There are way too many movies and shows to watch this year. Even worse, a good chunk of them are worth the watch. As much as we’d love to drop everything and just keep watching everything nonstop, we can’t. So, let this be a collaborative effort for all of us here at GadgetMatch. Here’s our Favorite Shows and Movies of 2024!

Arcane Season 2

MJ: With episodes clocking in at just 40 minutes, I found myself wanting more and more. The pacing never drags; each character has their moment, and the story’s momentum keeps you hooked.

It’s really hard to say how Arcane will close this chapter, and whether it will leave room for new worlds or wrap everything up. But one thing’s clear: Arcane isn’t for the faint of heart.

It’s a visually-stunning, gut-wrenching masterpiece that’s bound to leave you breathless, wanting more, and wondering how animated storytelling could ever be this good. It’s dark, deep, messy, and perfect in all the ways we love. Surely, it’s a visual and emotional masterpiece.

Agatha All Along

Luigi: I didn’t think much about Agatha All Along at first. I thought it was just a cash grab sequel for the critically acclaimed Wandavision. Wrong on all accounts.

Agatha All Along is more than just a sequel. It’s an impressive exploration into the mind of a villain. Though it started off slowly, the miniseries ended with a bang. Two of the final episodes — one featuring the electric Patti LuPone — are also a few of the best episodes I’ve seen in TV today. It easily ranks just as high as the original Wandavision and the second season of Loki.

X-Men 97

Rodneil: X-Men 97 is one of, if not the, best things that Marvel came out with in 2024. It captured the spirit of the original 90s X-Men The Animated Series while putting over a new coat of paint over it. Most importantly, the stories hit heavily. Episode after episode we’re treated to great adapations of iconic comic book storylines.

Things it a fever pitch in Episode 5. Won’t spoil anything here. All we’ll say is that it is a MUST WATCH. And it only gets better from there.

Shogun        

Rodneil: Shogun is a masterpiece. It’s a political drama set in the shogunate era of Japan. You’ll be intrigued by masterful performances of Hiroyuki Sanada as the subtly cunning Lord Yoshii Toranaga and captivated by Anna Sawai’s Lady Mariko who was a strong, capable woman in an era when women were valued differently.

It’s also interesting to see a predominantly Japanese cast shot with Western sensibilities. It’s hard to explain, but that interesting mix makes up for an engaging binge-watch.

Inside Out 2

Vincenz: Although not all of us grew up in the same type of environment while growing up, Disney’s new hit wonder showed how suppressing one’s feelings and emotions can deteriorate one’s mental health and capacity to act normal. We can’t be happy, sad, angry, or be disgusted all the time. These four new complex emotions (namely anxiety, envy, ennui, and embarrassment) are here to balance things out.

And admit it or not, this isn’t only limited to teenagers growing up. Nowadays, it’s a life lesson even for us adults who are still finding ourselves in the dark.

Smile 2

Luigi: You don’t need to watch the original film to enjoy one of the scariest movies of the year. While the original film showed how you can make a great horror movie with a limited budget, the second one explores what you can do with even more funds.

Yes, there are quite a few jumpscares. However, the grim foreboding of superstar Skye Riley slowly going insane is harrowing to watch. If you love horror, you absolutely need to watch Smile 2.

Kaiju No. 8

Rodneil: Shonen Anime protagonists are typically in their teens. That’s not the case with Kaiju No. 8. It features a 32-year-old who’s physical prime is behind him making his dreams of joining the elite force who deal with Kaiju a dream that has passed him by.

Things take a turn when a Kaiju merges with his body. Suddenly he has the strength to not just fight but also overwhelm these gigantic monsters. But he has to keep it a secret from the elite force or else…

Dandadan

Rodneil: She’s a pretty girl who doesn’t believe in the occult. He’s a nerd who thinks aliens aren’t real. They cross paths, dare each other, and stumble upon both the supernatural and the extraterrestrial.

It’s not your typical meet-cute, but make no mistake about it, Dandadan is a romance anime heavily lathered with ghouls, aliens, and action typically reserved for the usual battle anime. It’s a one-of-kind show that will make your heart race in more ways than one.

Solo Leveling

Rodneil: Solo Leveling’s appeal initially lies in the RPG-like leveling up power that the main character finds himself in. The world-building is pretty cool too. It’s a world where the abilities of humans awaken after portals to other worlds started propping up. The catch is once you awaken, you’re stuck at that level. That’s the case for everyone except the main character.

It’s a premise that can get stale really quick on paper. But something about the whole thing just feels really cool. It captures the appeal of battle anime with a simple power system. Also, it’s really cool.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Rodneil: Deadpool & Wolverine delivered maximum effort and in doing so, might have given the MCU an opening to pivot from what may be considered its missteps.

A lot of the punch lines, quips, and jokes were so meta, which is to be expected from a Deadpool film. However, instead of outright “fixing” things, it left more things open in terms of the future of the MCU.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Rodneil: A huge treat for high fantasy fans. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is the story after the main story. For gamers, it’s the new game plus. After going on a grand adventure to defeat the Demon King, Frieren — a mage elf — grapples with human relationships and how different the passage of time is for herself and her companions.

It’s an easy, healing watch with fantastic moments of high action and animation. It’s probably best enjoyed watching slowly versus binge-watching.

Delicious in Dungeon

Luigi: If Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End represents serene and reflective vibes, Delicious in Dungeon embodies the chaotic gremlin energy of the genre. Tasked with rescuing his sister after a mission gone wrong, Laios goes back down into the dungeon with a new party. However, the addition of Senshi, a dwarf warrior, enables Laios to fulfill his lifelong ambition of cooking meals using monster parts.

Delicious in Dungeon is a laugh-out-loud adventure. It won’t wow you with thought-provoking lessons, but it’s a fun ride throughout. The show is also a great complement to Frieren if you find yourself still craving fantasy worlds.

Interior Chinatown

Rodneil: Interior Chinatown is a quirky piece of media. The main character is a side character in a “Law & Order” type of show, but he doesn’t exactly know it. But episode after episode, he breaks through the barriers or so he thinks.

It’s an interesting lens to view the story of “feeling and being seen” especially for Asian Americans. Although, the feeling of not belonging and being more than what society thinks you should be will feel universal.

On the cinematography side, the show does this excellent shifting of color grading to indicate what world or consciousness is dominant in each scene. It’s hard to explain but it’s worth the watch.

Challengers

Luigi: Okay, enough of the cutesy, the reflective, and the funny. Challengers is stress made manifest. It’s about a love triangle between a retired-player-turned-coach Tashi, her struggling tennis superstar husband Art, and her ex Patrick.

I don’t normally look for romance movies, but Challengers is a must-watch for everyone. Its masterful use of disjointed narrative and chaotic dialogue is reminiscent of Uncut Gems, another stress-inducing masterpiece of a film.

The Bear Season 3

Luigi: Speaking of stressful, the king of frenetic shows came back this year with a brand-new season. The third season of The Bear starts with the aftermath of the titular restaurant’s chaotic opening night. It’s a whole season of “will he call Claire,” “when is the baby coming,” and “is Sydney ready to take on a larger role?”

Though the questions linger even after the finale, there’s a lot to love in the third season. Keep an eye out for incredibly surprising cameos.

Queen of Tears

Vincenz: I’ve been a long-time fan of Kim Soo Hyun ever since his heyday from Dream High (2010) and My Love From The Star (2013). I’ve also watched Park Ji Won’s My Liberation Notes way back in 2022.

Both of them already had a fair share of unemotional characters in their previous dramas but their nonchalant personalities in Queen of Tears plus the major plot twists are just mind-boggling. The tear-jerking, comedic, dramatic, and admittedly raging scenes make it one of the best 2024 K-Dramas IMHO. It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions.

Love Next Door

Vincenz: Another romantic K-drama that revolves around two childhood friends who barely knew each other’s feelings until they’ve reached their 30s.

Although I’m up for its plot and star-studded cast (especially Jung Hae In and Jung So Min), what made me recommend this are the life lessons that people my age would probably understand. It’s also a realization that not everyone who has reached adulthood can already settle. Remember, life isn’t a race. It’s okay to have everything figured out later than never.

Culinary Class Wars

Vincenz: I’ve watched some cooking shows during my teenage years, especially MasterChef and Hell’s Kitchen. I’m also a huge fan of K-Pop survival shows (PRODUCE series, Girls / Boys Planet, I-LAND, SIXTEEN, Idol School, etc) for almost a decade already.

Culinary Class Wars is the perfect mashup of those two genres I prefer. Its pilot episode will already make you question the dynamics of the overall show. The only spoiler I could provide is that it’s a show between South Korea’s best of the best chefs clashing with their country’s rising cooks divided into two teams. From there, everything’s just unpredictable and ever-changing.

There are way too many good shows this year. The list of our favorite shows and movies of 2024 undoubtedly misses a few titles that we should have watched this year. Which show or film of yours made it on this list? Which didn’t?