Cahiers du Cinema Names Best Films of 2024, Including ‘All We Imagine as Light’ and ‘Trap’

One of cinema's most noted publications, known for starting the careers of André Bazin, Éric Rohmer, and more, named Alain Guiraudie's "Misericordia" as the best film of the year.

With turkeys packed in bellies and holiday gift shopping now officially underway, it’s getting to be that time of year where we look back on 2024 and reflect on what’s most important: The movies that made it all bearable. Kicking things off, the storied French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema has released its top 10, which include some selections from IndieWire’s own 2023 best-of list. Though our official 2024 list is not yet locked in, we also share some items on our 2024, so far best-of list. The list only includes movies that opened theatrically in France in 2024, hence the crossover.

Serving as the hub for the French New Wave and launching the careers of legendary talents such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, Cahiers du Cinema has been in publication since 1951 and continues to offer a bold, distinct voice in the world of film. One of its more unique choices over the last few years include naming David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return” the best film of the 2010s despite it more accurately being described as a limited TV series.

At the top of its 2024 best films list, revealed on Wednesday, November 27, the Cahiers du Cinema editorial staff named Alain Guiraudie’s queer thriller “Misericordia,” which follows a string of deaths in a small French community that leads to an unexpected romance. Other notable choices include Todd Haynes’ Mary Kay Letourneau-inspired “May December,” Payal Kapadia’s Palme d’Or-competitor “All We Imagine as Light,” Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” which won last year’s Academy Award for Best International Feature, and M. Night Shyamalan’s concert-set serial killer thriller “Trap.”

Cahiers du Cinema has faced a certain degree of turmoil over the last year, as several French entrepreneurs bought the publication in 2020, leading the editorial staff at the time to resign in protest, concerned for their independence going forward. Despite these challenges, the magazine continues its annual tradition of releasing a top 10 and certainly didn’t disappoint in 2024.

Read Cahiers du Cinema’s entire ranking below.

1. “Misericordia” dir. Alain Guiraudie
2. “May December” dir. Todd Haynes
3. “In Water” dir. Hong Sangsoo
4. “The Zone of Interest” dir. Jonathan Glazer
5. “All We Imagine as Light” dir. Payal Kapadia
6. “The Delinquents” dir. Rodrigo Moreno
7. “Evil Does Not Exist” dir. Ryasūke Hamaguchi
8. “This Life of Mine” dir. Sophie Fillières
9. “Trap” dir. M. Night Shyamalan
10. “The Other Way Around” dir. Jonás Trueba