Movies & TV

27th Dec 2023

24 of the most exciting movies coming in 2024

Stephen Porzio

There is A LOT to look forward to next year.

While the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes earlier this year may have delayed many big movie productions, there are plenty of films to look forward to in 2024 including:

Alien: Romulus

Plot: “Young people from a distant world must face the most terrifying life form in the universe.”

Director and cast: Dir. Fede Álvarez; Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux, David Jonsson and Isabela Merced

Reason(s) to watch: A new and standalone entry in the legendary Alien franchise, the cast of young rising stars

Release date: 16 August

All of Us Strangers

Plot: “A screenwriter (Andrew Scott) drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with a mysterious neighbour (Paul Mescal) as he then discovers his parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell) appear to be living just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before.”

Director and cast: Dir. Andrew Haigh; Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy and Jamie Bell

Reason(s) to watch: Very good director, two Irish stars, already receiving excellent reviews

Release date: 26 January

Back to Black

Plot: “A never-before-seen glimpse into Amy Winehouse’s (Marisa Abela) early rise to fame and the release of her groundbreaking studio album, Back to Black.”

Director and cast: Dir. Sam Taylor-Johnson; Marisa Abela, Eddie Marsan, Jack O’Connell and Lesley Manville

Reason(s) to watch: We’re finally getting the Amy Winehouse movie, Marisa Abela is a star in the making based on her work in the TV series Industry

Release date: 12 April

The Bikeriders

Plot: “Follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club as it evolves over the course of a decade – from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s way of life.”

Director and cast: Dir. Jeff Nichols; Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy and Mike Faist

Reason(s) to watch: Tom Hardy back on cinema screens, has been described as “Goodfellas on motorcycles”

Release date: 21 June

Bob Marley: One Love

Plot: “A look at the life of legendary reggae musician Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir).”

Director and cast: Dir. Reinaldo Marcus Green; Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch and James Norton

Reason(s) to watch: Another biopic about a music legend, Kingsley Ben-Adir is a rising star

Release date: 14 February

Civil War

Plot: “In the near future, a team of journalists (including Kirsten Dunst) travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating civil war that has engulfed the entire nation.”

Director and cast: Dir. Alex Garland; Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Jesse Plemons, Nick Offerman, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Wagner Moura

Reason(s) to watch: The new movie from the director of Annihilation and Ex Machina, described as an “epic action war” movie

Cast: 26 April

Deadpool 3

Plot: “Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) joins the ‘merc with a mouth’ (Ryan Reynolds) in the third installment of the Deadpool film franchise.”

Director and cast: Dir. Shawn Levy; Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Brianna Hildebrand, Emma Corrin, Jennifer Garner, Morena Baccarin and Matthew Macfadyen

Reason(s) to watch: Deadpool and Wolverine join the MCU

Release date: 26 July

Dune: Part Two

Plot: “Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.”

Director and cast: Dir. Denis Villeneuve; Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Charlotte Rampling, Christopher Walken, Dave Bautista, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Léa Seydoux, Rebecca Ferguson and Stellan Skarsgård

Reason(s) to watch: The first one was great!

Release date: 1 March

The Fall Guy

Plot: “Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is a stuntman who left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health. He’s drafted back into service when the star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) of a mega-budget studio movie, which is being directed by his ex (Emily Blunt), goes missing.”

Director and cast: Dir. David Leitch; Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu and Winston Duke

Reason(s) to watch: Ryan Gosling playing a stuntman again after Drive

Date: 1 March

The First Omen

Plot: “A young American woman (Nell Tiger Free) is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.”

Director and cast: Dir. Arkasha Stevenson; Nell Tiger Free, Bill Nighy, Ralph Ineson and Sônia Braga

Reason(s) to watch: The original Omen rules, The First Omen is one of many horror prequels and sequels coming in 2024 including A Quiet Place: Day One, MaXXXine, Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A, Saw XI, Smile 2, The Strangers: Chapter 1, Terrifier 3 and an untitled as of yet V/H/S sequel.

Date: 5 April

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Plot: “The origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) before her encounter and team-up with Mad Max.”

Director and cast: Dir. George Miller; Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke

Reason(s) to watch: George Miller directing a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Anya Taylor-Joy as young Charlize Theron

Date: 24 May

Gladiator 2

Plot: “After being saved by Maximus in Gladiator, Lucius (Paul Mescal), the nephew of Commodus, is now a grown man.”

Director and cast: Dir. Ridley Scott; Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Derek Jacobi, Fred Hechinger, Joseph Quinn and Pedro Pascal

Reason(s) to watch: A Paul Mescal-led Gladiator sequel, Ridley Scott back

Date: 22 November

Hit Man

Plot: “An undercover Houston police officer (Glen Powell) poses as a reliable hitman to arrest those trying to hire him until he tries to save a woman (Adria Arjona) in need.”

Director and cast: Dir. Richard Linklater; Glen Powell and Adria Arjona

Reason(s) to watch: The new movie by the great Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock), already receiving rave reviews, based on a wild true story

Date: To be announced (TBA)

Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 / Chapter 2

Plot: This two-part American epic Western is “set in the pre– and post–American Civil War period” and depicts the “expansion of the American west”.

Director and cast: Dir. Kevin Costner; Kevin Costner, Abbey Lee, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jena Malone, Sam Worthington and Sienna Miller

Reason(s) to watch: Costner in a cowboy hat again

Date: 28 June / 16 August

The Iron Claw

Plot: “The film is centered around the Von Erich family, a dynasty of professional wrestlers from Texas that had enormous success in the 1980s and popularised the iron claw professional wrestling hold. However, they not only had to battle inside the ring, but they also fought the ‘Von Erich curse,’ outside of it: a string of unbearable personal tragedies.”

Director and cast: Dir. Sean Durkin; Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Jeremy Allen White, Lily James and Maura Tierney

Reason(s) to watch: Based on a shocking true story, the cast, the excellent trailer, already earning Raging Bull comparisons

Date: 9 February

Joker: Folie à Deux

Plot: The sequel to the smash hit 2019 psychological thriller/comic book movie Joker. Plot details being kept under wraps.

Director and cast: Dir. Todd Phillips; Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Harry Lawtey and Zazie Beetz

Reason(s) to watch: Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, it’s a muscial!?

Date: 4 October

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Kneecap

Plot: “Set in West Belfast in 2019, the film depicts how hip-hop trio Kneecap came to be formed and created their sound.”

Director and cast: Dir. Rich Peppiatt; Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, DJ Próvaí, Michael Fassbender and Simone Kirby

Reason(s) to watch: Described as a “raucous anti-establishment comedy”, will be the first ever Irish language film to have its world premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival

Date: TBA

Love Lies Bleeding

Plot: “Reclusive gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart) falls hard for Jackie (Katy O’Brian), an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.”

Director and cast: Dir. Rose Glass; Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Dave Franco, Ed Harris and Jena Malone

Reason(s) to watch: Unreal first trailer, the new movie from writer-director Rose Glass (Saint Maud)

Date: 19 April

Megalopolis

Plot: “An architect (Adam Driver) wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.”

Director and cast: Dir. Francis Ford Coppola; Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Dustin Hoffman, Forest Whitaker, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Nathalie Emmanuel and Shia LaBeouf

Reasons to watch: An epic sci-fi drama from the director of Apocalypse Now and The Godfather trilogy that has been 40 years in the making

Date: TBA

Mickey 17

Plot: “Follows the story of Mickey 17 (Robert Pattinson), an ‘expendable’, who is a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonise the ice world Niflheim. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact.”

Director and cast: Dir. Bong Joon-ho; Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun and Toni Collette

Reason(s) to watch: The new movie from the director of Parasite, Okja and Snowpiercer

Date: 29 March

Paddington in Peru

Plot: “Follows Paddington (Ben Whishaw) and the Brown family as they visit Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) in Peru, but a mystery sends them to the Amazon rainforest and up Peruvian mountains.”

Director and cast: Dir. Dougal Wilson; Ben Whishaw, Antonio Banderas, Emily Mortimer, Hugh Bonneville, Imelda Staunton, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters and Olivia Colman

Reason(s) to watch: Paddington’s back and he’s in Peru

Date: 8 November

Rebel Ridge

Plot: “A high-velocity thriller that explores systemic American injustices through bone-breaking action sequences, suspense and dark humor.”

Director and cast: Dir. Jeremy Saulnier; Aaron Pierre, AnnaSophia Robb, Don Johnson, Emory Cohen, James Badge Dale and James Cromwell

Reason(s) to watch: The new (and long-delayed) action-thriller from the writer-director of modern classics Blue Ruin and Green Room

Date: TBA

Trap

Plot: “A psychological thriller set at a concert”.

Director and cast: Dir. M. Night Shyamalan; Josh Hartnett, Hayley Mills and Vanessa Smythe

Reason(s) to watch: Cool setting, one of two Shyamalan movies coming in 2024 – his daughter Ishana’s Irish-shot horror The Watchers is also being released

Date: 2 August

Wicked Little Letters

Plot: “Based on a true scandal that stunned 1920s England, the story centres on neighbours Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley) in the seaside town of Littlehampton. One day, a series of obscene letters begin to target Edith and others, with suspicion falling upon Rose. As the outrageous letters continue to escalate, Rose risks losing both her freedom and custody of her daughter.”

Director and cast: Dir. Thea Sharrock; Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Anjana Vasan, Malachi Kirby and Timothy Spall

Reason(s) to watch: The only movie on this list JOE has seen and we can confirm this is a real crowdpleaser of a comedy mystery.

Date: 23 February