January 24, 2025
We’ve now reached the home stretch of the 2024 film season with the announcement of the Oscar nominations yesterday, after a few delays due to the impact of the Los Angeles wildfires. The Academy decided to give voters more time to catch up on films they needed to see before casting their ballots last week.
There were a few mild surprises and snubs, like most Oscar years, but nothing too shocking, considering what we’ve seen from other awards announced the last few weeks. Overall, I was pretty happy with the Best Picture nominees. Seven of the ten are in my top twenty films of 2024, one (Wicked: Part 1) is a little farther down my list, one (the Brazilian movie I’m Still Here) I haven’t seen yet, and then there’s the curious case of Emilia Perez. This strange film received the most nominations (13) and is considered one of the favorites for Best Picture, along with The Brutalist, Conclave, Wicked: Part 1, and A Complete Unknown, all of which received at least eight nominations. For the life of me, I do not understand the appeal of Emilia Perez and I can’t stress enough that I do not recommend that movie to anyone.
Do I have some minor quibbles? Of course. No love for Challengers, one skimpy nod for September 5, and a lack of nomination for Denzel Washington for Gladiator II were a few of the obvious ones for me. And of course, the second straight snub for Denis Villeneuve’s directing work for Dune: Part Two. The first film received ten nominations and won six awards, and the sequel was nominated for five awards this year. But Villeneuve was not nominated for Best Director for either film. Will they make it up to him when the third installment comes out? They damn well better. Lastly, who could have predicted that a body horror movie (The Substance) would receive five nominations, including Picture, Director, Screenplay, and a likely Best Actress win for Demi Moore? Truly wild stuff.
You have plenty of time to catch up on the nominated movies before the ceremony on March 2nd and I’ll have a full Oscar preview in a few weeks. You can also read my thoughts on the nominees that I covered by going to my Film Index here. And if you still have some to see, you can find where to watch them at home by going to JustWatch.com or Fandango to see where they are playing at your local theater. Note that most Best Picture nominees make their way back to the theater before the ceremony.
And with the Oscar nominations out, it’s time for me to wrap up my look at the best films of 2024. If you missed my previous two posts you can find them here and here. This week I’m unveiling my top ten movies of the year. And since I tend to be rather verbose, I’m splitting this one up into two parts. Let’s get started.
#10 – Juror #2
If this is indeed the final film of 94 year-old Clint Eastwood’s legendary career, he’s going out on top. I’m just glad he directed something after 2021’s underwhelming Cry Macho. On the surface, the premise of Juror #2 might seem preposterous, but almost every movie asks you to suspend disbelief even a little bit, right? Nicholas Hoult plays Justin, a writer and recovering alcoholic who is summoned to jury duty in the trial of a man accused of murdering his girlfriend. Justin’s wife is pregnant with their first child, and they are both anxious since they lost twins before they were born two years earlier. Justin is picked for the jury, after the typical questioning by prosecutor Faith, played by Toni Collette and the accused man’s public defender, played by Chris Messina. When Faith starts outlining the details of the case, Justin starts to realize that he may have inadvertently caused the victim’s death himself.
None of those details are spoilers – they are all in the plot summary of the movie and unfold early in the story. There’s no real suspense about whether he caused the accident. The suspense in Juror #2 is the moral struggle Justin deals with as the case progresses. If he votes to convict, he helps send an innocent man to jail. If he votes to acquit, the police could find out he is responsible. There is also some clever amateur detective work performed by the jury, led by J.K. Simmons as a retired detective and an aspiring medical student. Is it a little convenient to have people with those backgrounds on the jury? Sure, but it still works. The jury room scenes will give you subtle reminders of 12 Angry Men, as Justin is the lone holdout in the first vote, and worries about a quick decision before he can come to grips with what to do.
Juror #2 was written by Jonathan Abrams, in his first film credit, and directed by Eastwood, in what will likely be his last picture. He is 94 years-old, after all. The movie was also unceremoniously dumped into a small number of theaters by Warner Bros. Discovery, apparently because the leadership there (who are overwhelmingly hated in Hollywood) were fearful of another disappointing Eastwood movie. Maybe they should have actually watched Juror #2, or discovered on the internet that in the last ten years, he directed three films that all grossed over $100 million, one of which he starred in himself. Let’s also not forget that Eastwood has directed two Best Pictures during his illustrious career. Alas, Juror #2, received strong reviews from critics, and was put in a few more theaters right before Thanksgiving and put on HBO Max in December.
There are a number of reasons this movie works so well. You can’t go wrong with a well-crafted legal thriller, especially when the mystery of “whodunnit?” is resolved quickly. It’s more a question of “will he get away with it?” and Hoult is playing a very sympathetic character. A guy who is in recovery, acknowledges his past mistakes, didn’t know that he caused the accident, and is about to become a first-time father. I was so impressed with his performance in this movie, his third great film of 2024, along with The Order and Nosferatu. Hoult needed to convey so much of his internal struggle with just his facial expressions, as he has no one he can talk to about this, aside from his AA sponsor and attorney, played by Kiefer Sutherland, in a few scenes. Always great to see Sutherland in anything these days. Collette and Messina are also terrific in their legal sparring, both in and out of the courtroom. Sure, there are a few plot holes you could quibble with, but if you want an old-fashioned legal suspense drama that we used to get a lot more often, you’ll enjoy Juror #2, which is now streaming on HBO Max.
#9 – Conclave
Get a bunch of Cardinals together at the Vatican to elect a new Pope and who knows what kind of mischief those rascals will get into. Ralph Fiennes plays Thomas, the Cardinal put in charge of leading the Conclave at the center of director Edward Berger’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front. Thomas is not interested in the top job to replace the deceased Pope, as he has been questioning his own faith and considering leaving the Vatican after the election is over. Unfortunately, he has to deal with the back-stabbing, quarrelling and (sometimes) bitchy Cardinals who are angling to be elected the leader of the Catholic Church. Among them are Aldo (Stanley Tucci), the early frontrunner who humbly denies interest, but deep down wants the job. Then we have Joseph (John Lithgow) who may or may not have been dismissed by the Pope right before he died. Also joining the fun are Tedesco, a traditionalist from Italy and Adeyemi from Nigeria, who may have a scandal in his past that could derail his candidacy. And then there is the mysterious Benitez, who arrives unexpectedly from his monastery in Afghanistan.
Conclave is based on a novel and is a wonderful showcase for everything that we love in movies. A script that gives us twists and turns as we see different candidates emerging as favorites as the various votes occur, with the back-office politicking that happens in between their voting sessions. Conclave is not just about the personal ambitions of the Cardinals seeking the Papacy. There are dramatically different views of the world among them, including which direction the Catholic Church should be going in the future. So, you have a Conservative / Liberal dynamic at play here, but don’t worry – it only resembles American politics in broad strokes, not the disgusting rhetoric we see in our lives every day here. Sure, we see the Cardinals on their phones, but they’re not posting on Twitter raging about the deep state.
We also have veteran actors like Fiennes, Tucci, and Lithgow delivering strong performances, along with solid turns from the supporting performers, including Oscar nominee Isabella Rossellini as a nun who knows more than she lets on. The production quality of Conclave is also top-notch, bringing the beauty of the Vatican on screen with the sets and costume design, as well as a haunting score during the moments of suspense we witness. This is a classic “They don’t make ‘em like they used to” movie and “Your parents would love this movie” kind of film. Speaking of which, we saw this one in a crowded theater and were probably the youngest ones there (and we ain’t young, to clarify.) I mention this because the ending of Conclave is a bit of a doozy and it was pretty funny to hear some of the reactions in the theater from people of that age demographic. There are a lot of reasons this is one of the favorites to win Best Picture, and why I highly recommend it. Conclave is now streaming on Peacock.
#8 – The Wild Robot
One of the aspects of writing this blog that I am happy about is my growing appreciation for animated films. Over the last few years, I’ve explored different types of movies in this genre, from Pixar to the Spider-Verse films to Flow, a two-time Oscar nominee that I covered last week. The Wild Robot is up there as one of my favorites during my time writing about movies, given its clever premise, beautiful animation, excellent voice acting, and touching family story. As I’ve written many times, I’m a sucker for these types of films, as you will also see with my next selection.
Lupita Nyong’o stars as task robot Roz (short for ROZZUM, her factory name), whose sole mission is to help her owner get things done. Whatever task they ask of her, Roz is the person (um, robot) for the job. When a storm causes a shipment of ROZZUMs to wash up on an uninhabited island, Roz awakens looking for her owner. She desperately tries to ask every animal she encounters what tasks they need completed, but they are not interested. In fact, they are terrified and refer to her as the “monster” who might kill them. While running from these predators she accidentally destroys a goose nest, with only a baby gosling surviving. The first thing he sees is Roz, so naturally he assumes she is his mother, and after a possum (the terrific Catherine O’Hara) and red fox (Pedro Pascal in a funny performance) confirm his understanding, Roz finally has a task – raise the gosling to adulthood.
The Wild Robot is based on a children’s book and is brought to life in a wonderful way by director Chris Sanders, who also wrote the script. Sometimes you see an animated movie that is silly and only for the kids. This one is perfect for the whole family. You have the funny animals throughout the island, a few exciting action sequences, and some great messaging about putting aside differences to help each other as the animals do when winter comes and when the corporation behind the ROZZUM robots come to collect their lost units. And then you have the touching family story of a robot raising a gosling that hits all the beats of parenthood, which will likely have the moms and dads reaching for the tissues during a few scenes. I’m a softie for certain types of movies, so I may be biased, but if The Wild Robot doesn’t make you feel something, you might need to see your cardiologist to confirm that you still have a heart. The Wild Robot is now streaming on Peacock.
#7 – Ghostlight
Every year, I have one or two movies on my top ten list that no one else seems to love or write about when I read various “best of lists.” Throughout this year-end movie season, if I saw Ghostlight on someone’s top ten list (which was rare), I did a quiet fist bump in my head, as I absolutely loved this touching family story.
When the film opens, we meet Dan and Sharon, a couple who are struggling to raise their rebellious daughter Daisy. We learn that they are still dealing with a family tragedy, the details of which emerge as the movie unfolds. Dan has a short temper and frequently lashes out at his family and co-workers. One day he is approached by Rita, who participates in a community theater program that is rehearsing near his construction site. She invites (strongarms?) him into joining their production of Romeo & Juliet. Dan is far from the “theater type” and quickly declines the offer, but slowly realizes that joining this group of eclectic actors gives him a chance to forget about the troubles in his life and become someone else for a little while each day.
Ghostlight was probably the biggest surprise for me at the theater in 2024. I knew very little about it going in, and was incredibly moved by the tender story. The performances of the four main actors are great. I had seen Dolly de Leon (who plays Rita) before, but the three family members were actors I didn’t recognize. It turns out there’s a good reason for that. They are played by a real family – Keith Kupferer (as Dan), his wife Tara Mallen (as Sharon) and their daughter Katherine Mallen Kupferer (as Daisy), all of whom have limited acting credits, primarily in the theater and on television. They are wonderful together and portray this family in grief in a very realistic way. Credit goes to real-life couple Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson who co-directed the film, based on O’Sullivan’s screenplay, for this genius casting move. Ghostlight gave me a lot of CODA vibes throughout my viewing, and since that one broke me emotionally (in a good way), you can guess how I was feeling at the end of this one. Truly a wonderful story and why I continue to seek out lesser-known films to remind myself why I love movies so much. Ghostlight is now streaming on AMC+ and available to rent on demand.
#6 – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
It’s been refreshing to read a number of film critics “best of” lists for 2024 and see Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga getting the recognition it deserves. It’s almost like they remember, “Oh yeah, that was a great movie. Why did everyone shit on it again?” Oh, yeah. It didn’t make a ton of money at the box-office in its opening weekend, thus getting tagged with the “disappointing” label. Also, it was (understandably, but unfairly) compared to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, a masterpiece that is impossible to top.
George Miller once again brings us into the post-apocalyptic world he created more than 40 years ago when Mel Gibson starred in Mad Max. This time, we are focused on the origin story of Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road, and Anya Taylor-Joy in this installment. She is kidnapped as a child from her mother early in the film, and ends up being raised by Dementus, the aptly named leader of a biker gang, played by Chris Hemsworth, having a delirious amount of fun in this role. She is eventually traded to the tyrants at the Citadel, who control the main supplies of the wasteland: bullets, fuel, and milk. As Furiosa grows older, she sets her sights on getting revenge on Dementus for kidnapping her and killing her mother.
Taylor-Joy is very good in this film, albeit with very little dialogue to work with, and Hemsworth is great as the campy villain of this world. But let’s be honest – we’re not here for a character story. This is all about the action set pieces and stunt work that Miller brilliantly brought to the screen in Fury Road. And with this follow up, those sequences are just as impressive. His ability to create a thrilling chase on Fury Road among more than a dozen vehicles, suicidal members of the army looking to stop the convoy, and their inventive weapons is no less impressive than what we saw in Fury Road. Will it feel repetitive at times? Sure. Is it still incredible and really freaking cool? Also yes. The plot of Furiosa does feel a little shaggy at times, and I thought the ending dragged out a little too much, but damn if I didn’t have a lot of fun spending time with the demented mind of George Miller in the wasteland. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now streaming on HBO Max.
That’s all for this week. I’ll be back next week with my five favorite movies of 2024. Thanks for reading and if you would like to be notified about future posts, you can subscribe below.