Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

Welcome to our guide of the Best Movies of 2024, featuring every Certified Fresh movie as they come in week by week!

May additions so far: The Fall Guy. The Three Musketeers: Part II – Milady. The Idea of You. Hit Man

Horror had an unexpectedly strong month in April, with Universal monster movie Abigail, Nic Cage action-hybrid Arcadian, The First Omen reviving the dormant franchise, and indies I Saw the TV GlowBlackout, and Infested. A24 had their first #1 box office-debuting film with the heated Civil War. Zendaya continued her Certified Fresh streak with Challengers, and Dev Patel made a major directorial debut with Monkey Manwhich had its own long journey to go from being dumped on Netflix to theatrical major studio distribution. Nowhere Special becomes the highest-rated movie of the year.

In March: Love Lies Bleeding and Problemista, both from A24. One Life, starring Anthony Hopkins. Ordinary Angels, starring Hilary Swank. In horror, we got You’ll Never Find Me and Late Night with the Devil, the latter which also tops our best horror of 2024 list. Dialogue-free animation Robot Dreams and Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World jockeying for the top spot here.

And what about February? Dune pretty good, thanks for asking. Part Two went Certified Fresh within an hour after the reviews embargo lifted on February 21st. With it outclassing the first Dune, we took a look at 20 sequels that got better Tomatometer scores than their originals. Otherwise, things got freaky with horror film Stopmotion and the comic zaniness of Hundreds of Beavers taking the crown for the best-reviewed of the year.

We didn’t have a blockbuster January like we did in 2023‘s, when genre surprises M3GAN and Plane went Certified Fresh. But Daisy Ridley got her post-Skywalker win with Sometimes I Think About Dying. Mads Mikkelsen re-teamed with his A Royal Affair director Nikolaj Arcel to find The Promised Land. With The Crime Is Mine, Francois Ozon is getting career-best reviews, and his 10th Certified Fresh film over the past decade-and-change. And Netflix scored with The Kitchen, Orion and the Dark, and Good Grief.

#1

Nowhere Special (2020)
100%

#1
Adjusted Score: 102358%
Critics Consensus: Focusing pragmatically on the ordinary human moments that bind us, Nowhere Special leads us somewhere devastating yet surprisingly uplifting.
Synopsis: When single father John is given only a few months left to live, he tries to find the perfect family... [More]
Directed By: Uberto Pasolini

#2

LaRoy, Texas (2023)
100%

#2
Adjusted Score: 101301%
Critics Consensus: Distinguished by sharp writing and a talented cast, LaRoy, Texas is a generally satisfying neo-noir treat for crime thriller fans.
Synopsis: Broke and depressed, Ray (John Magaro) is mistaken for a dangerous hitman and given an envelope of cash. Along with... [More]
Directed By: Shane Atkinson

#3
Adjusted Score: 101904%
Critics Consensus: As unique and breathlessly expansive as its title, Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World adds to the evidence supporting Radu Jude's status as a uniquely gifted and provocative filmmaker.
Synopsis: From Golden Bear winner Radu Jude, DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD takes a fierce... [More]
Directed By: Radu Jude

#4

Robot Dreams (2023)
99%

#4
Adjusted Score: 101970%
Critics Consensus: As heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, Robot Dreams is the stuff good animation is made of.
Synopsis: DOG lives in Manhattan and he's tired of being alone. One day he decides to build himself a robot, a... [More]
Starring:
Directed By: Pablo Berger

#5
#5
Adjusted Score: 99934%
Critics Consensus: With alluring razzmatazz, The Crime is Mine and its superlative stars will seduce farce lovers and Francophiles.
Synopsis: In 1930s Paris, Madeleine, a pretty, young, penniless and talentless actress, is accused of murdering a famous producer. Helped by... [More]
Directed By: François Ozon

#6
Adjusted Score: 99691%
Critics Consensus: Following its own alluringly inscrutable path between past, present, reality, and dreams, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell rewards patient viewers with an absorbing spiritual odyssey.
Synopsis: Winner of the prestigious Camera d’Or for best first film at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the enthralling Inside the... [More]
Directed By: Pham Thien An

#7
Adjusted Score: 99349%
Critics Consensus: More than making up in style and sheer creativity whatever it might lack in terms of budget, Molli and Max in the Future blends sci-fi and rom-com to wildly entertaining effect.
Synopsis: 'Molli and Max in the Future' is a sci-fi romantic comedy about a man and woman whose orbits repeatedly collide... [More]
Directed By: Michael Lukk Litwak

#8
Adjusted Score: 107621%
Critics Consensus: Delightfully dark, Late Night with the Devil proves possession horror isn't played out -- and serves as an outstanding showcase for David Dastmalchian.
Synopsis: Johnny Carson rival Jack Delroy hosts a syndicated talk show 'Night Owls' that has long been a trusted companion to... [More]

#9

Io Capitano (2023)
97%

#9
Adjusted Score: 101753%
Critics Consensus: A journey toward hope, Io Capitano perambulates through the ravishing Saharan landscape encountering the most sublime and debased corners of humanity.
Synopsis: In this acclaimed film which won top directing and acting prizes at the Venice Film Festival, writer-director Garrone presents a... [More]
Directed By: Matteo Garrone

#10

Tótem (2023)
97%

#10
Adjusted Score: 100315%
Critics Consensus: A heartfelt film that tells a poignant story without straying into sentimentality, Tótem is a life-affirming triumph for writer-director Lila Avilés.
Synopsis: In a bustling Mexican household, seven-year-old Sol is swept up in a whirlwind of preparations for the birthday party for... [More]
Directed By: Lila Avilés

#11
#11
Adjusted Score: 101501%
Critics Consensus: Mads Mikkelson leads us through the savage terrain of The Promised Land with a glimmer of hope in this epic Nordic tale with Western bones.
Synopsis: In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) -- a proud, ambitious, but impoverished war hero -- sets out... [More]
Directed By: Nikolaj Arcel

#12

Hit Man (2023)
96%

#12
Adjusted Score: 99544%
Critics Consensus: A deceptively dark thriller that's also loaded with laughs, Hit Man is an outstanding showcase for leading man Glen Powell -- and one of the most purely entertaining films of Richard Linklater's career.
Synopsis: Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater's sunlit neo-noir stars Glen Powell as strait-laced professor Gary Johnson, who moonlights as a fake hit... [More]
Directed By: Richard Linklater

#13

Infested (2023)
97%

#13
Adjusted Score: 99337%
Critics Consensus: A chillingly effective creature feature with more on its mind than simple creepy-crawlies, Infested draws viewers into its web with stylish efficiency.
Synopsis: Kaleb is about to turn 30 and has never been lonelier. He's fighting with his sister over an inheritance and... [More]
Directed By: Sébastien Vaniček

#14
#14
Adjusted Score: 97735%
Critics Consensus: Sustaining a zany premise with stylistic bravura and inspired gags, Hundreds of Beavers is a comedic gem that gives a dam.
Synopsis: A slapstick epic about a frostbitten battle between JEAN KAYAK and DIABOLICAL BEAVERS--hundreds of them--who stand between him and survival.... [More]
Directed By: Mike Cheslik

#15

Fitting In (2023)
95%

#15
Adjusted Score: 96525%
Critics Consensus: Led by a Maddie Ziegler performance that's as funny as it is fearless, Fitting In takes a boldly provocative look at the assumptions and expectations surrounding modern femininity.
Synopsis: A coming-of-age "traumedy" that follows 16-year-old Lindy (Maddie Ziegler) who is unexpectedly diagnosed with a reproductive condition, MRKH syndrome. The... [More]
Directed By: Molly McGlynn

#16

Música (2024)
95%

#16
Adjusted Score: 97011%
Critics Consensus: Rudy Mancuso's use of magical realism elevates Música, infusing its familiar narrative framework with a bracingly personal touch.
Synopsis: Based on writer, director and star Rudy Mancuso, Música is a coming-of-age love story that follows an aspiring creator with... [More]
Directed By: Rudy Mancuso

#17
#17
Adjusted Score: 109104%
Critics Consensus: Lust and violence collide to powerfully pulpy effect in Love Lies Bleeding, a well-acted addition to writer-director Rose Glass' growing body of exceptional work.
Synopsis: From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious... [More]
Directed By: Rose Glass

#18

Limbo (2023)
92%

#18
Adjusted Score: 93935%
Critics Consensus: Limbo probes Aboriginal injustices with a patient eye, using the scars of history as the backdrop and basis for a powerfully minimalist mystery.
Synopsis: Travis Hurley (Simon Baker), a detective, arrives in the remote outback town of Limbo to investigate the cold case murder... [More]
Directed By: Ivan Sen

#19
#19
Adjusted Score: 95756%
Critics Consensus: Fueled by the sparkling chemistry between Line Renaud and Dany Boon, Driving Madeleine proves a sweetly sentimental drama that deftly tugs the heartstrings.
Synopsis: Madeleine, 92 years old, calls a taxi to take her to the retirement home where she will be living. Charles,... [More]
Directed By: Christian Carion

#20

La Chimera (2023)
93%

#20
Adjusted Score: 98961%
Critics Consensus: If La Chimera is a wild, improbable pursuit, this marvelous and magical tale by Alice Rochrwacher is the pie in the sky to behold.
Synopsis: Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but never manage to find. For the band of tombaroli,... [More]
Directed By: Alice Rohrwacher

#21

Femme (2023)
93%

#21
Adjusted Score: 97671%
Critics Consensus: Sexually charged and riddled with tension, Femme redresses the noir genre and may leave audiences biting their nails to the nub.
Synopsis: With his performances as Aphrodite Banks, Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Candyman) has a place among London's celebrated drag artists. One night... [More]

#22

The Settlers (2023)
93%

#22
Adjusted Score: 95500%
Critics Consensus: As harrowing as it is humane, The Settlers serves as a sharp-edged excavation of long-marginalized history.
Synopsis: Chile, 1901. Three horsemen embark on an expedition, tasked with securing a wealthy landowner's vast property. Accompanying a reckless British... [More]

#23

We Grown Now (2023)
93%

#23
Adjusted Score: 95855%
Critics Consensus: Casting grim environs in a nostalgic glow, We Grown Now is a coming-of-age story whose tinges of fantasy only make it feel more honest.
Synopsis: In 1992 Chicago, as Michael Jordan solidifies himself as a champion, a story of two young legends in their own... [More]
Directed By: Minhal Baig

#24
#24
Adjusted Score: 95222%
Critics Consensus: About Dry Grasses keeps us warm with dark humor through its unhurried and verbose wintry meditation on the human condition.
Synopsis: Nestled away in wintry East Anatolia, public-school art teacher Samet (Deniz Celiloğlu) yearns to leave the sleepy village for cosmopolitan... [More]
Directed By: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

#25
Adjusted Score: 94474%
Critics Consensus: Applying a fresh coat of paint on a chosen family story, Housekeeping for Beginners makes for a cozy, uplifting watch.
Synopsis: From acclaimed filmmaker Goran Stolevski comes a story exploring the universal truths of family, both the ones we're born into... [More]
Directed By: Goran Stolevski

#26

Dune: Part Two (2024)
92%

#26
Adjusted Score: 120548%
Critics Consensus: Visually thrilling and narratively epic, Dune: Part Two continues Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of the beloved sci-fi series in spectacular form.
Synopsis: "Dune: Part Two" will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while... [More]
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve

#27

Cabrini (2024)
90%

#27
Adjusted Score: 95372%
Critics Consensus: Aided by Cristiana Dell'Anna's performance in the title role, Cabrini is an uplifting biopic with a timeless message.
Synopsis: From Alejandro Monteverde, award-winning director of "Sound of Freedom", comes the powerful epic of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who... [More]
Directed By: Alejandro Monteverde

#28
#28
Adjusted Score: 95321%
Critics Consensus: An uncommonly ambitious animated film, Orion and the Dark benefits from a Charlie Kaufman screenplay that isn't afraid to tangle with existential ideas.
Synopsis: The thing Orion fears the most is the dark. When the embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, Dark... [More]
Directed By: Sean Charmatz

#29

One Life (2023)
90%

#29
Adjusted Score: 96767%
Critics Consensus: Held aloft by outstanding work from a tremendous cast, One Life pays heartwarming tribute to a remarkable humanitarian effort.
Synopsis: Based on the book If It's Not Impossible...: The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton by Barbara Winton, ONE LIFE tells... [More]
Directed By: James Hawes

#30

Stopmotion (2023)
90%

#30
Adjusted Score: 92509%
Critics Consensus: Stopmotion takes the conflict between art and artist to chilling, visually thrilling extremes, distinguished by director Robert Morgan's excellent effects work.
Synopsis: A talented stop-motion animator becomes consumed by the grotesque world of her horrifying creations -- with deadly results.... [More]
Directed By: Robert Morgan

#31

Challengers (2024)
89%

#31
Adjusted Score: 109636%
Critics Consensus: With its trio of outstanding performers volleying their star power back and forth without ever dropping the ball, Challengers is a kinetic and sexy romp at court.
Synopsis: From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force... [More]
Directed By: Luca Guadagnino

#32

Monkey Man (2024)
89%

#32
Adjusted Score: 107115%
Critics Consensus: An audacious effort from debuting director Dev Patel, Monkey Man dispenses action and sociopolitical commentary with equal aplomb.
Synopsis: Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Dev Patel as Kid, an... [More]
Directed By: Dev Patel

#33

The Kitchen (2023)
89%

#33
Adjusted Score: 91567%
Critics Consensus: Smart sci-fi that's solidly grounded in social commentary, The Kitchen suggests a bright future for the directing duo of Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares.
Synopsis: London, 2040 -- rising house prices, computerized labor and eradication of the Welfare State has turned the city into a... [More]

#34

Problemista (2023)
89%

#34
Adjusted Score: 94559%
Critics Consensus: With Problemista, Julio Torres' utterly unique sensibilities prove a perfectly cracked lens through which to find the surreal humor in bleak aspects of the human experience.
Synopsis: Alejandro (Julio Torres) is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in... [More]
Directed By: Julio Torres

#35

Disco Boy (2023)
88%

#35
Adjusted Score: 89869%
Critics Consensus: Visually stylish and alluring in a dreamlike way, Disco Boy finds writer-director Giacomo Abbruzzese building on his obvious influences to tell a story that's distinctive in its own right.
Synopsis: After a painful journey through Europe, Alex, the Belarusian, joins the Foreign Legion in France and clings to a confused... [More]
Directed By: Giacomo Abbruzzese

#36
#36
Adjusted Score: 92298%
Critics Consensus: With a distinctive visual aesthetic that enhances its emotionally resonant narrative, I Saw the TV Glow further establishes writer-director Jane Schoenbrun as a rising talent.
Synopsis: Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a... [More]
Directed By: Jane Schoenbrun

#37

The Beast (2023)
85%

#37
Adjusted Score: 89581%
Critics Consensus: Unwieldy but rewarding, The Beast uses its sci-fi conceit to explore intriguing themes in largely satisfying fashion.
Synopsis: The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely "erase" their feelings. Hoping... [More]
Directed By: Bertrand Bonello

#38
Adjusted Score: 86359%
Critics Consensus: Picking up where its predecessor left off, The Three Musketeers: Part II - Milady proves there's still swashbuckling fun to be had in modern adaptations of the Dumas classic.
Synopsis: From the Louvre to Buckingham Palace, to the gutters of Paris to the siege of LaRochelle... in a kingdom divided... [More]
Directed By: Martin Bourboulon

#39

Abigail (2024)
84%

#39
Adjusted Score: 96724%
Critics Consensus: Carrying off well-worn vampire tropes with a balletic flourish, Abigail dances around the familiarity of its premise with a game cast and slick style.
Synopsis: After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to... [More]

#40

Ordinary Angels (2024)
85%

#40
Adjusted Score: 90792%
Critics Consensus: With a dash of grace and circumstance, this sweet display of humanity is stabilized by Hilary Swank in a role that plays to the heartstrings of all Ordinary Angels.
Synopsis: Based on a remarkable true story, ORDINARY ANGELS centers on Sharon Steves (Hilary Swank), a fierce but struggling hairdresser in... [More]
Directed By: Jon Gunn

#41

Monolith (2023)
84%

#41
Adjusted Score: 86160%
Critics Consensus: Carried by Lily Sullivan's outstanding lead performance and enriched by an expertly administered sense of creeping claustrophobia, Monolith is an eerie thriller that burns slow and lingers.
Synopsis: While trying to salvage her career, a disgraced journalist begins investigating a strange conspiracy theory. But as the trail leads... [More]
Directed By: Matt Vesely

#42

The Fall Guy (2024)
82%

#42
Adjusted Score: 102285%
Critics Consensus: With action, comedy, romance, and a pair of marvelously matched stars, The Fall Guy might be the rare mainstream movie with something to entertain everyone.
Synopsis: He's a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and... [More]
Directed By: David Leitch

#43

The Idea of You (2024)
83%

#43
Adjusted Score: 91662%
Critics Consensus: The Idea of You offers a welcome reminder that Anne Hathaway remains a thoroughly delightful romcom lead -- and reaffirms that few filmmakers understand the genre better than Michael Showalter.
Synopsis: Based on the acclaimed, contemporary love story of the same name, The Idea of You centers on Solène (Anne Hathaway),... [More]
Directed By: Michael Showalter

#44

Arcadian (2024)
84%

#44
Adjusted Score: 89372%
Critics Consensus: Led by a trio of strong performances, Arcadian blends family drama and post-apocalyptic horror to visceral, emotionally stirring effect.
Synopsis: In a near future, life on Earth has been decimated. Paul (Nicolas Cage) and his twin teenage sons, Thomas (Jaeden... [More]
Directed By: Benjamin Brewer

#45

Riddle Of Fire (2023)
82%

#45
Adjusted Score: 83877%
Critics Consensus: With its charmingly childlike perspective, Riddle of Fire channels the spirit of youthful adventure with enough exuberance to overcome an occasionally shaggy structure.
Synopsis: This neo-fairytale set in Wyoming, USA follows three mischievous children as they embark on an odyssey when their mother asks... [More]
Directed By: Weston Razooli

#46

Civil War (2024)
81%

#46
Adjusted Score: 104436%
Critics Consensus: Tough and unsettling by design, Civil War is a gripping close-up look at the violent uncertainty of life in a nation in crisis.
Synopsis: From filmmaker Alex Garland comes a journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they... [More]
Directed By: Alex Garland

#47

The First Omen (2024)
81%

#47
Adjusted Score: 91903%
Critics Consensus: Frequently frightening even as it plays within the confines of a nearly 50-year-old film series, this prequel is The First Omen of a bright future for the franchise in quite some time.
Synopsis: When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters... [More]
Directed By: Arkasha Stevenson

#48
Adjusted Score: 87191%
Critics Consensus: Departing from corporate comedy,Sometimes I Think About Dying modestly explores critical human connection through a superbly melancholic Daisy Ridley.
Synopsis: Lost on the dreary Oregon coast, Fran finds solace in her cubicle, listening to the constant hum of officemates and... [More]
Directed By: Rachel Lambert

#49
#49
Adjusted Score: 87147%
Critics Consensus: Thanks largely to a strong cast that leans into the story's humorous side, Wicked Little Letters is a diverting comedy even if the mystery at its core isn't particularly clever.
Synopsis: A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based... [More]
Directed By: Thea Sharrock

#50
#50
Adjusted Score: 80762%
Critics Consensus: Visually and sonically distinctive, You'll Never Find Me heightens its spooky atmosphere and claustrophobic setting with a story that'll keep viewers guessing.
Synopsis: An isolated man living at the back of a desolate caravan park is visited by a desperate young woman seeking... [More]

#51

Blood for Dust (2023)
78%

#51
Adjusted Score: 79819%
Critics Consensus: A grim throwback with a terrific cast, Blood for Dust is a spare and familiar story told with sturdy execution.
Synopsis: Reckless Ricky (Kit Harington) makes serious money dealing illegal weapons throughout the tri-state area and loves to flaunt it. Traveling... [More]
Directed By: Rod Blackhurst

#52

Scoop (2024)
77%

#52
Adjusted Score: 81461%
Critics Consensus: Scoop wrings riveting drama out of its real-life story, even if the actual interview footage remains an arguably superior watch.
Synopsis: Inspired by real events, SCOOP is the inside account of the tenacious journalism that landed an earthshattering interview -- Prince... [More]
Directed By: Philip Martin

#53

Suncoast (2024)
76%

#53
Adjusted Score: 81792%
Critics Consensus: A well-acted depiction of grief and self-discovery, Suncoast often overcomes its reliance on broad coming-of-age tropes with a light touch and a charming ensemble cast.
Synopsis: Inspired by Chinn's life experience from the early 2000s, follows a teenager (Nico Parker) living with her strong-willed mother (Laura... [More]
Directed By: Laura Chinn

#54

Good Grief (2023)
76%

#54
Adjusted Score: 80181%
Critics Consensus: A solid first feature for writer-director Dan Levy, Good Grief offers a generally affecting look at love after death whose refreshing sincerity only occasionally veers into sentimentality.
Synopsis: Marc (Daniel Levy) was content living in the shadow of his larger-than-life husband, Oliver (Luke Evans). But when Oliver unexpectedly... [More]
Directed By: Dan Levy

#55

Blackout (2023)
76%

#55
Adjusted Score: 77803%
Critics Consensus: Werewolf horror with some extra socially conscious bite, Blackout reaffirms Larry Fessenden as a smart genre filmmaker who prioritizes character-building over kills.
Synopsis: A fine arts painter is convinced that he is a werewolf wreaking havoc on a small American town under the... [More]
Directed By: Larry Fessenden

#56

Drift (2023)
75%

#56
Adjusted Score: 76922%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to stellar work from Cynthia Erivo and Alia Shawkat, Drift frequently engages despite an often hazy narrative.
Synopsis: Jacqueline (Two-Time Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo), a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she... [More]
Directed By: Anthony Chen

#57

Self Reliance (2023)
72%

#57
Adjusted Score: 74337%
Critics Consensus: Debuting director Jake Johnson acquits himself admirably with Self Reliance, a unique comedy-thriller hybrid that does a generally effective job of balancing silly and sincere.
Synopsis: When a middle-aged man (Jake Johnson) is invited into a limo by famous actor Andy Samberg, his dull life takes... [More]
Directed By: Jake Johnson