griggs's - Favourite 2024 Films List

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German-occupied Poland, summer of 1943. More than anything, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), an indefatigable mother of five, wants to keep her well-organised life as is.

After all, she has worked her fingers to the bone to create a fragrant slice of paradise to raise her children, and nothing will change that. If only her husband, the distinguished SS officer and Auschwitz commander Rudolf Hoess (Christian Friedel), weren't always burdened by his duties. But perfection is a fleeting illusion. As the oblivious life of the commandant's wife unravels in cloudless bliss, Rudolf finds himself swamped with work, saddled with testing a new ventilation design and overseeing the installation of a highly effective Topf and Sons multi-muffle, non-stop incineration oven system. Indeed, it's hard to imagine that just a hair's breadth away from the peaceful and idyllic Höss household, the unimaginable horrors of the Final Solution were unfolding in full swing. And as noisome fumes and muffled, blood-curdling noises blemish Hedwig's fragrant utopia, a question emerges. When evil becomes banal and apathy requires no effort, what separates man from beast?

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Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Deliriously entertaining and ruthlessly satirical, Coralie Fargeat's Cannes sensation turns toxic beauty culture inside out with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for fable for the ages.

Demi Moore gives a career-best performance as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister past her prime and suddenly fired from her fitness TV show by repellent studio head Harvey (Dennis Quaid). She is then drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug: The Substance. All it takes is one injection and she is reborn - temporarily - as the gorgeous, twentysomething Sue (Margaret Qualley). The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions. A perfect balance. What could go wrong? Explosive, provocative and twisted, 'The Substance' marks the arrival of a thrillingly visionary filmmaker.

In an electric, star-is-born performance, Mikey Madison soars as Anora, an enterprising, ferociously foulmouthed Brooklyn erotic dancer and sex worker whose Prince Not-So-Charming comes along in the form of a Russian oligarch's-child son. This is the beginning of a fractured fairy tale.

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The acclaimed latest from writer-director Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire), 'Perfect Days' is a luminous reflection on the beauty found in everyday life.

Koji Yakusho (13 Assassins) stars as Hirayama, a contemplative middle-aged man who lives a life of modesty and serenity, spending his days balancing his job as a dutiful caretaker of Tokyo's numerous public toilets with his passion for music, literature and photography. As we join him on his structured daily routine, a series of unexpected encounters gradually begin to reveal a hidden past that lies behind his otherwise content and harmonious life. Featuring an unforgettable soundtrack of classic rock and pop, this is a tender, shimmering and ultimately life-affirming marvel.

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Divine G (Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men, including wary newcomer (Clarence Maclin), in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring

an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors.

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In this wild and incredible tale, young Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) is brought back to live by a brilliant and unorthodox scientist.

Eager to learn and hungry for the worldliness she lacks, Bella runs off on an adventure that inspires in her a fantastical evolution leading to a fierce dedication to equality and liberation.

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In 1975, Pierre Goldman (Arieh Worthalter), a fiery and controversial figure of revolutionary left-wing activism, was put on trial in France. Accused of multiple crimes including two murders, Goldman proclaims his innocence. Twenty years before the O.J.

Simpson case, the Goldman trial reflects the political, ideological and racial tensions that marked the 1970s in France and Europe. Considered to be the trial of the century, it divided an entire country and widened the gap between the conservative right and left-wing intellectuals.

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A beautifully delicate and nuanced concoction of a film, 'My Favourite Cake', co-written and directed by Iranian filmmakers Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha, explores themes of love, regret and second chances with nuance and grace.

It's set against the backdrop of a country with strict rules and restrictions, especially when it comes to the rights and freedoms of women.

In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree.

A slapstick frostbitten battle between a drunken applejack salesman and diabolical beavers - hundreds of them - who stand between him and survival.