The Academy Award nominations celebrating the films of 2025 have been announced and here, I’ll rank the Best Picture contenders in order of my own personal preference.

This year’s nominees represent a slight upgrade on the 2025 crop (an incredibly weak year), but I still don’t think it’s up to the 2024 gold standard. While there are five (six at a push) deserving candidates, it’s another weak year with lots of undeserving choices. It wasn’t that there was a shortage of options – there were some truly excellent films that should have made the cut, such as Weapons, No Other Choice or Zootopia 2.

The winners will be announced in the Academy Awards ceremony on 15th March 2026.

10) Hamnet

Hamnet is the new film by Chloé Zhao, of Nomadland fame. An adaptation of the 2020 novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet dramatises the life of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley) from their courtship to how they cope with the tragic death of their 11-year-old son. I found Hamnet to be a very disappointing experience – an overlong, emotionally manipulative film that continuously and aggressively tries to get its audience to weep. Zhao’s film has the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Rather than getting invested in the depressing events it depicts and really feeling for the characters, I found myself rolling my eyes on multiple occasions and on the border of sniggering during what’s supposed to be a traumatic childbirth sequence because the film grossly overeggs it. What’s more, I don’t understand the praise Jessie Buckley is receiving for her performance – I thought she was terrible. The problem is she’s simply miscast and her natural smirk does her no favours with the character’s emotional baggage. It’s unfortunate Buckley is also saddled with some rather trite dialogue. Throw in the egregious use of Max Richter’s ‘On The Nature of Daylight’ in the emotionally manipulative finale and it’s a recipe for disaster. 

• Read the full Hamnet review

9) Sinners

I’ve watched Sinners twice now because I didn’t get the universal love for it the first time round, and I stand by that opinion after a rewatch. An original horror film written, co-produced and directed by Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan stars in a dual role as twin brothers Elijah ‘Smoke’ and Elias ‘Stack’ Moore who return to their home after spending years working for the Chicago Outfit. They buy a sawmill from a racist landowner with stolen cash from the gangsters so they can open a juke joint for the local black community. After recruiting a team of staff, the Moore’s cousin Sammie’s (Miles Caton) blues music is so transcendent that it unknowingly summons spirits, unfortunately attracting the attention of some vampires led by Irish-immigrant Remmick (Jack O’Connell). Sinners is an ambitious piece and while it’s refreshing that Coogler’s got to make a relatively big-budget ($100 million) original work is to be commended, the film is rather messy in its construction. Coogler’s script is the fundamental problem – it’s too talky and expository, and none of the themes are explored with any form of subtlety. There’s also next-to-no character development, despite the cast doing the best with the material they’ve got. For example, I found it difficult in distinguishing the difference between Michael B. Jordan’s characters. Still, Jordan puts in a committed performance and of the supporting cast, it’s Delroy Lindo that’s the standout as an alcoholic pianist. While there’s the beginnings of a formidable villain in Remmick (I particularly appreciated his abrupt entrance in how he seems to drop out of the sky), the vampire element of Sinners didn’t work for me. Coogler is clearly more interested in the transcendent music and rushes through the film’s blood and guts, with no tension whatsoever.

There’s certainly many plus points though, chiefly some very entertaining sequences here and there. The world that Coogler creates feels authentic, from everything to the costume and set design – the film certainly wears its reasonable budget with pride. Ludwig Göransson’s score also stands out, really elevating the film in how it flirts with all manner of generational and musical genres. Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography deftly captures the hot, arid nature of the Mississippi but some of the nighttime shots are too darkly lit.

• Read the full Sinners review

8) Train Dreams

Tonally, Train Dreams falls somewhere in between The Tree of Life and The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, and it’s got an excellent Joel Edgerton lead performance as Robert Grainier, who this film tells the story of his 80-year life. It’s beautifully shot by Adolopho Veloso with a thoughtful Bryce Dessner score, and the film borders on being profound particularly in its closing moments of how someone can live through a life of technological developments. But Train Dreams lacks the elegiac nature of either of those reference points and after watching this film twice, I find it to be rather hollow. While undeniably an ambitious effort by Clint Bentley (this is only the director’s second film), Train Dreams is more style-over-substance.

7) F1

F1 is the hotly anticipated Apple TV-fronted mega-budget film about the race circuit, with Lewis Hamilton credited as a producer who prances onto screen at one point, alongside other big racing names. The film’s directed by Joseph Kosinski, who has plenty of experience with big-budget fare and is riding on a high after Top Gun: Maverick (and the little seen but excellent Spiderhead). Although F1‘s story feels like it was written on the back of a cigarette packet, it’s Joseph Kosinski’s kinetic direction that ultimately makes the film work, along with some committed performances. There’s nothing here to rival the dogfight at Top Gun: Maverick‘s climax, but the race sequences here are vividly shot by Kosinski’s regular cinematographer Claudio Miranda and exciting to watch unfold. It’s testament to the quality of the direction that I was never bored (despite the paper-thin story) during the lengthy 156 minute run time. And although it’s far from his best work, Hans Zimmer’s score has its moments. Brad Pitt is effortless as the has-been racer, who has made a bit of a mess of his life with a gambling addiction and three marriage breakdowns, as he grapples with the changing landscape of the Formula One scene. The chemistry he shares with Damson Idris’s hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce, is excellent and develops at a fine pace. But while F1‘s fun and puts a smile on your face in the moment, I’m really not so sure it should be considered Oscar material…

• Read the full F1 review

6) Frankenstein

Frankenstein is visionary director Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited passion project that he’s been trying to get off the ground since 2007 when he first started crafting concept art. Adapting Mary Shelley’s highly influential 1818 novel certainly plays to the director’s strengths, who has made a career for himself with his grotesque-looking monsters and Gothic imagery. Del Toro has once again joined forces with Netflix for Frankenstein and although Doug Jones and Andrew Garfield (and Benedict Cumberbatch was courted at one point) were previously attached to play the monstrous creation, it’s Saltburn‘s Jacob Elordi who undergoes the transformation. Oscar Isaac plays the titular surgeon, who we see being chased by his creation in the opening scenes where he then gets rescued by the Horisont Royal Danish Navy ship that’s trapped in the ice. After the prelude, the film is split between Victor’s and The Creature’s perspectives. Was Del Toro’s passion project worth the lengthy wait?

To a large extent, yes. Frankenstein is a sumptuous Gothic feast with a standout performance from an unrecognisable Jacob Elordi. From a technical perspective, it’s a beautiful-looking film, gracefully shot by Del Toro’s preferred cinematographer Dan Laustsen and I loved the use of symbolic colours, especially the red Frankenstein’s ill-fated mother is bathed in. There’s also a handful of excellent set-pieces, such as the opening chase to the ship, the monster’s creation and a melancholic extended section in a blind man’s home. Alexandre Desplat’s romping score often stands out too, but it’s a shame there isn’t an overarching main theme to latch onto. This is definitely a film to experience on the biggest screen you can find (as I was lucky to do so), and it’s a shame that most will be watching Del Toro’s passion project via the streaming giant. Although the film’s always entertaining, it never quite soars. Like Nightmare Alley, it’s overlong and the film would have benefitted from having a good 20 to 30 minutes chopped. What became more apparent on the second viewing on the small screen was just how wordy Del Toro’s script is, and some of the dialogue stilts the film.

• Read the full Frankenstein review

5) The Secret Agent

Although ramshackle in its construction, The Secret Agent is a powerful film with an outstanding central performance from Wagner Moura. It’s particularly period-appropriate in its sun-dried setting and rich characters from the warm refugees Marcelo shares a block of flats with (run by Dona Sebastiana, in an endlessly charismatic performance by Tânia Maria). From the gripping opening scene, human life is treated as expendable as Marcelo fills his car up at a petrol station where a fly-encrusted corpse is rotting in the corner, and when the police turn up, they’re more interested in finding something wrong with his car than they are about the casualty – death is simply a way of life. Even more impressive is how Filho contrasts these realistic skits with surreal images, such as a symbolic severed leg.

If you can get on board with The Secret Agent and have patience with its themes that may at first seem arbitrary, it’s an enriching experience that’s profound in its exploration of this dark age of Brazilian history. It won’t be for everyone, but this is fearsomely original filmmaking with a brilliant Wagner Moura performance that deftly balances warm characters, surrealism and emotional poignancy – once you get past the somewhat disjointed first half.

• Read the full The Secret Agent review

4) Sentimental Value

Sentimental Value is the new film by Joachim Trier and has received quite the acclaim, especially for Stellan Skarsgård’s performance. This is an excellent drama that maturely melds history, stardom and generational trauma with brilliant performances across the board, not just from Skarsgård. Trier skilfully builds the relationship between Gustav and his daughters (Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) to the point where we know what the characters think just by their facial expressions and body language, rather than by what isn’t said. This is a film about what it means to be an artist and how one can express themselves and find meaning with the parallels in their lives, while also untangling the building trauma the characters have experienced in their past. I also loved the smart smatterings of film industry criticism, such as how Netflix tends to limit theatrical releases and how Gustav looks to reunite with his preferred cinematographer.

Skarsgård is excellent and deserving of the critical acclaim he’s received as the director getting back in the saddle. He sensitively conveys his need of another hit but I also fully bought him as someone who wants to fix the familial cracks in the process, even if he clearly lacks the emotional intelligence. But it’s Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas who are Sentimental Value‘s standouts and some of the best acting I’ve seen this year. Their characters are particularly authentic as close siblings, with both deftly portraying the cracks and ripples their tainted childhood has had on them. But the sisters are both very different from each other – Reinsve’s Nora is impulsive and vulnerable, whereas Lilleaas’s Agnes is more maternal and level-headed. The film’s technically brilliant too, lusciously shot by Riders of Justice cinematographer Kasper Tuxen who balances the almost documentary-like feel of some of the everyday life and filming scenes with several surreal and dream-like sequences. He knows when to hold onto a shot for maximum effect and there’s an interesting colour palette throughout. The film’s also complemented by a thoughtful score by Hania Rani, which never feels emotionally manipulative.

• Read the full Sentimental Value review

3) Bugonia

Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest, which stars Emma Stone as the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, who is abducted by conspiracy theorist Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) and his disabled brother Don (Aidan Delbis). Bugonia is yet another thought-provoking work from Lanthimos, packing plenty of surprises and thrills up its sleeve. This is a film that keeps you second-guessing throughout with its complex characters and striking visuals, and like lots of his work, it’ll take multiple watches to fully unpack. I’ve always found Lanthimos is at his best when he’s on scriptwriting duties with his co-writer Efthimis Filippou (they co-wrote Dogtooth, Alps, The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and Kinds of Kindness together) with their arch dialogue. It’s why The Favourite didn’t fully work for me. And although Will Tracy’s script isn’t quite as arch as what Lanthimos and Filippou would conjure, I didn’t notice the writing as much as I did in The Favourite.

While Emma Stone is reliably excellent as Michelle, it’s Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis that really stand out as the abductors. Plemons is scarily convincing as the unkempt Teddy, who constantly takes advantage of his cousin with his conspiracy theories and has a very short fuse – I hope he’s recognised come Awards season. Delbis is equally brilliant in his debut role, brilliantly balancing the vulnerability of his disability with a clear sense of right and wrong. Robbie Ryan’s cinematography is outstanding, shooting the film in VistaVision with a vivid colour palette. Jerskin Fendrix, who seems to also becoming Lanthimos’ new composer of choice given this is his third collaboration, turns in a career-best score. The monumental score beautifully compliments the events on-screen, upping the intensity with memorable themes. Bugonia is yet another excellent Lanthimos film that kept me gripped throughout with its fascinating story, memorable performances and stunning visuals. 

• Read the full Bugonia review

2) Marty Supreme

Marty Supreme is Josh Safdie’s first film as a solo director since 2008, after his many collaborations with his brother Benny. This sports drama is loosely inspired by the life and career of American table tennis player Marty Reisman, and stars Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser, an aspiring and ambitious table tennis champion. It’s a film Safdie has been wanting to make for a while, with Chalamet cast all the way back in 2018, the actor practicing the sport ever since. 

This is a brilliant sports drama with a terrific Timothée Chalamet central performance and a tension-filled atmosphere. It reminded me heavily of Uncut Gems, the last film the Safdies directed together, in how it sustains a palpable tension throughout with Marty continually digging himself into more desperate situations. That Josh Safdie has been able to make such a gripping film out of what may seem like a low-stakes sport is a commendable achievement. The film is stunningly shot by Darius Khondji, with a seedy aesthetic that faithfully recreates a 1950s feel and there’s a pulsating score by Daniel Lopatin that dominates over the entire film. This is a wild thrill ride from start to finish that never lets you take a breather and it’s impressive how Safdie gets you to root for a host of unlikeable characters.

• Read the full Marty Supreme review

And the best film is…

1) One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another is a Paul Thomas Anderson triumph – it’s a giddily exciting action epic with plenty of thrilling surprises up its sleeve. It’s fiersomely original, Anderson constantly subverts expectations in a refreshing way with some outrageous set-pieces too. There’s two heart-racing car chases, with the one in the final act particularly memorable for how simple it is – cinematographer Michael Bauman (who also lensed Licorice Pizza) intercuts between three drivers and a stunning desert vista. A 20-minute extended sequence mid-way through the film where DiCaprio’s character needs to evade the authorities is another wildly entertaining highlight. But under the surface of this riveting story, Anderson has plenty to ruminate on the current state of American affairs but in a playful way with plenty of intelligent humour.

Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic in the lead, dabbling his hand at comedy once again after his last turn in the underrated Don’t Look Up. Once a sharp and intelligent explosives expert, Anderson gets a lot of mileage out of the character who fries his brain with drugs after 16 years and DiCaprio nails it. Is this one of his best roles? It’s hard to say because the actor is so good in almost everything he’s in. Sean Penn puts in career-best work as the bigoted Colonel Lockjaw, an utterly ridiculous and tragicomic racist military officer with a particularly memorable walk. Benicio Del Toro is another standout too as a chilled-as-a-cucumber karate teacher – “I’ve had a few small beers” has already entered the lexicon. The film is beautifully shot on VistaVision by Michael Bauman and Jonny Greenwood turns in a thoroughly unconventional but sensational score. One Battle After Another is a near-masterpiece from Paul Thomas Anderson and it’s certainly his best film since There Will Be Blood.

• Read the full One Battle After Another review

The Academy Award nominations celebrating the films of 2024 have been announced and in this article, I’ll rank the Best Picture nominees in order of my own personal preference. The winners will be announced in the Oscars ceremony on 10th March 2025.

While 2024 was quite possibly the strongest field in many a year, unfortunately the selection for 2025 is incredibly weak. Amidst the sea of mediocrity is a truly terrible film and I would only consider four of the candidates Oscar-worthy. I suppose it’s inevitable that there was going to be a comedown after such a strong previous year. But there were some excellent films that should have made the cut: Hard Truths, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Gladiator II and Juror No. 2 to name but a few.

10) Emilia Pérez

Emilia Pérez isn’t just a bad Best Picture pick – it’s one of the worst films I’ve ever seen and is an utter calamity. The fact this has 13 Oscar nominations show just how out of touch the Academy are with reality. This is a woefully misguided and ugly-looking film with a terrible script, awful musical numbers and poor performances. It’s blandly directed by Jacques Audiard and the mashing of thriller, musical and crime genres just doesn’t work. Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez are fine actresses but they’re both terrible in this film (I can’t believe they’ve been nominated for their performances…!). Saldaña is totally emotionless and glum and Gomez overacts what is supposed to be an emotional arc her character undergoes. And then there’s Karla Sofia Gascón as the titular character, who the less said, the better. This is a frighteningly bad film and I’m not surprised Mexican audiences have been offended by its treatment of their country.

9) Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys is RaMell Ross’ narrative feature directorial debut, previously known for his 2018 Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening. An adaptation of the 2019 novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys tells the story story of Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse), a young African-American living in a segregated Tallahassee, Florida who finds himself at a reform school notorious for its abusive treatment of black students, through no fault of his own. There, he meets Turner (Brandon Wilson) and despite their initially opposite ideals, become friends. 

The film is shot in a first-person point-of-view so we see the plot unfold through the eyes of Elwood (the perspective is then shared with Turner in the film’s second half). That’s certainly an unconventional way to tell a story and stands Nickel Boys apart from more conventional historical drama biopics. Unfortunately, despite its novel filmmaking technique, I found Nickel Boys to be very dull and I think that first-person point-of-view decision is to blame. It detracts from the important story being told, which tackles some incredibly heavy themes, but the film never conveys its emotions. The stilted script doesn’t flow in a natural way and  and I found it very difficult to connect with any of the characters. None of the performances worked for me, even Hamish Linklater who made such a powerful impression in Midnight Mass. The film is also drastically overlong at 140 minutes and a generic title card revealing some images of the true events feels emotionally manipulative – especially for a film that’s trying to defy convention.  

• Read the full Nickel Boys review

8) The Substance

The Substance is a satirical body horror, directed by Coralie Fargeat in her English language debut and it’s received quite the acclaim. The film follows fading Hollywood star Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) and we see her dismissed from her long-running television show due to her age. She’s intrigued by a black market serum, conveniently called ’The Substance’, which promises a “younger, more beautiful, more perfect” version of onself. But of course, any deal like this has its consequences which Sparkle comes to find. While The Substance is certainly original in its execution, I found it quite disappointing. For a film that runs in excess of 140 minutes, it doesn’t have a great deal to say and is very on-the-nose. The direction is extremely aggressive and in-your-face, which is clearly intentional but it just got on my nerves. The second half is particularly hard work, especially its go-for-broke ending which it doesn’t earn. The body horror did nothing for me and I don’t understand the comparisons many have made to David Cronenberg.  The major positives are the performances.

• Read the full The Substance review

7) Wicked

Wicked was much better than I expected – this is an ambitious and visually striking adaptation of the first act of the stage musical. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are both brilliant as the two witches, and the film details their friendship at Shiz University before the future arrival of Dorothy. At 160 minutes, it’s a meaty film but there’s a lot of interesting themes that director Jon M. Chu develops such as the relationship between humans and animals and what happens when you’re an outcast. Although musicals are generally not for me, I’lll admit there are some memorable numbers in this. That said, I think the film could have lost half an hour or so with a club sequence that doesn’t particularly add much to proceedings.

6) Dune: Part Two

While there’s no doubting the visual flair on display, Dune: Part Two is a mixed bag and not as strong as its predecessor – by extension, it’s Denis Villeneuve’s weakest film. What really impressed me with Dune was how Villeneuve was able to maintain a clarity to the narrative, the key downfall of David Lynch’s film who overstuffed the entire book into a 137 minute film. And while that’s still largely the case here, Dune: Part Two runs into all manner of pacing issues. On the one hand, there’s some good world building for the first hour where ultimately not a lot happens. But then, but the film completely rushes through its climax during its last hour. The rushed pacing also comes at the expense of character development. I simply didn’t buy Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani’s (Zendaya) blossoming relationship at the very centre of the film – it simply feels like we’re expected to invest in their relationship with no natural development. I wonder if it’s to do with the fact Eric Roth doesn’t write the script this time around, with Villeneuve himself stepping in to co-write with Jon Spaihts. It’s a shame Dune: Part Two doesn’t live up to the first film with its odd pacing and lack of character development. But it’s still a fun ride, with some above average elements, such as the black-and-white sequence on the Harkonnen planet, Austin Butler’s performance and some exciting action sequences here and there.

• Read the full Dune: Part Two review

5) Conclave

Based on a 2016 novel by Robert Harris, Conclave opens with the Pope dying of a heart attack and Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with organising a papal conclave to elect a successor. However, Lawrence quickly finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about each of the candidates. They include Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), an ambitious American liberal, Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow), a Canadian moderate with a secret, Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), an Italian reactionary right-winger and Joseph Adeyemi (Lycian Msamati), a Nigerian candidate with homophobic views. Not dissimilar from many popular recent elections, Conclave is about deciding who is the least worst option and that’s what makes it rather entertaining. You’ll need to suspend disbelief (especially with its many twists) but if you’re after an overripe thriller filled with catty remarks, this delivers. Ralph Fiennes is reliably excellent as the overseer, who is also standing in the election and throughout the film, you’re constantly working out whether he has secret ambitions and if he’s as impartial as he should be. Sergio Castellitto, who was fantastic as the villainous King Miraz in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, turns his performance up to eleven as Tedesco and Isabella Rossellini also stands out as the head caterer and housekeeper who doesn’t have time for aimless chitchat. The jittery score by Volker Bertelmann (Hauschka) is fantastic and he crafts many memorable themes that add to the urgency of the election. Stéphane Fontaine lusciously shoots the film too, with excellent use of light and shadow to underscore the theme of corruption. But as entertaining as Conclave is, I’m not sure it’s quite the awards material it looks like it may become. 

• Read the full Conclave review

4) A Complete Unknown

It may follow a conventional biopic structure, but I still found A Complete Unknown gripping from start to finish, with director James Mangold at the top of his game paired with many impressive performances. Here, Mangold tells the story of Bob Dylan, adapting a 2015 book by Elijah Wald called Dylan Goes Electric! which covers his earliest folk music success to his controversial use of electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Mangold co-writes the script with Jay Cocks, his first since Martin Scorsese’s Silence. But straight from the opening scene, Mangold directs the film with a real warmth and energy and I loved the film’s tone. I especially liked its commentary on how genres evolve and how fellow artists support each other, even if that example isn’t followed by the public. It also has plenty to say on what it’s like to meet your idols. The film’s lusciously shot by Phedon Papamichael, and the production design of the 1960s is brilliantly captured. Timothée Chalamet is magnetic as Dylan, balancing the musician’s sheer talent while being somewhat impenetrable and unlikeable at times. The other standout’s Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, who brings a real warmth to the singer and like Chalamet, also does all her own singing.

• Read the full A Complete Unknown review

3) Anora

The Palme D’Or winning new Sean Baker film proved a very memorable cinema experience. Other than Mikey Madison’s fantastic performance, I found the first 45 minutes of Anora really testing. But as soon as two men knock on a mansion door, the narrative takes a different direction and the rest of the 139 minute film had me grinning with its breathless fireball energy and wit. In retrospect, the first 45 minutes are needed to get you to despise the characters for the rest of it to work, so stay with it if you’re feeling the same way. It’s a film where characters are consistently pulled from pillar to post but there’s also a stark tenderness to its humanity and Baker portrays a vivid contrast between the rich and poor. It’s beautifully shot by Drew Daniels, who lends the film its disorientingly frenetic edge. Mikey Madison, who was one of Charles Manson’s accomplices in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, is fantastic as Anora and thoroughly deserving of awards attention. She has bundles of empathy and despite her demeaning work selling her body, she knows how to get what she wants. Yura Borisov is also brilliant as Igor, a Russian henchman with morals with a similarly modest financial background as Anora who makes such an impression despite not having many lines. Karen Karagulian is brilliant as Toros, an Armenian handler, whose mania knows no bounds when his career is jeopardised. Anora is ultimately an excellent film from Sean Baker and quite possibly his best work.

• Read the full Anora review

2) I’m Still Here

It was very hard to pick between first and second place but I’ve gone with I’m Still Here – a political biographical drama about a husband’s forced disappearance during the military dictatorship in Brazil and Walter Salles’ first film since 2012’s On The Road. It’s based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s 2015 memoir of the same name, Marcelo being the son of Rubens Paiva, who was the victim in question. Fernanda Torres places Eunice Paiva, Rubens’ wife and activist, with the film largely told from her perspective and how she struggles to cope emotionally and financially, while trying to raise her five children. I found I’m Still Here to be a deeply affecting and gripping piece of work, masterfully directed by Salles who skilfully contrasts the quiet family domesticity with the simmering and oppressive political horror. Although the film tells a story that happens in the past, I’m Still Here feels very contemporary with its mirroring of current dystopian events. The first hour is quite fast-paced, whereas the second is much slower but this is where the film really wraps its enchanting spell – it reminded me of Roma in many ways in terms of how it finds beauty in the mundane. The film’s complimented by a wonderful Warren Ellis score, which is very subdued in the first half but becomes more melodic later on. Fernanda Torres is just sensational as Eunice and fully deserving of her Best Actress Oscar nomination. She deftly balances her intelligence and frantic search for the truth while being as motherly as she can to her children. I absolutely loved I’m Still Here and found myself powerfully moved as the credits started to roll. 

• Read the full I’m Still Here review

And the best film is…

1) The Brutalist

My top pick is The Brutalist, an epic period drama directed by Brady Corbet, who last made the excellent Vox Lux. Undeniably more ambitious in scope, Corbet’s latest spans over thirty years and a three and a half hour run time. Adrien Brody plays László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor and Bauhaus-trained architect who immigrates to America in search of a new life. The film isn’t perfect but The Brutalist is directed with real bravura and has a lot to say – although it’s about Tóth’s architectural career on the surface, there are plenty of parallels with the idea of how someone suffers for their art and how they are the person remembered rather than the entity throwing money at a project. Of course, that means there’s themes of compromise and interference and although its last 30 minutes may seem to take a different, seemingly incomprehensible tone, I found it very thought-provoking. Adrien Brody turns in a career-best performance as the suffering artist, nailing the Slavic accent and mannerisms – he’s fully deserving of his Best Actor nomination and he’s the clear winner. Guy Pearce is also a standout as the slimy financier in a very multi-faceted performance. Pearce is no stranger to playing villains – his deliciously evil turn in Lawlessis evidence of that – but this is a complex individual with all the qualities of someone who has too much money. Daniel Blumberg’s prickly score is wonderful, lending the film a simmering intensity and he crafts many memorable themes that develop throughout the film. The Brutalist is also beautifully shot by Lol Crawley, resurrecting the VistaVision process to authentically portray the period. It’s staggering how good the film looks, considering its modest $9.6 million budget and bearing in mind its epic run time. I was engrossed from start to finish.

• Read the full The Brutalist review

The Academy Award nominations celebrating the films of 2023 have been announced and in this article, I’ll rank the Best Picture nominees in order of my own personal preference. The winners will be announced in the Oscar’s ceremony on 10th March 2024.

In my opinion, this is the strongest set of nominations in quite some time with seven brilliant films out of ten. I have to cast my mind back all the way to 2016 for a collection of films of similar quality (although I think 2023’s are still more consistent). 2019 was also a decent year, with three brilliant Best Picture nominees otherwise buried in a sea of mediocrity.

Let’s get started… 

10) Maestro

Every year, there is at least one (if not multiple) undeserving Awards films and for 2024, that honour goes to Maestro. Maestro is the sophomore writer-director effort by actor Bradley Cooper, after A Star Is Born (2018) which earned lots of awards love. Conversely, I didn’t think his remake was up to much, despite Lady Gaga’s committed performance. Cooper moves to Netflix for Maestro, a biopic about composer Leonard Bernstein covering his conducting debut at the New York Philharmonic in 1943 to 1987, nine years after the death of his wife, Felicia Montealegre. 

Bradley Cooper is so infatuated with himself, so hungry for Awards success that he doesn’t tell anything meaningful about Bernstein at all. The film is completely inert of energy and a real chore to sit through for its extended 129 minute run time. While Cooper may look like Bernstein with a fake schnozz and wrinkles, he’s just playing himself. Even Carey Mulligan, who generally shines in everything she’s in, fails to make much of an impression as Felicia Montealegre, because the film doesn’t dig into the psyche of her character at all. Rather miserably, the only scene I felt anything for her character is when she is diagnosed with cancer. The chemistry between Cooper and Mulligan is non-existent. The decision to race through the composer’s first 15 years in 45 minutes and then stay fixated on a shorter period throughout the rest of the film is an odd decision. Even Matthew Libatique, Darren Aronofsky’s preferred cinematographer, fails to inject his signature personality into the film. 

• Read the full Maestro review

9) Barbie

Barbie has a well-paced and energetic first half. Unfortunately, the latter half struggles in incorporating too many ideas are thrown and I found its message overly preachy. Starting with the positives, director Greta Gerwig explores some interesting themes, including existentialism and the impact both Barbie and Ken have had on modern culture. There are obvious references to Groundhog Day, Toy Story, The Wizard of Oz and The Lego Movie in its storyline and I also appreciated Gerwig’s personal and loving nods to her Sacramento roots, which also worked wonders for Lady Bird. Despite its 12A rating, Barbie isn’t particularly suitable for children and I suspect most of the themes and jokes will go over their heads. There’s some great performances here too. Margot Robbie is perfectly cast as the titular character, deftly balancing the likeability, humour and pathos needed for the crisis she undergoes.  Even Helen Mirren’s satirical narration points to her suitability. 

The film’s second half just didn’t work for me. It introduces too many ideas and ties itself in knots and it struck me as preachy in tone. In fact, there is one character who delivers an extended speech late into the film about what it means to be a woman in current society which although inspirational, is incredibly heavy-handed. It doesn’t leave any room for nuance whatsoever. While its exploration of gender is interesting on the surface, the resolution the film ultimately reaches borders on unsettling and sexist. Barbie is the first film to be directed by Gerwig where she has collaborated with another individual on the script, in this case her partner and fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach. While I can tolerate Marriage Story, I’ve not been a fan of the vast majority of Baumbach’s filmography. The film feels as if Gerwig was in charge of the film’s first half, with Baumbach piloting the second, although this isn’t necessarily the case. 

• Read the full Barbie review

8) Past Lives

Past Lives is the directorial debut of Celine Song and follows the relationship of two childhood friends over the course of 24 years, as they lead different lives. It’s certainly an original piece and the relationship between both Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) is nicely developed, with both actors turning in excellent performances. The film’s also handsomely shot on 35mm film by cinematographer Shabier Kirchner. But I never found Past Lives to be as affecting as others have raved it to be and it’s a little sluggishly paced in places. The score by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen also aggressively didn’t work for me.

7) American Fiction

American Fiction is the directorial debut of Cord Jefferson, a satirical comedy-drama adapted from Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure. It’s a highly entertaining literary comedy with a blisteringly sharp script that in some ways, feels like a film a more muted Spike Lee would make. This is a tough genre to crack and there have been far more failures than hits but I genuinely laughed quite a few times at this. There’s also more than a few kernels of truth about the publishing industry and what it means to be a writer, exploring the highs and lows of both the creative process and critical reception. But Jefferson deftly balances his commentary on the media with a heartfelt treatment of the themes of loneliness and family. The family drama element of the film is equally riveting, with the treatment of Alzheimers touching and the mundane but necessary tasks of trying to get someone into a home. There’s some terrific performances here too, especially Jeffrey Wright who’s always been a reliable screen presence but doesn’t often take the lead role. Wright nails the prickly, depressing nature of his character as he struggles to fit in and open up to people but with an almost lovable quality. 

• Read the full American Fiction review

6) The Zone of Interest

The Zone of Interest is director Jonathan Glazer’s new film, an uncomfortably long eleven year wait after Under The Skin. 11 years in the making, the film tells the story of Rudolf Höss, the longest-serving commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he lived with his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) in what they perceived as their idyllic home. Small catch – the garden wall with barbed wire atop it is shared with Auschwitz. 

The Zone of Interest is a fiercely original work from Glazer that’s uncomfortable viewing and really gets under your skin. The film possibly represents the most important use of sound I can think of in quite some time – the sound of the droning concentration camp with its whirring machinery is ever-present during mundane conversation and day-to-day life. Glazer never shows us the atrocities inside the camp and what we hear beyond the frame is another film in itself. I loved the surreal elements too, particularly a storyline shot with thermal cameras. Christian Friedel is sensational as the despicable SS officer – a cold, calculated yet frank and career-driven individual. His whole life becomes an obsession into how fast he can kill and there’s an everyday quality to the terrible schemes he is complicit in, which makes the film all the more chilling. The film is masterfully shot by Loving Vincent and Cold War cinematographer Łukasz Żal, an incredible shot of a chimney through a window that’s reflected on the glass will forever be ingrained in my memory. Mica Levi’s score, although sparse, is also deeply effective. Save for two doom-laden tracks at the beginning and end, the rest of the film uses more of a soundscape except for a recurring motif during the surreal sequences.  

• Read the full The Zone of Interest review

5) Anatomy of a Fall

Anatomy of a Fall is a fascinating character study of a family, the couple at its centre and the legal system that tries to break Sandra and her son apart. It’s a smart film that’s simmering with tension and excellent performances, although I’m confident it would pack an even greater wallop if it was tighter. Sandra Hüller is terrific in the lead role and is fully deserving of the praise she has been lauded. Her character is a matter-of-fact, frank individual and director Justine Triet delves into the idea that writers use those around them to bolster their image. Swann Arlaud is also brilliant as Sandra’s silver fox lawyer, Vincent Renzi, as is Antoine Reinartz as a particularly nasty prosecutor. He unpicks anything and everything Sandra or other persons called up to the bar say, constantly repurposing words as evidence of Sandra’s guilt. Although there isn’t an original score, the use of music is terrific and the recurring use of 50 Cent’ P.I.M.P. and Daniel’s piano recitals are chillingly effective. The film’s also beautifully shot by Simon Beaufils, who evocatively captures the high altitude setting of the chalet and likes to zoom in on certain minutiae, as if you’re a fly-on-the-wall. 

• Read the full Anatomy of a Fall review

4) The Holdovers

The Holdovers is the new Alexander Payne film and his first since 2017’s Downsizing. Payne reunites with his Sideways lead Paul Giamatti who stars as Paul Hunham, a strict classics teacher at Barton Academy, a New England boarding school that he attended back in his youth. The Holdovers is Payne at his best and is a tender delight from start to finish, but it deftly balances its warmth with a bittersweet tone. The performances are terrific all around, especially Giamatti, and the film perfectly evokes classic 1970’s cinema with its intentionally rustic aesthetic – it looks and feels like a work made at the time. It’s beautifully shot by In Bruges cinematographer Eigil Bryld, especially the wintry landscapes during the opening credits and some disorienting frames that feature late into the film. Paul Giamatti turns in what I’d probably consider a career-best performance as Hunham. Hunham is both lovable and loathsome and an easy character to relate to with the hardships he’s faced in life. In fact, there are many similarities between Hunham and Miles Raymond, the character Giamatti plays in Sideways, both characters that have been hard done-by in life.

I absolutely loved The Holdovers and was completely swept up by the film throughout, with its intelligent script and committed performances. It’s Payne’s best film since Sideways and I predict it will become a Christmas classic, with its perfectly judged bittersweet tone. They certainly don’t make films like this anymore.    

• Read the full The Holdovers review

3) Poor Things

Poor Things is Lanthimos back on track (I thought The Favourite was flawed) with a brilliantly twisted, uncomfortable yet multi-layered triumph. There’s so much going on here, both from a thematic and visual standpoint and it’ll take multiple rewatches to fully understand its message but it’s a film that gets better on each viewing. Lanthimos recaptures his bizarre yet oddly moving tone, which is what made his earlier efforts really shine, combined with lavish yet evocative production design. Robbie Ryan’s cinematography is a career-best, with every frame a painting worth pausing to analyse, which is interesting considering some of his work can be quite vanilla. The film boldly experiments with colour and perspectives are often shot through a fish-eye lens and it’s supported by the lavish production design. I also loved the retrofuturistic vision, with the Victorian London setting contrasting with succeeding elements.

Emma Stone turns in a career-best performance as the Frankenstein-like Bella Baxter, who opens the film as an inquisitive and brash child and ends as a self-made woman. I’ve sometimes struggled with her performances in the past and couldn’t believe she won the Best Actress Oscar for La La Land but not so here. Willem Dafoe is also reliably brilliant as the eccentric surgeon, who has to belch bubbles at the dinner table due to a health condition. Mark Ruffalo provides much of the comic relief as Wedderburn, who becomes increasingly child-like as the film progresses, although his British accent is rather wandery. The Killing of a Sacred Deer remains Lanthimos’ best work, in my opinion, but Poor Things is fully deserving of its praise and is a sensational experience to begin the year. 

• Read the full Poor Things review

2) Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon is the latest by Martin Scorsese and an adaptation of David Grann’s 2017 non-fiction novel of the same name. The book is a must-read and tells the sickly story of how the Osage community are systematically murdered in the 1920s after oil is discovered on their tribal land. Killers of the Flower Moon is, for the most part, an excellent adaptation. It earns its 206 minute run time with its sprawling, fascinating story and Scorsese takes his time to develop the characters. He immerses you in the terror felt by the Osage, that no-one is safe on their own land with greedy wolves scheming from every corner. I was particularly impressed how like in The Irishman, Scorsese presents the horror in quite an understated way, raw and fact-of-life. Although a revisionist Western first and foremost, there’s still many of Scorsese’s gangster elements to be found, from fatally flawed men to America’s founding myths.  Of course, being a Scorsese picture, the film has real big screen beauty and is handsomely shot by regular cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. He gorgeously captures the expansive Oklahoma vistas and holds onto a shot for uncomfortably long during heinous murders. The stunning cinematography and assured direction is paired with a haunting, bluesy final soundtrack by Robbie Robertson (who sadly passed away in August). A heartbeat motif that is repeated throughout the film is particularly effective, lending a feverish quality. 

• Read the full Killers of the Flower Moon review

1) Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is a tension-fuelled, thought-provoking minor-key masterpiece and is straight up there with director Christopher Nolan’s best work. It’s an incredibly rich piece of work and it left me feeling stone-cold with its characters haunting deliberation over the consequences of their work. This is a largely dialogue-heavy film for its lengthy three hour running time and except a breathtaking sequence depicting the Trinity test (even more impressive considering the minimal CGI), is largely bereft of action. Cillian Murphy has often represented one of the mechanisms to a successful Nolan film, and steps up to the lead role for Oppenheimer. His performance is simply sensational and a career-best. Oppenheimer is stacked with A-list actors, with Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr other notable highlights. The film is beautifully shot by now-Nolan regular Hoyte van Hoytema and Ludwig Göransson’s score is the glue that holds the film together. 

• Read the full Oppenheimer review