Barack Obama’s Top 10 films of 2024 include papal drama “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two” and Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner “Anora,” as well as films from India, Denmark and Iran.
His selected genres ranged from action to documentary to coming-of-age dramas.
The 44th president shared his list to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. It wasn’t ranked, necessarily, but here’s the list in the order Obama arranged them:
“All We Imagine as Light”: This Indian film topped Sight & Sound’s poll for best film of 2024, and has been nominated for two Golden Globes — Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director for Payal Kapadia.
“Conclave”: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini star in this behind-the-scenes drama as cardinals from all over the world gather to elect the next pope.
“The Piano Lesson”: Malcolm Washington directs brother John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher and Erykah Badu in this family drama based on the play of the same name by August Wilson. Malcolm, whose dad is two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, was named Director to Watch at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
“The Promised Land”: Mads Mikkelsen stars as a man trying to cultivate the barren Jutland moorland in 18th century Denmark in Nikolaj Arcel’s historic epic.
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”: The film from Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May, where it won a Special Jury Award. Rasoulof had been sentenced to eight years in prison by Iranian authorities for his previous film “There Is No Evil,” but successfully fled to Germany and was able to attend the film’s premiere in France. It’s about a judge in Tehran who suspects everyone around him, including his wife and children, when his gun disappears.
“Dune: Part Two”: The second part of Denis Villeneuve’s space saga finds Paul Atreides (Timothée Chamalet) leading a revolt against the Harkonnens.
“Anora”: A sex worker from New York marries the son of a Russian oligarch, but his family is intent on getting the marriage annulled.
“Didi”: A coming-of-age comedy-drama about a first-generation Asian American teenager growing up in Fremont, California, during the early 2000s. Director Sean Wang’s previous short film, “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó,” won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short.
“Sugarcane“: This award-winning documentary examines the Canadian Indian residential school system, which separated thousands of native and Indigenous children from their parents.
“A Complete Unknown”: Timothée Chamalet stars as Bob Dylan in this biopic from James Mangold.
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