2024 Year End Review

Well here it is again,folks!

The 2024 Year End Review and it's that time of year where I celebrate some of the media I've been consuming this year. It's been a year where quite a lot has changed as series I've been watching have gradually been finishing for good leaving me with space to try and discover new shows to get addicted to.

So let's get this show on the road, shall we?

Film of the Year - Kalki 2898D

Set in a post-apocalyptic world in the year 2898 AD, the film follows a select group who are on a mission to save lab subject SUM-80's unborn child, Kalki.

This comes in a year where I have just discovered Bollywood films care of another one (the name of which escapes me at this time) this was one movie worthy of its epic 3hr runtime. 

Normally I find that a film just has to keep me engaged throughout if I'm going to stay connected with it for the duration. If I find I'm watching the clock more than the film then the film has to give way. Some movies the extended runtime are because they have been artificially bloated by a director's inability to cut footage and they can stand to lose minutes at a time on the cutting room floor to no detriment such is the extra baggage.

But this one? Not once did I find myself clock watching!

Fans of Marvel movies who like their dramatic set pieces a little better than what Michael Bay often offers should give this one a watch. It's the kind of science fiction/fantasy epic that's hard to put into words because admittedly the story gets convoluted (and admittedly I did find myself getting lost with the plot at times!) but it was one that left me feeling there's one word apt to describe it; epic!

TV Show of the Year - Fear the Walking Dead

Given that I'd given the parent show a decent enough try at four and a bit seasons, I wasn't sure how I'd take to this prequel set just as the outbreak begins. But once I started watching it I found I genuinely looked forward to the next episode almost before the last had finished.

That's a rarity, these days, as that much media is being launched that it can be hard to develop enough space in your schedule to consume enough that you get a bead on what's good and what's bad before you start.

If you haven't seen it yet, give it a look if you like your zombie shows. This one, to me at least, had more of a grounded story than The Walking Dead did by season 5 when I was done with it.

TV Highlight of the Year - Antonio Goes Too Far in Chicago PD

This came almost out of the blue for me and, given that recent years have been wrestling highlights I've featured in these awards I had to pick something memorable that wasn't plucked out of thin air. For this year's highlight, I've chosen a sequence from season 6 of NBC's Chicago PD.

This particular sequence sees Voight and the team find the man that kidnapped Antonio's child and, ultimately, it would lead to a frightening yet sickening confrontation that has to be seen to be believed. This was a shocker for me that stayed with me long after the season ended.

The way the plot develops the remainder of that season had echoes in it of Alvin Olinsky's arrest and subsequent murder in prison leaving me wondering if the same thing would happen again, for different reasons this time.

Track of the Year - Hot Tub Time Machine by Avira

This is a track that grabbed me as soon as I heard it and would go on to feature heavily in my summer playlist. It goes soooo hard!

What surprised me when I put this awards list together was that this track released all the way back in January, quite a momentous feat in my eyes, for a track to grab me at the start of the year and keep all other contenders at bay throughout the remainder of the year!

It's such a catchy track that one can't help but hum the melody even long after the track has faded out. Fans of club tunes should give this one a listen and if they like catchy hooks then I bet this will stay with them long after it's faded too!

Station of the Year - The Jazz Groove

Any time I've been in the mood for some laid back jazz music, that isn't curated by Spotify, I've tuned into this particular station on VRadio. Fans of jazz music should like this because apart from funding drive adverts at this time of year where they ask for your support, it's commercial-free non-stop music so there's less time spent talking about the music and more time actually playing it!

If you're like me and have a growing disdain for commercial radio then give this a listen today; you may be pleasantly surprised what you find there!

Final Thoughts

There we are then, another year gone and another set of awards completed!

One only wonders what 2025 will conjure up in terms of consumable media and just how much of it will make an impression enough to filter into next year's awards.

Until next time!

===TLP===