2024 Best Picture Nominees
TLDR
These are my Top 10 films of 2024. I believe these were all released in 2024, though I did watch some in 2025 to catch up. I’d categorize them really into 4 groups: 1, 2-3, 4-10, and 11-15 Honorable Mentions. *means they were not nominated for Best Picture by the Oscars
I’ll do a one sentence summary for each movie, then go into why I liked it, plus a quote of a friend’s thoughts. I’d say, don’t read past the first line if you don’t want spoilers, but I will try to keep all content spoiler free (though inevitably you will glean insight into the film’s plot if you read, especially the quotes, so just avoid everything if you want a truly unspoiled viewing experience). I also added five fun films and five terrible ones.
Key note, at this stage, I have yet to watch I’m Still Here (the only Academy Award nominee I haven’t seen yet), but I am not sure when I’ll be able to, and I just wanted to get this post out there since it’s already February. I’ve seen 58 of the 2024 released films.
I had AI render this image… I asked for these top ten films to be collaged together… it got creative, so I had to share.
Okay, for the actual collage then (sorry to His Three Daughters and A Real Pain, I could only fit 8 in the template).
Anora
A young woman from Brooklyn meets and marries the son of an oligarch.
This is my top pick of the year because it hit both ends of the spectrum for me. I cried and I laughed. Many movies are funny, and many more are sad, but doing both well and with a coherent logical plot is very difficult. I also always like some iconic long chaotic scenes and a frantic time pressure. Check and check. Add to that being set in the boroughs of New York, with bridge and tunnel accents; laid thickly on Eastern European languages (I’m a Russophile too). I was hooked. It reminded me of classic New York films like City Island and Moonstruck, but with more introspection. Mikey Madison really shows off what she can do, previously just a cult follower (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and a sulking teenager (Better Things), and she really makes the role relatable with everyone’s modern day isolation and economic hardships.
“My mom always told me that promises made in a strip club are like farts in the wind, they start to die the second they are made. I don’t think Anora’s mom ever passed her such wisdom. This dark tragicomedy centers around a stripper that marries the barely adult son of a Russian Ogliarch and clings on to him for dear life hoping he can help her escape her miserable life. But when the manchild leaves her in the wind, just like even the best sets of fake nails, her dreams fall apart in front of her and she is forced to reckon with the shards of her hopes and dreams. This movie will make you laugh and cry with equal intensity and hoping that everyone is given the chance to see the best in humanity. ”
Sing Sing
A group of incarcerated men stage an original theatrical production.
I turned this on knowing nothing, and expected a typical American prison film. Boy was I wrong. The movie seemed to purposefully play off that expectation and then subverted it to give you an entirely different look at prison life. Wildly optimistic and beautiful, without ever letting you forget the terrible situations and cold society that put them there. It’s absurdist theatrical production reminded me of the theater troupe in Station Eleven, and Colman Domingo is just a force to be reckoned with. He has a natural gravitas on screen, and his story had me sobbing uncontrollably. The ending / credits were inspiring, I had no idea about that attention and faith to the real story and programs, but it’s truly heartwarming. I’m genuinely surprised this didn’t get the Best Picture nomination. Donate here and support this film and its organization.
“As someone who was raised in the community theater world and still works in it to this day, I loved how this movie showed the power that theater can have. The acting chops of Colman Domingo are undeniable in this movie, but the performances by the real life members of the theater company were just as powerful, if not more so. A truly ingenius work of art and a heartwarming story.”
Conclave
When the pope passes, a papal conclave of the College of Cardinals is convened to elect a new one.
At times it felt a bit too roller-coastery, formulaic, and overly Westernized (American / British centric) for a movie about the Catholic church and the succession of a pope. It had the vibes of, well this is the “Murphy’s Law” of elections, with everything that possibly could happen, happening. But once you get past that, it’s a stellar ride. Ralph Fiennes, as per usual, simply throttles this plot forward and you can’t look away from his enigmatic dialogue. It’s beautifully shot as well. Isabella Rossellini, who absolutely got robbed from the acting nominations for doing the voice of a stop motion shell in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, somehow delivers an incredible supporting performance despite having barely any lines. She can do it all. Just a look, just a voice over, just googly eyes, it doesn’t matter. It’s a walking and talking movie, so if you’re not into a ton of dialogue, you probably won’t like it, but it is a great film with an inspiring message.
“It’s a look inside an insular institution that ought to be above petty earthly political squabbles, but is just as full of them as everywhere else, and yet they overcome those. Fiennes is great, and the use of color and contrast, particularly the overhead shots, were stunning.”
Inside Out 2
Riley and her emotions face new challenges and new feelings as she navigates the emotional turbulence of teenage life.
There are two points of fair criticism. That too much of the movie feels like you’re following the emotions (characters) on a random nonsensical side quest and that it’s too similar to the original with it’s message and resolution. But if you can look beyond those complaints, the introduction of new emotions as Riley hits puberty and teenage life was really thoughtful and they nailed it. With a 9 year gap between the two films, they clearly valued the importance of building a good plot and finding creative and effective ways to connect “emotion” scenes & actions with “life” scenes & actions. I took my nieces, and they found it only okay. They’re too young to recognize and appreciate how accurate and delightful this depiction was. This film revolves around Anxiety, and it’s applicable to everyone. I am not the best advocate for mental health, but Inside Out 2 effectively visually demonstrates what therapy tries to talk through. I may not go to therapy, but I can sit and mull over my own emotions and imagine them an Inside Out 2 lens (as flawed and absurd as that would be) to help understand what I’m feeling.
“Inside Out 2 is the best Pixar movie that’s ever been made. I really loved the personification of complex emotions like anxiety and ennui!”
Dune: Part 2
Paul Atreides seeks revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
We live in an era of sequels, and not everyone has seen all of the originals / first parts. I made this presentation to explain Frank Herbert’s Dune universe to Mattos who was unfamiliar. I think it’s quite amusing and helpful. That said, she did not understand or like the film. For a newcomer or even a more casual viewer, there’s still a lot of nuance that isn’t clear and covered well, the main threadline of two different sects of the Bene Gesserit (female religious order) trying to usher in Kwisatz Haderach / Lisan Al Gaib (the messiah). And whether or not that is Paul Atreides can get pretty confusing. That said, that is sort of the point. Herbert intended Dune to be an indictment of white saviors, messiahs, and “good” heroes.
The cinematography is incredible, and the epicness is jaw-dropping. Glad we paid extra to watch this on the bigger big screen with the extra intense sound. This is why we go to the movie theaters. The pacing was the opposite of Part 1, it moved at a fast click, building on the world set up in the previous film, and just flying through the plot. At times it felt rushed, but it was highly engaging.
“A top 5 best first-time movie going experience.”
A Real Pain
Two cousins travel to Poland to reconnect with their roots and each other.
At points I identified with both cousins. Certainly more Eisenberg than Culkin, but I’ve certainly felt what they’ve both felt (maybe just didn’t vocalize as much as Culkin). It’s a short trip and movie, but it has a lot of heart and just lives in its simple dialogue. There are bits of conversation that I’ve heard before and it felt easy to place myself in their tour group. It’s intense and the movie ended with me wanting more, just like a lot of trips, where they can both be escapes and confrontations. It captured the millennial wanderlust and existential crises with sharp humor and heartfelt melancholy.
“The dramedy of the decade. A Real Pain walks the fine line of a laugh out loud film and a heartfelt drama bringing you to tears. The film expertly yet subtly analyzes the pain we carry regardless of experience and truly embraces pain and depression as relative. Jesse Eisenberg’s one note acting style truly shines in this film through his expert storytelling and masterful directing. Kiernan Culkin’s delivery leaves a beautiful sadness that is palpable.”
The Substance
When a host of an aerobics show, is fired on her 50th birthday, she finds a new drug which promises to transform her into a younger version of herself.
Overly gory and heavily Kronenberg-esque, it was best watched the way I did, with ten family members. Avoid it if you’re overly squeamish about body horror or needles, there’s a lot of both. But with my viewing companions, the room was full of squeals and yells as we experienced director Coralie Fargeat’s chaotic spiral. It goes past where you think it’ll go, leaving logic behind in the dust, to a point of just absolute insanity. Qualley and Moore are both fantastic in it, and you really feel them together as one on screen even though they aren’t. It was an interesting broader metaphor for drug addiction and abuse, and how your mind can be so heavily altered by them.
“The Substance is the type of movie you don’t need to watch again because it’s been seared into your brain the first time around. I wish I could feel superior to Elisabeth or Sue, but in all honesty, I’ve been there. The hate they feel for each other is the same hate I’ve experienced looking in the mirror. That’s what makes The Substance so uncomfortable for me — no matter how obscene, gross, or silly, it still feels real. ”
His Three Daughters
Three sisters reunite in their father’s apartment as they await his final moments.
Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne each portray the oldest, middle, and youngest sibling (though notably the youngest is a half sibling) respectively with excellent performances. Carrie and Natasha are almost opposites of each other (responsible and passive-aggressive v. rogue and honest), while Elizabeth’s vulnerability and peacemaking hems and haws between them. The balance and energy is constantly bouncing around in this apartment’s play like setting. Their chemistry crackles with tension and love, a poignant exploration of the complex ways they carry grief, sisterhood, death, and their family legacy. This is best for fans of dialogue heavy plays.
“An intimate insight into a family dynamic which complicates our ideas of sibling and parent dunamics as well as how we define loyalty and responsibility.”
Saturday Night
The 90 minutes before the first episode of Saturday Night Live.
I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and watched a full episode of Saturday Night Live. My only experience is via YouTube, watching the trending highlights of the guest host, actors breaking, celebrity cameos, and viral videos. This movie was a better advertisement for the show than I’ve ever seen or heard, the final pitch / line of the movie is really well done. I am approaching it from a modern lens where we don’t have that many sketch comedy shows any more. It’s frenetic and fun. A ton of cameos and a surprising number of references that even I understood. There’s a lot of research I want to follow up on, but the vibes felt spot on and another film with a great kinetic energy, long shots pinging around the studio. But this movie is an enjoyable ride that does proper service to the legendary show.
“I enjoyed the real time pace, but was disappointed in the lack of deeper exploration into the original cast and Lorne Michaels, especially the female cast members (but I know it wasn’t the assignment, it’s not a biopic). It struck a blance so it wasn’t pedantic to those who knew the premiere and didn’t alienate those who didn’t know.”
Kinds of Kindness
Three distinct but loosely connected stories, exploring the central theme of relationship power dynamics.
A triptych film by Yorgos Lanthimos, who is becoming a staple in Hollywood, with his unique style and bold themes. In the three stories, basically all the characters are played by the same actors in different roles. The main “troupe” of Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, and Hong Chau are all fantastic. It’s weird and unsettling, but mesmerizing and thought provoking. There’s not much more else to say since they are really three entirely separate narratives that only come together when you reflected on the themes within them. If you like Yorgos’ other works like The Lobster and Poor Things, give this a whirl too.
“Yorgos builds a mesmerizing exploration of power dynamics, as its characters navigate shifting roles of control, submission, and fate, revealing the strange, darkly humorous, and deeply human ways we seek meaning in our relationships and choices.”
Honorable Mentions
Emilia Pérez
I understand the criticisms from Mexican and LGBTQ communities about this film. And fair… but I went into this movie knowing nothing (as I prefer) and I enjoyed the ride. It was a fresh musical and I was impressed with the acting performances, dances, songs, etc. I thought the plot was intriguing. As a basic non-latin straight man, I can understand why the Academy nominated it and at the same time recognize its insensitivities and lack of awareness.
The Brutalist
Surprisingly didn’t feel as long as people warned me. I really loved some of the cinematography, and the performances were all incredible (especially of Brody, Jones, and Pearce). The main reason I bumped it from the top ten list was for its underlying heavy Zionist message. I respect that there are deep complexities of belonging (survival, safety, acceptance, prosperity, and happiness), but I felt that the epilogue / coda of the film was unnecessary and tipped the balance too far on one side of that debate and ignored / rewrote much of the film itself. Also, I was very disappointed that it was not a real architect (I wanted to visit some of the buildings, especially after one stated it was in my hometown).
A Complete Unknown
I’d like to state for the record that I was cool enough to see Bob Dylan in concert once when he came to my University my senior year. That said, I know little about his true history and life. The music is up my alley. Unlike most biopics, this movie didn’t tell me much about him, but did build on his mythos and chaotic personality. Timothee really grew into the role. At first we weren’t sold, but eventually we only saw Bob. Also Ed Norton’s Pete Seeger was great, as was their depiction of Johnny Cash, oh and I’m convinced Elle Fanning kinda looks like Mattos.
Nickel Boys
I was disappointed that this didn’t get the cinematography nomination. I’ve never watched an entirely first person film, but they did a good job. Trading between two character’s perspectives was a smart choice to allow you to see each of the main characters while still offering this unique physical angle. I was ultimately underwhelmed by the film, but I think it’s just that I’m jaded and cynical. But I disagree with the online criticism that the first person camera didn’t add anything to the film (you have to watch the whole thing to appreciate the choice to use it). It was also a dark story of US History that I knew nothing about and I’m glad I now know.
My Old Ass
I’ve always enjoyed a good coming of age story, even though I’m pretty sure I’m still stuck in arrested development. This is a creative and fun take on the “what I wish I could tell my younger self” story. The sci-fi is light, and it’s mostly just good natured and fun. Both versions of the main character are full of youthful chaos, but such different versions. It’s nice to reflect on the differences and similarities between your teenage self and your current (30’s) self. Aubrey Plaza is incredible in this, and she really hits the emotional notes home.
I’ve reviewed Letterboxd’s most popular films of the year to double check what I still haven’t watched (We Live in Time, Maxxxine, I Saw the TV Glow, Love Lies Bleeding, Carry-On, Heretic, Immaculate, The Idea of You, Juror #2, It Ends With Us, Baby Reindeer, The Apprentice, A Different Man, and Queer, amongst others). If you have strong feelings that I should watch one of these let me know! At the bottom I’ll list the movies I did watch.
Fun Films
Okay, this category are films that I really enjoyed, but are more fun, and less “best films”
Deadpool & Wolverine
I mean every cameo and reference was aimed at a typical man in their 30s like myself. It was fun, chaotic, and over the top. But without the Marvel / Fox / Ryan Reynolds knowledge, a lot could go over your head. It’s mostly just reference humor. Also the gratuitous violence was definitely crossing into unnecessary territory, and sort of retconning Logan was a bit of a mistake.
The Bikeriders
I never understood people’s interest in heartthrob Austin Butler, until this film. He’s ridiculously cool in it, and I get it now. Jodie Comer’s accented narration is hilarious, Tom Hardy is solid per usual, and this film is generally underrated. It’s a cool ride, but you probably need to have a bit of that rebellious wanderlust spirit in you too to really enjoy it. Someday I’m going to get a motorcycle.
The Fall Guy
A love letter to stunt work, this is a great film for anyone who likes the production behind a movie. It’s rather shallow and doesn’t make a ton of sense, plot wise, but if you’re a Ryan Gosling fan, you’re going to enjoy him being himself. A great summer blockbuster action film.
Wicked Little Letters
You really can’t go wrong with Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, two of the finest actresses there are. This incredibly low stakes and odd based on a true story film is carried by the two stars. And it’s a fun and beautiful roller coaster.
Alien: Romulus
I watched the original Alien films in anticipation of this, and boy did they do a good job of paying homage to them, whilst expanding on the universe. While a bit too on the nose and repetitive (in relation to the first), and they made the xenomorphs a lot more “killable” in this one, it’s still a good reboot, with a great “countdown” timer energy going. I particularly was impressed how the typical horror trope of none of this would have happened if you just didn’t make that stupid decision, didn’t exist here. Everyone’s decision making was very reasonable and the result is simply just unfortunate, which heightens the impact and thrill.
Just the Worst Films of the Year
The War of the Rohirrim
After some research it became clear that New Line Cinemas and Warner Bros. only made this movie to trigger a “use it or lose it” clause with Embracer Group (the owner of Middle-Earth Enterprises which has the film rights to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit). However, production was announced in June 2021, given it’s release date of December, 2024, they seemingly had plenty of time to fairly complete this project. The adjective “rushed” has been associated with the film quite a lot, and it’s actually incorrect. They just didn’t make a particularly good film. I’m a longstanding fan of the Tolkien world, but this is only marginally better than The Hobbit trilogy in terms of how bad it was (Rings of Power is better than both). The animation was so janky for a feature film, that I found myself longing for the bad CGI of The Hobbit. The plot was fine, but felt rehashed and random, sort of doing fan service via setting it in recognizable locations around Rohan and some offhand references to the broader universe. I’m not a huge fan of anime as a medium, so that didn’t help either. There were a couple of cool scenes, but in the end I mostly felt bored and disappointed in this addition.
The Return
A Ralph Fiennes film sits in both a top slot and bottom slot. And he’s still really good in this one as well. He is just about the only good part of this film. Everyone else in it feels like they’re in a community theater production whereas he’s putting in a Broadway level performance. It generally feels cheap and awkward. The plot feels incredibly stupid, possibly because they stick slightly too true and simultaneously not close enough to the original source material, and it doesn’t make a ton of sense from our modern lens. Hopefully Nolan doesn’t make the same mistake in his bigger budget production.
“The Return is somehow for both people who have and have not read the Odyssey - you will either be very bored or very confused. Actually I suppose that makes it for no one. It was a nothing move and Ralph Fiennes can and does do better (in the same calendar year!) Skinny legend Ralph Fiennes hangs dong.”
- Daphne L.
Borderlands
This is a hot incoherent mess of a film. Now I never played the game, but I know the general idea and I didn’t get it. After being generally disinterested for the entirety of the film, I assumed that it was simply fan service and I wasn’t the audience. But checking out the internet, the gamers seemed to hate it even more, which begs the question, how did they get this so wrong? It felt like someone who heard of the success of the Guardians of the Galaxy only saw the poster and decided to write a movie to replicate it. For a ragtag team of misfits, they seem to not have a real reason to continue to be with one another and how they’ve survived this long generally doesn’t make any sense. It also wasn’t funny in the slightest.
Gladiator II
I joked with my family after watching this film (Thanksgiving weekend) that technically a monkey wins the throne in this movie. And I’m not wrong. All Hail Dondas. I’m pretty sure by the law of the trainwreck that Ridley Scott tried to pass off as a reasonable sequel to a film 20 years later, that monkey is now the emperor of Rome. Seriously though, this film felt like it was made by an AI chatbot. Just a bunch of bullet points that would pay homage and somehow connect it to the original story. Most of it was entirely unnecessary, and a lot of it was disrespectful to the original. How did these twin emperors come into power only 16 years after the death of Marcus Aurelius? What was the plan of sending Hanno away? Did the guards really ask people in the hunt “have you seen this boy”, as if they have a clay statue or drawn picture of Hanno? Why is Hanno annoyed that his mother saved his life? You brought Gracchus back for that role? What is this stone pressing weird secret doorway that Lucilla keeps using? What is the level of her house arrest / do people spy randomly and inconsistently on her? How are there legitimately large sharks in the shallow water of the Colosseum? Why would Macrinus try and fight Hanno in combat?
I can respect that Ridley Scott has earned his keep and can just do what he wants (see his response to why he made insane random supposedly baboons but more alien appear in the arena), and as he’s really one of the few people who still gives us millennials sword and sandal / historical epics of our youth, I’ll keep seeing his films. But he needs to try better and give us a bit more to leave the theater feeling good about. Denzel Washington was the saving grace here, he genuinely was brilliant, but it’s possible that it only felt that way since he was the only one with any reasonable motivation. Actually, a lot of the cast are good actors… so how did they screw up the plot so badly? Hanno (Mescal) and Acacius (Pascal) just didn’t have enough connection with other characters enough. It’s possible that a 5 hour director’s cut of this film may redeem it, it just needs more dialogue, context, and time. So I guess I’ll forever hold out for the ScottCut (even though he can do whatever he wants anyway).
“A taxidermy of a masterpiece: the look remains while the life and soul has left it.”
- William T.
Twisters
Okay, so I was on board because like most men my age, I’m on the Glen Powell train. We rewatched the original to try and get a refresher for this random sequel. And honestly… what’s the point of this movie? It’s redundant, both as a sequel and through most of what happens in its own plot. Anthony Ramos was terrible. It’s also just a crazy weekend, where there’s an insane amount of surprise tornadoes that seem to occur with no warning, like it’s a bad horror movie and the tornadoes are sentient serial killers. Lack of addressing climate change at all is an insult to science and a concession to deniers. Let’s just skip ahead and hope The Running Man and Chad Powers are better.
Smile 2
Bonus sixth movie that was terrible. I rarely absolutely guess the plot twist but I had this one down super early and while I liked that conceptually, this “evil spirit” possessing people is far too powerful. Like there’s just no point in having hope for the protagonists since the antagonist is so dominant there isn’t a remote chance (spoiler alert, everything you watch that seems to give them a chance of survival is just a figment of their imagination). Poor screenwriting that makes it not particularly interesting to watch.
All 2024 Films Watched
A Complete Unknown, A Real Pain, Abigail, Alien: Romulus, Anora, Atlas, Babygirl, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Blink Twice, Bob Marley: One Love, Borderlands, Boy Kills World, Challengers, Civil War, Conclave, Damsel, Deadpool and Wolverine, Emilia Perez, Ferrari, Fly Me To The Moon, Furiosa, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Gladiator II, His Three Daughters, Hit Man, IF, Inside Out 2, Jackpot, Joker: Folie A Deux, Kinds of Kindness, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Longlegs, Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Monkey Man, My Old Ass, Nickel Boys, Night Swim, Nosferatu, Quiet Place: Day One, Rebel Moon: Part 2, Ricky Stanicky, Road House (2024), Saturday Night, Sing Sing, Smile 2, The Bikeriders, The Brutalist, The Fall Guy, The Return, The Substance, The War of the Rohirrim, The Wild Robot, Tuesday, Twisters, Venom: The Last Dance, Wicked Little Letters, Wicked: Part 1, Woman of the Hour.
Disney’s ESPN Oscar Pick’em Game
It’s all about the cross-promotion. Here’s a group I made this year. Feel free to join and play along!