Have you recently found yourself endlessly scrolling through Netflix, not knowing when to press play? Are you looking for a something to watch while you wait for the next big summer blockbusters (and our reviews of them)? Whether you’re impatiently awaiting Greg’s hype draft pick, Twisters, on July 19 or, more realistically (sorry, Greg), Deadpool & Wolverine on July 26, we’ve got recommendations for smaller films from this year that we think are worth seeing. Many are available to watch at home, while others have just arrived in theaters.

For this episode of The Long Take Review, we’ve assembled the entire team — Antonio, Greg, P.T., and Jen — to share our top 3 films of the year to date. The caveat, however, is that we cannot select any films that we ourselves have already reviewed on the show. This forced us to consider smaller films that either suffered from poor marketing, were too unconventional to gain mainstream popularity, or just slipped through the cracks of film discourse. We also bookend our lists with a “temperature check” of the year in movies thus far. At the start, we reflect on our experience as moviegoers in 2024, responding to the frequent handwringing about the state of the box office and film industry at large. We conclude with, of course, an update on the Oscar race — what we think is worthy as well as what has a lot of early buzz.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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