The Best of 2024 - So Far!
How do three months feel like no time at all and eternity all at once?
Okay so, I know I’ve been gone for a while. Like a long while. I’m gonna be honest with you, 2024 has kind of kicked my ass so far. I’ve had an assault and subsequent police case and a super-fun concussion, illness that’s now suspected to be an autoimmune disorder, a fucked back and a dog I thought was going to have to be euthanised (he is doing better for now!). But it’s been a LOT. And I haven’t had much inspiration to write. But what I did have time to do, because I was forced to spend a ton of time indoors and basically be immobile with my eyes closed, was watch (or listen to at least) lots of movies and TV, read lots of books (or audiobooks) and listen to lots of music.
So, I feel like I’m pretty well-placed to offer at least a semi-considered opinion here. Besides, it’s a fun first thing back to write about and you already opened this e-mail, so you may as well continue.
Please note, this is not necessarily stuff that has come out in 2024, just stuff I am enjoying in 2024 so far.
Best Movie So Far: Society of the Snow
If you had told me that one of the most beautiful movies I have seen in the past year would be about the South American football team that crashed in the Andes and had to eat each other to survive, I am sure my interest would have been piqued. In fact, that’s exactly what happened. I started to hear about how beautiful this movie about, well… cannibalism, at some level, was and I had to understand how they pulled that off.
They did. This movie was devastating and harrowing but also incredibly beautiful. It’s not really about what actually happened so much as it is about the heroic and truly selfless things human beings can do for those they love when thrust into unimaginable situations. It’s about hope and humanity and kindness in the most dire circumstances. It’s also got a gorgeous score that I have been quite enjoying listening to ever since.
Runner Up: The Holdovers
I knew I was going to like this movie because I’ve seen it all before – a curmudgeonly teacher finds a way to connect with an arrogant little shit of a student and find they have more in common than they thought. Yes, it’s formulaic, but I LOVE the formula and I don’t care. It always makes me happy. Because it’s sweet and it’s a celebration of the smallest, most beautiful truth I know: that people often surprise you for the better.
And when it’s an Alexander Payne-helmed, 1970s throwback with excellent performances including a heartwarming lead from Paul Giamatti? No-brainer. The cockles of my heart, they’re gonna be warmed. And they were.
Best TV So Far: Shōgun
I finished the book a little while before the show started and I was SO PSYCHED. I am a total Japan nerd and a history nerd AND a historical fiction nerd, so it ticked all the boxes. And despite being a little “white guy comes and saves everyone”, it was actually really well done and so much fucking fun. Even though it was 1000 pages long (actually tho), I burned through it. And once I saw the trailer for the show? I was SO excited.
This is hands down one of the best historical series I’ve ever seen. It’s gorgeous to look at, the adaptation trims the fat where necessary and makes intelligent changes to the text that make sense and keep the story flowing. It’s epic, excellently acted and incredibly absorbing. If you haven’t started it yet, you still have time to get in on it before it wraps up in a few weeks. Cannot recommend it any more highly.
Runner Up: Manhunt
I’ve been getting weirdly into revolutionary and civil war American politics ever since I watched like a five hour long documentary on Benjamin Franklin by Ken Burns and a multi-part Lincoln documentary through the lens of black Americans when I was concussed and could only really lie on the couch and listen to things. What I learned: Benjamin Franklin was real fucking interesting and Lincoln was more complex than I realised.
So, when this came up on Apple, I had to give it a glance. It’s the story of the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth after the Lincoln assassination (which I realised I knew literally nothing about) headed up by his War Secretary Edwin Stanton, and how his and Lincoln’s blueprint for reunification was essentially tossed in the trash by Johnson after he was sworn in. It’s super interesting and you can trace a pretty clear line between a lot of the problems America still faces between its left and right because of it. Worth a watch for sure.
Best Music So Far: Ludwig Göransson (Discography)
Okay, so I high-key love film soundtracks. I listen to them constantly. If I could have any profession in the world regardless of skill level, I would be a film composer. I just think it’s wonderful. And I love the old breed of film composers like Ennio Morricone, John Williams, Thomas Newman, Hans Zimmer etc etc etc. But there’s a new breed of film composer that really rustles my jimmies in the best possible way – including Bear McCreary, Carter Burwell, Michael Giacchino, Ramen Djawadi and lately… Ludwig Göransson. His music is SO fun and so interesting, especially the work he did on the Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, which I didn’t actually watch… But I did listen to the soundtrack. He also picked up an Oscar this year for his work on Oppenheimer. Definitely worth checking out!
Runner Up: Gary Clark Junior: JPEG Raw
I remember the first time I saw Gary Clark Junior playing. I was flipping through TV channels late at night and I caught him playing Bright Lights Big City at SXSW. I stopped immediately because I had never heard anything like him. I’ve followed his career ever since and loved his last album.
This is his newest and it’s completely unlike anything he’s ever done before. It’s not really blues-driven, which most of his work is… And I don’t love all of it. But some tracks absolutely knock it out of the park. Worth a listen.
Best Book So Far: Humankind by Rutger Bregman
I loved Rutger Bregman’s last book, Utopia for Realists, and also I desperately needed something that would break me out of feeling like everything is shitty and we are all doomed, so this was a breath of fresh air. Bregman argues that things are better than we think and humans are better than we give them credit for – and he’s got receipts!
Bregman goes on to debunk pretty much every go-to sociological experiment, artistic trope, or criminal case that pop-sci reaches for when they want an example for how awful humans are: the Stanford Prison experiments, Lord of the Flies, and the case of Kitty Genovese and the bystander effect for example. He takes a deep-dive of each and shows us that none of these examples actually exhibit what they purport to – and what they do show us is a lot more heartening. This was a really lovely read that gave me a little faith back in humanity, and goodness knows we could all use that.
Runner Up: Death is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life’s End by Christopher Kerr
I became interested in this book after reading an article about Kerr in the New York Times talking about why there wasn’t more research into end of life visions or dreams (which apparently up to 80% of dying people will experience) and how they manifest. Christopher Kerr is a medical doctor and PhD who works in hospice and has written extensively and conducted research about end of life experiences both among his patients and the larger population. It was an eye-opening and strangely beautiful read that I very much enjoyed and that I imagine would help alleviate a lot of people’s end-of-life anxieties, at least a little. I had no idea about any of this, and it was such an interesting topic to do a little deep dive into. Highly recommend.
Bits and Bobs or Best of the Rest This Week
I was sick again this week, so managed to catch even more. I never thought I would say this, but I am getting tired of being at home. And I love home! But while at home, I’ve been…
Watching: Ripley. First episode of this reboot of Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels features black and white cinematography and Andrew Scott being creepy. Keen to see where it goes.
Listening to: Khruangbin. I have no idea how to say this trio’s name, but if anyone ever made the perfect background music for a life-changing road trip, they do.
Reading: Where the Air is Clear by Carlos Fuentes. I decided to try to read a book from every country I have visited so far. This one is about Mexico, or more explicitly about the stark divide between rich and poor in Mexico City. It’s got some beautiful prose but an uneven storyline. Not sure I can recommend.
That’s all for now! It’s good to be back. Hopefully the roll of good health continues.
Lots of love,