The best films we watched in 2024
An A-Z of the year in cinema, from ‘Aattam’ to ‘Viduthalai Part 2’.
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For the Hindi film industry, 2024 was dominated by extremes. The mega-hit Stree 2 helped stave off talk of the imminent death of Bollywood. The giga-hit Pushpa 2 – The Rule, which was dubbed from the Telugu, reinforced the belief that popular Hindi cinema is running out of ways to reel in audiences.
Beyond the box office chatter, several other films merited attention too – for their themes, storytelling, performances and overall willingness to go beyond accepted formulas. Here, in alphabetical order, is Scroll’s list of the most gripping, thoughtful and repeat-value of the year’s best releases.
Aattam: A play on human character
Several of the year’s best films were once again in Malayalam, starting with Anand Ekarshi’s Aattam. Made in 2023 and released in early January, Ekarshi’s film is a superbly performed examination of gender dynamics.
After the only woman in a theatre group experiences sexual harassment, her colleagues get together to identify the culprit. Who might he be – and what do their discussions say about each of them? The night is long and the truths many in the gipping movie, which unfolds like a courtroom drama.
Where to watch: Prime Video.
Aavesham: Fahadh Faasil is flower and fire
In Pushpa 2 – The Rule, Fahadh Faasil indifferently plays a cop pursuing a flamboyant, trigger-happy, gold-bedecked gangster. In Aavesham, Faasil stupendously plays a flamboyant, trigger-happy, gold-bedecked gangster.
Faasil never...
