How long does it take for us to be able to identify that a particular year was a high-water mark in the art of filmmaking?

1939 is often cited as the greatest movie year of all time, gifting audiences classics such as The Wizard Of Oz and Mr Smith Goes To Washington. 1999 brought about The Matrix, The Blair Witch Project and Being John Malkovich – each gamechangers that altered our perception of what cinema could be – while 2007 is responsible for modern classics including Ratatouille, There Will Be Blood and Atonement. A case is already being made for 2023 being a banner year, unlikely to be forgotten thanks to Oscar winners Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Barbie, Godzilla Minus One and The Zone Of Interest, among others. And let's not forget Saltburn, Air, Reality and All Of Us Strangers, all of which were scandalously overlooked by The Academy.

With some of the most impressive films of last year now showing at Nova, including Wim Wenders’ meditative Tokyo-set PERFECT DAYS, uproarious Edwardian-era comedy WICKED LITTLE LETTERS starring Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, Alice Rohrwacher’s uncategorisable archaeological fever-dream LA CHIMERA, and Oscar-nominated ode to friendship ROBOT DREAMS (an animated nostalgiafest that is blissfully unforgettable), 2023 was either an apex for big-screen storytelling or we are in the midst of a new golden age of cinema.

"2023 was either an apex for big-screen storytelling or we are in the midst of a new golden age of cinema."

Already, the films of 2024 indicate the latter may be true. Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE: PART TWO rises above its exceptional 2021 predecessor, crafting an epic drama that immediately places its cast and crew among early awards contenders. Alex Garland’s incendiary CIVIL WAR features a transformational performance by Kirsten Dunst as a war photographer covering the carnage of a near-future America at war with itself. Taking viewers on a cross-country tour from New York to Washington DC replete with indelible images, Garland’s thriller builds to a heart-stopping climax that will have audiences on the edge of their seats and reflecting on the film’s many nuances for days.

Luca Guadagnino’s CHALLENGERS, starring Zendaya (Dune: Part Two), Mike Faist (Spielberg’s West Side Story) and Josh O’Connor (La Chimera, God’s Own Country), sees the filmmaker raising his game with a pulse-pounding romance of three tennis pros on the edge of greatness. Dynamically capturing the thrill, emotion and sweat (emphasis on sweat!) of competitive sport, CHALLENGERS not only promises to get spectators hot under the collar but also lob Zendaya into the Oscar arena at year’s-end.

Looking further abroad, German Oscar nominee THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE is a whip-smart and provocative drama with the heart of a thriller. Leonie Benesch stars as Ms Nowak, a teacher finding her way in a new workplace packed with untrustworthy colleagues, outraged parents and opinionated students. Awarded five German Film Awards including Best Picture, Director and Actress, Ilker Çatak’s film is a must-see.

Matt Brown’s FREUD’S LAST SESSION dramatizes a long-rumoured meeting between the founder of psychology Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins) and esteemed author C.S Lewis (Matthew Goode). With England on the edge of declaring war on Nazi Germany, the two great minds debate the future of mankind and the very existence of God in a performance masterclass.

Directed by and starring Dev Patel as you’ve never seen him before, MONKEY MAN is a stylised revenge thriller set across the cultural divide of contemporary India. Blending visceral action with Hindu mythology, Patel upends our expectations through striking visuals and unanticipated commentary on corrupt bureaucracy.

Directed by Drive My Car filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, EVIL DOES NOT EXIST is a prizewinning drama of a father and daughter living in the unspoiled Japanese countryside. When their paradise is threatened by developers, they must contend with duplicitous executives, indifferent to what might be lost. A contemplative eco-drama, it highlights Hamaguchi as a measured storyteller capable of crafting stirring imagery.

Closer to home, Melbourne-made LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL sees directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes craft a supernatural thriller inspired by the Australian TV antics of Don Lane in the 1970s and 1980s. Late-night talk show host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) dabbles in the occult live on-air, not realising what he’s about to unleash. Taking the US by storm only last month, the Cairnes brothers have created a truly terrifying found-footage flick.

"...this year and next promise to be exciting times for cinema audiences"

With the imminent Cannes Festival promising to deliver major movies from your favourite filmmakers and Hollywood’s annual CinemaCon making exciting and unexpected announcements over the past week (a new musical from Trey Parker and Matt Stone! Edgar Wright remakes The Running Man!), this year and next promise to be exciting times for cinema audiences. If we are indeed in a post-strike and post-pandemic age of formidable and fantastic films, at this rate, we may not need the passage of time to know we are living in it.

See you at the movies!

KC - CEO, Cinema Nova