We’re cruising to the end of 2024 and as we do, I’m looking back at some of my favorite films and performances from the year. As well as a few of my least favorite. Each day between now and January 9 look for another installment in a different category. Let’s ring out 2024 by looking back on some of the best and worst of the year!

No. 5: Hard Truths
About: This one will go wide in January, but it gets a qualifying run to end 2024. It comes from Mike Leigh, and it’s a big swing. Taking a lead character and making them almost entirely unlikeable gives you a big challenge when crafting a narrative. But Marianne Jean-Baptiste makes it work here, delivering a great performance as an anchor for a film that I enjoyed at times.

No. 4: Nickel Boys
About: You’d be hard pressed to find something more daring than this film from director RaMell Ross. He shoots the entire thing in a first-person point-of-view, which makes it a challenge but also makes it incredibly unique. That combined with a very emotional and engaging story makes this a compelling watch.

No. 3: A Real Pain
About: This one comes from Jesse Eisenberg and tells the story of two cousins who take a road trip that changes their lives and perspective. Eisenberg is great in front of and behind the camera, but Kieran Culkin who gives an incredible performance to lead the film. This was funny, poignant, and memorable.

No. 2: Small Things Like These
About: How do you follow up winning an Oscar for Best Actor? If you’re Cillian Murphy, you star in a small slice of life about a small Irish town in the 1980s that is one of the best hidden gems of the year. Murphy is incredible here in a movie that really moved me and stuck with me long after the screening.

No. 1: Sing Sing
About: I almost caught this by accident. It was a secret movie screening this summer for Cinemark and it blew me away. It’s the story of prisoners going through transformational change as part of an acting program at Sing Sing. Coleman Domingo delivers one of the year’s best performances in a movie that is completely captivating.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.