Best of 2024 | Movies + TV
My favorite movies and tv shows that I watched in 2024.
We’re back with round two of my “Best Of” posts for 2024! Today we’re covering the movies and tv shows I watched for the first time last year. We have comedies, dramas, English, non-English, animated, new seasons, limited series, and on and on, so there’s a little something for everyone.
So without further ado, my top movie and tv recommendations of what I watched in 2024.
summaries are mostly copied from monthly recaps with light edits and updates
movies.
Joy Ride was excellent, and I both cried and laughed out loud. Highly recommend! hulu
When Sarah was in town in May we saw Babes followed by a Q&A with Ramy Youssef and Ilana Glazer. The movie is fantastic, treading that line between funny and heartfelt really well, and the Q&A made our night. Fun to watch on your own but I recommend watching with friends. hulu
I found Laapataa Ladies while perusing Netflix one evening, saw the 2-hour runtime, and immediately hit play, and I’m so happy I did. This story of two young brides who get switched while on the train with their new husbands was such a lovely watch. It could have become slapstick or melodramatic at many points and instead it really walked the line of being funny, heartfelt, sad, hopeful, and inspiring all at the same time. The acting is superb, and I appreciated the messages encouraging young Indian women to go after their dreams. This is a great watch, and it’s also India’s submission for the 2025 Oscars. netflix
Alexa, Sarah, and I saw Inside Out 2 over the summer and thoroughly enjoyed it. We all loved the new emotions and thought they added a lot of fun and depth to the story. disney+
Maggie, Abi, and I saw Girls Will Be Girls, the feature-length directorial debut of Shuchi, Maggie’s friend / former coworker. It’s a really lovely and moving film that led to a great discussion between the three of us after. It’s a coming-of-age film about a teenage girl so it pushes you out of your comfort zone a few times, but it also captures a lot of the angst and awkwardness and tension of that age. Also it was filmed in Uttarakhand so the scenery is beautiful. rent or buy on prime video
On Maggie’s recommendation I watched Wicked Little Letters, and I loved it. Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman are so good in it, and the pacing and humor and supporting cast are fantastic. A really great watch. netflix
Alexa and I saw We Live In Time one Saturday afternoon. It’s the story of two people, how they meet and fall in love, the ups and downs of their lives, but it hops back and forth through the years so that the layers are revealed to the audience out of order. I thought both actors were brilliant and the movie was really good, and at 1 hour 44 minutes, it’s the perfect length for my attention span. My parents also saw it and each gave it two thumbs up. rent or buy on prime video
I’ve been looking forward for months to watch All We Imagine As Light and was so excited when it finally released. It’s a dual-language Hindi and Malayalam film set in Bombay and rural Maharashtra and is so lovely. The writing is beautiful and Kani Kusruti is such a wonderful actress — after the movie both Abi and I were gushing about how expressive she is.
A Real Pain is really great. The writing is tight, the acting is superb, and it’s the perfect length. It touches on grief and depression and the ties that bind families together and vulnerability and so many other things, and Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg were perfect in their roles.
While in Memphis I saw Wicked with a group of friends and was totally blown away by it. I’m a fan of both the book and especially the stage show and even with that I was still so impressed with the movie. You know from the trailer that it’s going to be a visual spectacle, but there are also so many small details that pull it all together. The cast are all phenomenal, and while I could have cut 20-30 minutes out it was still good enough I’ll see it a few more times in the theater.
tv shows
At the recommendation of multiple friends I watched both seasons of Made In Heaven and absolutely loved it. The show covers so many societal and cultural touchpoints of India, from LGBTQ+ rights to intimate partner abuse to infidelity to gender dynamics, all within the backdrop of high society weddings. The cast really is fantastic, and while season 2 ends in such a way that it could be the end of the series, I really do hope there’s a third season because it’s so good. prime video
I put off watching Netflix’s new limited series One Day because I knew it would be hard for me to watch, but I finally decided that it was time and I needed the catharsis. And wow, what a show. The leads were so, so good, and each episode drew you further and further into their relationship. One episode and one scene in particular nearly broke me, but ultimately I’m so glad I watched it because it is one of the best series I’ve ever seen. netflix
I watched the first season of Colin from Accounts and thought it was cute. There’s a second season out now which I’m hoping to watch soon. paramount+
The Bear just continues to get better and better. The latest season dropped in June/July and I couldn’t watch it fast enough. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I yelled, I laughed some more. The acting, the writing, the directing, the flashbacks…it’s all spectacular, and I love this show so much. Excited to see what they do next season. hulu
While dogsitting one weekend I put on the first episode of The Girls on the Bus, and the next thing I knew I was flying through the season. The show follows four female journalists on a presidential campaign press bus and showcases their different approaches to their careers and personal lives. I thought it was smart and interesting and really enjoyed it, and I’m bummed that it didn’t get renewed because I really would have liked to see what came next. Regardless, I think it’s worth a watch. max
I know I’m late to the Hacks bandwagon, but I finally watched all three seasons of this fabulous show over the summer. Even with all the rave reviews, I enjoyed it more than I expected. Jean Smart continues to be a marvel, and Hannah Einbinder is the perfect foil for her. Excited for a few more seasons of this one. max
I started the first episode of My Lady Jane while dogsitting over the Fourth of July weekend, and before I knew it I had finished the entire season [8 episodes] in 2.5 days. It’s unhinged in the best way and doesn’t take itself too seriously and is such a delight. Also Edward Bluemel has those dreamy bedroom eyes which doesn’t hurt. I’m also bummed this one got cancelled and I’m not the only one because the internet went into overdrive trying to save it. prime video
And of course, THE OLYMPICS. I love the Olympics, both the Summer and Winter editions, and for the third Summer Olympics in a row I was unemployed and therefore able to schedule my days around the events I wanted to watch and it was quite magical. I love watching these athletes at the pinnacle of their abilities, I love the sportsmanship and camaraderie, and I love seeing who becomes a breakout star.
The US version has gotten to be too much, but I rather enjoyed season 1 of Love is Blind UK. The participants came across much more genuine, they’re not as loud and obnoxious as some of the American ones, and then of course there are the accents. Alexa and Sarah had already watched so I also was able to text them throughout my viewing with my thoughts and feelings, and I am pretty proud to say that most of my intuitions about the people were spot on. It remains to be seen if future seasons will retain the feel of this one, but it was entertaining. netflix
Love love loved season 2 of Shrinking. I really enjoyed the continued character development, and for me the shining star of the show is forever Harrison Ford. I will continue to be seated for future seasons. apple tv+
And there you have it, my favorite movies and tv shows of the year. We’ll be back soon to recap the best podcast listens of the year.
What were your favorite things you watched in 2024?
xx
in case you missed it: 2024 books