John’s top 10 TV shows of 2024
2024 television: Network shows held on to some viewers thanks to diversity of main characters and premises, but streaming and premium channels continued to dominate.
Family Drama
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946), but is it a wonderful movie?
Christmas movie flashback: Frank Capra’s classic must be the most widely beloved movie about the business of real-estate loans. (Plus: A look at the film’s influence on “Buffy” Season 3.)
Dave’s ‘The Night We Lost Him’ blends romance, mystery
Book club book report: The author draws us in with questions, and smoothly builds believable characters amid the quest for answers.
‘I Saw the TV Glow’ a mesmeric metaphysical journey
Movie review: Though a lack of a clear plot makes it sometimes slip from a viewer’s grasp, Schoenbrun’s film is loaded with feelings and ideas.
‘The Immortalists’ (2018) examines life through lens of death
Book club book report: Come for the hook (a fortune teller predicts death dates) but stay for the four siblings’ journeys through life.
‘Night of the Hunter’ (1955) is influential … but is it good?
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Ingenious or merely experimental, it can’t be denied that Charles Laughton’s only directorial work made its mark.
Fall TV premieres continue with ‘Disclaimer,’ ‘Day of the Jackal,’ ‘Creep Tapes’
First episode impressions (TV reviews): Only the miniseries modernization of “Jackal” is worth following, and even for that, you’ll need patience.
‘Caddo Lake’ an engrossing metaphysical mystery
Movie review: Shyamalan might not be helming strong films anymore, but he’s still producing them, including this evocative missing-girl puzzle in the swamps.
‘My Old Ass’ is low-key one of the year’s best movies
Movie review: Actress Maisy Stella bursts onto the scene in this delicately beautiful piece of filmic poetry that mulls the passing of time.
‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ is more of the same
Movie review: The Monsterverse follows up its 2021 clash of the titans with … a rematch of the titans. And some other stuff that’s already leaving my brain.