Streaming Wars is a weekly opinion column by Agency streaming editor Amelia Emberwing. Look at the latest entry: Is Wicked rushing its home release??
It's the last day of 2024 and, like most, I'm feeling all the introspection that comes with closing a chapter. Of course, there are countless reasons to be eager for the next one but, for now, I choose reflection. And of course, putting off all the food prep I need for tonight's New Year's Eve festivities.
Assembling my annual Top 10 — a practice most film and television critics do out of habit at this point — was difficult this year, particularly for television. Both sides of the industry have been in flux for some time, but television feels closer to a breaking point than ever. As storytellers move further and further away from the actual format, we see more and more “8-hour movies.” Readers of this column have I have long known my feelings about wrong practice.but the problems facing television right now seem bigger than that. Still, I choose optimism. Which, to be honest, is unusual for me.
That optimism is due to a couple of things. Most notably, the industry was not going to recover overnight after the strikes. I think we will continue to see positive changes in the years to come, even if we all wish things would happen faster. That said, most of my optimism is actually backed by data. Television will eventually become television again because, consistently, that is what viewers return to.
Take a look at the charts from Nielsen, Samba TV or any other ratings tracker and you'll see the same things over and over again: Streaming originals see immediate pops, but it's the long-form legacy shows that continue to top the charts every month. per month. after month. This is not because streaming shows are of lower quality on screen, but because they are made differently. Viewers turn to television because they want to fall in love with the characters. Eight episodes every 2 or 3 years? It's just not enough.
But I'm not really saying anything I haven't said before. And, as always, all of that criticism and frustration comes with the caveat that there are still plenty of shows I quite enjoy, even if streamers need to get their houses in order when it comes to TV production. With that in mind, here are my top 10 shows of 2024.
10. The Acolyte
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
8. The consequences
7. knuckles
6. Agatha all the time
5. The legend of Vox Machina
4. Hazbin Hotel
3. Shrinkage
2. Interview with the vampire
1. Shogun
Some of them do not require explanation. Shogun and Interview with the Vampire are undoubtedly the standout shows of the year, with incredible sets, stunning visuals, and impeccable stories. Knuckles made me laugh out loud, as did Shrinking (albeit with a hint of ugly crying). I have long been a defender of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and I will continue to be until they make a season that I don't care about. Meanwhile, The Acolyte had its problems, but it was new, refreshing, and engaging enough that I just didn't care.
What all of these shows have in common is that, even though they fall into the pitfalls of modern television (sans Shogun, which worked exactly as it should as a limited series (before moving to an ongoing series), they all did. something unique or had a spark that was enough to make them memorable Plus, there's only one show that continued to resonate with me at the end of the year that didn't drop weekly (Knuckles).
Cinema, as we have already said, is a different story. While the format is currently experiencing its own problems (the mid-budget theatrical film seems to be on the verge of extinction, short or confusing release windows, inflated budgets, etc.), it doesn't seem to be all that close to its proverbial crossroads like television from where I sit.
What I will say, however, is that 2024 ended up being a year of surprises for me. First, my top 10 movies:
10. rarity
9. Abigail
8. A quiet place: day one
7. The first omen
6. Rebel Crest
5. The wild robot
4. tornadoes
3. kill
2. evil
1. sing sing
Let me be clear: no one was meaner to the idea of The First Omen than I was. The moment the movie was announced, I was relentlessly intimidated by it, even as a frequent lover of the prequels. In my opinion, there was simply no way an Omen prequel could justify its existence. Then along comes writer-director Arkasha Stevenson with one of the most feminist films of the year, which leaves me speechless.
Likewise, I wasn't sure that A Quiet Place: Day One was going to have he. I think Lupita Nyong'o can do no wrong as a performer, but I wasn't sure if that guy Joseph Quinn had the juice or if he was just trendy due to his popularity after playing Eddie Munson in Stranger Things. Mea culpa, Mr. Quinn, you absolutely have the juice.
Abigail and Twisters earned their place as solid films that also made me laugh a lot, Rebel Ridge captivated me in every way, and Wicked, of course, left me in awe. The performances, the direction, the choreography; everything was a joy.
However, it was Sing Sing that won first place this year. I could write thousands of words about what was notable about this film, from the performances of the former inmates to the unwavering presence of Colman Domingo. But I want anyone who hasn't seen it yet to come in as blind as I did, so I'll leave you with this: Sing Sing leveled me up. I can't recommend enough that you allow him to do the same with you.
Before I go, I also need to praise Kill, an absolute triumph of an Indian film that sadly got buried at the American box office after Lionsgate paid a fortune for the distribution rights. Three days before the film's July release, the production company announced that they would be developing an English-language remake of the film, destroying any chance the film had when it comes to casual viewers scared off by the subtitles. But, as someone who thinks “American cinema could never” literally every time he sees an Indian film, let me assure you that nothing Lionsgate produces will be half as remarkable as Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's absolute film. firecracker from an action movie. And yes, Lionsgate produces the John Wick franchise. Kill is currently only available for rental or digital purchase online (or DVD/blu, which I highly recommend). It is worth your hard earned money.
And with that, my watch is up. I'll be back in a few weeks in January, but in the meantime, many thanks to everyone who continues to take the time to read this column. It challenges me in new ways about once a quarter (did you know that a weekly column is a little hard to maintain?) and I'm pretty proud of it. I am very grateful to everyone who takes the time to thoughtfully participate and I hope you all have a Happy New Year.