The Best Cinematography of 2024 (So Far)

Four months into 2024, and it’s already shaping up to be an exceptionally strong year for cinematography, with several standout films that represent the art form at its apex. Perhaps what’s most welcome about these films is their variety, not only in terms of genre and tone but also budget and position in the marketplace. From the studio system, we have Greig Fraser’s extraordinary work on “Dune: Part Two,” which doubles down on the ambition and tactile detail of Fraser’s work on its predecessor (for which he justly received an Academy Award) to create one of the most flat-out beautiful epics since the glory days of David Lean. From the world of low-budget, independent filmmaking, we have “I Saw the TV Glow,” where cinematographer Eric Yue designs a meticulous and expressive visual corollary for his protagonist’s inner state.

Somewhere in between “Dune” and “I Saw the TV Glow” in terms of resources, “Civil War” captures both epic sweep and internal agony in its portrayal of journalists trying to survive as America battles itself; Rob Hardy’s cinematography alternates between realism and surrealism, horror and poignancy, and clarity and confusion as he finds the precise visual language to convey the emotional and physical chaos of both his fictional world and our real one. Also in the independent realm but operating at a very different emotional and visual register, Rose Glass’ “Love Lies Bleeding” reunites the director with her “Saint Maud” cinematographer Ben Fordesman and proves that their debut collaboration was no fluke — theirs is a partnership as artistically fruitful as the one between director Wim Wenders and cinematographer Robby Müller, the latter of whom is a clear influence on Fordesman’s eerie night exteriors.

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This year has also brought us the equally enchanting and brutal action of “Monkey Man,” with Sharone Meir’s layered cinematography adding depth and texture to Dev Patel’s directorial debut, not to mention extraordinary foreign imports in the form of “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell” and “La Chimera.” And then there’s Scott Cunningham’s stunning imagery in the nearly unclassifiable “This is Me…Now,” Jennifer Lopez’s self-financed cross between autobiography and fantasy that traverses one disparate style and genre after another as Lopez jumps from settings inspired by science-fiction and film noir to riffs on classic Hollywood musicals and comedies. The only thing these films have in common is that they have nothing in common — aside from their passion for filmmaking and supreme audacity. Christian Blauvelt and Bill Desowitz contributed reporting to this piece.

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