A Window Into the Top Film and Television of 2024

2024 was a slow year for the film industry (especially after the 2023 juggernaut that was Barbenheimer), with most large franchises having few significant releases. In stark contrast to recent years, there were few commercial or critical frontrunners, as displayed by barren award shows and a stagnate box office. On the other hand, television had an absolutely phenomenal run, with 2024 delivering stellar seasons for various new and returning shows. 2024’s television was also incredibly diverse, with quality shows spanning all genres; traditionally niche genres like video-game adaptations saw a boom in success and popularity. All in all, last year’s film scene strayed away from the blockbuster hits that defined the 21st century, making room for a packed year of television and allowing many smaller films to flourish.

Honorable mentions: Monkey Man, The Brutalist, Wicked, Gladiator II, The Substance, The Wild Robot, Challengers. 

10. Squid Game Season Two

Squid Game season two was marketed everywhere, from online ads to the turnstiles and walls of Grand Central Station. Season two had excellent acting, with The Salesman’s (Gong Yoo) performance in episode one being universally praised. The show manages to quickly get viewers invested in new characters through the sheer force of their acting talent and the depth of their backstories. The new season also develops the mysterious “Front Man,” who parallels Player 001 of the first season. While the first season had a stronger core group of characters, this season spread out the screen time more to make for an interesting and fresh twist. However, the show quickly devolves into what feels like a rehash after a few episodes: the show’s pace is sped up, and it follows a very similar structure until the final episode. Additionally, the cliffhanger ending makes this season feel unfinished, leaving viewers waiting to see how this story will finish with season three. Despite still being close to the quality of the first, one could argue that a second season wasn’t warranted. For a show that is ostensibly a critique of the rich, it’s ironic that Squid Game feels like the product of naïve executives lining their pockets.

9. The Bear Season Three 

After the widely acclaimed season one and near-perfect season two, expectations for the third season of The Bear skyrocketed. Unfortunately, this season was slightly underwhelming in comparison to its predecessors, serving mostly as a contextual setup for season four. Carmen (Jeremy Allen White) becomes less likable this season, retreading old emotional ground, making the arc of his relationships feel slightly stale at points. Additionally, there was no singular plot point connecting the season, which made it feel disorganized. However, many of the individual episodes, such as “Napkins,” “Ice Chips,” and “Forever,” stood out and greatly developed members of the cast, especially Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas). Spending time with the characters of The Bear will always be a treat, but this season unfortunately didn’t meet the high critical standards set by the first two.

8. Deadpool & Wolverine 

Given Hugh Jackman’s stellar sendoff as the titular character in Logan (2017), fans were curious how Deadpool & Wolverine would incorporate him without damaging his legacy. Thankfully, Deadpool & Wolverine manages to succeed at that, pulling Wolverine from an alternate universe to accompany Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) in his shenanigans. The film even grants him his excellent comic-accurate suit by the end. Despite having a paper-thin story and mediocre villains, the movie manages to be exciting, succeeding as a comic book film. The movie also broke records, from starring the longest-running Marvel actor (Wesley Snipes) to making $1.3 billion and becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film by a large margin. The dynamic between Deadpool and Wolverine is brilliant; Wolverine’s stoicism serves as an excellent foil to Deadpool’s childish nature. Also, unlike several recent Marvel projects, the cameos are meaningful, and the soundtrack is very fitting, playing crucial roles in two of the film’s major action sequences. Deadpool & Wolverine is everything a multiversal comic book (and Deadpool) film should be and was even able to regenerate some anticipation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after the relatively unsuccessful post-Endgame projects.

7. Fallout 

Video game adaptations have become increasingly popular in recent years, but Fallout avoids the common pitfalls of shallow action sequences and a lack of understanding of the source material. Instead, the show stays true to the spirit of the game, capturing the open-world exploration and branching narratives that define the Fallout experience. Viewers are introduced to this post-apocalyptic world through the perspective of Lucy (Ella Purnell), a hopeless idealist whose journey anchors the story. The acting is superb, with the showrunners crafting characters who are not only idiosyncratic but also deeply human. That said, the series does struggle with pacing at times, occasionally prioritizing elaborate world-building over narrative momentum. The stakes never feel high enough—in Mandalorian style, the show loves getting sidetracked and showing off visuals at the expense of the plot. While the intricately developed world is impressive, Fallout’s eagerness to showcase it can sometimes detract from the storytelling. 

6. Ghostlight - 

Indie films can be hit or miss. Fortunately, Ghostlight was certainly a hit. The film follows a mourning family that suffers a tragedy similar to that of Romeo and Juliet. It is a quiet, poignant story with compelling yet exquisitely flawed characters. Dan (Keith Kupferer) is an emotionally guarded dad, and his daughter, Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), is disconnected from her father. Societal expectations are subverted in this film; characters act and break free from their constraints in order to overcome the tragedy of loss. No character is bound by arbitrary two-dimensional tropes. Together, Dan and his family handle their trauma through theater; remarkably, even people who know little about theater will be moved by Ghostlight’s beauty and transformative power. 

5. X-Men ‘97 

Considering how beloved the original 90’s television series X-Men: The Animated Series was, many fans were skeptical of this revamped series, wondering if it would live up to the original. X-Men ‘97 easily matches the quality of the original and even surpasses it. This show, set directly after the events of the original series, follows the returning team (with a few new additions) as they try to stop the villainous Bastion and navigate being mutants in the wake of Professor Xavier’s death. The return of the classic intro, albeit with an updated electric guitar base, is a delight to see and is absolutely worth watching every episode. With stunning visuals, a compelling storyline, and peak X-Men action scenes, X-Men ‘97 is a must-watch for any comic book fan. 

4. Dune: Part 2 

It is a rarity in film that a movie does a great novel justice, and it is even rarer for a sequel in a series to reach the standards of the first. However, Dennis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2 (2024) fantastically accomplishes both. Villeneuve played to his strengths—visual mastery, worldbuilding, complex themes, and tense atmosphere—to deliver an epic that never bores you. Villeneuve creates abhorrent villains, yet not everything is so black and white; by empowering Chani (Zendaya), he highlights Dune’s allegorical meanings and its critique of messianic leaders, fanaticism, and imperialism. Audiences may not understand the historical context that influences his work, such as the early Islamic expansion alongside the war on terror, as such topics may be obscure or controversial to disseminate. Yet, when presented on the big screen as a sci-fi conflict, these undertones become more readily discernible and open to discussion. In doing so, Villeneuve seeks to democratize the themes to a larger audience in a politically charged world that continues to struggle with imperialism and demagogues. 

3. The Penguin  

About a week after the disastrous events of The Batman (2022), Gotham City is filled with chaos and a power vacuum in the criminal underworld that only one man can fill. Thus, The Penguin begins. The show is reminiscent of The Sopranos (1999–2007), depicting the grittiness of Gotham and the darkness that comes with the criminal lifestyle. The show depicts Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) trying to take over the criminal underworld by putting rival crime families (Maroni’s and Falcone’s) against each other while forcing teenage Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) to be his new right-hand man. Oz is extremely captivating, showing how truly evil and irredeemable he is in every episode; Farrell portrays him to absolute perfection. Also, many of the supporting characters, such as Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) and Victor, deliver brilliant performances that keep the audience invested throughout. In a world where every major studio is trying to create films and shows about villains (most of which are flops), The Penguin stands as a jewel and is easily the best of its kind. The brooding atmosphere, nuanced performances, and plot twists make for an exciting dive back into the world Matt Reeves created with The Batman (2022).

2. Arcane Season Two 

Following its nail-biting season one cliffhanger, Arcane’s showrunners had the herculean task of living up to audience expectations. Season 2 explores the consequences of Jinx’s attack on the government of Piltover and the chaos it causes socially and individually for characters. Season 2 was both a thematic and aesthetic masterpiece, delivering a purposeful visual extravaganza; this season saw season 1’s steampunk realism blend with a more surreal, artistic style that made this season a work of art. Thematically, Arcane’s social commentaries evolved this season with the exploration of the oppression of Zaun, the notion of popular revolt, and the overarching threat of collectivism at the expense of liberty. The interwoven web of issues made for a thematic masterpiece but a narrative disappointment—the storyline was bogged down by complexity, and, consequently, characters remained underdeveloped. However, the biggest complaint was the ending, which felt rushed and ambiguous, with gratuitous deaths for emotional impact that didn’t fit in with the narrative arcs the story had developed over two seasons. The rush towards a climactic ending was purportedly a choice by showrunners to avoid “milking” the series. Admirable as that may be, audiences claim they would have preferred a slower style like that of the show’s seventh episode, “Pretend Like It's the First Time,” which was a beautiful example of character development and visual storytelling done right. Still, it may be the nature of tragic stories to leave members of the audience somewhat discontent. Overall, Arcane’s second season was an awe-inspiring tableau of action.

1. Shōgun  

With its extravagant production design, phenomenal performances, and immersive cinematographic world, Shōgun took the world by storm. Following Japanese regent Toranaga’s (Hiroyuki Sanada) fight against the other four regents after the Emperor’s death, the show is based on the book of the same name, and the story resembles that of real-life figure Tokugawa Ieyasu. A hit with critics and audiences alike, Shōgun broke the Emmy record for the most awards in a single season, winning Outstanding Drama Series, several acting awards, and sweeping the technical categories. Featuring unexpected twists throughout the season, it consistently managed to keep the audience on their toes with anticipation. While John Blackthourne (Cosmo Jarvis) and Toranaga both delivered great performances and Sanada won a deserved Emmy for his performance, the clear standout of the show was Mariko (Anna Sawai). Sawai’s stoic yet caring performance, as well as her character’s loyalty, backstory, and dynamic with John, all made for one of the strongest female leads in a drama show. The show somehow manages to simultaneously be a layered political thriller, a heartbreaking love story, and a story about faith; it is prestige television at its finest.  

2024 was a slower year for the film scene and even for portions of television. Aside from Shōgun, Arcane season two, X Men ‘97, Dune: Part 2, and The Penguin, few releases received the universal praise that seemed so commonplace in recent years. 2024 certainly had gems sparkled throughout, yet the film scene was so bare that going to the theaters lost some sparkle, with the box office grosses declining for the first time since the pandemic. Fortunately, 2025 looks like a promising year to revitalize the movie scene. With multiple MCU releases, the start of the DC Universe (DCU) with the highly anticipated Superman, the end of the Mission Impossible franchise, and far more, theaters (and audiences’ appetite for films) will certainly be filled all year round. The television scene is no less impressive, however; with various shows, like Squid Game and Cobra Kai, getting their final season, as well as the revival of Daredevil (2016–2018) with Daredevil: Born Again, fans will have a lot on their plate to watch. While this does obviously run the risk of burnout, we hold on to hope for a golden year for film and television that will be fondly remembered to the levels of 2019.