Films
This was a strange year for me in terms of cinema, I had somehow broken my previous record of most films watched in a year, with a total of 180. I got to cross off a lot of "must see" films that had been on my watch list for years, and overall I saw more good films than bad. But with that being said, I didn't see any films that blew me away. On one hand it makes sense, the more you expose yourself to, the harder you become to impress, but this was the first time this decade that I didn't see at least one film that I would have given a 10/10, and only two films received a 9/10: La La Land and Mudbloods. However neither of which I feel can claim this top spot. La La Land is a film I'm sure everyone has probably seen and has their own opinion on it. I personally loved it for it's beautiful visuals, brilliant acting, great soundtrack and one of the best endings to any film I've ever seen, but there's really no point in recommending a film everyone has already decided their views on. Meanwhile Mudbloods is a very personal film to me, it's a documentary exploring the real life sport Quidditch, a sport that I in fact play, and even though I've spent the last year studying documentaries and being told to question everything I see, I know from personal experience how much of the film is based in truth. With that being said, I can't imagine any non-Quidditch players getting that invested, they might find the concept interesting (Everyone always does) and be curious to know how the sport works, but I don't think that curiosity is enough to hold them for an entire film. However if you're one of those awesome people who does play Quidditch, definitely give it a watch, it's right there on Netflix for you to enjoy.Television
TV had the completely opposite year, while I didn't see much, what I did see impressed me to no end, and the big takeaway was Bojack Horseman. A series that judging by the pilot, comes across as another crude adult aimed cartoon with little depth and mean spirited humour. Once you get passed that, I saw it for what it really was. An in depth analysis of depression and the various forms it can take, with different characters experiencing it to different yet equally valid degrees, whether it be co-dependency, denial, abuse amongst others. The show doesn't hold any punches, and has some of the smartest, honest and most thought provoking writing on the subject matter. In fact, the 11th episode of the show's latest season (4), I am firmly in the belief that it is the single most depressing episode of television I've ever seen. And the show does all of this, while simultaneously being a silly cartoon about a horse that can somehow make me burst out laughing every few minutes. It's truly a masterpiece of it's kind.Music
This was the year I finally jumped on the Hamilton bandwagon, a stage play musical that I had heard nothing but rave reviews for, and you know what? It really is that fucking good, and I am now one of those annoying friends who constantly tells people to listen to Hamilton. Lin Manuel-Miranda is one of the most talented musicians of our time, his lyrical compositions are clever, his use of musical motif's for each character and blending them in different variations for each song are catchy and unique, and he somehow made a hip-hop musical about the American Revolution interesting for a British millennial who had no interesting in either hip-hop or American history. Again, talking about Hamilton feels rather redundant, because at this point, you either love it, or you're so sick of people talking about it that you've decided to never listen to it, and every time someone mentions it you hate it all the more. Oops.Others
Let me paint you a picture of my life at the time of reading Giant Days for the first time. I was just about to finish my final year at university here in Sheffield, I had just spent the day hanging out with some of my closest friends, thinking it was the last time I was ever going to see them. Then I go home, I decide to read some comics, and I end up reading Giant Days. A comic about best friends who go to university in Sheffield...so I related to it quite a bit. While my experience to it was certainly a personal one, and who doesn't love it when a piece of media reveals itself to you at just the right time? Giant Days is a book I think everyone will love. It's one of the funnier books I've ever read, with hilarious and charming art work, likeable characters who are the perfect blend between realistic and cartoony, with genuine heart behind it all that makes you care about the characters. For the most part the stories are low stakes and endearing, but they can be so comforting that you just never want to leave, making it quite an easy read, and I blew through most of the issues within a matter of days. Also, it's just fun seeing actual places I've been to be in a comic book (And yes, walking up hills in Sheffield is a bitch).-Danny
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