2024 may not have boasted as bombastic of a one-two-punch as Barbenheimer, but its Best Picture lineup is still lively and diverse. Here we see Anora, a new dramedy from writer-director Sean Baker (Tangerine, The Florida Project), facing off against the nearly four-hour-long period drama The Brutalist, the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, the Papal tale Conclave, and the highly cinematically-innovative Colson Whitehead adaptation Nickel Boys.
In this same category, we see a variety of genre films represented. Director Denis Villeneuve finishes off his multi-volume adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune with Part Two, and in a relative shocker we’ve got not one, but two musicals with Emilia Perez and Wicked (which, similar to Dune, is splitting its source material in two), as well as a horror flick in The Substance.
There’s no clear-cut frontrunner in the Best Picture category, and the same seems to apply for Best Actor and Best Actress. Adrien Brody as László Tóth in The Brutalist and Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence in Conclave have picked up some buzz and would be classic choices: aging but respected actors in ambitious roles after a number of years out of the spotlight. Sebastian Stan is also worthy of consideration. In the current climate, The Apprentice was unlikely to appeal to either the Trump-fatigued or the Trump-enamoured, and yet Stan’s performance is both uncanny and cleverly deconstructive. As for Best Actress, Demi Moore currently seems a favorite for her work in The Substance, but don’t count out Mikey Madison in Anora. And, although it’s not particularly common for musical performers to win, Cynthia Erivo has also been subject to plenty of praise for both her acting and singing performances in Wicked.
Moving beyond the most popular categories, Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay will also be interesting to watch… Anora seems likely for Original, although The Brutalist could just as easily pull it off. Adapted will likely depend on who ends up winning Best Picture and Director, but Nickel Boys seems like it could be a good choice, especially considering how transformative of an adaptation it is. With the Academy’s penchant for biopics, though, don’t be surprised if you see this honor bestowed upon A Complete Unknown. As for Best International Picture, based on critical and online reception I’m Still Here would seem a shoe-in, but the Academy seems to be favoring Emilia Perez, with its thirteen nominations, despite polarized reviews elsewhere. Although it’s not as represented in the above categories, Dune: Part Two was one of the highest-grossing movies of the year and could easily walk away with Best Cinematography (Greig Fraser) and Best Visual Effects.
Just about any set of Oscars nominees is bound to have some snubs, and this year is no exception. It’s a little surprising, in particular, to see Eggers’ Nosferatu with only a few nominations in obscure categories, considering the film received strong reviews and is the director’s strongest box office performance yet. Still, it’s a worthy competitor in all of the categories it’s been nominated for, particularly Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Costume Design, always strengths in an Eggers-led production.
The 97th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 2, 2025 and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien. They will air from 7 to 10 PM ET on ABC for broadcast and Hulu for streaming.
Junior Gavin Myer is a Staff Writer. His email is gmyer@fandm.edu.