For those who have been following this newsletter over the past year, you might recall the 2023 countdown of every movie I saw, titled "808 Lines about 404 Movies". (You can access the first half here and the second half here.) This homage to The Nails' "88 Lines About 44 Women" was a unique endeavor.

An Interesting Dilemma

This year, I faced an interesting predicament. I ended up watching an astonishing number of movies, far exceeding 404. Due to various factors, the quantity of films I saw set a new personal record. It was a remarkable achievement.

Introducing The Ben Hecht 500

As the count neared 500, the initial idea was to call it "The Ben Hecht 500". However, the number continued to rise beyond 500. Here's how it will unfold: The countdown will closely resemble last year's, with a worst-to-best ranking of every 2024 film I watched. My plan is to write on Tuesday about the worst movies of the year. Then, over three days - Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday - we will count down the top 500 films. The worst-of list and the final part will be freely accessible, while the rest will have at least partial paywall restrictions. (I encourage you to become a paid subscriber if you haven't already!)Each entry will provide links to reviews, features, interviews, or any other relevant content I wrote about the films, along with information on where to stream them.

Eligibility and Exclusions

For this list, I have a wide net. If a film has a reasonable claim to be a 2024 release, it is included. This includes movies that got 2024 releases and were part of 2024 awards campaigns. Additionally, films I saw at film festivals and through other early-access channels are also considered, even if their official release date is not 2024. There are also some movies from 2023 and earlier that finally came out this year. However, if a film was part of an awards campaign in 2023 or earlier, it is excluded. But don't be surprised if some films make both the 2023 and 2024 lists.Also, for the purpose of this list, movies (usually documentaries) that are in two parts are included, but if they are three or more parts, they are not.

Shortcut to the Top Ten

If you prefer a shorter version, you can read my Top Ten list at Splice Today here.Thank you so much for your continued readership. I am excited to share this year's list with you.