2024: What Kind of Year Has It Been?

It’s almost time to finish work, celebrate Christmas and then bid a fond – or not – farewell to 2024. But before we get into all the excitement that 2025 has to offer, let’s look back at the year that’s ending and remember all the great entertainment that has come our way. After all, time off and a mild food coma gives us space to catch up on what we missed – and there’s a lot to catch up on.

The year started with UK film making a strong showing at festivals and in awards season. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness were both critically acclaimed, with the former winning Emma Stone another Academy Award. All of Us Strangers, from director Andrew Haigh and starring Paul Mescal (The Deceived) and Andrew Scott (Oslo), won six BAFTA nominations, while The Zone of Interest, from Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin), landed two Oscars for its unflinching portrayal of the Nazi mindset.

Films released recently but heavily tipped for the 2025 BAFTAs and Oscars include Conclave, the fascinating thriller from Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) that stars Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus, In Bruges), Stanley Tucci (Supernova) and Lucian Msamati (His Dark Materials, Gangs of London). Also hoping for awards glory this year are two Saoirse Ronan films: addiction drama The Outrun, which has her heavily tipped for Best Actress, and Blitz, the new drama from Steve McQueen (Hunger, Widows). She may be her own competition, but not her only competition: Demi Moore is also a Best Actress favourite for The Substance, one of the most arrestingly original films of the year, while Kate Winslet will be hoping for a nod for her committed performance as war photographer Lee Miller in Lee. She might have competition from another war photographer though: Kirsten Dunst as the fictional Lee Smith in Civil War from Alex Garland (Ex Machina).

Elsewhere this was a notable year for fantastic, enlightening music films. The wildly funny and sometimes just wild Kneecap is Ireland’s official submission for the Oscars this year, as its story chronicles the rise of Irish language rap group Kneecap and is therefore mostly not in English. There was a look at the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Amy Winehouse in the drama Back to Black, while Blur: To the End is a documentary looking at the continuing life of Blur as they reunited for their first tour in years.

Documentaries, generally, seem to be in rude health. Copa 71 is the go-to option for sports fans, telling the inspiring but little-known story of the Women’s World Cup of 1971. Film fans are spoiled for choice, with the Martin Scorsese-narrated Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger illustrating the huge and lasting influence of those two cinema giants, while Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes looks at the life and legacy of Humphrey Bogart. And everyone could benefit from 2073, Asif Kapadia’s chilling sci-fi documentary looking at where the world is headed in an all-too plausible future.

That is all, of course, just the tip of the iceberg. There is comical swearing from stars who are national treasures in Wicked Little Letters, and a surprisingly small amount of swearing from a past master of it, Ian McShane, in the moving drama American Star. Rose Glass follows her astonishing debut, Saint Maud, with the provocative Love Lies Bleeding, while Luna Carmoon made one of this year’s most stunning debuts with Hoard.

Kids enjoyed a very good year. Paddington In Peru was probably the most anticipated effort of the year, and delivered all the joy they could have expected, but there was also immense animated fun in That Christmas, based on books by Richard “Love Actually” Curtis, and in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, the latest feature-length outing for the clay duo last seen in 2008’s Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death. There were other animation blockbusters like The Garfield Movie but also more delicate, slightly older-skewing stories like the moving Kensuke’s Kingdom. Smaller kids looking for shorter running time could enjoy the latest trips to Puffin Rock, or simply choose old favourites like Hey Duggee and Peppa Pig.

On TV, the selection of offerings has maybe never been wider. Spying enjoyed a particular heyday, with big hits like Black Doves and The Day of the Jackal and, of course, the superb Slow Horses. If you enjoy watching terrible (but attractive) people do terrible things, settle in with Bad Sisters, Rivals, The Gentlemen or Industry. There was serious discussion of modern relationships, as well as comedy and tragedy, in the runaway hit Baby Reindeer, but also in the lighter likes of Queenie and Heartstopper. Armchair detectives could invest in Shardlake or Blue Lights, or get infuriated at the institutional injustice of Mr Bates vs. The Post Office. There were even superheroics in the south London-set Supacell, and a grand finale for the critically acclaimed and determinedly offbeat Inside No. 9.

In games this was also a big year. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II was a critical darling this year from Ninjablade studios, taking its inspiration from Norse mythology and culture to create a unique world. Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was one of the most talked-about big games of the year, from Rocksteady, with a clash of the titans between DC Comics heroes and villains. Pirates afficionados were spoiled for choice: The Pirate Queen with Lucy Liu is an atmospheric journey from Singer Studios, while there was a re-issue of the long-standing hit Sea of Thieves from Rare. Delve into horror with Still Wakes The Deep, or enjoy the adventure of STAR WARS: Hunters.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, of course, for a year that also saw classic biopics (Firebrand, Joy), folk horror hits (Starve Acre or games Descending The Woods and The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow), magical realist drama (Bird, I Saw The TV Glow), star-crossed love (Unicorns), intellectual clashes (Freud’s Last Session, The Critic) and so much more. If this is a sign of the way things are going for 2025, it’s going to be a glorious year. We can’t wait.