New year, new media to discuss! Welcome to Pop Talk With Rach: 2025 Edition. We’re kicking off 2025 with an old-fashioned favorite post of mine to write: a list. I’m excited to discuss my top 10 films of 2024 – at least the ones that I actually watched in 2024. This may not be the most sophisticated favorites list you’ll ever see, but it’s, somewhat unfortunately, my truth. There will be some spoilers throughout the list, so keep an eye out!
Without further ado, here are my Top 10 Films of 2024!
Challengers – Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Challengers was one of my most anticipated films of 2024, and oh boy it did not disappoint! Starring Zendaya, John O’Connor, and Mike Faist, Challengers is a film about tennis, love vs. lust, and competition. It features a brilliant (Golden Globe-winning, Academy Awards SNUBBED) score, stunning cinematography, and master editing. If you haven’t seen this work of art yet, what are you doing? (PS: Patrick is the villain. I said what I said.)
Wicked – Directed by John M. Chu
Wicked was probably *the* movie event of the year, and for good reason. As an adult theater kid, I was so excited to get to see Wicked on the big screen. I’ve never had the chance to see it on stage and only knew a few of the songs from old episodes of Glee, so I willingly went into the film blind. I didn’t regret this decision, because I was absolutely blown away. The songs, the costumes, the performances, the emotion – I adored it all. I’ve been disappointed to see Wicked have a bit of a Barbie effect this award season – all the acclaim, but few awards. I have hope that the Academy voters will give it a few trophies. Catch me in the theatre during opening weekend for Part 2 this fall!
Inside Out 2 – Directed by Kelsey Mann
Imagine my shock when I started crying, oh, 10 MINUTES into Inside Out 2. These movies, man. Pixar hit it out of the park once again with this sequel. Set a few years after the conclusion of Inside Out, we follow Riley through a summer hockey camp. What got me at the beginning of the film was Riley being told that her two best friends would not be going to the same high school as her. When this was said, my best friend and I looked over at each other in shock, because this happened to us in middle school! I remember being 15 years old and feeling so scared and anxious, not only for a new beginning but for a new beginning without the people I was the most comfortable with. The brilliant writers and animators at Pixar (who were allegedly underpaid and overworked during production, unfortunately) captured Riley’s emotions over all of these changes so well. Oh, and Joy’s crash-out moment had me ROLLING. Amy Poehler forever.
Twisters – Directed by Lee Isaac Chung
This film may be ranked too high for some people, but to them, I say this – ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO FUN? I thoroughly enjoyed Twisters, a soft sequel to the classic 1996 film, Twister. I went into this ready to have fun and enjoy the bi-panic of Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell on my screen. I won’t spoil it for y’all, but the opening scene is actually terrifying and a fantastic jumping-off point. The tornado scenes are done well, and the chemistry between Edgar-Jones and Powell is palpable. Chung is one of my favorite directors, and I think he did a fantastic job jumping from an indie classic like Minari into a giant action picture like Twisters. I thought this was the perfect summer fun film, and I will be watching it again.
Civil War – Directed by Alex Garland
I won’t lie, Civil War is a tough watch. I don’t think I’ll be able to rewatch it for a long time. That being said, I did think it was brilliant. The film is grounded in the fantastic performances of Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaney, who are assisted by Wagner Moura. The film is a mix of quiet reflection and intense action. There are two scenes in particular that featuresome of the most horrifying, realistic violence I’ve ever seen in a movie theater. If you’re mentally prepared for all of this, I do recommend giving Civil War a watch.
Abigail – Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett
My favorite horror movie of 2024, Abigail, is a bloody good time. I really enjoy Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s film style – it’s their work that revived the Scream franchise, (and it’s a damn shame they won’t be back for Scream 7) and got me more into the slasher genre with the mix of horror and comedy. Abigail stars one of my very favorite final girls, Melissa Berrera, and a terrifying little vampire, Alisha Weir. It’s bloody and action-packed. Each kill makes you more desperate to see Berrera survive. This one is a must-watch for any horror fan.
Saturday Night – Directed by Jason Reitman
Saturday Night was another one of my most anticipated films of the year. If you know me, you know that I love SNL. I grew up watching it and found myself a little obsessed with it in 2016/2017 – it really helped me process the results of the 2016 election and move forward into the (tragically, first) Trump administration. I’ve seen two live tapings of Late Night With Seth Meyers and nearly sobbed when Amy Poehler was one of the guests at the second taping I saw. All that said, this film was basically made for me. I saw it in theaters with my mom and we had a blast. The performances are great and the costume design/makeup/hairstyling departments hit it out of the park. However, I do believe that if you’re not an SNL fan, not a fan of television history, or not into pop culture at all, this movie wouldn’t be for you. It’s a pretty niche film – perfect for someone like me, but I would completely understand if someone else found themselves bored and/or confused.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – Directed by Tim Burton
Oh, Beetlejuice. What an odd guy. I actually saw Beetlejuice The Musical before I saw the original 1988 film. I went back to watch the film, and, honestly, didn’t love it. It’s fine – I adore Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder, and Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are adorable ghosts. But Beetlejuice himself just didn’t charm me on film as he did on stage. This sequel, decades in the making, is actually better to me. Though it’s full of plot holes and unnecessary love interests, the performances by the female characters grounded the film a bit for me. It’s always fun to watch Delia crash out, and watching Lydia and Astrid’s relationship slowly be repaired was nice. I enjoyed Beetlejuice himself more in the sequel – thank GOD they decided to have him continue to pursue Lydia instead of passing the baton to Astrid. *shudders* For a nice, nostalgic watch, give this one a chance.
A Complete Unknown – Directed by James Mangold
“How does it feel?” It feels bad, Bob. It feels bad. This film birthed one of my favorite new memes, and was a pretty fun watch! With an almost 2.5-hour runtime, I was a little nervous going into the film that I would get bored. But the balance of music/drama/romance actually worked very well. I was thrilled to see that Monica Barbaro was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Joan Baez. She was the standout of the film for me, singing and strumming her way into my heart. For a biopic, I appreciated that they kept a strict timeline in place. They didn’t follow Bob’s birth to inevitable fall from relevance – they followed Bob for about 10 years and then faded to black. A fantastic choice. Overall, do I believe this is the role that should win Timothee Chalamat his Oscar? No, I don’t think so. Could it be? Sure! I wouldn’t be angry, just a little confused. A Complete Unknown is one of the better Oscar-baited biopics of recent years. If you’re able to watch it with subtitles though, I recommend – I forgot that Bob is allergic to annunciation.
Wolverine & Deadpool – Directed by Shawn Levy
Yes, I also hate that this made my top 10. But I promised myself I wouldn’t lie to y’all about these picks, so here we are. Thankfully, I watched this on Disney+ a few weeks before Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battle started, so I had enough time to forget the drama from this summer and try to enjoy Deadpool again. This film wasn’t perfect, not even close. Deadpool has definitely lost some of his magic. But I still had a good time. The cameos are fun, the opening fight is pretty damn good, and the overall plot is fine. Hugh Jackman did not seem like he wanted to be there at all, which is fine. Reynold’s over-the-top performance has enough energy for the two of them.
Oh, what’s that? You want to know if I think Nicepool is based on Justin Baldoni? I don’t know, nor do I care. I’m pretty sure that impersonations aren’t illegal, but what do I know?
And that’s it! My Top 10 Films of 2024 that I actually watched in 2024. What were some of your favorite films of 2024? What are you most looking forward to in 2025?
You can follow me on Letterboxd and keep up with my chaotic watch history here.
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