The Best of 2024 – Nerdy Nook’s Picks

2024 is coming to a close, and what a year it’s been in the entertainment space. With a constant, steady stream of content coming at people from every direction, it can be difficult when it comes to the end of the year to look back and say – ‘what was my favourite piece of media this year?’. Here at Nerdy Nook, though we share interests in the film and gaming spaces, our enthusiasm for other mediums also vary wildly.

So today, in an effort to cover every inch of our interests, we’ve decided to round-up 2024 in our own way. Each writer for the site has chosen a film and game that were their favourite of the year in those brackets, while also choosing a favourite in their own unique space – Aramis has comic books, Laura has books, and Alex has anime. Without further ado, let’s get into the round-up – this year offered a lot to talk about.

Aramis’ Movie of the Year – Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Image by Paramount Pictures

2024 was marked as the year of the Shadow for Sonic fans everywhere, and what a good year it was. Not only did we get a Knuckles TV series, but we had the release of the third movie in the Sonic movie franchise, which finally introduced Shadow the Hedgehog after we were left stunned by the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 end credits scene.

I did not expect to love this movie as much as I did, but almost everything about it was sheer perfection. The comedic timing and excellent delivery from Jim Carrey, coupled with a complex and beautiful narrative made this movie what it is, and I am not the only one who thinks so. Since release, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has quickly become not only the favourite in the franchise, but the highest rated video-game movie of all time – it really is easy to see why.

Thankfully, 2025 shall not fall short of Sonic the Hedgehog content, with DC’s highly anticipated collaboration.

Read our full review of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 here.

Laura’s Movie of the Year – Nothing

Image by Netflix

The film industry is in a weird spot right now. Slowly, we’re moving past the days where Marvel took up half the space, a fatigue of superhero films settling in. Audiences seem to be veering more towards the weird and the wonderful, the odd films that may not have been given the time of day if they had come out a mere few years ago. However, it doesn’t mean they receive the same amount of time on the big screens as say, Deadpool and Wolverine does. Maybe a couple of weeks, with a few runtimes scattered throughout for a few days, before making its way onto streaming platforms.

The films with the highest grossing box offices are still those with the bigger studios fully behind them – not just sending them out into the world with little to no fanfare, but actually marketing them. Universal hit the motherload with Wicked, while Warner Bros. managed to score big with Dune Part 2. Unsurprisingly though, Disney has both top spots with Inside Out 2 and the aforementioned Deadpool sequel. Yet, audiences seem drawn towards the eccentric, following the success of films like Longlegs, Monkey Man and Conclave. Though they still feel swept under the rug – do you know how many films are released a day? No doubt there are so many more that deserve their flowers but are otherwise forgotten.

Personally, I enjoyed Woman of the Hour, Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut which is based on the true crime story of the Dating Game Killer. While it was released in 2023, it became a big hit on Netflix this year. There was something so frightening and unsettling, some part of it that keeps you on edge because you never feel truly safe within each scene. I hope that was a deliberate choice on Kendrick’s part, to relay how each of the victims must have felt, or in some way, how it still feels to be a woman in this day and age – never fully knowing who the person in front of them truly is, until it’s too late. I don’t know if I can put it as my film of the year, but I’d say it’s pretty close.

Alex’s Movie of the Year – The Substance

Image by Mubi

2024 was a stacked year for horror movies, and I love horror movies. So, this was an extremely difficult choice for me to make. Honestly, with the arrival of Nosferatu at the end of the year, my pick for movie of the year was nearly dethroned, but I just can’t bring myself to give the gold this year to any movie other than The Substance. I’ve seen a lot of grisly, gory horror movies over the years, and would like to think I’ve built up a tolerance of sorts against all types of body mutilation. However, there’s a small list of movies that I can concretely say, ‘I would never be able to eat while watching this’ – and this year, The Substance joined that list.

Body horror, as a genre, works best when all involved parties are really willing to go for it – throw realism to the wind, and just go wild. When we think of body horror classics, the cult favourites, like Society or Teeth, limitations on how far the movie can go are practically non-existent. Here, director Coralie Fargeat shows that she completely understands the importance of these liberties. The Substance is so graphically absurd at times, it almost borders on comedy (a genre in which the movie has actually been nominated at multiple awards ceremonies). The film has such a horrifying central plot though, and the movie’s physical transformations are so viscerally disgusting, it grounds it firmly in the horror genre, stopping it from drifting completely into laughable territory.

The cast here is also magnificent. I can’t praise enough the vulnerability of the film’s main co-stars, Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, while more minor performances, like Dennis Quaid’s, demonstrate that everyone involved here is down for the ride. Beneath all the squishy madness, there’s also a fairly important life message regarding happiness with one’s own body, and accepting the coming of old age. Ultimately, the movie is a perfect, twisted little package for me, and became an instant classic in the genre for many horror fans. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if you can stomach it, The Substance is an experience worth having. You might not eat for a while after, but it’s absolutely worth it.

Aramis’ Game of the Year – Sonic x Shadow Generations

Image by SEGA

What a surprise, another Sonic the Hedgehog title on the list! This time though, we face something really special. Sonic x Shadow Generations is a brilliant remaster of Sonic Generations, and a completely unique and brand new story with Shadow the Hedgehog, making this the perfect nostalgia play, and first time introduction to the universe.

With the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 came a Sonic x Shadow Generations DLC for the movie, which added a reskinned Shadow the Hedgehog voiced by Keanu Reeves and a whole new level – playing this straight after watching the movie for brought me right back into that world despite being so short.

With loads of bonus levels and challenges, Sonic x Shadow offers a lot of content for its price with loads more to be added in 2025, including new characters and storylines.

Laura’s Game of the Year – Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Image by BioWare

Look, I’m not going to pretend the game was perfect – it’s been ten years since they dropped the third instalment of the game, with the Trespasser DLC being released a year after. There was so much time for fans to get excited, to build up stories in their heads, as the developers struggled to get it out of development hell. From one idea to the next, from single-player to multiplayer, then back to single-player after Anthem bombed, to long-time staff either being laid off or leaving the franchise – ten years is a long time to get it perfect, and an even longer time to get it wrong.

Beneath the reviews that are mad because BioWare dared to continue their streak of attempting to be as inclusive as possible for their audience, and reviews that are overwhelmingly positive to the point where you think that maybe they didn’t play the game, are the genuine critiques people have with this game. Frustrations that come with waiting over a decade for the finale. However, does that mean the game wasn’t at all enjoyable? No, not at all.

Perhaps I’m blinded by my love of the series and the nostalgia that comes from playing it, but all I know is, I had a lot of fun every time I loaded it up. The story gripped me, the characters continuously improved as the story developed (though Solas and Varric remained the strongest characters for me), and there were moments with genuine shock and tears on my end. Is it perfect? No – with maybe a little more fine tuning, it could have been a lot closer. Did it keep me engrossed for the many hours I played it, enough to make me want to play it again? Yes. Do I still hate the name and I loathe to see it every time? Absolutely, yes.

Alex’s Game of the Year – Silent Hill 2

Image by Bloober Team

I first played 2001’s Silent Hill 2 years and years ago, when I was really far too young to be playing it. However, it instantly lodged itself into my mind as a core gaming memory for me. The game was one of my earliest interactions with the horror genre – it was sharing brain space with the likes of Super Mario Sunshine and The Sims, so, it was a little bit of an outlier. As I got swept up into the horror genre in my older years though, Silent Hill 2 fell dormant in my mind. I didn’t think about the characters anymore, Akira Yamaoka’s soundtrack stopped playing on loop in my brain, and the game faded out of the ultimate importance it once held for years. Then, Bloober Team announced a remake, started releasing trailers, and it all came flooding back.

You can imagine my delight then, when 2024’s Silent Hill 2 was practically every bit as great as the original game, which is an insane achievement. Some things about the game changed, sure – combat was a much bigger part of the remake than I ever remember it being in the original, and the voice acting lost some of its signature campiness in exchange for a more grounded, realistic approach to the world of Silent Hill. However, what remained was the game’s incredible, emotionally-charged story, haunting sound design that plunged the player into the horror of the world right alongside James himself, and a revamped version of that same, beautiful soundtrack by Yamaoka – if you take nothing else from my picks here, go and listen to the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack. Please.

There were some great games released this year. I absolutely loved the surprise, yet deserved, smash-hit success of Astro Bot, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth proved itself a worthy entry in Square Enix’s current catalogue of phenomenal Final Fantasy games (please give us more information on Kingdom Hearts IV though). However, as great as these games were, nothing did it for me like Silent Hill 2. Am I being biased here? Is nostalgia playing a role in my acclaim of this title? The answer to these questions are likely yes, but this game conquered gaming in 2024 for me. It would be wrong to not give it its flowers.

Read our full review of 2024’s Silent Hill 2 here.

Aramis’ Comic of the Year – Absolute Batman 1

Image by DC Comics

This year was also a great year for comics books, the best to release, of course, being Absolute Batman 1. The whole Absolute universe has been amazing, so much so I opted to cover every issue from the series from Batman to Wonder Woman, but one that really stood out above the rest was the explosive start to this universe.

With this unique series comes a certain level of worry and anticipation I have not felt since I first started my comic book venture as a kid – since the Absolute universe is an Elseworld comic, it is not canon, meaning that literally anything can happen. The cliffhangers in this really do put you on the edge.

If dark, violent and action packed detective comics take your fancy, then this really is the one for you. The Absolute Batman comics are nowhere near finished, and 2025 will see the addition of The Flash and Green Lantern to the universe.

Read our full review of Absolute Batman 1 here.

Laura’s Book of the Year – Listen for the Lie

Image by Penguin Books

This is the year I found myself more drawn to the crime and thriller genre than ever before. In part, it was because horror had a more lacklustre year – a few of the books I picked up had the typical ‘Scariest book EVER’ reviews dusted on the jacket, but upon reading, you can probably think of at least five different books that are scarier. Honestly though, there seemed to be a wave of crime books causing more of a stir than usual. Butter by Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton) found new life 7 years after its original publication date, becoming Waterstones ‘Book of the Year’.

Having read Butter, it would be easy to drop it in as my favourite book of the year and if I had read it at any other point, I probably would have. While others devoured the book, it took me a while to completely sink into it, until it became all I could think about. Listen for the Lie however, had me hooked from the opening pages all the way through to the end. I would tell myself I’m only going to read ten pages before I do something else, and before you know it, I’m 50 pages deep telling myself ‘one more page and I’m done’.

I’m a sucker for an unreliable narrator, and they don’t come more unreliable than Lucy, a woman who has forgotten the night of Savvy’s, her best friend, murder entirely. Who sees visions of Savvy, telling Lucy ways in which she can kill whoever she’s talking to. When true crime podcast host, Ben, comes rolling into town to decipher what happened that night exactly, Lucy has to come face to face with her past and find out the truth, even if it means finding out what she had really done. It was so much fun to read, and I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Alex’s Anime of the Year – DAN DA DAN

Image by Science SARU

This may sound dramatic, but I truly believe that what DAN DA DAN is doing in the anime space right now is something we really need to value. The anime industry is quite the machine. A season begins, a ton of new shows begin airing, around five of them end up being worth watching at all while forty-five fall to the wayside, and then the season ends and you have to wait three years for the next season of the one anime you really enjoyed. Anime in 2024 is a very different landscape to how it was merely a decade ago, before it all really took off in the West, and it was still held as a medium for people in Japan, or very, very nerdy people anywhere else.

Then came DAN DA DAN, an underdog release from smaller animation studio Science SARU, that really had nothing going for it aside from word-of-mouth from manga readers that this would be a series worth watching. Then, as the first episode aired, many people came to the realisation that this show would be something special. It was stylish, hilarious, unapologetically bizarre, and best of all, it was something completely new. Tell me one other show where the central plotline is focused on our main character’s quest to retrieve his stolen testicles? If you can do that, I’m somewhat concerned about the television you watch, but touché. Beyond all the zaniness though, DAN DA DAN still knows when it’s time to get serious, and when it does, it’s a marvel to watch.

And then, to make it even better, once the series ended, a second season was announced, with only a six-month difference between the end of season one, and the premiere of season two. By modern anime standards, that is absolutely insane – and so, so refreshing. The show itself is amazing, and I adore everything about it, but it’s the series’ potential effect on the industry that skyrockets it to this status for me. It’s fantastic to see the studio and fans rally behind this series, determined to make it stand out as one of the greats for years to come, rather than drip-feeding us a 12-episode season once every three years (I’m looking at you Chainsaw Man). I have high hopes for the future of DAN DA DAN, and of all the anime I watched this year, it undeniably had the biggest effect on me as a fan of the medium.

Conclusion

2024 brought plenty of new titles to the table, but these were our standout favourites of the year. What do you think of our selections? Do you agree with our picks, or did we snub one of your favourite releases of 2024? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

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