One of the benefits of film is that it is a visual medium, which means that it can do in a frame what it might take a book several pages of description to pull off. We see this the most in its ability to build worlds in front of our eyes.
These worlds could be great space operas exploring galaxies, a small period piece that looks back in time, or anything. But when every part of the film is used to tell a story, you know it is good.
Our Highly Commended Films in 2024 are: Abigail,A Quiet Place: Day One, The Beekeeper, Deadpool & Wolverine, The Moogai, The Mountain, Saturday Night, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Wicked
Our Highly Commended TV in 2024 are: Agatha All Along, Black Doves, The Diplomat, Earth Abides, The Gentlemen, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Penguin, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Shrinking, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Wars: The Acolyte & X-Men ’97
So, without further ado, these films showed excellence in Worldbuilding 2024. Be warned that there may be slight spoilers ahead.
And the Nominees are –
Alien: Romulus
Sure, Alien: Romulus speaks the language of older films from the 1980s. However, its dialect is almost fluent.
Dune: Part Two
Every detail in Dune: Part Two is building the world. All the touches in set design, costumes, locations, and visual effects are all working in tandem to bring Arrakis to life.
Fallout
A video game adaptation that both works in the visual medium and is also faithful to the predecessor in such a way that it builds on the universe’s lore in a way that feels natural. Well, congratulations to Fallout for pulling that off.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga does what I thought was impossible. It took Mad Max: Fury Road and then built upon the world in nearly every way.
The Holdovers
The Holdovers might be the most 1970s film that ever 1970s in the modern era. All the details, down to the bowties and the global conflicts, feel right in this world.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is both metaphorically and narratively built on the bones of what has come before, but unlike many films that employ a time jump and fail, we get a world that feels both familiar and brand new.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is all about mystery, never wanting to reveal its full hand. However, it is a master of leaving enough clues around the place if you are paying attention, building a remarkable world that I want to see more of.
And the Winner is!!!!! – The Holdovers
Directed by – Alexander Payne
Screenplay by – David Hemingson
You can set a film in a time, but it takes more than just slapping a 1970s-year subtitle and calling it a day. Every factor of the film is anchored in the time setting, from the narrative to the clothing, how they talk, the cars they drive, even how the world works. It is all those details that takes a narrative about a time and brings it to life. The Holdovers would not have worked if the film had not taken the time and effort to build that world around our characters to situate them in a time and place that this story could have taken place. What are your favourite worldbuilding moments from 2024? Let us know in the comments below.
By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.
What are your favourite cinematic moments from 2024?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day.
Credits – All images used were created by the respective studios and artists of each film
TL;DR Movie Reviews and Analysis 
Pingback: My Top 20 Films of 2024 | TL;DR Movie Reviews and Analysis