Uncovering the Most Epic Video Essays of 2024 – Must-See Insights and Observations

The Weirdest and Wisest Video Essays of 2024

As the years go by, politics, culture, and their overlapping territories continue to morph into increasingly bizarre and intriguing territory. This is reflected in our picks for the year’s top video essays, which delve into themes of artificial intelligence, mass hysteria, corporate trends, and more. While the subjects may be heavy, most of these works are also supremely entertaining. I’ve been tracking this landscape for six years now, and it’s amazing to see how novice video makers have become pros, the pros have refined their craft, and new talent has emerged.

My Methodology

To create this list, I stuck to a stricter definition of what constitutes a video essay. If a notable video from 2024 wasn’t included, it might be because it strayed too far from this definition. I also aimed to keep things fresh by limiting repeat appearances from creators. Sadly, this meant omitting some consistently great essayists, like Yhara Zayd and Jacob Geller. I took it a step further this year by prohibiting videos from creators who have appeared on this list more than once.

The Top 10 Video Essays of 2024

1. ‘Third Places, Stanley Cup Mania, and the Epidemic of Loneliness’ by Mina Le

Mina Le’s work is a must-watch for understanding the complex world of online commerce, influencers, and consumer trends. In this video, Le argues that viral shopping crazes like the one around Stanley bottles are a symptom of our increasingly atomized society.

1. ‘The Rhythms of Rage: From Solitude to Solidarity’ by Barbara Zecchi

This video is both the shortest and most formally innovative on this list. Zecchi constructs a collage of scenes from film and television that capture moments of female rage, presenting them in a continually expanding grid pattern that illustrates the progression from individual grievance to collective action.

1. ‘The Future is Going to Be Weird AF (The Ultimate AI CoreCore Experience) – Part Two’ by Silvia Dal Dosso

Dal Dosso’s video is a sequel to an earlier experiment that explores the corecore genre of social media videos. This video uses AI-generated images and melancholy vibes to create an immersive experience that’s both a tribute to and parody of Adam Curtis’ work.

1. ‘REFORM!’ by Secret Base

Secret Base relaunched their Patreon with the welcome news that they’re reviving Jon Bois’ beloved series ‘Pretty Good.’ In ‘REFORM!’, Bois examines the brief life and embarrassing times of the Reform Party, drawing out broader challenges of disrupting the US political system.

1. ‘Power’ by Yance Ford, et al

Yance Ford’s film is a critical look at the evolution of policing in the US. Using archival materials, Ford tracks an unmistakable surge of authoritarianism in America, making for a timely and impactful work.

1. ‘The History of Tetris World Records’ by Summoning Salt

Summoning Salt is the Ken Burns of speedrunning, and this video gets you fully invested in the escalating struggles of speedrunners. With a simple left-to-right tracking shot of a chart, this video makes even the most mundane aspects of video games compelling.

1. ‘The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel’ by Jenny Nicholson

Jenny Nicholson’s work might seem vloggy, but she’s actually a master of structured arguments and narratives. In this video, Nicholson uncovers the questionable business practices behind Disney’s immersive Star Wars-themed hotel.

1. ‘Sticky’ by Maria Hofmann

Maria Hofmann’s video replicates the constant stream of awful imagery online, illustrating how we’re exposed to atrocity through desktop windows and compartmentalization. This feels especially relevant in 2024.

1. ‘The Narcissist Scare’ by Sarah Z

Sarah Z’s video exposes the junk science and fraudulent dime-store psychology that fuels our fear of narcissists. She traces the origin of these trends to a primal need to demonize others and a belief in demons and spiritual warfare.

1. ‘Hag Horror: Why Are We So Afraid of Old Women?’ by Broey Deschanel

Broey Deschanel’s video explores the historical context of body horror and "hagsploitation," using films like ‘The Substance’ to illustrate our cultural terror of aging and decay.