2024: year in film
favorite 2024 movie releases & thoughts on the academy awards and nominations
2024 was a pretty average year for film. We’ve had some amazing long-awaited releases that lived up to the hype, as well as a lot of mediocre films to fill up the time in between.
I must admit, I would say my performance this year as a self-proclaimed cinephile was quite below my average though. I had a very stressful year filled with a lot of life-defining decisions, and I couldn’t watch as many movies as I usually do in a year. But I still wanted to write this sort of year-end review (because I would die if I don’t talk about my opinions) so, take all of this with a grain of salt.
I have seen most of the films nominated for the Oscars this year for a few exceptions, like The Substance (I know, I’m just not very good with body horror so I don’t know how I would get through this to be honest), and some of the short films and documentaries.
I have a love hate relationship with the Academy awards, as I’m sure most of us do. I love them because as someone who loves film, I enjoy watching filmmakers, actors, and their art getting celebrated. I hate it because each year, some of the most talented and deserving artists are not celebrated. I have never not been somewhat disappointed by either the nominations or the winners each year that I followed the awards. This should be something that I look forward to as a cinema lover, but I can’t help but dread it at the same time.
I had a conversation with one of my university teachers the other day on cinema. He’s a photographer, who goes to film festivals all the time. His opinion is of that Nolan is the last good living director, and that all good filmmakers will be dead in the near future. I’m not at all shocked by his opinion, as he’s a 40 year old white man, but he’s also representative of the average Academy voter, which is very sad. I’m sorry, but if you really think there is no good art being made today, you need to watch more movies!
The problem is that, the Academy voters (so people like my teacher) are also the ‘cinema lovers’—the intended audience, I would say. I like to think that the Oscars are for people who watch movies, but each year this belief gets more and more crushed, as the nominations seem to cater more towards the general audience instead. I’m especially baffled by how the hosts have been approaching it, poking fun at the movies nominated and making jokes that are in bad taste. I don’t know, I just feel like the obvious answer as the host of an event that’s about celebrating film is to… celebrate film? Instead of whatever this is. I actually quite liked how Kristen Bell approached the SAG Awards a few days ago, I think it was very appreciative of the whole event and the artists present. Here’s to hoping Conan O’Brien breaks the bad streak for the Oscars this year. I guess what I’m trying to say by all this is, it’s never a good idea to take these awards too seriously.
My sentiment is that it feels like this event that’s supposed to be celebrating cinema has took a turn and instead has become entertainment for the common viewer who might or not might not even have the slightest interest in film. At least, that’s the only way I can justify some of the nominations. Seriously, Wicked for Best Picture? And Emilia Pérez? I see people on the internet arguing about who deserves the Supporting Actress win more: Zoe Saldaña or Ariana Grande, and I just want to scream at them to please go watch some movies!!!
I actually really enjoyed Wicked, and I truly think it’s doing what it was supposed to do. I know the commentary on the color palette has been repeated a lot—and normally it wouldn’t matter this much, but when you’re making a movie that’s directly referencing another which is known for its vibrant Technicolor marvel, this shouldn’t even be a given. It shouldn’t have been that pale and lifeless, but the exact opposite instead. I think Wicked falls too flat on this regard to even be considered for Best Picture.
Emilia Pérez came out in France (or in Europe in general, I’m not sure) a couple months before it came out worldwide, so when I went to see it I had absolutely no idea what it was about. I thought it would just be a random European movie that no one would even see, but then seeing the resurgence of popularity months after I had seen it was weird to witness. Everything that needs to be said about this movie and the actors has already been said, and I don’t have anything to add. I just can’t believe we’re having another case of Green Book so soon.
A Complete Unknown was also a bit of a disappointment to me. I loved Timothee’s performance, but I think the movie would’ve been much better if it focused more on the interesting context and setting of the time, instead of the music. But then again, it’s a Bob Dylan biopic, so of course it’s about his music. Some aspects of the film really took me out of the experience, so it didn’t really make a lasting impression on me.
I felt similar towards Anora, it’s good but it has a bad aftertaste. I liked it a lot more right after watching it, compared to now. After sitting on it, it didn’t stick with me the way I expected it to. I think the characters, especially Ani, fell flat and was too one-dimensional. Yes, the final scene was wonderful, but it wasn’t enough, and it was too late.
I know there has been some controversy surrounding The Brutalist for their use of AI. This is an unpopular opinion, but I’m honestly kind of okay with it, which was apparently to perfect the actors’ Hungarian accents. I’d like to think this doesn’t mean that the actors put any less effort into their performances, or that their acting on screen was effected in any way. We have to accept that a lot of the movies we watch these days go through some kind of AI in post-production. Earlier this year it came out that for Furiosa, they blended Anya Taylor-Joy’s face to the child actor’s, who was portraying her for the first act of the movie1. I thought this was such a clever use of AI, and I think we need to be more open to opportunities like these that AI presents. As long as it’s not hindering or doing the actual creative process, I’m fine with AI. Unrelated to this aspect, I am still conflicted about this movie. I loved the first half so much, and I feel like the rest wasn’t as captivating. I do realize that’s part of the dismantling of the ‘American dream’ that the first half just built up, so it might be on purpose, but I felt a lot less connected to the movie and the characters after the intermission. A lot of what was built up just didn’t go anywhere. I loved the ending though, and I loved how the last 3 hours of pain and suffering boiled down to that.
Nickel Boys was gut-wrenching. I couldn’t look away—literally and figuratively. I’m still not sure how I feel about the first person perspective, but I love that the director took an unconventional and original approach to this story. I’m glad this film is in this category, and I think RaMell Ross should’ve gotten a Directing nomination as well. Embrace the directors who step outside of the box.
I was very moved by I’m Still Here, but even more so by Fernanda Torres and her performance. This movie relies heavily on the actors—on their performances and especially on their chemistry. And there isn’t a second where any of that is less than perfect.
I know Dune: part two is one of the least likely films to win in this list, but it’s definitely in the top for me. The Academy hates genre films, but this doesn’t change the fact that both parts of Dune have been some of the most influential films in recent times. It’s generating excitement among the general audience, and pushing people to actually follow the release dates, and go to the theaters. I don’t know what more I could want from a movie like that.
If I had to choose my Best Picture among this list, it would definitely be Conclave. I’m so shocked this did not get a Cinematography nomination, it’s all I could focus on during some scenes, and every shot was beautiful. I don’t know what I expected going into the movie, but it definitely surpassed any expectation I had. It’s actually surprisingly funny, and says a lot more about faith, gender, and fascism than some of these movies could ever hope to (I’m looking at you Emilia Pérez). I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the last 10 minutes of it ever since I saw it. From what I’ve seen and read, this is sadly an unpopular opinion but I’m definitely rooting for Isabella Rossellini for Actress in a Supporting Role. She may only have a few lines, but she is truly the heart of the film.
Up until a couple weeks ago, I was sure The Brutalist would win Best Picture, but now I think Anora is a big contender as well, as I’ve been seeing a lot of people predicting it as the winner, I’m guessing because of the AI drama. As I’ve mentioned, I would not choose either of them from this list, but I think The Brutalist will take home the win (while keeping my hopes up for a surprise Conclave win).
I have a very special place in my heart for animations, and this year I feel like we didn’t get a lot of great ones. The Wild Robot (which I’m pretty sure is going to win Animated Feature Film) and Memoir of a Snail were both amazing though. Both made me cry like a baby.
With all that being said, I also want to talk about some of my favorite 2024 releases that did not get recognized by the Academy, or at least not to their full potential (in no particular order).
Nosferatu: Could easily be the best film of the year. I haven’t been this captivated by a movie in a long time. I don’t like horror, and I’m not a gothic fan, but I was still so fascinated by this. The more I read and think about this movie, the more I realize how well thought-out everything about it is. I still can’t stop thinking about some of the scenes.
The Count of Monte Cristo: I’m definitely biased on this because I have a weird emotional attachment to this story, but I have to say this movie blew me away when I saw it in theaters. It feels so grand and glorious, just like the book, and honestly captures the essence of the story in such a great way.
Furiosa: Like I mentioned, the Academy hates genre movies, but this will be their downfall. I don’t even know what to say, other than this is the biggest rig of the century. I guess it’s true that masterpieces are never really recognized in their own time, but I really truly think we will be talking about this movie for a very long time, and I’m sad to see I haven’t been seeing it in other people’s top 2024 lists. Furiosa your time will come, and you will be famous.
Challengers: Luca Guadagnino is single handedly bringing back true desire and yearning in cinema. It’s especially ironic seeing how movies like Babygirl—ones that are supposed to be sensual (and are filled with more sex scenes) can’t even begin to do what Luca is doing in terms of sexy, erotic, and just horny movies. Challengers and Queer are both masterpieces.
I saw the TV Glow: I feel like the less you know about this movie going into it, the better. It was devastating.
Sing Sing: I’m genuinely baffled that this did not get a Best Picture nomination. I expected not only a nomination, but actually a win. I wish Colman Domingo could at least win Actor in a Leading Role, but the Academy loves Adrien Brody for some reason, so I doubt it. Disappointing, to say the least.
Dìdi: A very nice and fresh coming-of-age movie, which I enjoyed a lot. Beware if you have mommy issues, I was kind of dying by the end of this.
Your Monster: If you read my recent piece on rom-coms, you know I’m very passionate about them. I made some recommendations on that post, but I left this one for here—I felt it needed its own place to shine, without being compared to other rom-coms. I loved it a lot, and it’s definitely worth checking out.
In case you missed it :)
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies: I think this was one of the highest rated films of 2024 on letterboxd, and it’s for a good reason.
Kneecap: This was one of the funniest movies I watched this year. Rich Peppiatt should have gotten a Directing nomination, for sure.
thank you for reading!
we’re only a few days away from the oscars now, and i’m still not sure if i will be watching it live… but we’ll see (i probably will)
i’d love to know your thoughts on this year’s nominations!
love, asli
https://variety.com/2024/artisans/news/furiosa-ai-anya-taylor-joy-alyla-browne-1236016222/
What about A Real Pain? Definitely in my top 50 of all time.
Love thiss i really need more movie reccs