Best of 2024: Top 10 Films of the Year

  

As I reflect on the past year in film, I remain convinced of the medium's importance to society. Indeed, from awe-inspiring fantasy worlds, to gripping papal elections, the filmmakers both enlightened and entertained us. If 2024 was any indication, contemporary cinema is in good hands. With my list of the Top 10 Films of the Year, I offer my prime examples to support this belief. 

Honorable Mentions: Who Do I Belong To, Babygirl

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Best of 2024: Top 20 Acting Performances

  

This year's films certainly weren't lacking in brilliant acting, across varying genres and languages. And if you've seen the outstanding performances listed below, I'm sure you'll agree that they speak for themselves. So without further ado, here are my Top 20 Acting Performances of 2024.

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Best of 2023: Top 10 Films of the Year

 

We've come to the end of another fantastic year at the movies. And as I look back on the year's best films, it's clear that filmmakers around the world had big, important statements to make. Even at their most fantastical, these films forced us to lean in and contemplate society's ills. The year's most talked about movie event was the Barbenheimer double bill, and their themes of female self-actualization and genocidal violence permeated throughout many of the year’s best films. Read below to find out which eight other films joined them in my Top 10 of 2023.

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Best of 2023: Top 20 Acting Performances

 

It's always a difficult task to narrow down the year's best film performances. The art of acting continues to impress and surprise me every year, as talented performers reveal humanity at its best and worst. After much deliberation, I finally landed on these 20 standouts, ranging from an undead Victorian era woman, to a chaotic, bisexual heartbreaker.

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Best of 2022: Top 10 Films of the Year

With a whole new slate of films already unspooling before us, it's time for me to close the book on 2022. And what a great year it was, with Hollywood filmmaking making a roaring comeback post-COVID lockdowns while international auteurs gave us new ways to see the world. If there's one thing I'll remember about the year's best films, it's the prevailing commentary on the patriarchy and it's ruinous effect on families, friendships and individuals. The films forced us to reflect on our societies and how we can be better, and for that I am grateful. Here now, are my Top 10 Films of 2022:

Honorable Mention: Cha Cha Real Smooth

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Best of 2022: Top 20 Acting Performances

As the young'uns would say these days, "She's so mother!" If there was a recurring theme among this year's best performances on film, then it would definitely be the challenges and triumphs of motherhood. Indeed, no less than 8 roles in my list explored the complexities of being a mother through a myriad of feelings surrounding grief, estrangement and love. These actresses were truly an indelible part of the film year, standing tall alongside many other superlative performances. Whittled down from a personal longlist of 51 candidates, here are my Top 20 Acting Performances of 2022:

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Best of 2021: Top 10 Films of the Year

 

Another film year has come and gone with 2021 proving that cinema is still as vibrant as ever. I was truly delighted by the year's many works of art which subverted and exceeded my expectations with their entertaining storytelling, unforgettable characters and impeccable craft. Without further ado, here are my 10 favourite films of 2021, including links to reviews for my fulsome thoughts on these precious gifts.

Honorable Mentions: President, Summer of Soul, Passing, Citizen Ashe

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Best of 2021: Top 20 Acting Performances

Each time I make my annual year's best lists, this one is always the most difficult to narrow down. And from where I stand, 2021 was a particularly strong year for acting performances. This year's thespians brought to life a plethora of intriguing characters with impressive skill. It's therefore my pleasure to salute this year's troubled and troublesome women, ambitious men and everyone in between. These are my Top 20 Acting Performances of 2021:

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Best of 2020: Top 10 Films of the Year

There's a common notion that audiences naturally gravitate towards more optimistic movies during challenging times. But as I reflect on 2020's best films, the stories that stood out were ones which reflected our contemporary lives in a myriad of ways. Indeed, rather than turning to escapism, I was compelled by documentaries, true stories and naturalistic films that felt like real life. As the world looks to a post-COVID-19, post-Trump future, I believe these fine works of cinematic art will stand the test of time, acting as time capsules for one of the most significant years in our collective memories. Here are my picks for the Top 10 Films of 2020.

Honorable Mentions: Athlete A, Boys State, Premature and Wolfwalkers

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Best of 2020: Top 10 Foreign Language Films

In the now iconic words of Bong Joon-ho, once you overcome the barrier one inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films. And in 2020, that statement continued to be true with a slate of extraordinary cinematic works from around the world. From wartime dramas to forbidden romances, world cinema made us laugh, cry and open our eyes to fresh perspectives. With the bountiful array of international films produced in the past year, this list is hardly exhaustive. But from what I’ve seen, here are my picks for the Top 10 Non-English Language Films of 2020. 

Honorable Mention: Night of the Kings 

Read more at Awards Radar

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Best of 2020: Top 20 Acting Performances

In true Norma Desmond fashion, 2020 was marked by small films with big performances. Indeed, while most of the year's best acting was unfortunately confined to our humble screens at home, they shone with talent and charisma. From new takes on the damsel in distress, to sensational interpretations of historical figures, here are my picks for the Top 20 Acting Performances of 2020:

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Best of 2020: Top 10 Documentaries

Documentary aficionados perhaps make this claim every year, but 2020 truly felt like a standout year for non-fiction filmmaking. As the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered theaters worldwide and the blockbuster films that pack them, documentaries were able to shine brighter than ever before. And in this historic year of social and political change, documentaries complimented the news cycle brilliantly. Indeed, the year’s best documentaries tapped into the zeitgeist, exploring topics surrounding the prison-industrial complex, police brutality, sexual abuse and existential reflections on the meaning of life. These outstanding works of non-fiction storytelling are presented below in our Top 10 Documentaries of 2020.

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Best of 2019: Top 10 Films of the Year

With the Academy Awards ceremony just moments away, it feels like an appropriate time to finally sound off on my personal faves of the year 2019. And as I reflect on my Top 10 list, I am reminded of all the amazing works of art I was able to witness. More than most other years past, the year's best films truly represented my range of cinematic tastes. Big budget spectacles with even bigger emotions. Passionately acted dramas with scintillating dialogue. Jaw-droppingly beautiful period pieces. Hilarious comedies with poignant messages.

Looking towards the 2020 cinematic landscape, I can only hope for another richly satisfying year. Here are my Top 10 Films of 2019:

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Best of 2019: Top 20 Acting Performances

During the days of classic Hollywood and the peak of the studio system, great acting was often showcased through star vehicles - films crafted around the persona of a single movie star to enhance or build on their popularity. As movie stars have become less of a draw for audiences, ensemble casts have become even more popular, bringing together multiple fan faves. While compiling this list of the Top 20 Performances of 2019, I also found myself drawn to the ensembles, particularly the pairings within them. Indeed, that almost magical alchemy between actors who "click" delivered some of my favorite movie moments of the year. And in the final rundown, this left only 13 films represented in the list below. Here they are:

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Best of 2019: Top 10 Foreign Language Films

When Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” dominated the awards circuit in 2018, it represented a rare instance of non-English cinema taking the spotlight. But in a welcome turn of events, 2019 was arguably an even bigger year for foreign language films. Indeed, Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” has produced unprecedented crossover success for Korean cinema, looking to go even further than “Roma” at the Oscars. In addition, a particularly strong year for French cinema had cinephiles falling in love with such stellar work as “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, “Atlantics” and “Les Misérables.” These films and more are celebrated in this year’s list of the Top 10 Foreign Language Films of 2019.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

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Best of 2019: Top 10 Documentaries

A daring mission to the spoon, a nerve-wracking war story, a devious political conspiracy. For mainstream audiences, these premises bring to mind some of the year’s most popular blockbuster films. But they also represent the true stories behind some of the year’s best documentaries. Far from the traditional “talking heads” style of yesteryear, non-fiction filmmaking continues to thrive, delivering cinematic thrills and artistry on par with that of narrative features. Indeed, the following list of the Top 10 Documentaries of 2019 includes several films that would hardly feel out of place on awards ballots for cinematography, directing, editing, screenwriting, and sound.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

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Best of 2018: Top 10 Films of the Year

If you follow the awards season, you'll probably hear a lot about Alfonso Cuaron's visually stunning "Roma", Bradley Cooper's heart-stirring "A Star is Born" or the cultural phenomenon that is "Black Panther". Yet while all of these are certainly worthy of praise, it's a testament to the strength of this year's films that none of them made my final Top 10. Cinema in 2018 indeed offered an embarrassment of riches, with an extensive variety to suit every taste. As you'll see below, the year's highlights represented virtually every genre of filmmaking possible, forcing some of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make for a year's best list. Both of my honorable mentions for example, are as strong as any film in the list and were seriously considered.

But ultimately, the year belonged to one special film for me. While it has been unfathomably underappreciated in the general Best Picture conversation thus far, it delivered everything I could have wanted and more. Find out which film took that #1 position, as I present to you my Top 10 Films of 2018, with excerpts from my reviews:

Honorable Mention: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Hale County This Morning, This Evening

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Best of 2018: Top 20 Acting Performances

A few years ago, acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin argued in a leaked email to the New York Times that female roles in film lack the degree of difficulty of their male counterparts. But as I look back on the year's most compelling performances of 2018, the strength and complexity showcased by actresses resoundingly refuted that specious claim. From major blockbusters to small indies, there were dozens of challenging and daring performances which explored what it means to be a woman. Some of the most memorable characters included flailing mothers and mighty warriors, while a trio of teenage girls kept me rapt in their fraught coming of age journeys.

At the end of the year, it came as no surprise to me that my Top 20 Performances of the Year was dominated by women, as 14 actresses claimed spots on the list. While my #1 pick went to a male actor, there was no denying that 2018 was yet another amazing year for female performers. So without further ado, I proudly present my Top 20 Acting Performances of 2018:

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Best of 2018: Top 10 Foreign Language Films

One of the biggest stories of 2018 was Netflix’s continued disruption of the traditional models of film distribution. Their slate of auteur-driven films was the envy of their competitors, signalling their intentions of world domination in the industry. Fittingly, that extraordinary international appeal is reflected in their most prized possession, a black-and-white, foreign language film in the form of Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma”. As one of the most talked about films of the year, it helped to significantly rejuvenate attention towards non-English cinema. Indeed, many of the most celebrated films of the year came from filmmakers from all corners of the world. And the best of them explored themes surrounding love, war, class conflict and the meaning of family, showcasing the universal language of film. Here are the Top 10 Foreign Language Films of 2018:

Read more at The Awards Circuit

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Best of 2018: Top 10 Documentaries

If there was any doubt that we are living in a Golden Age for documentaries, look no further than 2018’s slate of feature-length films. Over the past twelve months, documentaries generated audience interest and critical acclaim at nearly unprecedented levels. From animation hybrids to intimate character studies, non-fiction filmmaking in 2018 further proved that cinema is unmatched in its ability to generate empathy. The year’s best documentaries inspired us, enlightened us and sometimes, they even broke our heart. Here are my picks for the Top 10 Documentaries of 2018:

Read more at The Awards Circuit

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