Ars Technica’s “Film Technica: Our favorite movies of 2024” is an unranked staff watchlist spanning horror, action, animation, musicals, science fiction, fantasy, comedy and drama. Published on December 23, 2024, Jennifer Ouellette’s feature treats horror as one of the year’s defining strengths, then saves its one explicit best-film choice for the end: Dune: Part 2.
A watchlist, not a consensus ranking
The roundup gathers contributors’ individual favorites rather than presenting a scored or ranked list. Its entries appear without an overall order until the closing selection, which reflects the feature’s own editorial judgment—not a universal verdict about the year’s films. The contributors’ assessments are personal reactions, not standardized comparisons.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Nosferatu - Extended Cut 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Elf (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray) | $16.44 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
The Fall Guy (2024) - Extended Cut 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital | $20.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Wicked - 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital | $14.62 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Fall Guy (2024) - Extended Cut Blu-ray + Digital | $14.99 | Buy on Amazon |
That makes the feature useful as a discovery list: it brings together major releases, sequels and adaptations alongside smaller-scale stories. Readers are invited to add their own favorite 2024 releases and look for surprises to add to a watchlist.
Horror is a major thread, but not the whole story
The feature highlights a notably varied year, with horror especially prominent. Its horror-related picks range across body horror in The Substance, Satanic Panic in Late Night with the Devil-adjacent discussion, psychological unease in I Saw the TV Glow, vampire horror in Nosferatu, hauntings, and horror-comedy in Abigail. These strands sit alongside action, animation, musical fantasy, science fiction and comedy rather than defining the entire roundup.
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- Genre: Horror; Thriller
- Number of Discs: 2
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Rating: R
- Number of Albums: No
Across the list are The Fall Guy, Tuesday, The Substance, Rez Ball, Abigail, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, I Saw the TV Glow, Thelma, Woman of the Hour, Wicked Little Letters, Nosferatu, Monkey Man, The Three Musketeers Part 2: Milady, Wicked Part 1, The Wild Robot, Deadpool & Wolverine, Inside Out 2 and Dune: Part 2. The feature also discusses Nickel Boys.
How to use the list to choose a film
The roundup is easiest to navigate by the kind of viewing experience you want, rather than by an implied ranking. These are useful editorial distinctions, not formal scores:
Rank #2
- Elf [United States] [Blu-ray]
- Product type: PHYSICAL_MOVIE
- Brand: Glattol
- For genre variety: move between horror, action, animation, musical, science fiction, fantasy, comedy and drama instead of treating the list as a single-style selection.
- For spectacle or franchise familiarity: consider entries such as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked Part 1 and Dune: Part 2.
- For smaller-scale storytelling: the list also makes room for films such as Tuesday, Thelma, Woman of the Hour and Rez Ball.
- For a source-book connection: the feature points to Frank Herbert’s Dune, Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot and Michael Powell’s Canyon Dreams, the book behind Rez Ball. These are source texts, not specific editions reviewed by the roundup.
Why Dune: Part 2 is the final pick
The feature’s closing best-film vote goes to Dune: Part 2. Lee Hutchinson singles out the film’s visual storytelling, its achievement in translating Frank Herbert’s difficult novel to the screen, and Hans Zimmer’s score. His description, “Dune: Part Two is a masterpiece,” is an individual contributor’s opinion and explains the enthusiasm behind the pick; it should not be mistaken for a consensus ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the feature does not tell you
The roundup is a guide to contributors’ favorites, not a current viewing-availability directory. It does not establish where each title can be streamed now, nor does it compare streaming services, editions, prices or home-theater equipment. A passing mention of watching Monkey Man on Peacock is not a current service recommendation.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Genre: David Leitch
- Genre: Action / Adventure
- Number of Discs: 1
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Rating: PG13
Rank #4
- Genre: Musical
- Number of Discs: 1
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Rating: PG
- Director: Jon M. Chu
Rank #3
- Genre: Action / Adventure
- Number of Discs: 2
- Director: David Leitch
- Number of Movies: 1
- Movie Title: The Fall Guy
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
