Best of Best of 2024

From the Intercom: The Best Films & TV Shows of 2024

From the Intercom Staff 2 years ago

When you think about film in 2024, a few obvious standouts come to mind. Shogun and… wait, what else was there? When the FTI staff put our heads together to create this list, we admittedly got a bit stuck naming projects that stayed with us throughout the year. There always seems to be a general “best film or TV show” consensus amongst those in the know annually (Past Lives last year, Everything Everywhere All At Once the one before that), but 2024 seemed to be a bit of a wildcard. After naming one or two standouts, we all got a bit stumped.

But the more we thought about it, the more there was to uncover. There were amazing TV shows that came out this year that we had all heard about but never had the chance to watch due to just how many different platforms they were streamed on. Similarly on the film festival circuit, there were a large amount of films that only got a limited theatrical release before fading into obscurity on, yet again, a streaming platform. While a lot of the picks this year are definitely streaming somewhere, I would say that the films that made the biggest impressions on us were the ones that we caught on the big screen. It’s kind of wild to think that there are way more projects out there than there are staff writers at From the Intercom, and we unfortunately don’t have the means to track everything down.

So while the staff and I all had our top picks, we still have a lot of things that we missed, hence the really long honorable mention section at the end of this article. And honestly, I’m kind of grateful for that! The more content there is out there, the more chances that you’ll be able to find something that resonates with you. Though our list may be a bit short this year, I would counter by saying it’s ultra-curated to represent our writers’ tastes.

Without further ado, here are the best films of 2024, as chosen by our staff. -Li-Wei Chu

Justin’s Picks

Twisters | dir. Lee Isaac Chung

This summer, Twisters dominated both domestic and international box offices. This is surprising considering a presumably uphill battle to market a standalone sequel to a 1996 blockbuster disaster movie directed by Lee Isaac Chung of Minari. However, upon closer inspection, I think the particularity of Chung, a filmmaker who grew up in tornado alley, brings out the same regard for the humanity of characters living in the rural South and their complex relationships to each other and the environment. Twisters succeeds in bringing us into a harsh climate of people trying to live their lives despite the world bent on destroying everything around them. And Brandon Perea is in it too, so… bonus points!

Hello, Love, Again | dir. Cathy Garcia-Sampana

Just a couple of weeks ago, Hello, Love, Again became the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time. As my fiancée and I rushed into the small theater to see it, we realized that the place was packed. I knew very little of what to expect going in. When the credits rolled, the Filipino woman next to me put on her critic face and said to me in Tagalog, “Wow, that was pretty good. There was actually a story!” Hello, Love, Again manages to transcend the Philippine “love team” baggage that tends to limit international crossover appeal. With committed performances, a unique Calgary based plot, and a level of pandemic-informed class consciousness that is daringly juggled, Cathy Garcia-Sampana directed the winning formula that inevitably will be tried a couple more times. Don’t worry, it’s still schmaltzy and Hallmark-y enough to satisfy your co-workers and your inner romantic.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Season 1) | Showrunners: Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover

Beef, except the couple touches more. That’s an extremely reductive (yet true) way to describe Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which premiered on Amazon Prime earlier this year. Watching Maya Erskine and Donald Glover running around in various states of espionage distress and romantic tension is one of the most entertaining adventures you could have in 2024. The series hosts a talented buffet of guest stars that raise the stakes of what is going on at the heart of the couple’s mission, creating a foreboding unease similar to a show like Severance. The series was greenlit for a season two and I wish I could speculate about it more openly, but the mystery is the secret ingredient.

Li-Wei’s Picks

Dìdi | dir. Sean Wang

“Like it or not… a film about life in 2008 is now considered a period piece.” Even though our writer Justin penned that in his review for Sean Wang’s Dìdi months ago, I still haven’t been able to get that thought out of my head. A period piece? My childhood? But he’s right. As my friends and I start pushing 30, settling down and getting married, coming-of-age films like Wang’s Dìdi will probably start to be the norm. In many ways, Dìdi felt like a film that one of my friends would have made. Perhaps that’s why the experience of watching that film hit me with waves of nostalgia, moreso than any other film I’ve watched — not only of 2024, but of all time.

It’s not so much the fact that I’m already inclined to like the film because I’m also 1) Taiwanese American, 2) grew up in an Asian American enclave and 3) aspired to the same desires that the titular character Chris (Izaac Wang) did. No, I love Dìdi because there’s a real beating heart to a story about this boy trying to figure out who he is while juggling multiple identities, and the care it takes for capturing the nuances of growing up alongside the Internet. Though Dìdi is a narrative piece, Wang’s background in short documentaries truly brings to life its multidimensional lived experience within all of his main characters.

I’ve always wondered what the appeal is of coming of age films like The Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles growing up. I can honestly say that now, I finally understand.

It’s What’s Inside | dir. Greg Jardin

To fully embrace the chaos that is Greg Jardin’s It’s What’s Inside, you have to be willing to play along. Like other horror fans, when it was announced that it was being shown at SXSW this year as part of the Midnights section, I was expecting maybe the next big elevated horror film. With how vague the marketing material ended up being, maybe it’ll be the launchpad of a new movie monster? Yeah, no. This is not that.

Instead, It’s What’s Inside is a midnight film in the fullest sense of the word – drawing upon the more comedy-horror vein element of films that are best explored in the late hours of the night with a group of friends. And if I’m being vague about the premise of the film, that’s completely on purpose. The central plot hinges on a singular event and item that really tests every member of its colorful cast of characters, exploring such topics as narcissism, identity, and the perils of social media addiction (as described by the director during his Sunrise House panel at Sundance). The less you know going into it, the better.

Though there are body horror elements in it in the most literal sense of the term, it’s less of a horror movie and more of a hypothetical “what-if” scenario drawn out into a feature length film. Anchored by a great ensemble cast filled with up-and-coming actors, It’s What’s Inside really sells the film’s concept and invites you to wonder about the ramifications of such a device existing in the real world. When Netflix purchased the film for a staggering amount back during its premiere at Sundance, it felt like a giant gamble that didn’t seem to pay off in the news, probably due to its sparse marketing (to this day I haven’t seen a single ad for the film yet). But if you’re a fan of reality shows or watching a close friend group implode in real time (think Talk To Me or Bodies Bodies Bodies), It’s What’s Inside will scratch that itch.

Dan Da Dan (Season 1) | dir. Fuga Yamashiro | Animation studio: Science SARU

You know that infamous Junji Ito manga, The Enigma of Amigara Fault, where people are subconsciously drawn to holes shaped like them in a cliffside? “It was made for me!” they shout, as they slowly accept their fate of climbing into their cliffside cavities… subconsciously completing an oddly satisfying urge of achieving a perfect fit. Well, DAN DA DAN, anime’s latest it-show, couldn’t be more up my alley if it tried. As someone who grew up watching anime when it was still uncool, spent an embarrassing amount of time reading about cryptozoology and “studying” the paranormal, the second I saw the trailer back in the summer, I practically yelled “IT WAS MADE FOR ME” before diving headfirst into the lore of the show. And let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint.

It’s been a while since I’ve eagerly awaited weekly episode drops for any show, but DAN DA DAN kept the hype going all the way through the final few months of the year the way that any good anime does. Science SARU, the studio behind the series’ animation, has truly outdone themselves, creating a show that is consistently paced, gorgeously animated (*cough* Uzumaki, what happened?), and colorful to boot. It’s been a while since I’ve watched a show with this much style (Mob Psycho 100, maybe?), and even moreso one that does action, comedy, horror, teen romance, and drama so well. You can definitely tell there’s a lot of love put into the show; the direction, the voice acting, the overall feel of the show is truly amazing. I’m absolutely obsessed.

NOTE: Beware though, much like It’s What’s Inside, you have to let yourself get washed away by the wackiness of the show and let it take you along for the ride. There’s a very Japanese-specific sense of adult humor here (lots of ball jokes and some pop culture references) and a few questionable scenes that might be weird if this is your first time watching anime. As someone who binged almost the entirety of Gintama back in high school in a few months… yeah, see my “It was made for me” comment.

“Shé” (short film) | dir. Renee Zhan

As a former clarinetist in my middle school band, Renee Zhan’s “Shé” hits uncomfortably close to home – the rivalry, jealousy, and the one-sided tension between young violinists Fei (Xiaonan Wang) and newcomer Mei (Alina Lew) feels palpably fleshed out. It’s kind of comforting to know that these types of musical mind games didn’t only play out in the suburbs of California were I grew up, but also in London youth orchestras as well. But what makes “Shé” stand out from other films that explore similar themes is the way these ugly feelings manifest itself in Zhan’s vision.

Aided by some crisp strings (fitting, given the plot of the film) and gorgeous stop-motion animation, ghoulish characters from Chinese folklore come to life as Fei’s inner demons. It’s a wildly innovative take on a topic that feels very Asian American (or Asian diasporic) at the core of it. Zhan has been around the film festival circuit for a while now with experimental, award-winning films like “RENEEPOPTOSIS” and “O Black Hole!”, and it’s exciting to see her bring that artful touch to a live action narrative as well.

Grafted | dir. Sasha Rainbow

I first learned about Rainbow’s Grafted in late 2024 due to its accolades at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival during its surprisingly short film festival run, and I was pretty disappointed that it barely got a theatrical release. Lucky for me and horror aficionados everywhere, it was quickly picked up by streaming service Shudder and released in January of 2025. I just had to give it a watch… and boy, it did not disappoint.

In a banner year for body horror films (The Substance, A Different Man, It’s What’s Inside), Grafted more than holds its own in the genre for a smaller budget NZ indie film and brings some new, fresh elements to the mix. The film follows Wei, a Chinese student who seeks to carry on her father’s research in skin grafting after he passes away in a terrible accident. She is forced to move to New Zealand to continue her studies and has to deal with culture shock, her malevolent Chinese-Kiwi cousin, and some very, very rude peers. What follows is absolute insanity.

I rarely see the Asian diaspora depicted body horror films, and watching Grafted really makes me wish that I did. Even given some of its cheesy one-dimensional characters, it’s a film that knows that you’re there for the blood and the gore, and it absolutely delivers – leading to a wildly fun (and funny!) journey that will keep you guessing at every turn. There are some devilishly fun deaths, clever homages to other films, and even a brooding queer subtext that adds a bit of extra tension to the film. Honestly, what’s not to love?

A great showcase for the special effects department and its lead characters, Grafted is definitely not one for the squeamish, but if you’re game, you’ll definitely have a great time.