Our critic's 10 best movies of 2024 are spicy and soulful

In 2024, CultureMap reviewed 107 films — from major studio releases to streamers on Peacock, from Lord of the Rings to Netflix film Rebel Ridge. In this critic's opinion, the best movies are not usually ones that you expect to be great. The ones that stay with you the most are those that take you by surprise with their inventiveness, their storytelling, and — of course — their great acting. The top 10 films of 2024 each had at least one of those qualities, if not all three.

Scroll through our critic's picks of the 10 best films of 2024 using the left and right arrows on each photo.