The list of the 10 best films of 2024 continues with numbers 5-1.
5. Tesa Man
The aforementioned love story between me and Latvian cinema was stronger than ever this year. Thus, two Latvian films are on the top 10 list this year. Tesa Man by Ugis Olte was a huge surprise, and I explained why in my review.
4. C’est pas moi
Leos Carax doesn’t make films often enough. After his masterful Annette in 2021, this year’s follow-up, C’est pas moi, is less than 40 minutes long but constantly engrossing. There is a review of this gem, too.
3. Stranger Eyes
Four of the films on last year’s list came from The Venice Film Festival. However, this year, the fest was not as strong. One film did stand out in the competition. Unfortunately, Stranger Eyes was screened on the festival’s penultimate day and did not get the recognition it deserved. I am part of the problem since I did not review the film. The main reason was that I wanted to rewatch it to catch all the nuances, but I missed subsequent screenings. The story is about a couple who receives mysterious DVDs of their own life after their daughter is kidnapped. It works on several levels, which I hope to demonstrate once I write a proper review of the film.
2. Silent City Driver
One of the year’s biggest surprises was, once again, found in the Black Nights Film Festival. Upon entering the press screening, I did not know much about Silent City Driver, but I was floored and watched it again at the premiere the same day. I wrote a review and interviewed the cinematographer and the scriptwriter. The director, Sengedorj Janchivdorj, was absent in Tallinn since he was busy shooting his upcoming film.
1. Pepe
Even though hippos are heavy animals, they are also surprisingly fast, running and in the water. Similarly, Pepe by Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias has been swimming and running in circles around all other films this year. It is a unique experience, and it was heartening to see the film win the Director’s Award at the Berlinale competition. However, it is worrisome to hear one of the new Berlinale programmers dismiss the film with the argumentation that “Pepe sounds like a bit of an asshole“. That does not bode well for the upcoming Berlinale. To forget about that, read my review instead.