2024 Media Recap
What I Watched, Played, and Read in 2024
My favorite movies, books, tv shows, video games, and music this year I’ve watched in 2024, along with the complete list of media (not including music, of course), I’ve consumed this year.
Index
Movies
Out of all the movies I watched this year, here are my top 3.
1. Dune: Part Two (2024)
Having read and loved Dune, I couldn’t imagine how a 6-hr-long cinematic adaptation could do it justice because there’s just so much in the book. And this movie wasn’t a complete one-to-one adaptation of that book and deviates and cuts more stuff than Part One did, but still somehow manages to capture the essence of the book: the otherworldly planet and culture, the portrait of religion and politics and its effect on people, and of course, GIANT WORMS! (jk). It’s clear that the director, Denis Villeneuve, understands what makes Dune, Dune. On an IMAX theater, this was one of the most immersive experiences I’ve ever had. It’s so good that I went to watch it 3 times (which makes it my most rewatched movie ever). Also, the soundtrack by Hans Zimmer is probably the best soundtrack out of any movie that came out last year. (Just got to know that Dune: Part 2’s soundtrack is not nominated for Oscars and some other awards because apparently there’s a rule that states “sequels’ scores must consist of at least 80% original compositions”, although it does use elements of the score from the first Dune (which, BTW, did win an Oscar for best original score). It feels so different and, in my opinion, a total step up. It’s like saying a sequel can’t be nominated for Oscars because it uses the same actor as the first movie. Anyways, to quote Joséf Fares, “Fuck the Oscars.“
2. The Boy and the Heron (2023)
I can’t put this experience in words properly to be honest, but I think it might be Hayao Miyazaki’s best work yet. It’s different from other Ghibli movies in that I don’t think it’s made for children at all. Also, this had the best soundtrack out of any movie I’ve watched this year. The soundtrack and its composer, Joe Hisaishi, were my top artist and album this year.
3. Eternal Sunshine In a Spotless Mind (2004) (Rewatch)
One day I was sitting on the bed, unable to fall asleep when I decided I might as well watch a movie. I didn’t want to watch something new where I would have to pay attention. I wanted to watch something I could fall asleep watching. I remember this movie being very cozy and comforting and having some very dreamlike (literally) sequences. Well, I watched it again. It was very comforting and cozy, but I ended up watching the whole thing again.
Movie I’ve watched this year
| Name | Rating | Watched in Theater |
|---|---|---|
| Dune: Part One | 8/10 | Yes |
| Dune: Part Two (Watched 3 times) | 9/10 | Yes (3 times) |
| Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire | 5/10 | Yes |
| Blackberry | 8/10 | Yes |
| Civil War | 7/10 | Yes |
| Late Night with the Devil | 7/10 | Yes |
| Challengers | 8/10 | Yes |
| The Fall Guy | 6/10 | Yes |
| The Boy and the Heron | 8.5/10 | Yes |
| Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga | 8/10 | Yes |
| Predestination | 7/10 | |
| The Wind Rises | 7/10 | |
| Kalki 2898 AD | 7/10 | Yes |
| Get Out | 8/10 | |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 7/10 | |
| Godzilla Minus One | 8/10 | |
| Hot Fuzz | 6/10 | |
| Princess Mononoke | 7/10 | |
| Deadpool & Wolverine | 8.5/10 | Yes |
| The Instigators | 7/10 | |
| Sleeping with Other People | 7/10 | |
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Rewatch) | 9/10 | |
| Baby Driver | 7.5/10 | |
| Hiccups | 8/10 | |
| Stree 2 | 7/10 | |
| Tumbbad | 8/10 | Yes |
| Joker: Foile a Deux | 5/10 | Yes |
| Midsommar | 8/10 | |
| Perfect Days | 8/10 | |
| Deadpool (Rewatch) | 8/10 | |
| Deadpool 2(Rewatch) | 6.5/10 | |
| Logan (Rewatch) | 9/10 | |
| Deadpool & Wolverine (2nd Watch) | 6.5/10 | |
| X-Men: Days of Future Past (Rewatch) | 8/10 | |
| Casino Royale | 8/10 | |
| Quantum of Solace | 6/10 | |
| Skyfall | 7/10 | |
| Problemista | 8/10 | |
| Ted | 7/10 | |
| Ted 2 | 6/10 | |
| My Old Ass | 7/10 | |
| The Wild Robot | 8/10 | Yes |
- Source: Manual Tracking from April 2024 - Dec 2024
- Total tracked: 42
- Theaters visits: 17
Books
1. Flowers for Algernon | Fiction
This book touched me emotionally like no other book ever had. I don’t feel like writing down the premise. If you are reading this, just give it a shot.
2. Four Thousand Weeks | Non-Fiction
I’ve always had a feeling that there’s something fundamentally wrong with modern productivity culture, to-do lists, GTD (Getting Things Done), colorfully packed calendars, time management for maximum throughput, hustle culture, etc. Best-selling books and one of the most-watched content on YouTube is about self-help and productivity (most of them with little to no evidence-based studies). This book put my feeling into words and explains how our modern productivity systems are counterintuitive for a being with only 4,000 weeks on this planet (us).
3. Dune: Messiah | Fiction
Sequel to the first Dune, if you like the first one, you’ll probably enjoy this, although it’s not much like the first one. It explores similar themes of politics and religion, this time from a different point of view. It’s great. I can’t wait for its film adaptation.
Book I’ve started reading this year
| Title | Rating | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Four Thousand Weeks | 4/5 | Read |
| Designing Data-Intensive Applications | - | Chapters 1 & 2 |
| The Art of Living | - | Partially Read |
| Dune Messiah | 4/5 | Read |
| Flowers for Algernon | 5/5 | Read |
| Dopamine Detox | 1.5/5 | Dropped |
| Children of Dune | - | Partially |
| Catch-22 | - | Partially Read |
| Algorithms to Live By | - | Partially Read |
| The Story of Philosophy | - | Partially Read |
- Total: 10
- Source: Manual Tracking
Video Games
1. Astro Bot
This game is FUN. While playing it, I constantly had a smile on my face, which sometimes I didn’t even notice until my face started hurting. It’s one of the best platformers I’ve ever played. There are so many cameos from past PlayStation and 3rd Party franchises. As someone who grew up with many of them, it was heartwarming to see them again one more time.
2. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Back in 2017 when I played Bloodborne for the first time, I fell in love with video games all over again. Ever since, I’ve been a big fan of FromSoftware and their souls-like games (games that are like Demon/Dark Souls, that is, they can be very punishing. The game demands you to learn the patterns, and once you do, the victory is oh so satisfying). Well, Shadow of the Erdtree expansion to Elden Ring is one of the best souls-like experiences I’ve ever had. I might have even enjoyed it more than the base game since I decided not to use any Spirit or NPC summons.
3. Animal Well
I was going to say that it’s the 2nd best platformer I’ve played this year after Astro Bot, but comparing these two games feels wrong. Animal Well is well also one of the best platformers I’ve ever played. It has a unique style. It looks beautiful. It has some of the best puzzle mechanics and tools ever. It has a mysterious/dark atmosphere to it, which I am a personal fan of. On top of that, this whole game was made by ONE person (Billy Basso). He built everything in it from art to music and even the game engine. It took me about 13 hours to beat the game, but I’m nowhere near 100% completion and apparently missing more than half of the tools this game has. Also, this game is 33 MB (for comparison, check the size of a photo on your phone and see how many of those you can fit in 33 MB).
Video Games I played this year
| Game Title | Playtime | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Stellar Blade Demo | 1 hr | 7/10 |
| Bloodborne | 4 hr 26 min | 10/10 |
| Animal Well | 12 hrs | 9.5/10 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (Free roam) | 2 hrs | 8/10 |
| Assassin’s Creed Origins | 30 mins | - |
| Hades | 9 hr 30 min | 9/10 |
| Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree | 74 hrs | 9/10 |
| Tekken 8 | 4 hrs | 9/10 |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 33 hrs | 7/10 |
| Resident Evil 4 (2023) | 24 hrs | 8/10 |
| Astro Bot | 28 hrs | 10/10 |
| Cult of Lambs | 6 hrs | 8/10 |
| Alan Wake 2 | 16 hrs | 9/10 |
| Star Wars: Jedi Survivor | - | 9/10 |
| Dragon Ball: Sparkling Zero | 7 hrs | 8/10 |
| Dark Souls | 4 hrs | |
| Ghost of Tushima: Iki Island | 4 hrs | 7/10 |
| Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth Demo | 3 hrs | 7/10 |
| Sifu | 2 hrs | 8/10 |
- Total: 18 (Played more than an hour)
- Total Hours Played: 278
- Source: PlayStation and Nintendo Wrap-up and stats.
TV Shows
1. Succession
I’ve heard a lot about this show but never got around to watching it until December of 2024, and I am glad I did. So the show is sort of a family drama mostly between children and the father of this uber-rich roy family. Each character has their own selfish motive, and they are all broken human beings in their own ways. Yet the show is subtly hilarious thanks to its superb writing. It’s filmed in this unique documentary which brings you closer to the characters. All the actors in this show are just phenomenal. This was also the first time in a long time that I binged a show. I finished 40 episodes, a 4-season run in about 10 days. I regretted it immediately when it left a gaping hole in my heart to cope with that feeling. I started watching it again. This time I’ll be taking my time.
2. Ramsay’s Boiling Point, Marco
So I had just finished watching The Bear (s3), and something was missing from it: that high adrenaline, high competency, stressful sequences from seasons 1 and 2. I was craving it, so I went directly to the source material and started watching old documentaries of highly competent chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White.
3. The Bear Season 3
As mentioned above, it was missing the STRESS of seasons 1 and 2, but it was still pretty good. This season fleshed out some supporting characters and their relationships with other characters, which was much appreciated. Other than the filler slide show episode, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
TV Shows I watched this year
| Name | Season and Episodes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| The Bear | S2: E1-10, S3 | 10/10 (Rewatch for S2), 8/10 (S3) |
| Invincible | S2: E6-E8 | 8/10 |
| Daredevil (Rewatch) | S1: E7-E13 | 9/10 |
| Jessica Jones | S1: E1-E13 | 7/10 |
| The Office (Rewatch) | S6: One Episode | N/A |
| It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Rewatch) | S1-S16 | 10/10 |
| The Boys | S4 | 8/10 |
| Conan O’Brien Must Go | S1 | 8/10 |
| Ramsay’s Boiling Point | N/A | 8/10 |
| Gordon Ramsay: Beyond Boiling Point | N/A | 6/10 |
| Marco | E1, E2 | 9/10 |
| Marco’s Great British Feast | N/A | 8/10 |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine | E1 | N/A |
| Shōgun | E1 | N/A |
| Golden Boy | E1-4 | 7/10 |
| Modern Love | S1 E1-8, S2 E3 | 7/10 |
| Succession | S1-S4, S1 (Rewatch) | 9/10 |
| Ted | S1 | 7/10 |
- Total: 18
- Source: Manual tracking from April 2024 - Dec 2024
Music
Source: Apple Music Replay’24
