Every year the Library of Congress selects a new crop of iconic movies to be preserved in the National Film Registry, and this year’s batch brings some heavy hitters throughout the last few decades of cinema. From a 1982 Sci-Fi masterpiece in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan to the heart of every millennial’s childhood with Spy Kids, this year’s submissions to the NFR span nearly half a century of the best the silver screen has to offer.
The Library of Congress selects movies to the National Film Registry based on their cultural and historical significance. By making it into the NFR, a film will be preserved within the Library for generations to learn from in the future.
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It does not matter how niche your taste in films is, the 2024 list of movies for the National Film Registry has something for everyone. Critically acclaimed movies in the Science Fiction, Horror, Action, Biography, Drama, and Kids genres encompass the latest class heading to the NFR.
Star Trek fans had to be beaming with joy seeing the original 1982 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan earn its spot in the National Film Registry over 40 years after it debuted. Widely considered one of the greatest single films in the storied franchise, The Wrath of Khan follows the iconic Enterprise crew led by William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk battle against vengeful genetically altered superhuman Khan Noonien Singh, played by the legend Ricardo Montelban, who aims to exact revenge on Captain Kirk for abandoning him on a desolate planet many years ago.
The youngest film to earn a spot is David Fincher’s 2010 biopic The Social Network, known as the story of Facebook’s creation and rise to power in the early social media landscape. Standout performances in this one are Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of a young, socially awkward Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as Mark Zuckerberg’s best friend and Facebook Co-founder Eduardo Saverin, and Justin Timberlake as the iconic Napster inventor Sean Parker. Many film buffs can quote word for word one of the most impactful scenes of the movie, where a pissed-off Saverin storms into Facebook Headquarters to confront Zuckerberg.
The Library of Congress also preserved films for the family, with no better iteration of that on this year’s list than Robert Rodriguez’s 2001 debut into the world of kid espionage, Spy Kids. The film follows the Cortez family, specifically the two children, Juni played by Daryl Sabara and Carmen played by Alexa PenaVega, as they follow in their parent’s footsteps through the world of spies. Millennials and older Gen-Z adults cherish this franchise with a nostalgic whimsy, from the unique gadgets to the cheesy early-2000s CGI, the laughs still seep through no matter the audience’s age.
The only movie from the list to win an Oscar is the 2007 thriller No Country for Old Men, directed by the Coen brothers. It is based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy. The Western-centered crime film revolves around the discovery of two million dollars in the Rio Grande by Josh Brolin’s veteran Llewelyn Moss and the cat-and-mouse game between terrifying hitman Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem and sheriff Ed Tom Bell, portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones. A stacked cast nonetheless, but with the guidance of the Coen Brothers and great source material, No Country for Old Men took home the illustrious Best Picture Oscar in 2007.
There are still over twenty other movies that have been inducted into the National Film Registry, be sure to check out the full list from the Library of Congress to learn more.
