2024 was....really, really tough. By far the hardest year of my life, but also one filled with love, moments shared with family and friends, and a lot of reflection. I didn't get a chance to consume as much media as I typically like to, but here are some favorites of what I saw that stuck with me.
2024 Releases
1.) Challengers dir. Luca Guadagnino
No explanation needed, I am typing this post wearing my Challengers hoodie. If you know me at all or have spent any ounce of time with me you'd know this movie is everything to me. Helped me process a breakup, I wrote about that here. Watch it!
2.) Problemista dir. Julio Torres
Another one I've proselytized about since I watched it for the first time. I wrote about my unabshed love for Julio Torres here, I think we should all appreciate him more. One of those movies that came to me when I needed the most and when I'm feeling creatively vacant it's perfect to revisit.
3.) Didi dir. Sean Wang
Didi deserves so much more love. A coming of age movie that strikes a chord in a similar vein to Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade, which I also adore. It's a film that captures the excitement, uncertainty, and embarrassment that come with being a teenager and has some of my favorite performances of the year. Joan Chen is being tragically overlooked this awards season and Izaac Wang is going places! If you've been putting off watching it I would highly recommend taking the time to see it.
4.) I Saw the TV Glow dir. Jane Schoenbrun
I've been meaning to revisit I Saw the TV Glow since my first watch at the closest thing we have to an arthouse theatre near my apartment, but I haven't been able to muster up the courage. It's one of those films that still give me chills everytime I think about it, maybe not the scariest horror movie I've seen but certainly the most affecting. Some of the strongest performances of the year, coupled with inventive visuals and my favorite score behind Challengers (Starburned and Unkissed was one of my most listened to songs of the year). I wrote about it a bit in one of my personal favorite Substack posts this year, but there is certainly a chance I will revisit it once I have the bandwidth to confront just what it meant to me. I can't wait to see what Jane Schoenbrun does next.
5.) The Substance dir. Coralie Fargeat
This year was honestly a great year for weird/campy films, movies that whether I love them or love to hate them affirm my affinity for the medium. The Substance is exactly that, and I love it. The message may be simple, the execution heavy handed, the beats absolutely abusrd, but I can't help but love a film so unapologetically itself. And I'm partial to most things with Margaret Qualley.
Honorable Mentions;
Trap dir. M. Night Shyamalan, which was just Josh Hartnett having to much fun! Also, the music is too good.
Love Lies Bleeding dir. Rose Glass which I wrote about very briefly here. Certainly one of the sexiest releases of the year.
First Watches
1.) Last Holiday (2006) dir. Wayne Wang
Somehow an effective romcom that is very much Not about the romance, how I'm trying to be in 2025. Reminiscent of one of my favorite books, Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, I'm always moved by stories of people learning to Live. I think because it's something I aspire to do, and slowly but surely I'm getting closer to reaching that goal. This inspired me so much I created my own book of realities for the year, and I'm so excitied for all I'm going to accomplish.
2.) Climax (2018) dir. Gaspar Noe
Truly, genuinely, horrific film. Loved it. There's so much that should be said but I won't even try to touch it without a rewatch under my belt. I'll recommend it, but only if you have the stomach.
4.) Uptown Girls (2003) dir. Boaz Yakin
Another film I stumbled upon at just the right time in my life. I'm just going to post a quote from my letterboxd review to encapsulate my thoughts, but it means a lot to me. "It was the perfect encapsulation of what it feels like to be a child forced to grow up way too fast and what it’s like to be an adult grasping for a childhood they never had."
5.) First Reformed (2017) dir. Paul Schrader
I watched this back in January and it feels like eons ago. Similar to I Saw the TV Glow, it's a film that left me with a papable feeling in its wake and demands a rewatch to form any coherent thoughts. The meditations on religion (specifically mega churches), illness, and human connection were beautiful.
Honorable Mentions:
Dream Scenario (2023) dir. Kristoffer Borgli
Boiling Point (2021) dir. Philip Barantini
First Listens
1.) The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess - Chappell Roan
I listened to Chappell for the first time in February, right before she had her supersonic boom after the release of Good Luck, Babe! and I still think it took me entirely too long to get to her. Knee deep into one of the many seminole experiences I had this year (no pun intended); I listened to this album nonstop on the way home from dates, on train rides to Chicago, and on long walks around my neighborhood to clear my head.
2.) Eternal Sunshine - Ariana Grande
My post break-up comfort album, I always love everything Ariana drops. Her layered vocals are angelic, the visuals gorgeous, and my feelings validated.
3.) Charm - Clairo
Been a fan of Clairo since I discovered Pretty Girl my sophomore year of high school and thought I was the protaganist in my own coming of age film. Immunity and Sling were perfect to punctuate my college years and this album feels apt for navigating the uncertainty of my early 20s. The production is some of my favorite of the year.
4.) Chromokopia - Tyler the Creator
Listened to this at work for the very first time and I knew it would be one of my favorites of the year. Some of my favorite features (I'm looking at you Doechii) and one of the more cinematic albums released this year, it's been on repeat.
5.) Birds Eye - Ravyn Lenae
Just like Chappell it has taken me WAY too long to listen to this. An album made for hopeless romantic twenty-somethings, I feel like energeetically it is a companion album to Charm although they are vastly different. I already have plans to use the lyrics to Pilot in my birthday caption next month.
6.) GNX - Kendrick Lamar
I am a new Kendrick convert, I've always passively listened to a song or two from previous albums but in the wake of the Drake beef and briefly dating someone who was a huge Kendrick fan it seemed inevitable I'd end up here. The man's incredible. What more can I say?
Honorable Mentions:
Short and Sweet - Sabrina Carpenter
Model - Wallows
Brat - Charli XCX
TV Shows
1.) Sex and the City
Technically, I started watching this in 2023, but the bulk of it was watched in 2024 during one of the worst months of my life and what can I say, I get the appeal! I am a Carrie defender because I know in my heart of hearts I'm a mix of her and Miranda, and I think any discourse that may or may not be happening about the show on Twitter at any given moment is silly.
2.) The Other Two
So so so good and so upsetting in the way I see myself in both of these unhinged people. Another thing I need to revisit because there is a Substack post in here somewhere about how I am Carey Dubek but I don't have it in me yet. Lance <3
3.) Industry season 3
Industry is very much Successions more interesting cousin the way that you think they can't get better and somehow they manage to outdo their best every season. I have no idea what they say but none of that matters and that's why it's so damn good. I think it not having the same cultural impact as Succession helps as well, as much as I did love that show I think the fandom aspect did get overbearing especially the last two seasons. Sagar Radia was such a standout this season, his performance was immaculate, Rishi might be my favorite character (behind my princess Harper).
4.) The Bear season 3
I am a season three defender! And I'm not just saying that because I worked on it. I actually really enjoyed the slow, introspective, meditative feel of this season. I felt like other than the Faks, who did get a old very quickly, we got some really interesting character moments and a lot of solid set ups for what's coming next season. I'm excitied to see where things go! Sue me!
This year has been hard. Like really hard. But when I look back at my goals from last year I do feel like I've actually accomplished some of what I set out to do. I wrote more, I spent more time with those I loved, I traveled. I made a Substack last year that I've been able to publish some of my favorite pieces on. Going into 2025 I only want to do more. Create more, love more, Live more. Experience all of life's possibilities.
As always thank you for reading and Happy New Year! <3
Comments