We all know that Brat was a huge musical movement in 2024, but embracing your bratty side wasn’t just for Charli XCX fans. The most memorable movie characters introduced in the past year all have one core characteristic in common: They’re all brats. And I say that affectionately.
There’s no denying that the term “brat” lost any negative connotation tied to it this year. Led by Charli’s cool-girl example, self-assured go-getters reclaimed the word and turned it into a badge of honor. As Charli herself defines it: “You’re just that girl who is a little messy and likes to party ... is very honest, is very blunt, maybe a little volatile.”
And really, what’s so wrong with making sure you get what you want, even if it can come across as a bit annoying? If being a brat means you’re willing to get on people’s nerves to achieve your goals, then by all means, brat it up!
This b*tchy celebration was all over movie screens this year. Whether tennis pros were playing mind games with their lovers to get a leg up on the court or cardinals were blackmailing each other out of the papacy, the brats were at the forefront of 2024’s most engaging stories. But who had the most brattitude of all? Let’s count down to the ultimate diva of the year.
10. Astrid (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)
Like her mother before her, Astrid has a sharp tongue and isn’t afraid to use it to let everyone know how annoyed she is with them. She’s vocal when things don’t go her way... which is pretty often. Sure, she can be bratty, but she has a reason to be.
9. The Madame Web Girlies (Madame Web)
Madame Web may be a bit too nonchalant to fully embody the brat persona, but her three teenage protégés certainly fit the bill. Julia, Anya, and Mattie are all runaways who love to get on Madame Web’s nerves at any possible chance. No wonder she abandoned them in the woods.
8. Anxiety (Inside Out 2)
What’s brattier than completely taking over control of a whole operation your first day on the job? Anxiety may be a bit more manic than most brats, but she’s still a brat nonetheless for her sheer overpowering nature.
7. Elliott (My Old Ass)
Elliott is a quintessential brat: a teenager who’d ditch the birthday dinner her family made for her to hook up with hot girls. Though she learns to put aside those stereotypically negative behaviors, she remains a wise-cracking, whipsmart brat through and through, with her future self manifesting as proof of that.
6. Lorne (Saturday Night)
You’ve got to be at least a little bit bratty to go up against tons of network execs preying on your downfall. Saturday Night showed how SNL creator Lorne Michaels used tantrums and harsh realities to herd a chaotic cast into an unforgettable live premiere. Interpersonal relationships just aren’t as important as putting on the show, as any brat would know.
5. Sue (The Substance)
It’s almost as if Elisabeth concentrated all the brattiness in her body to create Sue, the pretty, devil-may-care, young vixen who always gets what she wants. Well... almost always. She had to break the rules of the mysterious Substance, though — that’s what truly earns her a spot on this list.
4. Cardinal Lawrence (Conclave)
The brats have even infiltrated the church. At the center of all the blackmailing and bribery in the conclave of cardinals electing a new pope, there’s Cardinal Lawrence. He claims to just want to follow the rules and run a fair election, but who can resist some juicy gossip? Your Holiness, this diva is a brat!
3. Patrick (Challengers)
The way Patrick weasels his way into Tashi and Art’s lives is pure overconfidence, swagger, and smirkiness. He’ll say or do anything to get into their heads, because he knows even if they won’t admit it, they’re both magnetized to him. There’s nothing more powerful than a brat who knows how to wield their power.
2. Tyler (Twisters)
Just as stubborn as his unmoving drill-down trucks, Tyler epitomizes the frustratingly charming combination of know-it-all arrogance and unflappable charisma that makes a true brat. Not even a tornado could blow his annoyingly enthralling confidence away.
1. Ani (Anora)
There really was no other choice for the top spot. Ani exemplifies everything about how “brat” became a positive term in 2024. Even in the face of scary mobsters, she never loses her nerve, and always finds a way to gain some shred of control in impossible situations. She’s willing to annoy, insult, and demean her way out of any hardship. That’s a brat in the best sense of the word.
