Movies to Watch 2024

[Dune 2/Hypebeast]

Written by Oyinkansola Shoroye 

This year promises a diverse range of cinematic experiences. Let's delve into the top 12 movies to watch in 2024, each offering a unique and captivating journey.

1. Dune: Part Two

(Action, Adventure, Drama)
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård
Opening on: March 1, 2024
Experience the grandeur of Denis Villeneuve's sequel as he continues to unfold Frank Herbert's sci-fi masterpiece. Brace yourself for an epic journey with new faces and the captivating ensemble led by Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. The first installment’s day-and-date release on HBO Max initially put this sequel into question, but WB thankfully saw fit to give Denis Villeneuve the green light. Part Two sees big names like Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Austin Butler, and Christopher Walken join the cast as Villeneuve tells the second half of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi novel.

2. ⁠Joker: Folie à Deux

(Crime, Drama, Musical)
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Zazie Beetz, Catherine Keener, and Jacob Lofland
Opening on: October 4, 2024
Todd Phillips returns with a crime musical that explores the complex world of the Joker. Joaquin Phoenix reprises his Oscar-winning role, joined by the enigmatic Lady Gaga in a film that promises to be as audacious as it is entertaining. Director Todd Phillips helms this follow-up to the wildly successful R-rated take on the iconic Batman villain that earned Joaquin Phoenix the Oscar for Best Actor. In Folie à Deux, he’ll be joined by Lady Gaga, who is playing his love interest (it’s complicated) Harley Quinn, and the film will reportedly be a musical. Yes, you read that right.

3. ⁠A Quiet Place: Day One

(Drama, Horror, Sci-fi)
Directed by: Michael Sarnoski
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, Denis O’Hare
Opening on: June 28, 2024
Michael Sarnoski takes us back to the chilling origins of the alien invasion in the A Quiet Place series. Witness the suspense unfold as Lupita Nyong’o and an ensemble cast navigate the first harrowing days of the otherworldly threat. With the thrilling exception of the second movie’s opening scene, the action in the A Quiet Place franchise has taken place after the super-hearing, super-deadly aliens have already invaded and destroyed society as we know it. As the title here implies, the third film in the series will show the first days of the alien attack, well before anybody knows what’s going on or what to expect from these monsters, and it will be directed by Michael Sarnoski, who gave us one of Nicolas Cage’s best performances ever in 2021’s Pig. While most of the cast announced so far are new, we will see the return of Djimon Hounsou’s character from Part II.

4. ⁠Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

(Adventure, Sci-fi)
Directed by: George Miller
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Nathan Jones, and Angus Sampson
Opening on: May 24, 2024
George Miller's prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road introduces Anya Taylor-Joy as a young Furiosa. Immerse yourself in the dystopian world with Chris Hemsworth in this action-packed adventure that unveils the origins of an iconic character. Anya Taylor-Joy will play a younger version of the war rig-driving badass Imperator Furiosa in this prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, one of the best films of the century so far. George Miller will, naturally, direct once more, and Chris Hemsworth will co-star in the movie, which tells the tale of Furiosa’s kidnapping and her rise through Immortan Joe’s ranks.

5. ⁠The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim 

(Animation, Action, Adventure)
Directed by: Kenji Kamiyama
Starring: Brian Cox, Miranda Otto
Opening on: December 13, 2024
Embark on an animated journey to Middle-earth with Kenji Kamiyama's prequel. Brian Cox voices the legendary king Helm Hammerhand in a tale set before the events of The Two Towers, accompanied by Miranda Otto reprising her role as Eowyn. Warner Bros. latest film in the Lord of the Rings universe is this animated prequel that follows the exploits of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary king of Rohan, home of the horsemen known as the Rohirrim that played a big part in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Brian Cox will lend his voice to the central character, who reigned 183 years before the events of The Two Towers, while the latter film’s Miranda Otto reprises her role as Eowyn, who will serve as a framing device for the story.

6. ⁠Deadpool 3

(Action, Comedy, Sci-fi)
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Leslie Uggams
Opening on: July 26, 2024
Ryan Reynolds dons the red suit once again in this R-rated marvel. Directed by Shawn Levy, the Merc With a Mouth's antics take an unexpected turn with the return of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, promising a blend of humor and action. The Merc With a Mouth is back — and so is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine? The first Deadpool movie since Disney bought Fox will certainly be a sight to behold, as the Ryan Reynolds-led franchise is beloved for its R-rated humor. How that will blend with the MCU’s decidedly PG-13 tone is a mystery, as is how and why Jackman is unsheathing Wolverine’s claws after the acclaimed swan song that was Logan.

7. ⁠Argylle

(Action, Thriller)
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Bryan Cranston, Sofia Boutella, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L. Jackson
Opening on: February 2, 2024
Matthew Vaughn brings us a spy comedy featuring Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell. Matthew Vaughn is back with a different kind of spy caper – a twisty, meta romp in which author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is forced to partner up with a real-life agent (Sam Rockwell), contrasting with the glossy capers she writes starring the character of superspy Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill). Oh, and it’s supposedly based on a novel by the real Elly Conway, who may not actually exist.  Get ready for a rollercoaster of espionage and intrigue as a novelist's plots entangle with an underground crime syndicate.

8. ⁠Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse

(Animation, Action, Adventure)
Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Issa Rae, and Jason Schwartzman
Opening on: TBD (previously March 29, 2024)
The Spider-Verse saga continues with an animated spectacle. Join Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore, and an ensemble cast as they navigate a multiverse of web-slinging adventures, promising a thrilling conclusion to Miles Morales' story.

9. ⁠BettleJuice 2

(Comedy, Fantasy, Horror)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Belluci, Willem Dafoe
Opening on: September 6, 2024
Tim Burton resurrects the iconic Beetlejuice with Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder. Join them, along with new cast member Jenna Ortega, for a supernatural comedy that brings back the beloved characters in a fresh, fantastical sequel. Tim Burton reteams with Michael Keaton to return to one of his early iconic characters in this sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara are also both on board to reprise their characters Lydia and Delia Deetz, while Jenna Ortega joins the cast as Lydia’s daughter.

10. ⁠Borderlands 

(Action, Adventure, Comedy)
Directed by: Eli Roth
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Ariana Greenblatt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Edgar Ramirez, Haley Bennett, Florian Munteanu
Opening on: August 9, 2024
Eli Roth takes us on an outer space escapade in this video game adaptation. Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black headline a star-studded cast, promising a blend of adventure, comedy, and wackiness. Get ready for some outer space shenanigans as Eli Roth takes the helm for this adaptation of the popular and wacky video game series. The cast includes big names like Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black, and the film was written by Craig Mazin, who recently helped make a hit out of another acclaimed video game franchise, The Last of Us.

11. ⁠Kingdom Of The Planet Of Apes

(Action, Sci-fi)
Directed by: Wes Ball
Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, Eka Darville, and Kevin Durand
Opening on: May 10, 2024
Wes Ball directs the next chapter in the Planet of the Apes saga. Set years after Caesar's reign, the film explores new territories in a sci-fi adventure featuring a stellar cast. Caesar, the chimpanzee who led the apes to world domination, died at the end of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, the third film in the reboot trilogy of the classic sci-fi franchise. However, there’s more monkey business to be had. (Yes, apes and monkeys are different, but let us have this.) Wes Ball, who helmed the Maze Runner films, directs the fourth film in the series, which takes place many years after the events of War.

12. ⁠Kraven The Hunter

(Action, Adventure, Sci-fi)
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Opening on: August 30, 2024
J.C. Chandor helms the big-screen debut of the classic Spidey villain, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Brace for a thrilling ride as Kraven takes center stage in this action-packed adventure.