My Favourites From 2024 World Cinema

Favourite Movies of 2024

In isolation, we always ponder upon the stringent questions that keep disturbing us. As a movie fan, enthusiast, and passionate lover, the year-end sparked a little bit of a debate inside me: ‘What is the definition of a good film?’ This is not V-Sauce or a PhD theoretical paper to dive deep, but looking back at 2024 from a rearview window, I just feel like we had a mixed bag year where aspiration got squelched out by ambition. 

Take Guntur Kaaram, Mahesh Babu’s ambition for the future – SSR’s film, overpowered his fans’ aspiration to see a theatrical blockbuster from their beloved Trivikram and their idol’s combination, who gave memorable Athadu and Khaleja. In 14 years, the duo, from trying something out of the box, decided to give a lazy inside-the-box movie that no one really could appreciate. Still, Mahesh Babu’s efforts cannot be looked down upon. 

Now, many of you might hate me, but mythological connections could help mediocre films like HanuMan and Kalki 2898 AD gross big. Does God really need a celebration? HanuMan is an age-old subject made again with better visualisation and less amount of conviction in telling a story. Kalki 2898 AD issues don’t end with the Karna connection: until that moment, really, tell me how much of the movie really engaged you? 

I do not want to mention Pushpa 2 The Rule in any of my lists as box office experts have that job cut out for them. Neither did Sukumar direct this film, nor did we watch that snake-like hero act in a snail-paced climax. Let’s forget and move on. I was impressed by the ideas behind KA, AAY, and Zebra, but those ideas did not realise their full potential. Again, aspiration vs ambition problem, and Saripodhaa Sanivaaram is the biggest letdown for me, in terms of the same debate. 

Malayalam Cinema did showcase how aspiration and ambition can go hand-in-hand with brilliant films. It is hard to believe that in an industry where budgets are restrained, the vision is flourishing, but that’s the truth. What is the use in having budgets to make films like Devara, Tillu Square and Mathu Vadalara 2, with every film trying to desperately become a ‘box office success’? 

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying people should lose their hard-earned money in filmmaking. I am just asking them to open their vision and broaden their subject scope to reach out to even greater heights. I will debate about it in some other blog. Let’s dive into my list of the films that left a mark with their creativity, imaginative, and respectable originality. 

Television Series:

Baby Reindeer | 2024 | Drama | UK
Borgen | 2010 | Political Drama | Denmark
Firefly | 2002 | Adventure Sci-Fi | USA
Freedom at Midnight | 2024 | Docudrama | India
Le Bureau des Légendes | 2015 | Political Drama | France
Reacher | 2022 | Action Drama | USA
Say Nothing | 2024 | Drama | UK
Shogun | 2024 | Adventure Drama | UK
The Bear | 2022 | Comedy Drama | USA
The Day of the Jackal | 2024 | Crime Drama | UK  

Hollywood:

Anora | 2024 | Romance Comedy | Sean Baker | USA*
Christmas Eve in Millers Point | 2024 | Comedy Drama | Tyler Taormina | USA
Conclave | 2024 | Mystery Drama | Edward Berger | USA  *
Daughters | 2024 | Documentary | Angela Patton, Natalie Rae | USA *
Dune 2 | 2024 | Adventure | Denis Villeneuve | USA* [Review]
Juror #2| 2024 | Crime Drama | Clint Eastwood | USA
Heretic | 2024 | Thriller | Scott Beck, Bryan Woods | USA
Strange Darling | 2023 | Crime Thriller | JT Mollner | USA
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story | 2024 | Documentary | Ian Bonhote, Peter Ettedgui | USA  
The Wild Robot | 2024 | Sci Fi Animation | Chris Sanders | USA *
Wicked | 2024 | Fantasy | Jon M Chu | USA *

World Cinema:

Aattam | 2024 | Drama | Anand Ekarshi | India
Aadujeevitham | 2024 | Adventure Draa-ma | Blessy | India [Review]
All We Imagine As Light | 2024 | Romance Drama | Payal Kapadia | France *
Amar Singh Chamkila | 2024 | Docudrama | Imtiaz Ali | India
Amaran | 2024 | Biography | Rajkumar Periasamy | India
Aavesham | 2024 | Action Comedy | Jithu Madhavan | India
A Real Pain | 2024 | Comedy Drama | Jesse Eisenberg | Poland *
Bramayugam | 2024 | Drama | Rahul Sadasivan | India
Caught by the Tides | 2024 | Drama | Jia Zhangke | China
Challengers | 2024 | Psychological Drama | Luca Guadagnino | Italy*
Daddio | 2023 | Drama | Christy Hall | Luxemberg
Evil Does Not Exist | 2023 | Drama | Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan
Exhuma | 2024 | Mystery Drama | Jang Jae Hyun | South Korea [Review]
Flow | 2024 | Adventure Fantasy | Gints Zilbalodis | Latvia*
Green Border | 2023 | Drama | Agnieszka Holland | Belgium*
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies | 2024 | Drama | Pat Boonnitipat | Thailand*
Jamoora | 2024 | Drama | Varrun Sukhraj | India
Jaggi | 2022 | Drama | Anmol Sidhu | India
Kill | 2024 | Action Drama | Nikhil Nagesh Bhat | India
Kneecap | 2024 | Comedy Drama | Rich Peppiatt | Ireland *
Kishkindha Kaandam | 2024 | Drama | Dinjith Ayyathan | India
Kottukkaali | 2024 | Drama | PS Vinothraj | India
Laapataa Ladies | 2024 | Drama | Kiran Rao | India
La Chimera | 2023 | Comedy Drama | ALice Rohrwacher | France
Last Summer | 2023 | Drama | Catherine Breillat | France
Late Night with the Devil | 2023 | Horror | Cameron Cairnes, COlin Cairnes | Australia
Love Lies Bleeding | 2024 | Crime Romance | Rose Glass | UK
Lucky Baskhar | 2024 | Crime Drama | Venky Atluri | India
Lubber Pandhu | 2024 | Sports Drama | Tamizharasan Pachamuthu | India
Maharaja | 2024 | Crime Drama | Nithilan Saminathan | India
Maidaan | 2024 | Docudrama | Amit Ravindernath Sharma | India
Meiyazhagan | 2024 | Drama | Prem Kumar | India [Review]
Manjummel Boys | 2024 | Adventure Drama | Chidambaram | India [Review]
Memoir Of a Snail | 2024 | Drama | Adam Elliot | Australia *
Misericordia | 2024 | Comedy Drama | ALain Guiraudie | France
Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho | 1984 | Drama | Saeed Akhtar Mirza | India
Nu Aștepta Prea Mult de la Sfârșitul Lumii | 2023 | Comedy Drama | Radu Jude | Croatia
No Other Land | 2024 | Documentary | Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal | Norway *
Oddity | 2024 | Mystery Horror | Damian Mccarthy | Ireland
Premalu | 2024 | Comedy Romance | Girish AD | India [Review]
Raayan | 2024 | Action Drama | Dhanush | India [Review]
Santosh | 2024 | Crime Drama | Sandhya Suri | India*
Sookshmadarshini | 2024 | Thriller | Mc Jithin | India [Review]
Sugarcane | 2024 | Documentary | Emily Kassie, Julian Brave Noisecat | Canada*
The Devils Bath | 2024 | Mystery Drama | Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala | Austria*
The Garfield Movie | 2024 | Comedy | Mark Dindal | Hong Kong
The Seed of the Sacred Fig | 2024 | Drama | Mohammad Rasoulof | France*
The Substance | 2024 | Psychological Horror | Coralie Fargeat | UK *
Ullozhukku | 2024 | Drama | Christo Tomy | India
Vaazhai | 2024 | Drama | Mari Selvaraj | India
Viduthalai 2 | 2024 | Crime Drama | Vetrimaran | India 

(* — If you want to watch probable Oscar contenders, then…)

Chalo, Thats it for this year.

2024 has been a whirlwind of adventures, with epic road trips, heartfelt conversations, well-earned recognition, and countless moments of pure joy. I’m beyond grateful for everything that happened and everyone who made it special.

Let’s dive into 2025 with open hearts and endless enthusiasm. Here’s to creating even more unforgettable memories, sharing laughter, and embracing new experiences together. Bring it on, 2025..