The Pop Culture We’re Thankful for Getting Us Through 2024

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Thanksgiving is upon us. It’s a day to spend some time thinking about everything we are grateful to have in our lives. Family, friends, health, all these are important. But art is also important and this article celebrates that.

Below, you’ll read about pop culture the io9 staff is thankful for in 2024. In some cases, it’s a TV show. In others? A movie. And there are some random ones in here too. But the overall sentiment is the same. These things made our year better somehow, and for that we’re thankful.

The Penguin

When I saw Matt Reeves’ The Batman I thought “Oh, okay.” It was interesting. It was ambitious, but it didn’t really stick with me like any of the previous Bat-films. A few years later though, the first return to that world in The Penguin made me feel a whole other way. Watching a comic book villain’s origin on a big, uncensored, canvas like this was a treat. The performances from top to bottom— with a special mention for Cristin Milioti—kept you emotionally invested. And by the end, seeing Gotham City with a fresh perspective made me reassess Reeves’ vision in a whole new way. – Germain Lussier

Arcane: League of Legends

Arcane has been a treat to watch, not only for Riot Games and Fortiche’s collaborative efforts in storytelling and animation. By far, the most rewarding part of the show’s conclusion has been the influx of online discussion among fans following every weekly drop of episodes. Whether it be on TikTok or Twitter, these discussions have lead to a wave of spectacular fan art, theories, memes, and cleverly constructed music videos, adding an extra texture of life to the already boisterous show. – Isaiah Colbert

3 Body Problem

Netflix’s 3 Body Problem adaptation was a winner for a lot of reasons; it asked big questions, and gave us compelling characters (and stunning visuals) while we pondered the many possible answers. But we’re most thankful for a show that dares to suggest a solution for this increasingly rotten world we live in: after making contact with aliens known to be hostile, just invite ‘em on down to planet Earth to sort humanity out. If only that were actually an option! And it might be, considering the proliferation of UFO-themed documentaries (including several on Netflix) that also came out this year. Aliens, where are you? We need you! – Cheryl Eddy

Tubi

As the days draw short and I begin to doubt my achievements over the last year, the question I find myself asking the most is, “What streaming service has The Blob right now?” Not to mention, “Is Jason and the Argonauts available to stream somewhere?” Luckily, the answer to all my worries is, more often than not, “Tubi.”

Whether I’m having the itch to revisit Drop Dead Fred and Q: The Winged Serpent, or to finally check out Jack Palance’s turn as Dracula, Tubi provides. The free-to-stream content provider is also currently home to classic sci-fi series like Farscape, Space: 1999, Doctor Who, Eerie Indiana, The Prisoner, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, just to name a few.

Perhaps more excitingly, I’m always discovering the site hosts increasingly obscure horror anthology series, including Lights Out, Monsters, UPN’s The Twilight Zone (hosted by Forrest Whittaker!), Tales of Tomorrow, William Shatner’s A Twist in the Tale, and Masters of Science-Fiction. I bet I’ll find another if I check back tomorrow.

So thank you, Tubi. I promise to check out some of your original content sometime. Fair is fair. – Gordon Jackson

The Wild Robot

DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot, is perhaps its greatest film ever. Based on the book by Peter Brown, it follows Roz (Lupita Nyong’o)—a robot created to accomplish any task its given—that finds itself in the middle of the wilderness and needing to raise a baby gosling despite it not being in her programming. Any parent (especially new ones like myself) will see the struggle of the baby trenches and early development portrayed so authentically and beautifully through Chris Sanders’ direction and adaptation of the book. It’s not surprising since he’s the mind behind Lilo & Stitch as well as How To Train Your Dragon.

The Wild Robot is on a whole other level with outstanding lush animation that makes every frame a piece of art. It’s emotional, funny, and filled with the importance of how it takes a village to raise a child, which I needed to see and am so grateful to have seen right after I gave birth to my first kid. It also speaks to those who aren’t parents who find themselves seeking a way to contribute to making the world a better place for the future through an array of endearing characters. Also, Pedro Pascal is in it as a fox and for that alone we’re also thankful. – Sabina Graves

International Media

A lot of movies and shows come out every year, and it’s impossible to see everything. Still, I’ve been making an active effort in 2024 to check out more non-English media beyond popular anime, and it’s been worth it. Movies like Kill and The Shadow Strays provided some of the year’s gnarliest action, Mars Express might be one of 2024’s best-animated films, and Look Back was devastating in the best way. Like Bong Joon-ho once said, it’s worth watching things from other parts of the world—subtitles can’t hurt you, and you’re sure to find something you didn’t know you’d like. – Justin Carter

Art the Clown

When Terrifier 3 had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024, I was there. I hadn’t seen the first two because, after hearing so much about them, I was more than a little intimidated. But, I couldn’t say no to being among the first to see the new one. The experience blew my mind by just how far creator Damien Leone would go. Fast forward a few months and I finally watched Terrifer 2. Awesome. Then I watched Terrifer. Awesome as well. And while I don’t recommend digesting them in reverse order as I did, I found myself thankful and appreciative for Art the Clown, a unique horror villain that piqued my interest the same way Freddy, Jason, and Michael did as I was growing up. I need to know more. I have to know more. – Germain Lussier

Akira Toriyama

This year has been a perplexing one for the anime community because it started off with the passing of Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama. Regarded as the father of shonen anime, Toriyama’s magnum opus transcended beyond its medium and affixed itself to pop culture as we know it. Be it through professional sports, video games, or new-age anime, Toriyama’s influence is undeniable. Which is why we’re thankful not only for his creative genius, but fans and colleagues alike keeping his spirit alive by sharing anecdotes highlighting his formative influence. – Isaiah Colbert

Walton Goggins in Fallout

Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout adaptation was funny, surprising, and stuffed with nuclear-bomb intrigue and retro post-apocalyptic vibes—but it really won over audiences, including people who’d never played the video game before, thanks to its endearing characters. Chief among them: the Ghoul with the tragic Hollywood backstory and the outlaw vibes played by Walton Goggins. To look at him, you’d assume he’s a villain. Once you get to know him, you realize he’s a scary-looking dude with some ruthless tendencies… but with his moral compass still rooted in the exact right place. – Cheryl Eddy

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail

I’ve been playing Final Fantasy XIV on and off for over a decade now, and its perpetual story of unity in the face of despair has rarely failed to sustain me in times of hardship. But while its last expansion, Endwalker, guided me through the pandemic, this year’s, Dawntrail helped me navigate the lingering grief of losing a parent last year. Initially pitched as a bright new adventure in the wake of the cataclysmic stakes of the prior expansion, Dawntrail pivots at its halfway point to become a mediation on what it means to live through loss, and how we remember the people we grieve. Aside from giving me dozens upon dozens of hours of time to while away leveling and raiding, it gave me space to process and carry myself from those initial shockwaves of loss as I moved forward—and I’ll forever appreciate that as much as I have the many hours I’ve spent adventuring through Eorzea. – James Whitbrook

Dandadan

There’s something electrifying about discovering a piece of media that had completely passed you by actually being completely your kind of thing, and the ecstatic joy of discovery that follows as it devours your every waking thought. That’s the experience I had with Yukinobu Tatsu’s smash hit manga over the summer. I had heard about the upcoming anime as people got more and more excitedly heralding the Next Big Thing, but on a friend’s recommendation started reading the series to prepare myself, only to be completely blindsided how much I’d get swept up in Momo and Okarun’s wild journey along the way. Tatsu’s ability to seamlessly flit from hilarity to romance to some of the most over-the-top action ever committed to the page of a comic book makes Dandadan such an effortlessly breezy read, and a staple of my weekend morning coffee runs as I dive into a few more chapters to see just where it’s all going next. – James Whitbrook

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Atlus has been making beloved RPGs for years, but October’s Metaphor: ReFantazio marks the developer’s first new IP in some time. It bears a lot of DNA and creative talent from Persona 5, but spins that into something all its own. Even without much playtime, I do like the game, and it’s easy to imagine falling hard for it with more time. Its aesthetic is a big reason why: from seeing “Unscathed Triumph” flash on the screen after not taking damage in a fight to Keisuke Honryo’s incredible vocals during combat. Metaphor’s style will draw you into what’s looking like a great adventure. – Justin Carter

The Substance

Coralie Fargeat created one of the best modern horror parables about aging and beauty with The Substance. Often eliciting sheer terror and laughter, the film follows Demi Moore as health guru Elizabeth Sparkles who gets aged out of television but discovers a way back in through very shocking methods that produce a younger more perfect “you.” I don’t want to give more away but I’m thankful for this film’s emboldened take on what women have to go through in the industry and even just what we endure as we move through life as we get older. It’s gorgeous and grotesque and oh-so-real all at once. – Sabina Graves

Letterboxd

Late last year I, someone who has dedicated my life to covering and watching movies, decided to sign up for Letterboxd. Yes, I’m like a decade late and that statement has big “Have you heard of this Taylor Swift person?” Dad energy. I get it. But I’ve spent all of 2024 kicking myself for not doing it sooner, not just for the social aspect, but also because being able to organize and keep track of everything I’ve watched in such a fun, easy format is a lifesaver. Almost literally. It makes my life easier and better. So, thank you Letterboxd—and f-you, Germain from the past several years. Why didn’t you do this sooner? – Germain Lussier

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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