Best Movies Watched in 2024 and Top 2020s Predictions by Genre
A Genre-by-Genre Breakdown of the Best Recent Films and Bold Predictions for the Defining Movies of the 2020s
As we step into 2025, the film community is abuzz with critics and vloggers sharing their favorite movies of 2024. From heated debates about Golden Globe winners to predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Critics Choice Awards, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the cinematic year that was. I couldn’t resist compiling my own list of the top 15 movies I watched in 2024, although I still have a few releases to catch up on.
To achieve this, I’ve set an ambitious framework: approximately 15 standout films per year, inspired by the 10 Best Picture plus 5 International Film Oscar contenders each year, revisited alongside uncut gems and world movies. Beyond the traditional Golden Globe categories of ‘Drama’ and ‘Comedy or Musical,’ I’ll delve deeper into genres like History & War, Thrillers & Crime, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy to craft my selection.
2025 marks the halfway point of the decade, making it the perfect time to reflect on the best films of the 2020s so far. My goal is to curate a definitive list of the top 100 movies of the decade—similar to Letterboxd’s “Decadent Best of the 2010s” lists. By revisiting the best pictures, international gems, and overlooked masterpieces, I aim to highlight the defining films of our era by genre and offer some predictions.
In this article, I’ll begin by revisiting films from 2020 to 2023, including many Oscar nominees and overlooked treasures I believe deserved more recognition. I’ll then share my top 10 movies watched in 2024, along with 5 more films that might earn a spot in the ultimate top 100 of the decade. Finally, I’ll look ahead with predictions for highly anticipated releases and dream projects that could define the second half of the 2020s.
Check out my in-progress Letterboxd list Top Movies of the 2020s featuring more films I’ve watched and upcoming releases before finalising the Top 100.
Drame / Romance
Oscar Best Pictures and International Films (nominations):
– Released in 2020: Nomadland (Winner of Best Picture), Minari
– Released in 2021: Drive My Car (Winner of Best International Film)
– Released in 2022: The Fabelmans, Tár
– Released in 2023: Past Lives, Perfect Days
Uncut Gems and other foreign films: Aftersun (2022), Happening (2021)
Top 2+1 watched in 2024: Perfect Days & How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies + Challengers
To catchup and watchlist for 2025: All of Us Strangers, HERE
Most anticipated upcoming film or in project: Kogonada’s A big bold beautiful journey
Comedy / Drama / Romance
Oscar Best Pictures and International Films (nominations):
– Released in 2020: Another Round (Winner of Best International Film)
– Released in 2021: The Worst Person in the World
– Released in 2022: Triangle of Sadness, Everything Everywhere All at Once (Winner of Best Picture), The Banshees of Inisherin
– Released in 2023: Holdovers
Uncut Gems: Babylon (2022), It’s me Margaret (2023)
Top 2+1 watched in 2024: Holdovers & Anora + Didi
To catchup and watchlist for 2025: Kneecap
Most anticipated upcoming film or in project: Untitled Daniels Project (2026), Untitled Chazelle Project
Thriller / Crime / Mystery
Oscar Best Pictures and International Films (nominations):
– Released in 2023: Anatomy of a Fall
Uncut Gems and other foreign films: The Beasts (2022), Decision to Leave (2022), All Your Faces (2023), Red Rooms (2023)
Top watched in 2024: Sing Sing & Monster + Beating Hearts
To catchup and watchlist for 2025: Conclave, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Emilia Perez (all nominated for the Oscar 2025 Best Picture or International Film), The Amateur
Most anticipated upcoming film or in project: Anderson’s The Battle of Baktan Cross (2025), Untitled Peele Film (2026)
Science (& Tech) Fiction / Fantasy / Horror
Oscar best pictures and international films (nominations):
– Released in 2021: Dune: Part One
– Released in 2022: Top Gun
– Released in 2023: Oppenheimer (Winner of Best Picture), Barbie, Poor Things
Uncut Gem: Tenet (2020), Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Top watched in 2024: Dune: Part Two & Poor Things + The Substance
To catchup and watchlist for 2025: Wicked, Nosferatu, Mickey 17, 28 Years Later
Most anticipated upcoming film or in project: Del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025), Cameron’s Avatar III (2025), Nolan’s The Odyssee (2026), Gerwig’s Narnia (2026), Villeneuve’s Rendez-Vous with Rama
History / War / Period Drama
Oscar Best Pictures and International Films (nominations):
– Released in 2022: All Quiet on the Western Front (Winner of both Best Picture and International Film)
– Released in 2023: Killer of the Flower Moon, Zone of Interest (Winner of Best International Film), Taste of Things
Uncut Gems and other foreign films: Lost Illusion (2021)
Top 2+1 watched in 2024: Zone of Interest & The Count of Monte Cristo + Taste of Things
Watchlist for 2025: The Brutalist, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys (all nominated for the Oscar 2025 Best Picture)
Most anticipated upcoming films or in project: Nuremberg (2025/2026), Villeneuve’s Cleopatra / James Cameron’s Last Train from Hiroshima
I predict that this decade will bring a new entry into the Top 10 Lifetime Adjusted Gross, likely in the form of a historical romance drama—similar to Gone with the Wind (1939), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and Titanic (1997).
Let’s assume James Cameron won’t achieve this again with Last Train from Hiroshima, as the book it’s based on suggests it is unlikely to feature a romantic storyline. The film will recount the true stories of individuals who miraculously survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, only to endure the second bombing in Nagasaki after traveling between the two cities by train.
My top contender to direct a historical romance drama of this scale is Christopher Nolan. If such a film were to materialise, it could serve as the final instalment of an unofficial trilogy—following Dunkirk (2017), which centred on one of World War II’s most famous battles, and Oppenheimer (2023), which I have considered previously as a blend of Tech Fiction together with the Sci-Fi genre.
Critics of Oppenheimer who lamented the absence of graphic depictions of the atomic bomb’s devastation may be surprised to see a more emotionally charged, romantic exploration of the war between the West and Asia. A film set in Japan and/or China, capturing both the human cost and an epic love story, could resonate deeply with global audiences—potentially securing its place among the Top 10 Lifetime Adjusted Grosses.