2024 has started and there are lots of good films to watch! Here’s a bunch we’ve seen at the cinema this year…

  1. The Boy and the Heron

    2. /films/cinema/2024/boy-and-heron/

    Whisper it - has Ghibli made a film that is just too Ghibli? It’s beautiful, of course, and full of weird and wonderful creatures, of course, but the plot starts out as gently bonkers before descending into fully unhinged chaos. The second half is far too much like someone trying to tell you their dreams.


  2. Poor Things

    3. /films/cinema/2024/poor-things/

    Lanthimos strikes again! This is a ridiculously wild ride, full of a cast having an absolute ball. Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo are clearly having a great time, gurning and staggering around the dreamlike alternate world. I don’t think I’ve seen anything for a long time where I had so little clue what might happen next.


  3. American Fiction

    4. /films/cinema/2024/american-fiction/

    This is a clever one. It never loses sight of the point its making but never feels too heavy or didactic. A clever balance. The supporting cast are all great.


  4. Zone of Interest

    5. /films/cinema/2024/zone-of-interest/

    Oof. Heavy stuff. There’s a lot to like about this film - the whole “it could be any of us” angle is very cleverly done, and the natural acting to the static cameras gives it a really unusual feel. There’s a little part of me that feels like I’d got the message from about 30mins in and that the rest didn’t really achieve a lot, but I’m quibbling here: it’s strong, powerful, memorable. Worth a watch.