The Eleven Focus Features Movies That Astonished Audiences in 2024

The eleven films that Focus features released in 2024 captured the depth and breadth of the brand. There was eye-opening work from first-time feature directors and powerful stories from established masters, genre-bending comedies, and epic adaptations of classic tales, original documentaries, moving dramas, and musical biopics. We take a look back at 2024 to remember a year of excellent movies.

Lisa Frankenstein

A trio of unique comedies kicked off the year. Zelda Williams made her feature film directorial debut with Lisa Frankenstein, an ‘80s-styled twist on the classic monster created by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody. Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton), an awkward teen alienated from her friends and family, connects with a reanimated 19th-century corpse (Cole Sprouse). “This film could have easily come out in 1989,” writes AV Club, “but we’re lucky enough to have the 2024 version, performed by a very game cast who…deliver what is likely to be one of the funniest films of the year.”

Watch Lisa Frankenstein now!

Drive-Away Dolls

In Drive-Away Dolls—directed by Ethan Coen and written by Coen and Tricia Cooke—Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) head to Florida, unknowingly chased by various inept criminals in a comic adventure filled with zany twists and turns. “It's a queer road trip movie…that's very lighthearted and fun,” Cooke tells Collider. With a cast that includes Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, and Matt Damon, Drive-Away Dolls “is a refreshing comical experience threading together the absurd and the authentic,” writes Paste.

Watch Drive-Away Dolls now!

The American Society of Magical Negroes

Writer-director Kobi Libii’s debut feature The American Society of Magical Negroes weaves together romantic comedy, political satire, and old-fashion wizardry in truly original ways. When a stranger (David Alan Grier) invites a struggling artist (Justice Smith) to join a secret organization set on fighting white discomfort, he finds his life and assumptions about the world seriously challenged. Parodying the “Magical Negro” trope, in which a Black character’s main purpose is to help a white hero succeed, Libii creates “a deftly observant fantasy comedy that stays true to its own irreverence,” writes Variety.

Watch The American Society of Magical Negroes now!

Housekeeping for Beginners

After making a critical splash with his first two films—You Won’t Be Alone and Of An Age—writer-director Goran Stolevski returned with another cinematic gem, Housekeeping for Beginners. When Dita (Anamaria Marinca) must take on the job of raising her girlfriend’s two children, everyone in her crowded home—from local friends to her roommate (Vladimir Tintor) and his new boyfriend (Samson Selim)—helps out. “Goran Stolevski delivers another triumph,” writes Screen Daily with storytelling that “is fresh, authentic and genuinely exciting.”

Watch Housekeeping for Beginners now!

The Bikeriders

Jeff Nichols—whose previous film Loving poignantly captured a pivotal story of the civil rights era—turned his camera on another remarkable time in American history in The Bikeriders. Inspired by Danny Lyon's photography book of the same name, the film focuses on the relationship between Kathy (Jodie Comer), the charismatic biker Benny (Austin Butler) she falls in love with, and the gang’s leader Johnny (Tom Hardy) as a way to chronicle how a ‘60s gang of rebels turned into something darker a decade later. With a supporting cast that includes Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, and Emory Cohen, The Bikeriders is on 14 of 2024’s best films lists notes Critics Top 10. “The Bikeriders authentically plunges us into another era and shows both the undeniably attractive side of masculinity and its dark and dangerous side,” writes The Mercury News.

Watch The Bikeriders now!

Touch

Released in July, Baltasar Kormákur’s Touch provided a profound and moving alternative to summer blockbusters. Adapted by the novel’s author, Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, and Kormákur, the story travels across decades and continents in following an older man’s search for a lover from 50 years ago. As Kristofer (Egil Ólafsson) leaves Iceland for England at the start of the Covid pandemic, he remembers how his younger self (Pálmi Kormákur) fell in love with Miko (Kôki Kimura) and how circumstances so many years ago took her away from him. “The film’s embrace of compassion and forgiveness for everyone is heartwarmingly spacious,” writes RogerEbert.com. “It shimmers with grace.”

Watch Touch now!

Dìdi (弟弟)

Writer-director Sean Wang makes a stunning feature film debut with Dìdi (弟弟), his irrepressible coming-of-age story set in Fremont, California in 2008. Christ Wang (Izaac Wang) is an awkward 13-year-old kid living with his doting mother (Joan Chen), his older sister (Shirley Chen), and his beloved Nai Nai. Unsure who he is, Chris clumsily attempts to forge a new identity—both online and in the real world—that ultimately takes him down a very unexpected path. The Spectator writes that the film is “an absolute joy…Funny, authentic, and takes you right back to being 13.” Wang’s pitch-perfect take on growing up in the age of social media landed his film on 21 of 2024’s best films lists notes Critics Top 10.

Watch Dìdi (弟弟) now!

Piece By Piece

Oscar®-winning documentarian Neville Morgan, who made his name with such poignant films as Won't You Be My Neighbor?, rose to the challenge when Pharell Williams suggested making the documentary about his life, Piece By Piece, as a LEGO animation. “It became such a metaphor for everything that was going on in the film,” Neville says in the production notes. The resulting collaboration produces a magical mystery tour that follows Pharrell from growing up in Virginia Beach to emerging as a musical superstar. We Got This Covered writes, “Piece By Piece constructs a vibrant, beating heart as transcendentally trailblazing as Pharrell Williams himself.”

Watch Piece By Piece now!

Conclave

Edward Berger’s Conclave about the election of a new pope became one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. On 123 of 2024’s best films lists according to Critics Top 10, it has been nominated for 11 Critics Choice Awards and six Golden Globes Awards. Tasked with managing the election inside the Vatican, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) must discover the truth about every candidate, no matter how difficult, and find the right person to lead the church. USA Today writes, “The thriller is both a thought-provoking investigation into real-life themes and human flaws but also an undoubtedly entertaining exercise.” AV Club adds, “Conclave is among the very best films of the year. It’s a knockout.”

Now playing in theaters—or watch Conclave at home!

Nosferatu

Released on Christmas day, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu has become a run-away critical and commercial success. Adapting vampire tales made famous in early films and stories, Eggers has reinvigorated the horror genre. When Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is sent to East to close a real estate deal with the ancient Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), he unknowingly sets off a wave of terror that affects everyone around him, especially his wife (Lily-Rose Depp). The cast includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe, and the film is on 71 of 2024’s best films lists according to Critics Top 10. “Bloodcurdling to the last delicious drop, Nosferatu is extraordinarily compelling, one of the best films of the year, and an unforgettable, phantasmagoric experience for theaters that will astonish,” writes The Playlist.

Nosferatu is now playing in theaters, so get tickets today!