2023 was a year filled with films from big name directors on typically strong form. Looking at the films I've loved in 2024 there's a selection of strong debuts alongside a great year for genre films. Many of which, even sequels, have been bold, highly creative pieces of work making the most of the big screen.

However, after rewatching and whittling them down, here's what I thought were the top ten films of 2024:

10. The Book Of Clarence - Bringing the biblical epic into the modern day with a punchy, energetic style Jeymes Samuel's sophomore feature is an entertainingly stylish original comedy drama.

9. Love Lies Bleeding - Sweat-drenched with fits of bursting rage, Rose Glass' film builds up tension in its finely executed tonal shifts charted by a genuine feeling to the relationship between Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brien.

8. Piece By Piece - A wildly creative documentary that uses the Lego animation style to push a story about imagination and ambition and bring a new spin to the story and music at it's centre for a wildly entertaining time.

7. Sing Sing - A tender portrayal and masculinity and what it means in the context of prison and performance, it strips back the layers of each character for open, honest and powerful discussions and developments through the theatrical rehabilitation at the core of the narrative.

6. Poor Things - Emma Stone delivers one of the best performances of the year as Bella Baxter's physical and mental development naturally, and without trepidation, follows that of a narrative which is emphasised by the otherworldly visual design.

5. Inside Out 2 - The film which pulled off the rare feat of making me feel calm, and has done so on multiple re-watches. Creativity and understanding is poured into each idea and depiction, particularly the places it follows the chaos of Anxiety and putting it into am identifiable visual form.

4. Paddington In Peru - I love that bear. Just as funny and charming as before with the added spirit of adventure this is another warm bear hug tackling themes of identity, care and belonging. Taking the reins from Paul King, Dougal Wilson successfully takes on the mantle to 'please look after this bear' and does so in heartfelt fashion.

3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - Visually rich and adding more detail to the Wasteland, George Miller avoids allowing this to feel like purely fan-service with cathartic action sequences filled with breathless tension which help to tell a story in an effectively interconnected world of hopelessness.

2. Monkey Man - Bloody action compliments a narrative with plenty of thematic weight in Dev Patel's knockout actioner which absorbs the audience into each punch in the lived-in world the frantic fights take place in.

1. Late Night With The Devil - David Dastmalchian shines in this horror which effectively captures the golden age of talk shows for a fine balance of amusement and tension, both escalating hand-in-hand as things build towards the whirling finale which each time arrives much sooner than expected as the run-time flies by.