10 Streaming Original Movies That Made the Biggest Splash in 2024

Another fantastic year for cinema has come to an end, and 2024 gave us some truly creative and thought-provoking films. The year was filled with blockbuster sequels, prequels, and adaptations, such as Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part II and Jon M. Chu's Wicked: Part I. It was also a year that produced new ideas with films such as Luca Guadagnino's Challengers and JT Mollner's thriller Strange Darling. It was a banner year for many genres, especially horror and drama. After the enormous box office success of 2023's Barbenheimer phenomenon that drove people to the theaters in hordes, 2024 continued the momentum as people showed up for their most anticipated movies.

It wasn't just a great year for theatrically released films. Streaming platforms released many surprisingly great films as well in 2024. Just as made-for-TV movies experience this, streaming originals often get written off as inferior movies that weren't worthy of a large theatrical release.

While it's true that there are plenty of lesser-quality films released on streaming, as there are in theaters, streamers have also released incredibly well-made films like All Quiet on the Western Front and I'm Thinking of Ending Things. This past year proved that some of the most interesting, enjoyable, and provocative movies can be streaming originals. With that in mind, here are our picks for the best streaming original movies of 2024.

10 'You'll Never Find Me'

Shudder

You'll Never Find Me is an Australian slow-burn horror film directed by Josiah Allen and Indianna Bell. Taking place entirely in one location, the movie centers around an older man named Patrick (Brendan Rock) who lives alone in a small mobile home in the back of a trailer park. On a particularly rainy and stormy night, a young woman (Jordan Cowan) shows up at his door seeking shelter from the violent storm. As the night drags on and the woman learns more about Patrick, the more she questions his intentions and Patrick starts to question his grip on reality.

An Eerie Slow-Burn

The film expertly builds tension and creates an impending sense of doom that lasts for the entirety of the film's 100-minute runtime. There's always a sense that danger is lurking around every corner of this man's mobile home and that perhaps the safest place is outside in the raging thunderstorm. Both Patrick and the woman's stories at times conflict with each other or details are brought up and then abandoned, making it harder for the viewer to discern who is telling the truth and what's real.

9 'Carry-On'

Netflix

A surprise hit for Netflix, Carry-On is a Die Hard-esque action thriller that dropped on the streamer just in time for the holidays. Directed by Jaume Collet-Sera, the movie follows an unfulfilled TSA agent named Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) who is forced into a deadly cat-and-mouse game when he is given an earpiece with a direct line to an anonymous domestic terrorist (Jason Bateman). The stranger in his ear demands that he allow a package containing explosives to board a Christmas Eve flight or his pregnant girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson) will pay the price.

An Action-Packed Christmas Thriller

Carry-On is pure action-packed fun set against a Christmas backdrop. The action never lets up and both Egerton and Bateman give strong performances and work quite well together. Even with some moments of nonsensical plot armor, it is relentlessly enjoyable and genuinely anxiety-inducing as you wonder what you would do if you were in Ethan's situation. It is destined to be a holiday classic among the ranks of Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, and was deservedly Netflix's most-watched movie of 2024.

8 'My Old Ass'

Prime Video

Prime had a great year in television with successful shows such as Fallout and the fourth season of The Boys, but the best movie it released in 2024 is perhaps Megan Park's second feature film, My Old Ass. The coming-of-age comedy follows 18-year-old Elliot (Maisy Stella) during the summer before college as she meets her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza) after a bad mushroom trip. When Elliot's "old ass" warns her about a person she'll meet that summer, she has to rethink everything she thought she knew about family, love, and life.

A Hilarious, Heartwarming Dramedy

Coming-of-age is a tried-and-true genre blend of comedy and drama, and Park nails the formula while adding her spin on it for young people of today. It has moments that will make you legitimately laugh out loud and others that will make you want to hug your loved ones. The comedy never outweighs the more emotional story beats, and vice versa. It's the type of coming-of-age film that is relatable to people of all ages as it emphasizes the importance of living your life the way you want to, no matter how old you are.

7 'Rebel Ridge'

Netflix

From the director of Blue Ruin and The Green Room, Jeremy Saulnier's crime drama Rebel Ridge instantly became one of the best films Netflix released in 2024. The story follows a former Marine named Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) on his way to bail out his falsely accused cousin when he finds himself wrapped up in a web of lies and corruption at the hands of a small-town police chief. The altercation leads to a dangerous war between the two.

An Expertly Acted Crime Drama

One of the characteristics of the film that has stood out to viewers is that it is a violent yet non-lethal action/crime drama. Terry is a highly skilled ex-Marine expertly trained in combat, yet he goes out of his way to ensure he causes no casualties in his fight against police corruption. Instead, he uses his knowledge and skill to his advantage and outsmarts the police department every step of the way. Terry is suave, intelligent, strong, and simply an undeniably cool guy, thanks to a movie-star-making performance from Pierre. Saulnier pulls from his earlier features in this, yet still made a dark revenge thriller in a different way.

6 'Woman of the Hour'

Netflix

The directorial debut of Anna Kendrick, Woman of the Hour is based on the true-crime story of the real-life Dating Game serial killer who went on a murderous spree in the '60s and '70s. Originally shown at Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, Netflix finally released the film to the public in October 0f 2024.

The film follows Sheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick), an aspiring actress living in 1970s Los Angeles who begrudgingly takes a guest spot on ABC's The Dating Game in hopes it will attract attention from casting directors. After changing the questions provided to her to show both her intelligence and humor, she selects Bachelor #3, unaware that he is indeed the infamous serial killer, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto).

A Respectful Adaptation of Real-Life Tragedy

Woman of the Hour is a strong directorial debut from Kendrick, showing that she can excel both in front of and behind the camera. She places confident hands behind the camera that show a story like this in ways not typically seen.

Kendrick chose not to show any of the violence Alcala committed against his female victims as films like this often do. Instead, she pans the camera away just as the violence is about to ensue, respecting the victims while letting audiences know something atrocious is still occurring. Her decision to have the violent crimes committed off-screen shows the utmost respect to the real-life victims while condemning Alcala's vicious acts to the audience.

5 'Oddity'

Shudder

Damien McCarthy's Oddity is a supernatural horror film that takes place in an oddly designed and entirely unsettling house in the Irish countryside. Another great Shudder original, the movie begins with Dani (Carolyn Bracken), a married woman renovating the country home, who is brutally murdered while her husband is working late at the hospital. On the first anniversary of her death, Dani's twin sister Darcy (Bracken) uses her abilities as a clairvoyant to uncover the truth behind her sister's murder.

A Terrifying Slow-Burn

Oddity has some truly terrifying moments meant to catch the viewer off-guard. Jumpscares can be a tiresome, and at times lazy, way of scaring an audience, but they are excellently crafted and placed here. They linger just long enough to make the viewer both hyper-aware and unsure of what has just flashed on their screen. It's slow-burning at times, but the sense of dread lingers from the first frame to the last. Something always seems glaringly off, and certain characters raise red flags almost immediately. Some shots will simply haunt your nightmares.

4 'Late Night With the Devil'

Shudder

Also produced by Shudder, Late Night With the Devil is one of the most creative and visually appealing films to come out of 2024. Directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes, the film takes place during the special Halloween taping of a late-night show called Night Owl in 1977. A year after his wife's tragic death, host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) is desperate to compete with Johnny Carson's show, so he decides to bring on a self-proclaimed psychic medium, a skeptic, and a parapsychologist and her 13-year-old subject on the show. He is unknowingly about to unleash evil onto his audience and living rooms across the country.

A Visually Pleasing Nightmare

The set design, costumes, cinematography, and editing are so well done that the film truly looks like it was shot in the '70s. The scenes when Night Owls is on air in particular could easily be confused with a real late-night show from the '70s. Found footage is nothing new to the horror genre, but choosing a late-night talk show as the film's setting adds something fresh to the horror subgenre. It's also an interesting take on religious and supernatural horror that doesn't rely on cheap jumpscares and instead focuses on the dangers of religious cults.

3 'Hit Man'

Netflix

The second collaboration between director Richard Linklater and Glen Powell is a hilarious spin on action movies that serves as yet another worthy release from Netflix in 2024. The film follows a nerdy professor named Gary (Powell) who moonlights as a faux hitman to help the local police department catch criminals before they commit a crime. Gary uses a different disguise and persona for each sting operation until one meet-up leads him to fall for a woman thinking about having her abusive husband killed. After helping her escape her husband, Gary finds himself becoming his latest hitman persona.

An Intelligent Spin on Action Movies

If there were any doubts about Glen Powell's undeniable charm and movie-star persona, Hit Man would prove them wrong. He is equally funny as he is smart and equally awkward as he is smooth in this film. After working together on Linklater's 2016 college comedy Everybody Wants Some!!, it's clear that he and Powell work quite well together, and it shows on screen. The movie subverts expectations by making the viewer believe they are about to watch a high-stakes action thriller only to quickly reveal the witty humor and funny characteristics of the main characters.

2 'Exhuma'

Shudder

South Korean cinema is no stranger to horror, with films such as Train to Busan and I Saw the Devil considered some of the best modern films in the genre. Jang Jae-hyun's supernatural folk horror film Exhuma is another incredible entry in the Korean horror roster. After tracing the origin of a disturbing supernatural phenomenon to a wealthy family's ancestral grave site, a team of paranormal experts is hired to relocate the remains. They soon discover the consequences of anyone who dares to mess with a sacred grave site.

A Haunting Twist on Supernatural Horror

At first, Exhuma seems like it might be a straightforward twist on exorcism and possession movies, but it quickly subverts that expectation by becoming something much larger in scope. Oldboy veteran actor Choi Min-sik skillfully leads the cast in this ambitious film that doubles as a unique take on the traditional ghost story and commentary on Korea's dark history with Japan. Excellent writing, convincing performances, and crafty camera angles elevate this supernatural story into a haunting original film that is one of Shudder's best releases.

1 'It's What's Inside'

Netflix

Greg Jardin's feature film directorial debut It's What's Inside shot up the Netflix charts upon its release in October 2024. The film follows a group of friends from college who get together on the eve of a mutual friend's wedding. When a surprise guest arrives with a mysterious suitcase containing a game to play, the reunion descends into a psychological trip that will mentally and physically change them forever.

A Psychedelic Fever Dream

It's What's Inside feels like a psychedelic fever dream of a sci-fi film. It's an electric, energetic "who dunnit" that's also a psychological thriller with a sprinkling of horror elements. It has similar themes and plot to movies like Bodies Bodies Bodies and Freaky Friday, but it's most similar to the psychological sci-fi film Coherence. Still, it is original enough to stand completely on its own from the inevitable comparisons. The editing, cinematography, and especially the use of color are creatively used to propel the story. It effortlessly blends comedy with thrills, and is exactly the type of film streamers should be picking up.