The film market struggled in 2024, but these movies managed to stand out and make their mark
With shifting audience taste and rising competition from other forms of entertainment, such as online micro-dramas, 2024 was tough on the film industry. The year’s box office revenue saw a 20 percent drop compared to last year. The traditionally popular release periods—Lunar New Year, summer, and the weeklong National Day holiday—are typically highly competitive battlegrounds for major films, but this year, both the summer and October holiday film markets saw a steep decline. Imported films have also lost their allure, with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire being the only one to break into the top 10 of the Chinese box office, earning 956 million yuan.
However, several hits still managed to stand out both critically and commercially. Many of these films highlighted previously unexplored topics, such as untold history of WWII, women-centered stories, flawed parenting across generations, and mental health issues among children. Here’s our list of the movies of the year: