An annual tradition here at The End, this is a look at my favorite film discoveries of the year, any movie more than a few years old that I saw for the first time this year. Previous years include: 2023, 2022, 2021,  2020,  2019,  2018,  2017,  2016,  2015,  2014,  2013,  2012,  2011,  2010,  2009,  2008,  2007, and 2006. I watched just over 230 films this year, but only a fifth or so of them qualified for this list. Here are 40 of my favorites.

1. The Heike Story (Yamada Naoko, 2021)
2. Beijing Watermelon (Obayashi Nobuhiko, 1989)
3. Moving (Somai Shinji, 1993)
4. Typhoon Club (Somai Shinji, 1985)
5. Les sièges de l’Alcazar (Luc Moullet, 1989)
6. Golden Eighties (Chantal Akerman, 1986)
7. Visible Secret (Ann Hui, 2001)
8. Ode to the Goose (Zhang Lü, 2018)
9. Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (Somai Shinji, 1981)
10. Mermaid Legend (Ikeda Toshiharu, 1984)

11. A Quiet Dream (Zhang Lü, 2016)
12. The Little Girl Who Conquered Time (Obayashi Nobuhiko, 1983)
13. Veteran (Ryoo Seungwan, 2015)
14. July Rhapsody (Ann Hui, 2002)
15. The Fall of Ako Castle (Fukasaku Kinji, 1978)
16. Gyeongju (Zhang Lü, 2014)
17. The Night Comes for Us (Timo Tjahjanto, 2018)
18. Fukuowa (Zhang Lü, 2019)
19. Chu Lien (Lai Cheng-ying, 1979)
20. The Intern (Nancy Meyers, 2015)

21. Beach of the War Gods (Jimmy Wang Yu, 1973)
22. Harry in Your Pocket (Bruce Geller, 1973)
23. Fantasy Mission Force (Kevin Chu Yen-Ping, 1983)
24. August in the Water (Ishii Gakuryu, 1995)
25. Topkapi (Jules Dassin, 1964)
26. Ocean’s Twelve (Steven Soderbergh, 2004)
27. The World of Suzie Wong (Richard Quine, 1960)
28. The Italian Job (Peter Collinson, 1969)
29. The Taming of the Shrew (Franco Zeffirelli, 1967)
30. Yanagawa (Zhang Lü, 2021)

31. When Cinema Reflects the Times: Hou Hsiao-hsien & Edward Yang (Kore-eda Hirokazu, 1993)
32. Sideways (Alexander Payne, 2004)
33. Lover on the Wave (Chen Kun-hou, 1978)
34. Let the Wind Carry Me (Kwan Pung-Leung & Chiang Hsiu-Chiung, 2009)
35. Ocean’s Thirteen (Steven Soderbergh, 2007)
36. Shaolin Drunkard (Yuen Woo-ping, 1983)
37. The Raid (Tsui Hark & Ching Siu-tung, 1991)
38. Red Eye (Wes Craven, 2005)
39. Cloud of Romance (Chen Hung-lieh, 1977)
40. Once a Thief (John Woo, 1996)