The Best of 2024
It’s time to look back on the best that 2024 had to offer!
It’s time for a tradition unlike any other: me listing things that I enjoyed from the past year. Maybe it isn’t totally unique, but I’m going to do it anyway. I am, however, going to change things up a bit this year. Instead of ranking things, I’m just going offer up some of my favorite pieces of media this year without attaching any number to them.
Movies (Non-Horror/Thriller)
Dune: Part Two directed by Denis Villeneuve
Dune: Part Two is pure cinematic spectacle in the best way. It’s visually astounding, incredibly well acted, has a fantastic score, and (most shockingly of all) successfully adapts a novel that has long felt impossible to properly adapt. It’s a must watch if you are a fan of science-fiction and fantasy. The highlight of the film (at least for me) is an incredible gladiatorial fight featuring Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen shot in infrared. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve seen on the big screen.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga directed by George Miller
Mad Max: Fury Road is one of my favorite action movies of all time, so I had high expectations for this prequel film. Fortunately, it lived up to the hype. It’s another beautiful looking film that lets George Miller run wild with his world building. It didn’t do well at the box office, so there’s a good chance you haven’t seen it yet. I highly recommend checking it out. It’s nowhere near as frenetic as the previous film, but the action sequences are still incredibly well executed.
Conclave directed by Edward Berger
Conclave is the best political thriller I’ve seen in years. It just happens to be about the politics of the Vatican instead of a secular government. I found it utterly engrossing as Thomas Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) navigates all of the backstabbing and deal making of those jockeying to become the new Pope. I promise that you will never guess how this one ends.
Monkey Man directed by Dev Patel
The marketing for Monkey Man was a tad misleading. It looked like another John Wick clone with Dev Patel in the Keanu Reeves role. Fortunately, it was much more than that. While it does have some fantastic action sequences, it’s a much more methodical and emotional movie than the trailers indicated. Patel shines as both the lead actor and director of this revenge tale set in Mumbai.
Love Lies Bleeding directed by Rose Glass
I love a movie that feels totally original and unique. Love Lies Bleeding fits the bill. It’s a lesbian romance film set in 1989 between an aspiring body builder (Katy O’Brian) and a gym manager (Kristen Stewart) who also happens to be the daughter of a crime boss (Ed Harris). Unsurprisingly, that whole bit about being the daughter of a crime boss becomes a bit of an issue. It’s a violent, sexy, funny, and bizarre story, and it is another film on this list with an ending you couldn’t possibly predict.
Movies (Horror)
Nosferatu directed by Robert Eggers
I’m sure everyone will be shocked to learn that this was my favorite film of 2024. The first thing that you should know is that this is truly a remake of Nosferatu (1922) and not an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Yes, Murnau’s Nosferatu was an unofficial (read: illegal) adaptation of Dracula, but there are significant changes to the original story that Eggers embraces in his remake. If you’ve seen the original Nosferatu, then you know all of the major story beats of this new one. What makes it special is the incredible direction from Eggers along with maybe the best performance of any actor this year by Bill Skarsgard as the vampiric Count Orlok.
Red Rooms directed by Pascal Plante
Red Rooms is a film that took me completely by surprise. It’s a French-Canadian film about a woman (played by Juliette Gariépy) who is obsessed with a murder trial for a man accused of murdering young girls as he livestreams them for wealthy benefactors on the Dark Web in spaces nicknamed Red Rooms. It’s a story about how an unhealthy obsession can send someone on a downward spiral. It’s a film that stuck with me long after seeing it.
Strange Darling directed by J.T. Mollner
I don’t want to say too much about this one. The less you know about it going in, the more you’ll enjoy the ride. Just know that it’s a thrilling cat and mouse game featuring incredible performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner.
The Substance directed by Coralie Fargeat
This one was a lot of fun. I’ve previously described it as if David Cronenberg and Darren Aronofsky attempted to codirect a comedy. It’s full of body horror, but it’s filmed in an exaggerated manic style (reminiscent of the game show hallucinatory scenes from Requiem for a Dream). It’s also a not-too-subtle critique of how women are treated as they age, and Demi Moore gives one of the best performances of her career in the starring role.
Longlegs directed by Osgood Perkins
I want to preface this by saying Osgood Perkins has a very specific style as a director that seems to be pretty divisive. People either love it or hate it. I am firmly in the “love it” camp, and Longlegs is the best film he has directed thus far. The film is a love letter to the grimy serial killer detective thrillers of the ‘90s like Silence of the Lambs and Seven but infused with a supernatural element. Nic Cage goes full Nic Cage as the eponymous Longlegs, and Mika Monroe gives a strong performance as the detective on the case.
Novels/Novellas
Coup de Grace by Sofia Ajram
Coup de Grace is a novel that feels perfectly suited to the current state of society. It follows a character dealing with suicidal ideation who becomes trapped in some sort of supernatural liminal space from which he cannot escape. It deals with some heavy themes, but it also mixes in some levity and some truly inspired writing formats by the end. It’s probably the most unique reading experience I had this year.
Kill Your Darling by Clay McLeod Chapman
I’ve interviewed Clay a couple of times now, so it should come as no surprise that I’m a huge fan of his work. This novella might be his most upsetting work to date. It’s about a father whose son was brutally murdered almost four decades ago, and no culprit has ever been brought to justice. At the urging of his wife, he takes a creative writing class to try and find something else to occupy his mind. He ends up using the class to write an ending for his son’s murder investigation that he never got in real life. This ends up ruffling some feathers in the town and leads to some unexpected consequences.
Violent Faculties by Charlene Elsby
It takes a lot for a work of fiction to really get under my skin. I’ve consumed so much horror in my life that I’ve built up an immunity to a lot of things that would be considered disturbing. Charlene Elsby consistently breaks through that immune system. This book is told from the perspective of a philosophy professor who subjects people to horrific and dehumanizing experiments aimed at justifying the field of philosophy by determining what a human is and whether or not it’s actually wrong to harm or kill them. Part of what makes it so upsetting is clinical way the story is presented. It’s written as though it’s a paper submitted to an academic journal. Something about it just makes it feel all the more grotesque.
Scumbag Summer by Jillian Luft
Yes. I read things other than horror. I know that must come as a shock, but it’s true. This delightful little novel follows a college graduate in Orlando in 2003 as she parties hard and gets involved with her drug addicted (and married) boss over the course of a very eventful summer. It’s the kind of story where if a bad choice is presented to our protagonist, there is an almost 100% chance that she will make it. Despite this, she is a sympathetic character and one you root for throughout. Luft is definitely an author I will continue to follow to see what she brings us next.
Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel by Kiersten White
I discussed this one last week, so I won’t devote too much additional time to it here. It centers on the character of Lucy Westenra from the novel Dracula. It tells the classic story from her point of view, but it also expands far beyond the classic story all the way into modern day. It’s a beautifully written novel, and any fans of Dracula or vampires in general should check it out.
Comics (Ongoing Series)
The Ultimates by Deniz Camp, Juan Frigeri, and Federico Blee
This comic rules so hard. To break it down to its most simplistic form, this is about the Avengers of the new Ultimate Universe. It’s a team composed of Iron Lad (Tony Stark), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Doom (Reed Richards), Thor, and Sif at the beginning of the series, and they continue to recruit new members in each issue. What makes this comic so special is the social commentary in each issue. Camp uses this broken reality to shine a light on real societal ills that plague our society. It’s a very bold comic, and I’m so happy that editorial has allowed it to be so bold.
Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, and Matt Wilson
I suspect this title will pop up on quite a few “best of the year” lists. This new version of Spider-Man is a family man. Peter Parker was never bitten by a radioactive spider in high school thanks to some shenanigans by the villainous Maker, so he grew up leading a pretty normal life. He’s married to Mary Jane, he has two children, and his Uncle Ben is alive and well (though Aunt May wasn’t as fortunate). This comic takes a look at what kind of hero Peter would be if he got that radioactive spider bite at this stage of his life instead of in his youth. It has quickly become one of Marvel’s bestselling comics thanks to Hickman’s superb writing and Checchetto’s gorgeous artwork. It’s a must read every single month.
Ultimate Black Panther by Bryan Hill, Stefano Caselli, and David Curiel
Are you noticing a trend here? I’m a big fan of Marvel’s new Ultimate line. This title smartly leans into the aspects that made Black Panther one of the most popular movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The assassination of T’Challa’s father by the forces of Ra and Khonshu is the catalyst that launches Black Panther into action against the enemies of Wakanda. Hill and Caselli have put together a series that is both action packed and full of political intrigue. T’Challa also has some interesting allies in this universe in the form of Killmonger and Storm. It makes for a fast paced read each month.
Dick Tracy by Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, and Geraldo Borges
Looking for a hard boiled noir detective story with the violence of a movie like The Untouchables? Then this is the comic for you. This series takes all of the classic characters and elements from the Golden Age comic strip and presents them in a realistic way. There are real stakes, and characters can and do die. It’s the kind of comic Frank Miller would love.
The Incredible Hulk by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein, and Matt Wilson
This title was one of my favorites of 2023, and it remains one of my favorites in 2024. It continues to be loaded with Lovecraftian horror and epic monster fights gloriously depicted by Nic Klein’s illustrations. What more could you possibly want from a Hulk comic?
Comics (Limited Series)
Aliens vs. Avengers by Jonathan Hickman, Esad Ribic, and Ive Svorcina
I should preface this by saying only two of the planned four issues of this series were published in 2024. With that said, these were two of the best issues of any comic book I’ve read in the last few years. It is mind boggling to me that one of the most celebrated creative teams in modern comics is handling a crossover comic like this. That just doesn’t happen. It would be like Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely teaming up to do a crossover between the Justice League and Dracula. Inconceivable. Anyway, this comic is better than it has any right to be. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Resurrection of Magneto by Al Ewing, Luciano Vecchio, and David Curiel
Do I even need to explain this one? It’s a story centered around my favorite fictional character of all time by one of my favorite writers and artists. Of course it’s one of my favorite series of 2024. This series does an amazing job of rolling up sixty years worth of Magneto stories in a way that makes sense for what the character has become. It’s the kind of story that will be referenced for years to come whenever Magneto is discussed.
Into the Unbeing: Part One by Zac Thompson and Hayden Sherman
This is one of those comics that feels like it was made specifically for me. It’s essentially a cosmic horror story through the lens of environmental change. It’s about a team of scientists exploring what I guess you would call a cave system that appears to be a living organism that you enter through the mouth. What the hell is it? Where did it come from? Why is it here? These are the questions they hope to find answers to assuming they survive the journey.
Universal Monsters: Frankenstein by Michael Walsh and Toni Marie Griffin
This is another comic that feels like it was made just for me. This four issue series is set within the world of the movie Frankenstein (1931) produced by Universal Studios. Each issue tells the backstory of one of the body parts used to assemble the monster. Who did these body parts belong to, and what kind of lives were these people living before their corpses were desecrated by Frankenstein? It’s such a fascinating and clever angle to take with such a well known story with significant emotional heft as well.
UltraMega by James Harren and Dave Stewart
UltraMega was one of my favorite comics of 2021, and I had all but given up hope of ever seeing an end to the story after the series went on hiatus after just four issues. Needless to say, I was thrilled when it returned this year. This comic is packed wall to wall with the most insane kaiju action you’ve ever seen. It’s like an R-rated Ultraman story infused with a healthy dose of body horror for good measure. The story will wrap up next year with the ninth issue, and I can’t wait to see how it ends.
Television Series
X-Men ‘97
I was not prepared for just how good this series would be. I assumed it would be some fun nostalgia and nothing else. Imagine my surprise when it ended up being the best adaptation of the comic ever made. The entire season was great, but the fifth episode (titled “Remember It”) is the one that elevated the series to legendary status for X-Men fans.
The Penguin
Another comic book adaptation makes the list! Though this one is a little less devoted to the source material. It spun out of The Batman (2022) from Matt Reeves. It follows Penguin (Colin Farrell) as he tries to build his own criminal empire following the film’s events. Truth be told, this is just a really well made gangster show. There is barely any mention of Batman or the wider world of heroes and villains, and that is totally fine. Just let Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti (who plays Sofia Falcone) cook.
True Detective: Night Country
The latest season of True Detective was pretty divisive, but I really enjoyed it. A lot that had to do with the setting for me. It takes place in Ennis, Alaska just as it enters an extended period of time darkness. That makes for some really spooky scenes set in the snow and darkness. Also, Jodie Foster is in it.
Terminator Zero
This is another piece of media that took me by surprise this year. I’m typically not a fan of anime. It has nothing to do with the quality of the work. I just don’t find the animation style aesthetically pleasing for the most part, so I wasn’t even sure if I’d give this series a try when it debuted. I’m glad that I did. The first few episodes feel like little more than a retelling of the original film, but then things really fly off the rails after that. It’s violent, thoughtful, scary, and funny all at once.
House of the Dragon
I just can’t quit you, Game of Thrones. I don’t think this prequel series is as strong as the first few seasons of the original series, but damn if I don’t love me some dragons and medieval political maneuvering. Matt Smith is worth the price of admission alone.
We did it, folks. We made it through another year. Here’s to hoping that 2025 is even better.
So many I’ve never heard of, can’t wait to watch and read!