(Image: Searchlight Pictures)
Top-rated 2024 cinema releases you can finally watch at home
by Kimberly Nhundu · Manchester Evening News2025 is around the corner, so it’s only fair to look back on what the film world had to offer this year - and it was a belter.
There was something for everyone at the cinema, from mind-bending fantasy to animation and steamy sports dramas, all fronted by Hollywood heavyweights.
But if you missed these films in theatres, you're in luck, because some of this year's top-rated releases are now available on streaming platforms. From box office hits starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White to an Oscar-winning performance from Emma Stone, here are the best films you can watch at home on Amazon Prime and Disney+.
Monkey Man
(Image: Universal Pictures)
Dev Patel’s directorial debut left fans wanting more behind-the-camera action from the actor, and for good reason. Set in the fictional city of Yatana, based on modern day Mumbai, Patel stars as a young man seeking vengeance for the death of his mother.
In an action-packed two-hour ride, the film tackles class disparity, corruption and religion. The actor-director is joined by co-stars Pitobash, Sikandar Kher and Sobhita Dhulipala.
Monkey Man is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Challengers
(Image: Amazon MGM Studios)
Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino captivated tennis fans and novices alike with this sports drama.
Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a professional player devastated by an injury that ends her career. Still in love with the game, she turns to coaching her husband Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) to face up against Patrick Zweig, his former best friend, for a prestigious grand slam title. As it unfolds, the sports flick reveals a long-standing love triangle between the three.
Challengers is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Poor Things
(Image: Disney/Getty Images)
Yorgos Lanthimos divided viewers with this gothic genre-bender.
Led by Emma Stone, who took home an Oscar for her performance, it follows the coming of age story of Bella (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by a scientist (Willem Dafoe). In true Frankenstein fashion, she returns to her adult body but her brain resets to that of a baby.
Across two hours, the flick navigates identity, sexual liberation and women’s autonomy. Mark Ruffalo also stars alongside Stone.
Poor Things is available to stream on Disney Plus
Inside Out 2
Taking viewers into the mind of teenager Riley, Inside Out 2 picks up from the success of the 2015 Pixar hit. This time around, she struggles with adolescent emotions such as anxiety, envy, embarrassment and ennui. While tensions are higher in this sequel, the film stays true to its humorous roots.
Actress Amy Poehler returns as the voice of Joy, with The Bear star Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Maya Hawke as Anxiety and The Office's Phyllis Smith as Sadness.
Inside Out 2 is available to stream on Disney Plus
All of Us Strangers
(Image: Parisa Taghizadeh, Courtesy of Searchlight Picture)
Andrew Scott stars in this heart-wrenching drama as Adam, a lonely man who visits his childhood home only to find his long-dead parents still alive.
Underscoring his exploration of grief and love is a romantic relationship with his neighbour (played by Paul Mescal). All of Us Strangers received wide critical acclaim including a Best British Independent Film award and Best Director nod for Andrew Haigh at the British Independent Film Awards in december 2023.
All Of Us Strangers is available to stream on Disney Plus.
American Fiction
A satirical jab at the American publishing industry, American Fiction bagged five Oscar nominations.
Based Percival Everett's 2001 novel, Erasure, it follows a frustrated author and professor whose books are not selling despite being rated by his fellow academics. Frustrated by the industry, he pens a novel filled with racial clichés to mock the system.
The novel, hilariously titled F***, becomes a massive success.
Fronted by Jeffrey Wright, the drama offers sharp commentary on Black representation in media.
American Fiction is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
The Iron Claw
(Image: A24)
Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness) and wrestler Maxwell Jacob Friedman make a stunning ensemble in this biographical drama.
Based on the real-life story of the Von Erich wrestling family, The Iron Claw follows the rise and fall of the family, focusing on tragic events that the brothers dubbed the 'Von Erich curse'. It delves into family, grief, fame and toxic masculinity.
The Iron Claw is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.