As 2024 comes to a close, Tribune writers, columnists and critics take a look back at their favorite moments of the year, from theatrical performances that captivated us to the books that kept us turning the page and so much more.
Best TV of 2024
Overall, 2024 offered a slightly better lineup than usual, but maybe that's not the case. Too often, the good stuff is drowned out by Hollywood's pointless, endless quest to reboot intellectual property (no thank you, Apple's “presumed innocence”) and the tendency to stretch a great two-hour movie premise into a flabby multi-part series (” “‘Presumed innocent’ again!”
It may have seemed like we were having more fun this year, with Netflix's The Perfect Couple (Nicole Kidman leads a traditional country house mystery reinterpreted with an American sensibility) and Hulu's Rivals (the hottest show of 2024, presented with Wink at the English countryside). Read Nina Metz's full list here.
Best movies of 2024
The best films this year followed familiar character dynamics into new territories.
Some were more visually distinct than others; They all provided eloquent instances of how and where their stories unfolded. All We Imagine Light, recently screened at the Gene Siskel Film Center, functions like a poem, a sustained exhalation of breath, in its simply constructed narrative of three hospital workers in Mumbai. Director Payal Kapadia's fluid, subtly political achievement is almost perfect. Read the full list of Michael Phelps here.
Best books of 2024
When our critic recalls what he read this year, what stuck, stuck, and refused to come apart, the common denominator was his astonishment at his own surprise. New shot! A topic he supposedly knew! The antidote to having heard it all before, the cynicism we develop by having access to every story ever told, every opinion expressed and every song ever sung, behind a black mirror in your pocket.
Surely you have your own? Social media is filled with lists of readings from last month, last week, and last year, driven by the same shock of recognition that there is so much new under the sun. Read Christopher Borelli's full list here.
The best live music shows of 2024
Chicago, there's a reason you're on the agenda on every tour that passes through America. appear. Over and over again. Prolonging a trend that began once the fog of the pandemic lifted, concerts large and small continue to draw large crowds.
No Taylor Swift? No boss? No Beyoncé? No problem. Does each history justify the costs of admission? Heck, no. But a fair number hit the right notes. Read Bob Gendron's full list here.
Best Theater of 2024
Two grand pianos enhance “Into the Woods”. The Theater of the Book surrounded its audience with harmony. Director John Tiffany came to town to make sure his “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” tour was a blast. Michael Shannon returns to the Chicago stage. The Royal Shakespeare Company is thrilled to return to Chicago. Laurie Metcalf is back. Prestige flourished throughout the city. Paramount Theater has built a complete replica of Sun Studios for its immersive play “Million Dollar Quartet.” The Steppenwolf Theater has returned to its normal state. Four of our top 10 shows of the year were staged within its walls.
Read Chris Jones' full list here.
The best classical, jazz and more of 2024
Did you know that Maya Angelou said: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”?
You may not remember every piece of music, or every number in the playlist. But you remember how they made me feel: weightless, calm, joyful, connected, complete. Read Hannah Edgar's full list here.
Best dance of 2024
With the Joffrey Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago having their best year in recent memory, many mid-sized companies are meeting the moment, taking risks and betting on themselves by delving into ever-larger venues and shows.
It may seem as if the pandemic is on the back burner, but many arts organizations are still scrambling to keep their heads above water. At the risk of using a cliched “out of adversity comes strength” metaphor, Chicago Dance delivered a performance that seemed to have a renewed commitment to the crowd by delivering some of their best performances of the decade. Read Lauren Warnecke's full list here.
