My Oscar Ballot - 2024

Yes, this has been sitting in drafts for over a year. Yes, the Oscars for 2025 already happened last month. But to get to the new stuff, I'm cleaning out the draft folders, starting with this embarrassingly overdue look at the best films of 2024. It was not among my favorite recent years for cinema, which probably contributed to the long delay, but the highs were very high. Without any further waiting, I'll cut to the chase:

Best VFX: 

Dune: Part 2

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Better Man,

Alien: Romulus, Wicked

Two of the surest franchise bets in the effects business went toe to toe in a year that was otherwise pretty forgettable blockbuster-wise. Both 'Dune' and the latest 'Apes' movies live up to expectations with top-of-the-line CGI at epic scales. But I give the edge here to 'Dune,' which ups the scope from 'Part 1' in every way, delivering the very best spectacle money can buy. A special standout would of course be the worm-riding sequences, which are also the star showcase for its Sound Design, but across the board this team has created some of the most vividly realized worlds in SciFi history, always feeling like the sand is going to rush through the screen and hit you right in the face.

Runners-Up: Twisters, Civil War, Gladiator 2, Furiosa, 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: 

The Substance

Furiosa, Nosferatu, Dune: Part 2, Wicked

Most years, there's always one category where, as soon as a movie releases, it becomes clear that the rest of the competition is going to have to settle for participation trophies. In 2024, that was the increasingly unhinged and nauseating makeup work in 'The Substance.' Escalating from skin-crawingly real to insanely over-the-top, the body horror fable leans fully on its team of makeup artists if it hopes to succeed; and do they ever. The climatic creation of Monstro Elisasue obviously steals the spotlight, but that gore-soaked payoff comes after two hours of impeccably crafted wounds and transformations. It's the sickeningly real small choices that make the fantastical payoff land so well and why it was never really a contest who would take home the gold here.

Runners-Up: A Different Man, Beetlejuice 2, Gladiator 2, Queer, Longlegs

Best Production Design: 

Nathan Crowley & Lee Sandales [Wicked]

Patrice Vermette & Shane Vieau [Dune: Part 2],

Craig Lathrop & Beatrice Brentnerová [Nosferatu],

Stefano Baisi & Lisa Scoppa [Queer],

Suzie Davies & Cynthia Sleiter [Conclave]

Reimagining such an iconic world as Oz is no small task. In designing 'Wicked,' Crowley and Sandales proved well up to the challenge. From Munchkin Land to the Emerald City, these classic locations remain instantly recognizable yet consistently surprising, blending high fantasy with the musical's more mechanical aesthetic. Touches like the massive train and Oz himself's huge mechanical head especially showcase the epic scale without neglecting intricate attention to detail. While the poor choices made in lighting the movie may muddle their work in the final images on screen, the incredible craft still shines through.

Runners-Up: Gladiator 2, Young Woman and the Sea, The Substance, The Brutalist

Best Costumes: 

Paul Tazewell [Wicked]

Jacqueline West [Dune 2], Linda Muir [Nosferatu],

Janty Yates & David Crossman [Gladiator 2], Jenny Beavan [Furiosa]

As with the sets, any designer approaching the costumes of 'Wicked' has sky-high expectations to meet. But there was never any doubt that Paul Tazewell had what it took to pull it off. Operating within the prescribed essentials for each character and the huge Oz ensemble, he delivers instantly recognizable looks that, through meticulously crafted detail, stand apart as his own inspired versions. Elphaba, Glinda, and all the rest would never be mistaken for anyone else, but have passed through the framing lens of one of theatre's best design minds. For that, it's very easy to choose Tazewell for the win.

Runners-Up: Kate Forbes [Brutalist], Massimo Cantini Parrini [Maria],

Lisy Christl [Conclave], Jonathan Anderson [Queer]

Best Sound: 

Dune: Part 2

Challengers, Nickel Boys, Furiosa, The Substance

In contrast to the horrific, painstakingly researched soundscape of last year's winner, 'Zone of Interest,' most of this year's contenders return to the more traditional standouts of the category - loud, brash, epic action sequences. And none do it better than 'Dune: Part 2.' Picking up the high bar set by the first film's winning sound design, everything is scaled up for 'Part 2,' as its world descends into all-out war. The result is an immersive, seat-shaking experience that transports the audience straight into Arrakis. Whether on the back of a sandworm or the cockpit of an ornithopter; this team continues to operate at the cutting edge of their field.

Runners-Up: Civil War, Maria, Flow, The Wild Robot

Best Editing: 

Marco Costa [Challengers & Queer]

Nicholas Monsour [Nickel Boys], Nick Emerson [Conclave],

Lucian Johnston [Janet Planet],

Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet & Valantin Feron [Substance]

Tennis must be a favorite sport of editors, lending itself so well to the craft with its rapid-fire hits and ball strikes. A high-stakes tennis drama is the perfect gift to someone looking to show off in the cut, and Costa did not drop the ball. The match sequences in 'Challengers' are among the most exhilarating of the year, and by applying the same rhythmic logic and pace to the scenes off the court, he ensures that the intensity keeps up for the full runtime, allowing very few moments for the characters and audience to catch their breath. But it would be remiss to ignore Costa's work on the second Guadagnino piece of the year. On 'Queer,' he takes the opposite approach, with slow, oozing dissolves that bring the mournful, dreamlike world of Burroughs' text to life on screen. For mastering the edit in such radically different films, Costa is the clear favorite and one of the biggest snubs from the Academy this year.

Runners-Up: Justine Wright [Live In Time], Ryan Kendrick [Think About Dying], Alfonso Gonçalves [Still Here], Joe Walker [Dune 2], Sofía Subercaseaux [Maria]

Best Original Song: 

‘Claw Machine’ by Haley Dahl & Phoebe Bridgers [TV Glow]

‘Starburned and Unkissed’ by Caroline Polachek [TV Glow], 

‘Kiss the Sky’ by Maren Morris, etc. [Wild Robot],

'Like a Bird’ by Adrian Queseda & Abraham Alexander [Sing Sing],

'Sick in the Head’ by Kneecap [Kneecap]

Too few movies receive proper made-for-the-film soundtracks these days. It's no coincidence that for two years running now, the films that bothered to put the effort in got two nominations each. ('Barbie' in '23 and now 'TV Glow') The songs of 'I Saw the TV Glow' do a remarkable job at setting the tone and modulating the atmosphere for its eerie, dysphoric world of repressed adolescent angst. From the long list of great tunes, Haley Dahl and Phoebe Bridgers' 'Claw Machine' stands above the crowd, and not just because it's the one that says the title of the film. Their heart-wrenching ballad perfectly captures the story's spirit in both lyrics and instrumentals, inserted seamlessly into one of the most pivotal scenes. Long after the credits roll, it will still be finding ways to worm its way back into your brain and make you tear up all over again.

Runners-Up: ‘Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma by Luke Combs, Jessi Alexander & Jonathan Singleton [Twisters], ‘Not My Fault’ by Renee Rapp & Megan Pete [Mean Girls], ‘Compress/Repress’ by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross [Challengers] 

Best Original Score: 

Daniel Blumberg [Brutalist]

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross [Challengers], Kris Bowers [Wild Robot],

Alex Somers & Scott Alario [Nickel Boys], Dabney Morris [Think About Dying]

The margin between this and Reznor & Ross' exhilarating electric beats for 'Challengers' was impossibly close. But while those electric rhythms (and the annoying phone alarm they left in the soundtrack) remain in my workout rotation, I ultimately give the edge to Blumberg. While I found the inner narrative of 'The Brutalist' more hollow than most critics, its score absolutely rises to meet the grandiose standards the movie sets for itself. An epic orchestral odyssey that we rarely get anymore, the score is every bit as imposing and carefully crafted as the stark, stalwart designs of the film's titular architect. This is only Blumberg's second feature-length composition, and he's announced himself in a huge way with this swelling body of music. I can't wait to see what he does next.

Runners-Up: Eiko Ishibashi [Evil] Does Not Exist], Robin Carolan [Nosferatu],

Amelia Warner [Young Woman & the Sea], Warren Ellis [Still Here], Alex G [TV Glow]

Best Adapted Screenplay: 

RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes [Nickel Boys]

Murilo Hauser & Heitor Lorega [Still Here],

Justin Kuritzkes [Queer], Greg Kwedar & Clint Bentley [Sing Sing],

Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz, Katy Wright-Mead [Think About Dying]

Having read Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel beforehand, 'Nickel Boys' instantly jumped to my most anticipated movie of the year in 2024. I was fascinated to see how director Ross and his co-writer Barnes would translate from page to screen, especially once the movie's POV-approach was revealed. And while there are elements of the novel that don't make it through the filter of this lens, it stands apart as a fascinating and innovative work of adaptation. It is a one-of-a-kind narrative endeavor, and Ross and Barnes' script makes it seem like it comes naturally to them, like a practiced tradition, to build this life of sensory details and fractured moments thrown against the wall of cruel history.

Runners-Up: Chris Sanders [Wild Robot], Villeneuve & Spaihts [Dune 2],

Robert Eggers [Nosferatu], Peter Straughan [Conclave]

Best Original Screenplay: 

Jane Schoenbrun [TV Glow]

Justin Kuritzkes [Challengers], Sean Baker [Anora], 

Annie Baker [Janet Planet], Aaron Schimberg [Different Man]

Schoenbrun's script hits like a neon sledgehammer. One of the most wildly original and emotionally devastating stories of the year, and of recent memory, 'TV Glow' is one-of-a-kind. Full of arresting visuals and unforgettable scenes, it imagines a nightmarish children's show that, for all its surreal horror, offers an unmistakable escape from the far-more-deadly terror of repressed reality. Schoenbrun's work with metaphor is not exactly subtle (though judging by some willfully dense online reactions, perhaps it can't afford to be) but where it truly shines is by conveying an unmistakable, deeply personal thematic core in a way that is gut-wrenchingly relatable to anyone that has known the pain of denying their true self out of fear of what the world would think. 'I Saw the TV Glow' does not diminish the realness of the threats and the validity of that fear, but it pulls no punches with the heart-breaking walking death of the alternative. Holding down on the gas all the way to the final moments, it is an existentially horrifying but ultimately hopeful fable that will stick with audiences for a very long time and firmly announces its writer as a creative force to be reckoned with.

Runners-Up: Julio Torres [Problemista], Coralie Fargeat [The Substance],

Steven Knight [Maria], Megan Park [My Old Ass]

Best Cinematography: 

Jomo Fray [Nickel Boys]

Lol Crawley [Brutalist], Jarin Blaschke [Nosferatu],

Sayombhu Mukdeeprom [Challengers & Queer], Eric K. Yue [TV Glow]

This was a year with many stunning visuals and fascinating camera tricks, but Fray's innovative work stands a head above the rest. At the time, many pundits chalked his egregious snub up to the nature of the movie's POV-style shooting meaning that the camera was in his own hands for very little of the filming process. But, if the voting group truly felt that way, it is an incredibly reductive take on his work here. Beyond the ways Fray contrived to insert the camera into the heart of the action in every scene, showing us the world through the eyes of the protagonist, each moment is carefully crafted and controlled to capture the mood of shattered childhood. He does marvelous things with light, making even the darkest moments feel remarkably, beautifully, alive. As a cinematographer, he is not only re-inventing his craft, but using every scene to showcase he has mastered its traditional elements along with the new unknowns.

Runners-Up: Benjamin Kracun [Substance], Edward Lachman [Maria],

Greig Fraser [Dune], Stéphane Fontaine [Conclave], Andrés Arochi [Longlegs]

Best Supporting Actor:

Clarence Maclin [Sing Sing]

Jack Haven [TV Glow], Karren Karagulian [Anora], 

Guy Pearce [Brutalist], Jeremy Strong [Apprentice]

It would be hard to find a more inspiring Hollywood story for 2024 than Maclin's incredible debut turn in 'Sing Sing.' The film, telling the story of inmates participating in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at the titular state prison, features a cast of the program's real-life alumni, most notably Maclin, who plays a younger version of himself. It comes as no surprise, then, that his performance is authentic on a raw level rarely touched by actors. But even without the incredible context, he stands a head above his competition for the gold. It would be easy to assume he has been acting his entire life, going toe-to-toe with a masterclass starring turn by Colman Domingo. He pours captivating, deeply-layered emotion into every scene, and I can't wait to see where his career goes from here.

The Pack: Chris Hemsworth [Furiosa], Pierfrancesco Favino [Maria],

Yura Borisov [Anora], Adam Pearson [Different Man]

Best Supporting Actress: 

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor [Nickel Boys]

Michelle Austin [Hard Truths], Joan Chen [Dìdi],

Aubrey Plaza [My Old Ass], Margaret Qualley [Substance]

The nature of the narrative keeps Hattie, the doting, loyal grandmother brought to life by Ellis-Taylor, on the outskirts of 'Nickel Boys,' but she holds every minute of screentime tight to her chest. It is a tried and true role, one that the limited-perspective nature of the film is unable to delve into deeply, but Ellis-Taylor does incredible work at translating a lifetime's worth of emotional complexity into each of her scenes. The pride and fear, conviction and futility, hope and resignation play out on her face and in her line deliveries. And above all else, it is a performance that embodies love. There is not a single moment of doubt in the sincerity of who Hattie is and what she means to Elwood and - through the lens of the camera - to the audience.

Runners-Up: Tilda Swinton [Problemista], Rebecca Ferguson [Dune 2],

Simone Kirby [Kneecap], Alicia Witt [Longlegs]

Best Actor: 

Colman Domingo [Sing Sing]

Daniel Craig [Queer], Justice Smith [TV Glow],

Adrien Brody [Brutalist], Sebastian Stan [Different Man]

Domingo has quickly become one of the most exciting and in-demand artists in Hollywood, and 'Sing Sing' is his most powerful turn yet. Taking the lead of the prison drama alongside many of the very individuals who the movie is about, he is a force of nature. Playing an actor - especially an amateur one - adds new layers of complexity to a role, which he explores in fascinating ways over the course of the story. As the leader of this troupe, his Divine G stands tall, commanding each scene, while maintaining incredible chemistry with his co-stars, both tested screen veterans and newcomer RTA-Arts alumni alike. Balancing the bravado of a star with the grief of a man who's life is no longer in his own hands, Domingo delivers one of the most gripping characters of the year, one that stands as a towering monument to the power of his own chosen craft.

Runners-Up: Josh O'Conner [Challengers], Brandon Wilson [Nickel Boys],

Kieran Culkin [Real Pain], Timothée Chalamet [Dune 2]

Best Actress: 

Fernanda Torres [Still Here]

Demi Moore [Substance], Marianne Jean-Baptiste [Hard Truths],

Mikey Madison [Anora], Daisy Ridley [Think About Dying]

Nearly 30 years after her mother was robbed for her brilliant work in 'Central Station,' Fernanda Torres lost out on Oscars night for her own monumental performance from the same director in 'I'm Still Here.' As a grieving wife and struggling mother fighting for justice against the regime that took her husband, Torres' Eunice Paiva has to wear many hats, all of which fit her remarkably well. There are three version of Eunice - the mother standing strong for the family she has left, the crusader putting herself on the line to find answers, and the woman seeking a space to express her own grief and reshape a new identity in the absence of the man she loved, under the pressure of new responsibilities she never imagined. Through Torres, each layer of the character feels engaging and fully realized; distinct, yet always authentically part of the whole. In a movie that revolves around her, she never misses a beat. She deserved the win here, and I hope she'll be back.

Runners-Up: Angelina Jolie [Maria], Cynthia Erivo [Wicked],

Ariana Grande [Wicked], Lily Rose-Depp [Nosferatu], Florence Pugh [Live In Time]

Best Director:

RaMell Ross [Nickel Boys]

Luca Guadagnino [Challengers/Queer], Coralie Fargeat [Substance], 

Denis Villeneuve [Dune: Part 2], Jane Schoenbrun [TV Glow]

It was one of the toughest choices to pick between Ross and Luca Guadagnino here. On one hand, Luca delivered not one but two of the year's very best movies in 'Challengers' and 'Queer,' each outstanding but radically different from each other, showcasing excellence in totally different directorial skillsets. But ultimately, no director's vision was as transformative as what Ross did with 'Nickel Boys.' Taking such an acclaimed novel from one of America's leading contemporary novelists and bringing it to film in such a bold way is an incredible display of confidence for a narrative feature film debut. But Ross makes it abundantly clear that confidence is well-earned. It's clear that his history as a documentarian informs the film on a deep level, committed to making the audience experience the story "as it was," rather than merely watch it. In this way, he takes an already brilliant story and reforms it in a way that is unmistakably his own. I cannot wait to see what he does next.

Runners-Up: Rachel Lambert [Think About Dying], Payal Kapadia [Imagine as Light], Robert Eggers [Nosferatu], Sean Baker [Anora]

Best Picture:

Nickel Boys

Challengers, Sing Sing, Dune: Part 2, I Saw the TV Glow, The Substance,

Queer, I'm Still Here, Sometimes I Think About Dying, The Wild Robot

Given the raves I've already written for 'Nickel Boys,' it's probably no surprise it took the top prize here. And that leaves me without much more new to say about it. But from the moments the credits rolled, I was very confident this would be my top movie of the year. A singular vision executed to perfection, it truly feels like a transformative moment for cinema, reinventing what movies can be. Other films have tried the POV approach before, but none with the depth of care or emotional resonance that Ross and his collaborators achieve. It is not merely a technical gimmick, but an intentional artistic choice, not just to show off camera skills but to say something bold and clear about the story being told. Watching 'Nickel Boys' unfold through Elwood's eyes obliterates the safe distance of the detached observer, forcing the audience to confront the pain and feel the love face to face. I hope that in the years to come, more people continue to see it; to experience it as the masterful work of art it is, but also to be inspired to dream beyond the horizon of what the medium of film can be and keep pushing forward.

Runners-Up: Janet Planet, Furiosa, Nosferatu, The Brutalist,

Anora, Conclave, All We Imagine As Light