As 2024 wraps up, one thing’s for sure: it’s been a banner year for screen time. From binge-worthy streaming hits to blockbuster films that had us glued to our seats, this year’s entertainment lineup gave us plenty of reasons to cancel plans and stay in.

Whether you were hooked on prestige TV dramas, laughed out loud at indie gems, or marveled at big-budget spectacles, 2024 had something for everyone—and we’re here to make sure you didn’t miss a single moment. Here’s your ultimate guide to everything you should have watched this year.

Industry

Where to begin with Industry season three? A hilarious, bittersweet and brutal panic attack of a show, the bastard lovechild of Skins and Succession. From Rishi’s drug-fuelled gambling bender to Marisa’s hellish family ties, the third season of the finance-based drama was a must-watch tour de force.

Slow Horses

Another TV series warming up after multiple seasons. Slow Horses season four ‘Spook Street’, saw an explosive return for the band of MI5 rejects, serving one of Gary Oldman’s career-best performances as grubby ringleader Jackson Lamb.

Another seriously underrated Apple TV+ show and a welcome twist on the classic spy drama genre.

Say Nothing

A remarkable adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s best-selling Troubles tome, released on, of all the streaming platforms, Disney+. Say Nothing begins with the kidnapping of the widowed mother of ten and suspected informant Jean McConville and weaves multiple narratives around some of Ireland’s darkest days.

Sunny

Another enjoyable release on Apple TV+ that you might not have seen because it was on Apple TV+. One to keep your dystopia cravings topped up whilst you wait for Severance season two.

Sunny sees Rashida Jones gifted a robot sidekick ‘homebot’ when her husband and son go missing. Laced with dark humour, it’s a charming futuristic caper that went under the radar.

How To With John Wilson

There are two possibilities with How To. You’re either going to love it, or it won’t be for you. The former will be in for a treat as the POV documentarian takes on topics such as public toilets and sports with his awkward, tangent-jumping New Yorker lens.

Like Louis Theroux, if he spent every waking moment of his life either filming or writing notes to himself.

Masters of the Air

As well as being a genre-defining series, Band of Brothers provided a launchpad for a generation of acting talent. You get a similar feeling with Masters of the Air.

A Hanks and Spielberg-produced Band of Brothers in the sky with a cast that you know you’ll be seeing more of in the future. Heart-in-mouth aerial combat with an all-star cast.

The Penguin

If you had told us at the start of the year that the most talked about superhero spin-off would be a DC series, we’d have laughed you out of the room, but in hindsight, The Penguin makes total sense. It’s a Gotham Sopranos.

A standout performance from Colin Farrell surely has him odds on for awards season. If only the rest of the universe were this good.

Fallout

Video game to TV series The Last of Us walked so that Fallout could run. And Fallout did run, and stomp, and not take itself too seriously whilst still respectfully putting a thumbs up and winking at the people that played the game.

The retro-futuristic setting was rich, the video game humour was on point, and the first season was left wide open for a second.

Love Lies Bleeding

One of the standout A24 films of the year, with a desert town neon glow and a stench of small-town iron pumping. Thelma and Louise on steroids with a standout performance from body-building star Katy O’Brian. Kristin Stewart plays the lead in this 80s-set romantic lesbian crime thriller.

Hollywoodgate

One of the more remarkable and surreal documentaries of the year. Hollywoodgate is a fly-on-the-wall film charting the days and weeks following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Egyptian filmmaker Ibrahim Nash’at follows members of the Taliban as they marvel at some of the $6 billion worth of kit left behind, ranging from planes, helicopters and guns to gym equipment and cough drops.

Anora

Arguably film of the year, Anora is another Sean Baker masterclass (Tangerine, The Florida Project), this time focusing on the relationship between an escort and an oligarch’s son. Pretty Woman this is not. A tragicomedy anti-romance providing a splash of realism to sex work in the cinema.

The Zone of Interest

A chilling, atmospheric, brooding adaptation of the Martin Amis holocaust novel, whereby an almost whimsical, idyllic foreground is set against a chilling background of unspoken horror.

The film charts the domestic bliss and banality of an extermination camp commander’s daily routines.

All Of Us Strangers

Fantasy romance with two of the year’s foremost stars in Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott. A screenwriter visits his childhood home to find his parents, who died in a car crash, still living there. An emotional meditation on love, middle age and connection with a claim on performance of the year.

The Substance

At some point this Christmas or New Year, The Substance will come up. So, you should watch it.

The highly-stylised showbiz set futuristic body horror looks at beauty standards directly in the mirror with gruesome results. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley star in a 2024 must-see.

Challengers

Luca Guadagnino has had a busy year, recently releasing the Daniel Craig-led Queer and, earlier in the year, sexy tennis drama, Challengers. In keeping with his preference for romantic dramas, Challengers follows the love triangle between a tennis coach, her tennis-playing ex and her champion husband over time.

Civil War

You could argue it didn’t cut hard enough, but in an election year, the near future dystopian Civil War certainly hit a nerve. A band of journalists led by Kirsten Dunst road trip across a civil-war-torn USA in search of the last interview with a Trumpian dictator.

Feels a lot closer to home going into 2025.

Monkey Man

Dev Patel has seen all of the John Wicks and he wants in. We, the viewers, are here for it. There’s even a dog.

Directed, produced and starring Dev himself, Monkey Man is a dark, gruesome revenge thriller set in Indian slum fight clubs and the seedy underbelly of a fictional city, looking upward for violent justice.