An Honest Fangirl's Best of 2024

I'm up next for our yearly recaps. This was a year that I spent almost more time playing games than I did watching anything, but I still managed to discover a couple of gems that I will remember fondly and continue to rewatch in the years to come.

Best Movie (Theatre) - Challengers

For the best movie that I saw physically sitting in a movie theatre, I have to go with Challengers. The trailer for it had absolutely enthralled me to an almost surprising degree. I'm usually not the kind of person to be into a psychosexual thriller like this and Zendaya had never really impressed me as an actress. Don't get me wrong! She's not bad! She just never was a draw for me.

Her Tashi Duncan was mesmerizing. Honestly, the whole movie was. It was the kind of movie that I wanted to rip apart with my teeth and live inside. No, it was never quite as gay as I had wanted or as sexy as I had hoped, but the dynamic between the three characters more than made up for it. While I did get motion sick a few times thanks to the camera work, it was inventive enough that I didn't necessarily care. Also the sound design was divine, especially during the tennis matches.

Best Movie (Home) - Saltburn

This is another movie that falls into that "Rip Apart with My Teeth" category. I keep meaning to review it, but I would write just far too much about it. When a movie opens with the narrator insisting that he was never in love with another character as a montage of said character plays, you know that you're in for an excellently messy time.

Unlike Challengers, Saltburn absolutely does live up to the sexiness that the trailer implied. The camera treats Jacob Elordi like the gorgeous creature he is, and Barry Keoghan commands the screen like no one else. It's also just an absurdly pretty movie. It had the best cinematography and use of color out of anything that I've seen this year.

It did run about fifteen minutes too long. The epilogue didn't ruin the movie for me by any means, but it definitely wasn't needed and I can see why other people strongly dislike it. I, personally, was more than willing to let myself get lost in the madness.

Favorite Show (Streaming) - The Gentlemen 

I almost went with 3 Body Problem for this spot, but The Gentlemen gets the edge solely by being more fun. I mean, what other show gives you a member of British nobility clucking and screaming while dressed in a giant chicken suit, only for that scene to end in mass violence? None! Absolutely none.

This is a Guy Ritchie project, and it absolutely feels like a Guy Ritchie project. It has his trademark snappiness, humor, and blood. It's such a distinct style, that if you don't like it then you probably won't like this either. But I adored Theo James and Kaya Scodelario's chemistry. I could watch them banter together for hours. I adored the little messages that would pop up on screen. They'd always make me smirk, if not out right laugh. And beyond all, I adore that we're renewed for a season two so I get to go back to this ridiculous world.

Favorite Show (Network TV) - Murder in a Small Town

For the first time in several years, I'm actually watching several scripted shows on actual network television. Tracker does have a special place in my heart, but I was most surprised by Murder in a Small Town. As the name implies, it follows murders that occur in a small town. I didn't expect to like it. I figured that it would just be something that I lose interest in and that it would drift away into the soup of other procedurals.

I can't even say why I like it so much. It's not doing anything groundbreaking. It's not particularly cozy either. And yet, it compels me. The mysteries are fun, and they got a few really good guest stars, like Stana Katic. Plus they have Kristin Kreuk as the librarian love interest, and I kinda love a librarian love interest. There's only eight episodes and we haven't gotten renewed yet, but the people in charge are speaking pretty definitively about their plans for season two. I'm hopeful!

Most Interesting Video Game - Slay the Princess

Much like last year, I'm going to highlight a video game that was not my favorite. (My favorite this year is Dragon Age: the Veilguard.) Slay the Princess is a visual novel with a very simple concept. You are in a path in the woods. At the end of the path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a princess. You need to slay her. If you don't, it'll be the end of the world.

And that is all I'm going to say about the plot. This is something that you need to go into with as few spoilers as possible. But I will say that this game made me cry. It made my stomach drop to my feet. It made my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It made my chest ache for how full my heart was. It's a journey that is as beautiful or as horrifying as you wish to make it.

Animal of the Year - Sharks

On June 5th, I reviewed Under Paris. It was a very fun shark movie, and coluanprime left a comment suggesting that I begin a shark movie series. By Labor Day, I had reviewed thirteen movies, ranging from the absolute classics to the "Oh, God, Josie, what have you done to me?"

It was a really fun project to take on, and I hope that you all enjoyed reading along during Fangirl's Summer Shark Extravaganza (name still pending!) Personally speaking, I'm also very proud of being able to post a movie review a week for those thirteen weeks.

I've barely scratched the surface of shark attack movies too. There are so, so many out there. Definitely more than enough to do this all again next summer!

~~~~
An Honest Fangirl loves video games, horror movies, and superheroes, and occasionally manages to put words together in a coherent and pleasing manner.