As a creative person I’m always seeking out great new art and creative work that inspires, delights and excites me (this blog is dedicated to that very thing), so rather than creating a standard end of year “Best Of 2024” list, I thought I’d once again trojan horse my personal favourites into the form of some subjective awards that I like to call The Kallys®.
Down below you’ll see an overview of my choices in a variety of arty categories, and you can always click into each headline to read more about what I said about each entry. I hope you enjoy the selections and feel free to agree/disagree in the comments below. And I give you full permission to pass these suggestions off as your own when someone comes to you with a request for a cool recommendation. I hereby present The Kallys® 2024.
1 \ Hyperfixed Hyperfixed invites guests to share their weirdest, most passionate fixations in the form of questions. Alex Goldman then does his level best to get an answer for them. [Hyperfixed on Spotify]
2 \ The Louis Theroux Podcast Louis Theroux chats to cultural icons and industry trailblazers in his inimitable amiable style. Insightful and inspiring.[Louis Theroux on Spotify]
3 \ The Rest Is Entertainment Richard Osman and Marina Hyde talk about pop culture in witty and wonderful ways. [The Rest Is Entertainment on Spotify]
1 \ Mayflies – Andrew O’Hagan A beautiful meditation on life and friendship told with humour and grace.[Buy Mayflies here]
2 \ The Bee Sting – Paul Murray A sprawling, dark and compelling snapshot of rural Irish life and a faltering family that lies at the centre of it. [Buy The Bee Sting here]
3 \ Project Hail Mary – Andy Weir A page-turning sci-fi epic that tells a grander story about humanity and cooperation [Buy Project Hail Mary here]
1 \ Will & Harper Simple and powerful documentary featuring Will Ferrell about life, personal identity and what makes us human. [Will & Harper on Netflix]
2 \ Jim Henson – Idea Man A poignant and beautiful snapshot of one of the great creative minds of our time, who gave us The Muppets, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and more. [Jim Henson: Idea Man on Disney+]
3 \ The Deepest BreathA breathtaking (literally) documentary about free diving and friendship. [The Deepest Breath on Netflix]
1 \ Bobby Fingers Hilarious short films about building perfect dioramas of pop culture moments, with brilliantly bonkers voiceover and arty storytelling. Unlike anything else out there. Must watch! [Bobby Fingers on YouTube]
2 \ McGloughlin BrothersMesmerising, mindbending arty films by the gifted McGloughlin brothers. This is deep art that will blow your brain wide open. [McGloughlin Brothers on Vimeo]
3 \ Somewhere Near Nijmegen Short independent film about WW2 told by both sides of the conflict. Stunning visuals and a human story. [Somewhere Near Nijmegen on YouTube]