my spotify wrapped, except it's for movies because i watch too many movies

Hey friends, happy new year! I’m back in your inboxes to share a fun project I spent a bit too much time on over the holidays.

But first, a reminder to check out the LightningPod Recommends podcast playlists I told you about back in November. I’ve been keeping them updated regularly since then, with great stuff I’ve been editing or listening to.

If you use Spotify, follow this playlist by clicking on the plus sign. If you’re using another app, you can copy this RSS feed and paste it into Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Pocket Casts. Transistor has a good guide if that sounds intimidating. Or, you can find the playlist on Listen Notes to listen on the web.

Here’s what’s currently on tap, as of this writing:

• Mark Chrisler recounts the “egg nog riots” that tore apart West Point and featured a shocking number of historical figures. (The Constant)

• Alex Goldman tries to help someone with an insanely difficult question: Should she have kids? (Hyperfixed)

• Katie Goldin and Alex Schmidt explore the history of Christmas trees, and plant the word “scrungly” deep in my brain (Secretly Incredibly Fascinating)

• Hrishikesh Hirway joins Kelsey McKinney to unravel a dramatic family mystery (Normal Gossip)

• Katie Thorton explains how Times Square went from vice central to family-friendly destination (99% Invisible)

• And Joubin Mirzadegan looks back on the coolest stories and grittiest advice shared by his guests in 2024 (Grit)

And now, my 2024 movie recap

My partner made something incredibly cool for her Instagram last week: A custom-designed recap of all the books she had read in 2024, sorted into thematic categories. Unfortunately, she used my Canva account to make this, which made it easy for me to steal her designs and do my own recap, except for movies.

I saw 142 films in 2024 — here’s what really stuck with me…