Unfortunately, I’m not a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, so my vote won’t help decide the best in film for 2024. But with the Oscars coming up, I thought it’d be fun to cast my own ballot and share what I think should win in (almost) every category this year.
Before we dive in, here’s a quick note: I wasn’t able to catch all five documentaries this year, so I’ll be sitting that category out. As for the shorts, like most Oscar voters, I’ll be abstaining. But unlike them, even if I wanted to vote, I wouldn’t be able to since most aren’t widely available before the ceremony.
With that out of the way, let’s get started!
Best Picture
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- I’m Still Here
- Nickel Boys
- The Substance
- Wicked
My Vote: Anora
Should Have Been Nominated:Sing Sing
It is boring to pick what will likely win, but this is one of those rare years where the best film of the year will take the top prize. Sean Baker’s screwed up Cinderella story is I belive his magnum opus. Equally bits hilarious and heartbreaking, it feels like the culmination of his mission the last ten years of highlighting those that society chooses to forget about. My close runner-ups would be The Brutalist and Nickel Boys.
Best Director
- James Mangold – A Complete Unknown
- Sean Baker – Anora
- Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
- Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
- Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
My Pick: Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Should Have Been Nominated: Ramell Ross – Nickel Boys
It’s always tough to split Best Picture and Best Director because if a movie is the best of the year, the person who envisioned and oversaw its creation should be rewarded as well. However, this year is a rare exception. Sean Baker comes close, but I would pick Brady Corbet for The Brutalist. Creating a film of the scale of The Brutalist with a budget of less than $10 million is, to me, the directing achievement of the year. It looks better and feels more fully realized than most films with budgets five, ten, or even twenty times its size. Honorable mention to Coralie Fargeat, who delivered one of the most unique visions I saw last year—she would be a fun spoiler in this category.
Best Actor
- Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
- Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
- Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
- Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
- Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
My Pick: Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Should Have Been Nominated: Jesse Plemmons – Kinds of Kindness
This is a strong category, but it ultimately comes down to two performances. Adrien Brody delivers an undeniable triumph, carrying a three-and-a-half-hour film with a heartbreaking and deeply nuanced portrayal. However, Colman Domingo edges him out. No performance moved me more—his portrayal of the crushing weight of the justice system is devastating. He deserves immense credit for not only his own performance but also for elevating a cast of mostly non-film actors. No one feels out of place, and his ability to create chemistry with everyone on screen is remarkable.
Best Actress
- Mikey Madison – Anora
- Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
- Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
- Demi Moore – The Substance
- Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
My Pick: Mikey Madison – Anora
Should Have Been Nominated: Nicole Kidman – Babygirl
If I’m going to say Anora is the best film of the year, it would feel wrong not to pick Anora herself, Mikey Madison, for Best Actress. Anora’s ability to seamlessly shift between genres works because Madison anchors the film with a performance that is both dynamic and deeply human. She also crushes the tricky and easy-to-overdo Brooklyn accent. Fernanda Torres is a close second, delivering a realistic portrayal that is powerful and moving. This category is filled with BIG performances, and Torres is a breath of fresh air that shows subtlety can be as effective.
Best Supporting Actor
- Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
- Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
- Yura Borisov – Anora
- Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
- Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
My Pick: Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
Should Have Been Nominated: Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Pound for pound, Supporting Actor is the strongest acting category this year. Each of the five nominees delivers a performance worthy of an Academy Award, but Jeremy Strong rises just above the rest for his portrayal of Roy Cohn in The Apprentice. He fully embodies the character’s arrogance and malice, making it impossible to look away. It’s a role that could have easily veered into satire or parody, yet Strong keeps it grounded in realism—only making Cohn’s repulsiveness more unsettling.
Honorable mention to Yura Borisov, whose subtle performance as Igor, the Russian henchman, is both hilarious and unexpectedly sweet. His work becomes even more rewarding on rewatches, as his small mannerisms and background reactions perfectly capture a man slowly falling in love.
Best Supporting Actress
- Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown
- Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
- Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
- Ariana Grande – Wicked
- Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
My Pick: Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown
Should Have Been Nominated: Aujuane Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
A Complete Unknown was a film I had mixed feelings about, but its supporting cast was undeniably its strongest aspect. Monica Barbaro stands out as folk singer Joan Baez. Placed in a love triangle with Chalamet’s Dylan and Elle Fanning’s Sylvie Russo, she elevates what could have been a generic subplot. Her chemistry with Chalamet is so strong that their scenes together become the film’s highlight. On top of that, her singing as Baez is one of the most impressive acting feats of the year, perfectly capturing Baez’s intricate vocal patterns.
2nd place is Ariana Grande, who—shockingly—delivers one of the funniest performances of the year as Glinda and (less shockingly) nails the musical aspects of Wicked.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Emilia Pérez
- Nickel Boys
- Sing Sing
My Pick: Nickel Boys
Should Have Been Nominated: Hit Man
Nickel Boys gets my vote for being the most impressive and boldest adaptation. Capturing the story of the book in shifting first-person perspectives while maintaining a coherent, emotionally resonant narrative is an incredible form of adaptation. Honorable mention to likely winner Conclave, whose screenplay elevates the somewhat campy mystery book into a riveting thriller.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- A Real Pain
- September 5
- The Substance
My Pick: The Substance
Should Have Been Nominated: I Saw the TV Glow
Anora might be the best film of the year, but no screenplay oozed more originality and creativity than Coralie Fargaet’s The Substance. Some might attribute the success more to Fargaet’s direction, but after reading parts of the scripts and interviews with her, the vision started with the pen. Imagining all the twists and disgusting turns of the story and being able to describe them in a script is an incredible feat.
Animated Feature Film
- Flow – Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, Gregory Zalcman
- Inside Out 2 – Kelsey Mann, Mark Nielsen
- Memoir of a Snail – Adam Elliot, Liz Kearney
- Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek
- The Wild Robot – Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann
My Pick: Flow
Should Have Been Nominated: Look Back
It pains me not to vote for Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot), who is my favorite American animation director. However, while The Wild Robot is brilliant, the animated film that took my breath away this year is Flow. Gints Zilbalodis’s story of a black cat trying to survive a flood is a visual marvel. Told with no dialogue yet always perfectly able to showcase its ideas, it’s the animation achievement of the year.
International Feature Film
- Brazil – I’m Still Here
- Denmark – The Girl with the Needle
- France – Emilia Pérez
- Germany – The Seed of the Sacred Fig
- Latvia – Flow
My Pick: I’m Still Here
Should Have Been Nominated: Kneecap
Like with Original Screenplay, I’m spreading the love here. Flow is the strongest of the five nominees, but since I already picked it for Best Animated Feature, I’m going with my close second: Walter Salles’s I’m Still Here. This powerful drama about a woman searching for her kidnapped husband not only delivers an emotionally gripping story but also shines a necessary light on an important historical injustice.
Votes for Below-the-Line Categories
Cinematography
- The Brutalist
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- Maria
- Nosferatu
My Pick: The Brutalist
Should Have Been Nominated: Nickel Boys
Costume Design
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Gladiator II
- Nosferatu
- Wicked
My Pick: Wicked
Should Have Been Nominated: Furiosa: A Mad Max Sage
Film Editing
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- Conclave
- Emilia Pérez
- Wicked
My Pick: The Brutalist
Should Have Been Nominated: Challengers
Makeup and Hairstyling
- A Different Man
- Emilia Pérez
- Nosferatu
- The Substance
- Wicked
My Pick: The Substance
Should Have Been Nominated: Queer
Music (Original Score)
- The Brutalist – Daniel Blumberg
- Conclave – Volker Bertelmann
- Emilia Pérez – Clément Ducol, Camille
- Wicked – John Powell, Stephen Schwartz
- The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers
My Pick: The Brutalist
Should Have Been Nominated: Challengers
Music (Original Song)
- “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez (Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard)
- “The Journey” – The Six Triple Eight (Diane Warren)
- “Like a Bird” – Sing Sing (Abraham Alexander, Adrian Quesada)
- “Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez (Camille, Clément Ducol)
- “Never Too Late” – Elton John: Never Too Late (Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, Bernie Taupin)
My Pick: “Like a Bird” – Sing Sing
Should Have Been Nominated: “Claw Machine” – I Saw the TV Glow
Production Design
- The Brutalist
- Conclave
- Dune: Part Two
- Nosferatu
- Wicked
My Pick: Nosferatu
Should Have Been Nominated: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Sound
- A Complete Unknown
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- Wicked
- The Wild Robot
My Pick: Dune Part II
Should Have Been Nominated: Civil War
Visual Effects
- Alien: Romulus
- Better Man
- Dune: Part Two
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Wicked
My Pick: Dune Part II
Should Have Been Nominated: The Substance
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