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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Film Meister 