With the Golden Globes and Critics Choice awards taking place throughout the past week, it’s becoming more clear what the Academy will nominate as the best of 2024. Before the nominations announcement on Jan. 23, I want to take a look at what will likely be the biggest contenders for Best Picture.
Photo courtesy of Baltimore Magazine.
“Anora"
Sean Baker has become one of the most critically-acclaimed indie filmmakers of this generation. With “Anora,” Baker finds his most successful film yet. Not only is it Baker’s highest-grossing film, but it won one of the most prestigious awards of the year, the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. With Mikey Madison’s frontrunner status in the Best Actress category and Baker’s “overdue” narrative for an Oscar, this is easily one of the biggest contenders for Best Picture.
“The Brutalist”
Photo courtesy of IMDb.
While “The Brutalist” has yet to receive a wide release, it has garnered massive praise from critics due to its bold vision by Brady Corbet, and its famous intermission halfway through the film. Shot almost entirely with IMAX cameras, Corbet uses his less than $10 millionbudget to a sparing degree, with critics pointing out the impressive blockbuster scope. With huge prospects in the technical categories and Adrian Brody/Guy Pierce’s comeback narrative, this is a massive contender that will be hard to ignore.
“Wicked”
Photo courtesy of Teen Vogue.
“Wicked” saw nearly no pre-release Oscar buzz, outside of fans of the stage adaptation. Its color grade and “part one” nature turned a lot of people off of the project. When it released, it defied all expectations, having one of the biggest openings for a film in 2024 and eventually became the highest-grossing musical of all time. With its near-unanimous acclaim and high regard for its production and acting, I will be shocked if this doesn’t make it into the Best Picture category.
“Emilia Perez”
Photo courtesy of IMDb.
Despite the online discourse about its undercooked story and questionable depiction of Hispanic culture, “Emilia Perez” has been doing exceptionally well in the precursor awards. Scoring 10 Golden Globe nominations and 10 Critics Choice nominations, there are not many other films released in 2024 that are receiving this number of nominations. What helps the film is director Jacques Audiard, who has built an incredible reputation through his critically-acclaimed French films. With the leading star power of Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, and the awards push by Netflix, this should have an easy time getting into the major categories.
“Conclave”
Photo courtesy of IMDb.
Edward Berger exploded in the Oscars scene with his remake of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which scored four wins at the 2023 Academy Awards. “Conclave” is another venture into politics, but this time carrying a massive ensemble cast delivering some of their best performances. Being based on a popular novel and delving into relevant subject matter, this is an Oscar contender bound to please anyone who watches. It has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason.
Photo courtesy of IMDb.
“Dune: Part Two”
Although I believe “Dune: Part Two” will receive a Best Picture nomination, I don’t think it will get rewarded as much as its predecessor. Missing a Best Director nomination and the Box Office Achievement Award at the Golden Globes and its ineligibility for the Best Original Score category at the Oscars leads me to believe that people will not respond to it in the same way as “Dune: Part One,” especially since the first film won six Oscars. Its universal love from fans and undeniable technical achievements are very likely to be acknowledged, but it will probably come nowhere close to winning any of the major categories.
“The Substance”
Photo courtesy of IMDb.
“The Substance” is the clear outlier in this year’s awards race. Its genre blend with an aggressive take on the female image makes for a highly visceral experience, and critics have been expressing this through their nominations. Making it into the Best Director and Best Screenplay categories at the Golden Globes (which is highly correlated with getting a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars), this is looking to be one of the only horror films to ever be nominated for major categories at the Academy Awards.
“A Complete Unknown”
Photo courtesy of The New York Times.
Timothée Chalamet had an incredible 2024. With “Dune: Part 2” becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of the year and “Wonka” carrying a strong box office performance into January despite its December 2023 release date, “A Complete Unknown” looks to be another massive hit for the 29-year-old actor. Scoring four nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) and receiving Best Picture nominations at the Golden Globes, British Academy of Film and Television Arts(BAFTA) and Critics Choice nominations, this is another film I would consider a “lock” for the category.
“Nickel Boys”
Photo courtesy of the St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF).
It is much more difficult for an independent film to get into the Best Picture category due to the small marketing budget and their lack of Hollywood star power. Despite this, I think “Nickel Boys” is likely to get a Best Picture nomination due to transforming and innovating filmmaking as a form. Its first-person point of view makes for a unique viewing experience and transforms the material into something greater. As well as having prospects in the Adapted Screenplay and Cinematography categories, I can see this film sneaking in despite its low visibility.
“Sing Sing”
Photo courtesy of IMDb.
Much like “Nickel Boys,” “Sing Sing” has had an incredibly small release. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and did not get a release until July of 2024, where it only grossed $3.1 million. For those who have seen it, it ranks high in their favorite films of the year, holding a 97% rating by critics and a 96% rating by audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Coleman Domingo is also winning Best Actor Awards at many critics' groups around the United States. Although the film did not receive a wide release, the online buzz and support from critics makes me believe that this will take the tenth spot in the Best Picture line-up.
After careful consideration, find my predicted nominees for all the categories in the 2025 Academy Awards here.
Trevor Stucker (he/him) is a senior majoring in Applied Film and Journalism. This is his third year writing for The Campus Citizen.
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