From the “Defying Gravity” number inWickedto Paul riding the sandworm inDune: Part Two, 2024 delivered some mind-blowing movie moments that demanded to be seen on the big screen. In the streaming age, filmmakers are having to push the boat out further and further to get audiences out to theaters. If a movie doesn’t demand to be seen on the big screen, then audiences will wait to watch it at home.
2024 has brought some thrilling action sequences and deeply cinematic imagery that rewarded a trip to the movies.Ridley Scott put hungry sharks in the ColosseuminGladiator II. Rose Glass made her hero 50 feet tall inLove Lies Bleeding. These movie scenes were the best theatrical experiences of the year.
10Sharks In The Colosseum
Gladiator II
Historians have questioned the accuracy ofGladiator II’s aquatic set-piece — when a naval battle, complete with shark-infested waters, is recreated in the Colosseum — but no one can deny the blockbuster spectacle of this sequence. Two ships full of fighters battering each other would be thrilling enough, but the presence of bloodthirsty sharks adds another layer of terror. ThisGladiatormovie morphs into aJawsmovie for a few riveting minutes.
As with all the great action sequences, this one has its own internal story structure with a beginning, middle, and end. Paul Mescal’s Lucius galvanizes his troops with a clear strategy: to snap the other ship’s oars and then ram it into the side of the arena. This naval strategy made the sequence a compelling watch, but the hungry sharks made it a must-see spectacle on the silver screen.
9The Final Tennis Match
Challengers
All throughoutChallengers, Luca Guadagnino uses tennis as a charged visual metaphor for sexual tension. The whole love triangle storyline culminates in a climactic match between Art and Patrick, with a troubled Tashi watching from the middle of the court. The entire movie has gradually ratcheted up the intensity of the romantic conflicts, with old feelings resurfacing — both feelings of sexual desire and jealous rage — and adultery being committed on the eve of the final match.
It all comes together when Art and Patrick face each other on the court and Tashi watches the showdown between these two men who have been fighting over her for years. The feelings of love, jealousy, passion, bitterness, resentment, and desire ooze out of the screen. Guadagnino directs the sequence with an energy and intensity and eye-catching cinematic flair that makes it impossible to look away.
8The Rodeo Tornado
Twisters
A well-made disaster movie is always a spectacle to behold on the big screen. Much like its predecessor,Twistersmade for a visceral theatrical experience. From the opening tornado that kills Kate’s team to the climactic tornado at the theater, every storm sequence was a cinematic treat. But the best tornado set-piece takes place at a rodeo.
Kate finally starts to warm up to Tyler when they attend a rodeo together midway throughTwisters— and then the rodeo is cut short by a vicious tornado. Director Lee Isaac Chung masterfully escalates the severity of the storm. Before long, cars are being whisked into the air, and Kate and Tyler are saving all the people they can. It was a thrilling viewing experience to live through the terror of a tornado from the safety of a movie theater.
7A Smorgasbord Of Marvel Cameos
Deadpool & Wolverine
It’s become pretty common for Marvel movies to drop one crowd-pleasing cameo and hold for applause, butDeadpool & Wolverinehas four in a row. The movie had already delivered Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm before knocking out a quartet of legacy character reveals back-to-back. It was fun to watch an audience lose their minds as Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Wesley Snipes as Blade,Channing Tatum as Gambit, and Dafne Keen as X-23 all came striding onto the screen.
It was comparable to the collective joy of seeing Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men step through portals into Ned’s grandma’s house inSpider-Man: No Way Home. Garner’s appearance had already been announced and Keen’s appearance was spoiled by the final trailer, but the filmmakers managed to keep Snipes and Tatum’s roles a secret. This eclectic group made for a great ragtag superhero squad.
6Attack Of The 50-Foot Woman
Love Lies Bleeding
For the most part, Rose Glass’ romantic thrillerLove Lies Bleedingis a sobering study of love, violence, and family dysfunction. The emotions are raw and the worldview is bleak. But in its finale, it veers into surrealism. In an homage to the classic sci-fi B-movieAttack of the 50-Foot Woman, Jackie saves Lou from her abusive father by growing to 50 feet tall, pulling him off her, and pinning him to the ground.
All throughout the movie, Lou has been victimized and surrounded by violence. Her sister has an abusive husband, her father treats her horribly, and her girlfriend’s bodybuilding supplements have made her aggressive. It’s a glorious moment to see someone finally stand up for Lou. And thanks to the monster movie reference, it’s also a dazzling spectacle that rewarded a trip to the movies.
5The Trial
Hundreds Of Beavers
Mike Cheslik’s slapstick epicHundreds of Beaverswas one of the most crowd-pleasing movies of the year. It’s still hilarious to watch at home, but it was a communal experience to watch it in a packed house and laugh along with dozens of other people. This movie is wall-to-wall laughs: there’s a sled chase shot like a high-speed car chase; there’s a kaiju-sized Voltron made up of hundreds of beavers stacked on top of each other.
But the funniest sequence is Jean Kayak’s kangaroo-court trial. When the beavers capture him, they give him his right to due process — but it’s not exactly fair. From the absurd charges levied against him to his wildly incompetent, profusely sweating public defender (whose testimony puts the judge and jury to sleep), this whole courtroom scene is a laugh riot.
4The War Rig Chase
No one stages a car chase through a post-apocalyptic wasteland quite like George Miller. His visual storytelling is unparalleled and his commitment to practical stunt work makes all the difference.Furiosa: A Mad Max Sagais full of great action scenes, like Dementus’ failed invasion of the Citadel, his ambush at the Bullet Farm, and Mary picking off the Biker Horde with a sniper rifle to save her daughter.
But the best action scene inFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagasees Furiosa and Praetorian Jack wordlessly forming a bond while protecting the War Rig from the Octoboss and his invading goons. The explosive effects, immersive staging, and roaring engines made this set-piece a sight to behold on the big screen. Not only is it a stunning piece of action cinema; Furiosa and Jack’s bonding also gives it an emotional underpinning.
3Monstro Elisasue Is Born
The Substance
It was a joy to watch the twists and turns ofCoralie Fargeat’s body horror satireThe Substanceunfold with an unsuspecting crowd in a movie theater earlier this year. When Sue starts falling apart before her big live TV performance, she races home to try to fix it. In a panic, she takes the Activator serum a second time — flagrantly breaking the Substance’s rules, which were laid out clearly when she started taking it — and “Monstro Elisasue” is born.
Pierre Olivier Persin created some of the greatest prosthetic effects in movie history to bring this monster to life. The bathroom-mirror reveal of this grotesque amalgamation of Sue, Elisabeth, and the Elephant Man is one of the most shocking movie moments of 2024. And it was a ton of fun to share that shock with an audience.
2Defying Gravity
Wicked
Jon M. Chu’s movie adaptation ofWickedonly covers the first act of the Broadway musical, but it still goes out on a high note, thanks to Cynthia Erivo’s stunning rendition of “Defying Gravity.” As Elphaba is labeled a “wicked witch,” she takes to the sky and sings her heart out. In terms of cinematic interpretations of iconic Broadway musical numbers, Erivo’s “Defying Gravity” is up there with Anne Hathaway’s version of “I Dreamed a Dream” from theLes Misérablesmovie.
Wickedoriginated as a communal theatrical experience, so it’s appropriate that the film version has the same crowd-pleasing quality. Audiences around the world have felt uplifted and inspired by Erivo’s jaw-dropping performance of “Defying Gravity.” Watching this final number play out on the big screen was a delight — the second part can’t arrive soon enough.
1Paul Rides The Sandworm
Dune: Part Two
Thanks to Greig Fraser’s breathtaking IMAX cinematography, the entirety ofDune: Part Twowas a visual treat from start to finish, and a mind-blowing theatrical experience. It hasLord of the Rings-sized battle scenes and epic images like thousands of Fremen saluting Paul Atreides. The knife duel between Paul and Feyd-Rautha is one ofthe most intense fight scenes of 2024.Dune: Part Twois full of amazing moments tailor-made for the big screen.
But arguably the most dazzling cinematic spectacle in the movie is when Paul rides a sandworm. Denis Villeneuve puts the audience right there with Paul on the back of that worm, with sand lashing the camera, wind blowing through Paul’s hood, and Fremen cheering from afar. This was a truly glorious big-screen moment, complemented by Hans Zimmer’s music blaring out of the speakers.
