as "a personal, vibrant gift."
#19. Challengers
- Director: Luca Guadagnino
- Metascore: 82
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Run time: 2 hours 11 minutes
Starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist, "Challengers" follows the tense dynamic that unfolds between a tennis coach, her player/husband who is on a losing streak, and his former best friend and rival/her former lover. Told largely through a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards, the movie is messy, dramatic, and very, very sexy (including a highly charged churro scene). Critics have praised the stars' performances as well as the complex editing, which makes what could be a fairly basic story far more compelling.
#18. Sing Sing
- Director: Greg Kwedar
- Metascore: 82
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- 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 the cast is comprised of formerly incarcerated actors who participated in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, a decision that gives the project an intensity it may not have had otherwise.
#17. Hit Man
- Director: Richard Linklater
- Metascore: 82
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes
In this Netflix original, Glen Powell (who co-wrote the screenplay) plays an undercover cop posing as a hit man who falls in love with a woman who has hired him to help kill her husband. The black comedy has garnered tons of praise for feeling like an old-school movieβone of those delightfully fun romps that's also well-acted, sufficiently funded, and not unduly concerned with getting a message across.
#16. Inshallah a Boy
- Director: Amjad Al Rasheed
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Run time: 1 hour 53 minutes
Wrestling with the devastating effects of Jordan's patriarchal inheritance laws, "Inshallah a Boy" is a thriller about a woman who pretends to be pregnant with a son in order to save herself and her young daughter. The film was the first Jordanian project to ever compete at the Cannes Film Festival, and what a stunning debut it was. The New York Times praised the performance of Palestinian actor Mouna Hawa, calling it "commanding," and Variety applauded director Al Rasheed's prowess in casting a social-realist drama as a riveting escape thriller.
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#15. Ghostlight
- Directors: Kelly O'Sullivan, Alex Thompson
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- 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.
#14. Evil Does Not Exist
- Director: RyΓ»suke 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 "sparsely written" and "unsettling in tone" by NPR, "Evil Does Not Exist" is far from predictable with an ending that leaves audiences with plenty to think about.
#13. 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.
#12. Chicken for Linda!
- Directors: SΓ©bastien 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.
#11. I Saw the TV Glow
- Director: Jane Schoenbrun
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 5.9
- Run time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Dubbed "weird and transfixing" 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 the previews may have led viewers to believe.
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#10. Janet Planet
- Director: Annie Baker
- Metascore: 85
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- 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.
#9. About Dry Grasses
- Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Metascore: 87
- 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 emphasis placed on still photography. The New Yorker called it "nimble, alert, and alive," stressing that it "brims with a bitingly melancholy Chekhovian spirit," something that's sure to appeal to certain moviegoers.
#8. 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 archived footage, for the way it inspires a "rumination on life, death, family, movies, and those complicated, invariably haunted places we call home." Meanwhile, IndieWire hailed the documentary's celebratory spirit, noting that Filho is able to give the film "a joyful rhythm, full of hope and wonder."
#7. Green Border
- Director: Agnieszka Holland
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Run time: 2 hours 32 minutes
Described by RogerEbert.com 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.
#5. TΓ³tem
- Director: Lila AvilΓ©s
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Run time: 1 hour 35 minutes
The National Board of Review named "TΓ³tem" one of the best international films of the year, 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 "lifelike and lived-in" and commended filmmaker Lila AvilΓ©s' "generous, open-ended" style.
#3. Here
- Director: Bas Devos
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Run time: 1 hour 24 minutes
Dubbed "a celebration of connection" 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 happensβor could," according to the Times.
#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. The movie won director Thien An Pham the Camera d'Or, the award given to the best debut feature, at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Outlets like IndieWire have gushed over the project's unique cinematic style (there are long, uninterrupted shots that run for up to 20 minutes at a time), which has earned praise from critics internationally.
#21. Aisha
Updated
- Director: Frank Berry
- Metascore: 81
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Run time: 1 hour 34 minutes
Set in Ireland, "Aisha" examines the complicated friendship that grows between an asylum seeker and a security guard at the accommodation center where she is living. Perhaps best known for her role in the "Black Panther" movies, Letitia Wright has been praised by outlets across the internet for the controlled anger, dignity, and quiet power she infused into the character. While the film is understated in its tone and emotional pull, it's sure to have viewers reevaluating their thoughts on the immigrant experience around the world.
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#6. La Chimera
Updated
- 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 the head of a ragtag gang of grave robbers, stealing artifacts and passing them on to a mysterious buyer. The Guardian called it "uproarious and celebratory" noting that its toneβand the way it teems with lifeβis one of the best things about it. Meanwhile, Slant loved the way it wrestles with time and its effect on all of our lives.
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#4. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus
Updated
- Director: Neo Sora
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Run time: 1 hour 43 minutes
Called "a parting gift from a master musician" 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.
#1. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Updated
- 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 "dizzying, dazzling feat of social critique, 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. Story editing by Carren Jao and Jaimie Etkin. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
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