This was supposed to be a down year for movies. There was a lack of mega-blockbusters, mysteries around some of the smaller titles, and lots of releases that we never in a million years expected to be good. But now that its approaching the end, we can safely say 2024 was a very, very good year for movies. There was something for everyonehorror, sci-fi, musicals, animation, superheroesyou name it and its on this list. But what made it? Did we love Dune: Part Two? What was our favorite scary movie? How much animation is there? All will be revealed. Without further ado, here are io9s picks for the 25 best sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and genre films of the year. Photo: Jesse Korman/Dark Age Cinema 25. Terrifier 3 Damien Leones horror juggernaut rose to a whole new level in 2024, giving audiences not just the highest-grossing unrated movie of all time, but some of the highest-gross-out special effects ever committed to the screen. Art the Clowns mythology is still a little too overly mysteriouswere hoping part four answers some of our outstanding questionsbut hes a splat-stick artist when it comes to decimating the flesh of his many victims. 24. Piece by Piece If this was just a biopic of producer Pharrell Williams, it probably wouldnt have been that special. Yes, Pharrell has helped craft some of the best, most memorable pop music of the past three decades, but that alone doesnt make a great movie. The choice, however, to do it animated with Lego gives the whole thing this sheen of infinite creativity, one that works in music and Lego. It also makes every single frame prettier than the last, and so much of what would have been just normal becomes hilarious when its in Lego.23. Smile 2 We liked Smile, the surprise horror hit about a demonic contagion thats passed from person to person and involves an extremely distressing facial expression. But Smile 2 took that concept and elevated it, following a troubled pop star (a fantastic Naomi Scott) who is already in a very bad place when she has her fateful encounter with you-know-what. The end result is a part two that improves on its predecessor, making fans excited to see what Smile can come up with next. Image: Marvel Studios 22. Deadpool & Wolverine Marvel needed a big win after a long period of collective wondering if the superhero genre was falling off at the box office, and it got one inDeadpool & Wolverine. A zany mishmash of violence and cameos galore, anchored in the brilliant interplay of Ryan Reynoldswildly charming merc with a mouth and the return of Hugh Jackmans rough-and-rugged X-Man,Deadpool and Wolverine delivered a delectably tongue-in-cheekcelebration of the multiversal concept Marvelsbeen building up to in recent yearsand a fine, fond tribute to Foxs mutant-forward contribution to superhero cinemas golden age.21. The First Omen Did The Omen need a prequel? Probably not. But The First Omen proved that sometimes the best-case scenario can actually happen, led by the transcendent Nell Tiger Free as an American nun who moves to Rome in the early 1970s and soon becomes entangled in a very sinister conspiracy. Yes, we know how this story ends, but the rest of the movieup to literally the very last sceneis continuously surprising. 20. Heretic Heretic is basically a horror version of Contact. A debate and discussion of religion through the lens of a tense thriller in which a creepy man (Hugh Grant) traps two Mormon missionaries in his house and forces them to make some terrible decisions. The film fizzles a bit near the end, but its a lightning bolt before that. One that can not just get you talking, and it can keep you guessing while youre on the edge of your seat filled with dread.Image: Fox 19. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Every time a new Planet of the Apes movie hits theaters, it feels like a special occasion to hang out with some old friends. Kingdom may be set hundreds of years after Caesars exploits, but it maintains those films examinations of humanity and apekinds ongoing conflict, and what it means to be a part of a legacy bigger than yourself. It also looks as great as ever and features its own promising cast, whose future adventures were already looking forward to. 18. I Saw the TV Glow Filmmaker Jane Schoenbruns work vaulted from intriguing to essential with this neon-bright yet spooky exploration of memory, nostalgia, and home-life horrors. It charts a years-long friendship between misfits that intertwines with a cult-beloved TV show that may or may not be realin a world where wonder and nightmares share an uneasy co-existence.17. Wicked Jon M Chus blockbuster take on the Broadway icon might have taken longer to get through half of Wickeds story in the time it takes the whole theater production to start and finish, but it did so in sumptuous style.Wickedhas it all, a movie musical that is unabashedly proud of its lyrical roots, from delightful choreography to wonderful interpretations ofWickeds beloved songbook. But its elevated into something altogether remarkable in the incredible performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, whose electrifying chemistry lights up the screen as brightly as a sunrise over the Emerald City. Were more than happy to spend a years worth of One Short Days waiting to see how For Goodbuilds onWickeds promising first half. Image: A24 16. A Different Man Sebastian Stan has never been better than he is in A Different Man, a weird, surprising, heartbreaking story of a man with severe facial disfigurement. From the start, the movie never goes where you think its going and thats bad news for Stans character, who thinks he has things figured out when a miracle surgery cures his ailment. Soon, he realizes though that it wasnt just his looks that were holding him back.15. Inside Out 2 Picking up on Riley as a teen,Inside Out 2feels like its turning into a franchise thats going to approach coming of age in Pixar style (when will we stop crying?). The sequel catches up on how feelings shift and new emotions appear in adolescence in a very real way. Lessened is Joy, who doesnt take it well when the presence of Anxiety becomes Rileys driving force. As things get jumbled in teen angst and the discarding of childhood habits, the inner world of Inside Outcontinues to craft a relatable tale of how the mind works to further understand our loved ones, and thats just wonderful. 14. Longlegs We were having night terrors inspired by Longlegs carefully plotted marketing campaign even before the movie arrived, and thankfully it lived up to the hypeand then some. Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage both deliver unforgettable turns as an FBI agent and her serial-killer prey, in a movie that makes gleeful work of ripping just about every police-procedural genre trope to shreds. Image: 20th Century Studios 13. Alien: Romulus Director and co-writer Fede Alvarez injected new excitement into the Alien franchise with this sci-fi horror tale set between the first two films, and styled with early 80s vibes to match. There are some heavy-handed fan-service moments, yes, but Romulus also takes some big original swings, introducing a ghastly new monster and earning the approval of the prickly Ridley Scott himself.12. Late Night With the Devil A 1970s talk-show host with serious skeletons in his closet gets his comeuppance during a live Halloween broadcast in this indie hit, which lovingly recreates a very specific era of retro TV with breathtaking accuracy. Late Night With the Devil also offers proof that the found-footage horror genre is still capable of delivering fresh storiesand shriek-worthy frights. 11. Nosferatu Robert Eggers has yet to make a bad film and his latest, Nosferatu, may be his best yet. Thats because his unique, extremely detailed and designed approach to filmmaking is married with a famous vampire story, giving his work that ever-so-slight mainstream bump it needed. The cast, led by Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Bill Skarsgrd as the terrifying titular character, leaves an impression that you wont soon forget. Image: A24 10. Civil War The genius of Alex Garlands Civil War is that its not at all what you think. Youd expect a movie about a U.S. civil war in modern times to be about reality, but this alternate reality follows journalists who are trained to be objective, no matter what occurs. And so does Garland embrace that, showing both sides of an awful conflict in a way that lets the audience decide what to think and feel. Action-packed, scary as hell, and poignant as can be, Civil War is a great film. 9. Flow A cat in a post-apocalyptic world fights to survive in this dialogue-free animated French film. Its a beautiful emotional movie just on its own as you watch this cat go through harrowing, awful, and scary circumstances. But if youre an animal lover, as we are, a whole other level of tension and emotion gets lathered on top as we cheer for this cat, and his friends, to survive the world humanity left for them.8. Monkey Man Its always nice to see Dev Patel in things, and it was really nice to learn he wrote and directed an action movie for himself to star in. Its clear from the start that hes got the chops as a filmmaker and onscreen fighter, even if Monkey Man may not have as much action as youd like. As a first effort, its a solid debut, and it hopefully allows him to make more of what he likes, action or otherwise. Image: Prime Video 7. My Old Ass My Old Ass never quite explains how a young woman named Elliot happens to meet, befriend, and keep in contact with herself from 20 years in the future. But we dont care. This hilarious coming-of-age film with that hint of sci-fi perfectly captures the wonder of being on the verge of adulthood as well as the inevitability of growing up. Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella co-create a lovely character who can be both so full of life and so broken, just like any of us.6. Transformers One Its been months since we saw Transformers One and were still in disbelief that its as good as it is. How is it that a movie about robots, on a robot planet, based on a toy line, could be so exhilarating, so shocking, and so smart and thoughtful about friendship? Well, Transformers One is. Plus, it gave us an origin story we never knew we needed: how the mortal enemies we now know as Optimus Prime and Megatron started as the best of friends. Its a tightrope walk, to be sure, but Transformers One nails it while also being wildly entertaining. 5. The Substance The agony of aging has been explored in sci-fi movies before, but rarely with such genuine poignancy mixed into all the ooey-gooey weird science. Demi Moore gives a stunning performance as an actress who loses her job and her self-confidence because, as the powers that be have determined, shes too old to turn on audiences. Margaret Qualley is also very good as the perky product of a bizarre experiment that lets Moores character be young againfor a gruesome price.Image: Netflix 4. Its Whats Inside If Its Whats Inside was released in theaters, and not just unceremoniously dumped on Netflix, everyone would have been talking about it. Now thoughsince youre reading thismaybe youll make a point to check it out, because its a really awesome movie. Its What Inside follows a group of college friends who reunite before a wedding and end up playing a sick and twisted party game where their personalities swap into each others bodies. Things only escalate from there, with intrigue, mystery, romance, violence, and a few twists were still thinking about. Its whats inside? More Like its so good. 3. Dune: Part Two After getting a light dusting of Dune fever back in 2021, the world was really feeling the spice with this years Part Two. Denis Villeneuves second outing to Arakkis makes good on the setup of the first film as the cast all bring their A-game (and their freak game) and the world looks better and worm-ier than ever. For a lot of people, it was hard not to get swept up in all of it, which makes the eventual threequel even more exciting. 2. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga It may have gotten overshadowed by other big movies this year, but Furiosa was a fun, often gnarly examination of the Mad Max franchises newest lead. Despite being a prequel, it doesnt try to top Fury Road, but makes its own mark through very good performances and great are you kidding me? set pieces that made this a joy to watch on the big screen. Image: DreamWorks/Universal 1. The Wild Robot No other movie in 2024 moved us quite like The Wild Robot. And part of that is because the film was so unexpected. We went into it being like Oh, look, another animated movie about a robot and came out with our lives changed. The film tells the story of Roz, a super smart helper robot mistakenly stranded on a deserted island. There, shes forced to raise a goose she names Brightbill as every other animal on the island laughs at the odd couple. What grows from there is not just a harrowing tale of parenthood, its a snapshot of the world around us. We see and feel how our differences cant come close to our similarities and that life is much better with the ones you love. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.