The 2024 film season is offically in the books. The world keeps spinning and we survived another year long enough to pick the best of film. A year in cinema marked by low box office returns, major flops form otherwise reliable studios, and indies failing to find audiences or theater showings. Red flags are starting to appear surronding the future of movies after a fantastic bounceback 2023, but Babrbie and/or Christopher Nolan weren’t around to save the industry in 24′.
Thankfully, the work that didn’t get recognized by the populace still delivered in quality. Many films were made with little broadband appeal that only fit to serve specific audiences but raised the floor tremoundously in terms of longevitity for this year. Small scale filmmaking failed to find crowds, but adult dramas like the pulpy, character rich political thriller Conclave exceeded expectations at the box office showing there’s a crossover audience of arthouse and blockbuster that can be found and coexist if marketed well. IP had some success too, with Wicked becoming a huge hit and Disney finding success with Inside Out 2.
For me, I see studios failing smaller films from a marketing standpoint, but many inependently driven movies are becoming increasingly hard to sell to a fanbase hungry for spectacle, not small scale emotional indie storytelling. People want Top Gun Maverick and not Nickel Boys. It’s hard to market but these films getting made never has been about earnings. No, Sing Sing had a low ceiling for earning potential, but a high potential for prestige as the most human depiction of suffering through art.
It’s a year marked by what I consider innovate art from a out-of-the-box and purely storytelling perspective. Films like Nickel Boys, Hundreds of Beavers, A Different Man, and The Brutalist gave audiences an alternative to algorithm driven storytelling. A number of films that I believe will leave a lasting legacy on the medium for years to come despite the lack of immedicacy from audiences to watch them now. Films that play with structure, length and style in a fundamentally original way. So, while I get on my soap box about box office returns in the age of streaming, we still have plenty to celebrate. And, of course, international cinema continues to help fill the void of American arthouse distribution.
On to a somber note, with the loss of David Lynch recently, we lost the beating heartbeat of the surrealist movement in North America. The creative that bridge the gap from Dali to Buenel to Lynch and the surrealist movement in Europe. A beautiful spirit that bore his soul through his work and in doing so, made a piece of art unable to be replicated in any way, shape or form. With that in mind, the weirdest film award wiill be dedicated to David Lynch moving forward to honor his legacy and impact on the emerging filmmakers.
Final note before we begin, I do appreciate the opinions of others on film and want to hear your favorites and picks. However, remember these picks solely represent only myself and any anger sent in my direction is midguided. Hit me up on twitter to voice your opinions. So, even if the year didn’t quite land financially, it was a memorable year of cinema and I’m here to celebrate artist achievement. Let’s begin…
(136 films watched in 2024)
Worst Film
Honorable Mention: Uglies
5: Nightbitch
4 Twisters
3: Road House
2: Unfrosted
1: Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Ending
Honorable Mention: Sing Sing
5: A Different Man
4: I Saw the TV Glow
3: The Girl with the Needle
2: The Seed of the Sacred Fig
1: Nickel Boys
Best Scene
Honorable Mention: Revealing of the library, The Brutalist
5: El Wood’s identity revealed, Nickel Boys
4: Face falls off, A Different Man
3: “Why can’t you be happy?” I DON’T KNOW”, Hard Truths
2: Divine G and Mike Mike talking for final time between cells, Sing Sing
1: Opening night of the play and Divine G’s breakdown, Sing Sing
Best Comedy
Honorable Mention:: Memoirs of a Snail
5: How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
4: Between The Temples
3: Kinds of Kindness
2: A Different Man
1: Hundreds of Beavers
Best Adventure, Action, or Sports Film
Honorable Mention: Challengers
5: The Order
4: Twilight of the Warriors Walled In
3: Hundreds of Beavers
2: The Count of Monte-Cristo
1: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Best Horror
Honorable Mention: Longlegs
5: Cloud
4: The Substance
3: Late Night with the Devil
2: I Saw the TV Glow
1: Nosferatu
The David Lynch’ Weirdest Film Award
Honorable Mention: Queer
5: I Saw the TV Glow
4: Kinds of Kindness
3: Club Zero
2: Hundreds of Beavers
1: A Different Man
Best Sound Mixing
Honorable Mention: Neil Benezra, David Forshee, A Different Man
5: Riccardo Abiuso, Challengers
4: Andy Neil, The Brutalist
3: Tony Volante, Daniel Timmons, Nickel Boys
2: Damian Volpe, Steve Little, Nosferatu
1: Bobb Barito, Hundreds of Beavers
Best Sound Editing
Honorable Mention: Valerie Deloof, The Substance
5: Bobb Barito, Hundreds of Beavers
4: Richard King, Dune: Part Two
3: Robert Mackenzie, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
2: James Harrison, Blitz
1: Damian Volpe, Steve Little, Nosferatu
Visual Effects
Honorable Mention: Dexter Studios, Exhuma
5: Noid Studios, The Substance
4: MPC, The Animal Kingdom
3: Lisa Wakeley, Nosferatu
2: DNEG, Wylie Co, Rodeo FXX, Territory Studio, Dune: Part Two
1: Framestore, DNEG, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Best Production Design
Honorable Mention: Beth Mickle, Bradley Rubin, Megalopolis
5: Suzie Davis, Conclave
4: Stéphane Taillasson, The Count of Monte-Cristo
3: Colin Gibson, Furiosa: A Mad Max Staga
2: Kenmeth Mak, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In
1: Judy Becker, The Brutalist
Animated Feature
Honorable Mention: DreamWorks, The Wild Robot
5: Dolce Vita Films, Chicken for Linda!
4: Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in Rain
3: Everybody on Deck, Mars Express
2: Adam Elliot, Memoirs of a Snail
1: Dream Well Studio, Flow
- Me (Special mention)
Best Costuming
Honorable Mention: Thierry Delettre, The Count of Monte-Cristo
5: Lisy Christl, Conclave
4: Jennifer Johnson, Kinds of Kindness
3: Jacqueline West, Dune: Part Two
2: Arianne Phillips, A Complete Unknown
1: Casey Harris, Hundreds of Beavers
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Honorable Mention: Madelaine Hermans, Longlegs
5: Lesley Vanderwalt, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
4: David White, Suzanne Stokes-Munton, Traci Loader, Nosferatu
3: Ellen Barkin, The Animal Kingdom
2: Pierre-Olivier Persin, The Substance
1: Mike Marino, A Different Man
Best Documentary
3: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeves Story
2: The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
1: Never Look Away
Best Editing
Honorable Mention: Andrew Bird, The Seed of the Sacred Fig
5: Agnieszka Glińska, The Girl with the Needle
4: Parker Laramie, Sing Sing
3: Mike Cheslik, Hundreds of Beavers
2: Taylor Levy, A Different Man
1: Nicholas Monsour, Nickel Boys
Best Cinematography
Honorable Mention: Robbie Ryan, Bird
5. Wyatt Garfield, A Different Man
4: Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys
3: Nicolas Bolduc, The Count of Monte-Cristo
2: Lol Crawley, The Brutalist
1: Michael Dymek, The Girl with the Needle
Best Director
Honorable Mention: Andrea Arnold, Bird
5: Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing
4: Mike Leigh, Hard Truths
3:Aaron Schimberg, A Different Man
2: RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
1: Mike Cheslik, Hundreds of Beavers
Adapted Screenplay
Honorable Mention: Justin Kuritzkes, Queer
5: Peter Straughan, Conclave
4: Murilo Hauser, Heitor Lorega, I’m Still Here
3: RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes, Nickel Boys
2: Catherine Breillat, Pascal Bonitzer, Last Summer
1: Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley, Sing Sing
Original Screenplay
Honorable Mention: Jessica Hausner, Géraldine Bajard, Club Zero
5: Magnus von Horn, Line Langebek, The Girl with the Needle
4: Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig
3: Aaron Schimberg, A Different Man
2: Andrea Arnold, Bird
1: Mike Leigh, Hard Truths
Best Overall Screenplay
Honorable Mention: Aaron Schimberg, A Different Man
5: RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes, Nickel Boys
4: Catherine Breillat, Pascal Bonitzer, Last Summer
3: Andrea Arnold, Bird
2: Mike Leigh, Hard Truths
1: Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley, Sing Sing
Most Original Film
Honorable Mention: Late Night with the Devil
5. Flow
4: The Animal Kingdom
3: I Saw the TV Glow
2: Nickel Boys
1: Hundreds of Beavers
Best Original Score/Soundtrack
Honorable Mention: Fred Avril, Mars Express
5: Chris Ryan, Hundreds of Beavers
4: Volker Bertelmann, Conclave
3: Umberto Smerilli, A Different Man
2: Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist
1: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Challengers
Best Ensemble
Honorable Mention: Last Summer
5: The Seed of the Sacred Fig
4: Hard Truths
3: Bird
2: A Different Man
1: Sing Sing
Best Supporting Actor
Honorable Mention: Willem Dafoe, Kinds of Kindness
5: Missagh Zareh, The Seed of the Sacred Fig
4: Brandon Wilson, Nickel Boys
3: Franz Rogowski, Bird
2: Adam Pearson, A Different Man
1: Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Best Performance from a Male Lead
Honorable Mention: Samuel Kircher, Last Summer
5: Jason Schwartzman, Between The Temples
4: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
3: Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
2: Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
1: Sebastian Stan, A Different Man
Best Supporting Actress
Honorable Mention: Soheila Golestani, The Seed of the Sacred Fig
5. Renate Reinsve, A Different Man
4: Kani Kusruti, All We Imagine as Light
3: Trine Dyrholm, The Girl with the Needle
2: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys
1: Michele Austin, Hard Truths
Best Performance from a Female Lead
Honorable Mention: Fernada Torres, I’m Still Here
5: Léa Drucker, Last Summer
4: Lily-Rose Depp, Nosferatu
3: Mikey Madison, Anora
2: Nykiya Adams, Bird
1: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Best Overall Performance
Honorable Mention: Nykiya Adams, Bird
5: Adam Pearson, A Different Man
4: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
3: Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
2: Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
1: Sebastian Stan, A Different Man
Best International Film
Honorable Mention: I’m Still Here, Brazil
5: The Count of Monte-Cristo, France
4: Club Zero, Austria
3: The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Germany, Iraq
2: The Girl with the Needle, Denmark
1: Last Summer, France
Best Picture
15: Club Zero
14: Flow
13: Nosferatu
12: Kinds of Kindness
11: Furiosa: A Mad Max Story
10: The Brutalist
9: The Seed of the Sacred Fig
8: Me (Special Short Film addition addition)
8: The Girl with the Needle
7: Last Summer
6: Bird
5: Hard Truths
4: A Different Man
3: Nickel Boys
2: Sing Sing
1: Hundreds of Beavers
When it came down to best film, the human element of Sing Sing is what felt important. The connection and vulnerability of men in a time when openess is essential. But then, I thought about what film truly makes me more happy and landed on Hundreds of Beavers. The eclecectic slapstick comedy scratchs every single itch inside my brain that made me fall in love with cinema in the first place. Visual storytelling at its finest. A contrast of styles that is breaking my brain. All year I have been dreading the question: what is the 2024 Best Picture winner? My convinctioin landed on the slapstick brilliance of Hundreds of Beavers and the novelty of the experience, but not without deeply considering Sing Sing first. Hardest Best Picture decision i’ve ever made, two days of delibireation.
Nonetheless, Mike Cheslik joins a list of great winners including Jonathon Glazer’s first and second win for The Zone of Interest, other winners include:
The Zone of Interest (2023) ,Banshees of Inisherin (2022), Memoria (2021), Babyteeth (2020), Parasite (2019), Shoplifters (2018), Call Me By Your Name (2017), The Handmaiden (2016), Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
The winners were split among only a number of films this season. Sing Sing with five wins, Hundreds of Beavers with six, the race was as tight as iit could get. Four wins for A Different Man including Sebastian Stan taking home the coveted best overall perfromance prize. Masterful work in the dual life of a man with facial reconstruction after living life with a disfigurement. It hurt to pass on Colman Domingo’s turn in Sing Sing, but I felt what Stan was attempting deep in my soul. Nickel Boys also a multi-award winner and one I had at the top briefly for Best Picture.
To end, thanks to all the poor souls that follow me on twitter. It’s a pleasure shooting the shit and indulging in the vice of pure, unadultarated cinema with all the mutuals. Ranking this year inside the decade, it’s in the discussion for the best. The top 10 is littered with phenomenal work and some movies that blew me away entirely.
Next on the agenda in the 1975 retrospective. One of the best years in cinema explored inside-and-out. Coming in late March.
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