Lynn’s Best Movies Round-Up of 2024

Lynn’s Best Movies Round-Up of 2024

By Lynn Venhaus
Themes? Trends? Moments? How to sum up a year in cinema, when hundreds of films are released in theaters and on streaming to satisfy a diverse public. What gets people out of the house and into a theater when they’re buying a ticket? I’m curious.

Above all with me is storytelling. Then we’ll see about the bells and whistles, the “experience” enhancement, and who’s part of the team on screen and off. The very best feeling is discovering the small gems or being dazzled by the big swings, those who won’t play it safe.

And this year, those were evident in a very erratic year where titles like “Civil War” and “Challengers” were divisive. Everyone has their reasons for why a film clicks.

Two of the themes I responded to were the transformative power of the arts – “Sing Sing,” “Ghostlight,” “A Complete Unknown”) and women trying to hold on to their dignity when people try to take it away (“Anora,” “The Substance,” “The Last Showgirl”).

So, here are the films that connected with me. While I’ve seen about 150, there are films I’ve yet to see that could have made a difference on my annual “best” list, but all in the timing.

I am surprised as much as everyone how the year landed, and I will likely need to re-watch a few too. What always happens during FYC season, when the studios barrage us with content, viewings can be rushed and not digested appropriately.

Without further ado, and I’ve prolonged this annual opus long enough trying to cram more in, my very personal list of what I liked in 2024. To those who attempted to carve a new direction, try a different approach, reach people through our shared humanity, I salute you.

Top Ten Films

1. Dune: Part Two – A masterful melding of massive spectacle, heartfelt high-stakes performances, and astonishing visual artistry, this follow-up to the 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 best-selling science fiction novel of all-time expanded the mythic hero’s journey to its full potential. This chronicle of a feudal interstellar society opened Feb. 25, and director Denis Villeneuve’s enthralling cinematic marvel far surpassed any other epic-wannabe this year.

2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Boldly showing political turmoil and paranoia in Iran through a fictional family’s experiences, director Mohammad Rasoulof challenges the totalitarian state by depicting the corruption that led the current situation. He uses a judge’s wife and daughters as people who come to learn what’s really happening as society crumbles. It’s a powerfully told, well-acted stunning achievement.

3. A Complete Unknown – Anchored by Timothee Chalamet’s brilliant immersive portrayal of a young Bob Dylan, this exhilarating, extraordinary film recreates a period when art, music and culture came together to significantly define the 1960s. The actors portraying Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash are also in top form. Whether you like Dylan’s music or not is immaterial – director James Mangold makes us feel his impact, and it’s glorious.

4. Sing Sing – Colman Domingo is at his career-best as a wrongly convicted man incarcerated at Sing Sing prison, who has found redemption through the Rehabilitation Program for the Arts. With an ensemble cast including former prisoners, this drama feels like part of a documentary. With its play presentation framework, the film resonates emotionally in a moving example of the transformative power of the arts.

5. Conclave – A religious-political thriller with a page-turning plot, this procedural to elect a Catholic church pontiff unfolds like palace intrigue. Impeccably presented and acted by an ace ensemble lead by Ralph Fiennes, director Edward Berger reveals the human drama involved in power plays, mysterious maneuvers and shattering secrets. It’s an outstanding film in every way.

6. A Real Pain – Complicated family ties and honoring Jewish heritage are explored in this warm and genuine comedy-drama about two once-close cousins reconnecting on a Holocaust tour. Its power is disarming, and Jesse Eisenberg’s nimble narrative gives Emmy winner Kieran Culkin another opportunity to shine as he shows the effect of grief and loss on a fragile lost soul. This is a rare film that eloquently speaks in an intimate but universal way.

7. Emilia Perez – An exhilarating wild ride that puts romance, desire, redemption, humor, and a dark side all into play. Fearless writer-director Jacques Audiard’s bold fever dream colors outside the genre lines, for its an unconventional cartel crime thriller that’s a musical, in Spanish language, operatic in tone and organic in its delivery of songs and dance. Four women seek happiness on their own terms – Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz — and the result is bravura filmmaking.

8. Wicked – A dazzling spectacle based on the 2003 Broadway musical fantasy, this timeless tale of friendship and love was a true big-screen movie event. With eye-popping production values, sensational performances, stunning costumes, and those thrilling Stephen Schwartz songs, this vivid re-imagining is only the first half. Yes, it’s too long, but it is an absolute must-see.

9. September 5 – The 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich became a horrific breaking news event on September 5, when Israeli wrestling players were taken hostage by a Palestinian terrorist group. That thrust the ABC Sports crew into action covering the event as the world’s eyes and ears. This intense and riveting film, with its crackerjack ensemble cast in the broadcast control room, recreates that day from their perspective in astonishing detail.

10. Saturday Night – It’s a kinetic snapshot of what happened that fateful wild and crazy night when “Saturday Night Live” premiered on Oct. 11, 1975. As producer Lorne Michaels, Gabriel LaBelle corrals the best ensemble cast of the year. Writer-director Jason Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan capture the frenetic pace and the backstage lunacy that forever changed late-night comedy.

Honorable Mention
All We Imagine as Light
Anora
Exhibiting Forgiveness
The Fall Guy
Fly Me to the Moon
Ghostlight
His Three Daughters
Hundreds of Beavers
The Last Showgirl
Maria
My Old Ass
Nickel Boys
The Performance
The Piano Lesson
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Thelma
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Foul
The Wild Robot

Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”


Best Director
Denis Villeneuve “Dune: Part Two”
Edward Berger “Conclave”
Jacques Audiard ‘Emilia Perez”
Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
James Mangold “A Complete Unknown”
Payal Kapadia “All We Imagine as Light”

Best Actor
Colman Domingo “Sing Sing”
Timothee Chalamet “A Complete Unknown”
Ralph Fiennes “Conclave”
Hugh Grant “Heretic”
Sebastian Stan “A Different Man” and “The Apprentice”
Adrien Brody “The Brutalist”
Jeremy Piven “The Performance”
Jude Law “The Order”
Keith Kupferer “Ghostlight”
Andre Holland “Exhibiting Forgiveness”

Best Actress
Saoirse Ronan “The Outrun”
Angelina Jolie “Maria”
Marianne Jean-Baptiste “Hard Truths”
Karla Sofia Gascon “Emilia Perez”
Cynthia Erivo “Wicked”
Fernanda Montenegro “I’m Still Here”
Mikey Madison “Anora”
Pamela Anderson “The Last Showgirl”
June Squibb “Thelma”
Tilda Swinton “The Room Next Door”

Best Supporting Actor
Kieran Culkin “A Real Pain”
John Magaro “September 5”
Stanley Tucci “Conclave”
Jeremy Strong “The Apprentice”
Denzel Washington “Gladiator 2”
Adam Pearson “A Different Man”
Edward Norton “A Complete Unknown”
Clarence Maclin “Sing Sing”
Yura Borisov “Anora”
Richard Roundtree “Thelma””

Best Supporting Actress
Zoe Saldana “Emilia Perez”
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor “Nickel Boys”
Danielle Deadwyler “The Piano Lesson”
Ariana Grande “Wicked”
Monica Barbaro “A Complete Unknown”
Elle Fanning “A Complete Unknown”
Isabella Rossellini “Conclave”
Tilda Swinton “Problemista”
Natasha Lyonne “His Three Daughters”
Michelle Austin “Hard Truths”

Ghostlight

Best Ensemble
“Saturday Night”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Conclave”
“Wicked”
:”September 5
“The Piano Lesson”
“Sing Sing”
“Anora”
“Ghostlight’
“His Three Daughters”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”

Best Original Screenplay
Jesse Eisenberg “A Real Pain”
Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan “Saturday Night”
Megan Park “My Old Ass”
Azazel Jacobs “His Three Daughters”
Kelly O’Sullivan “Ghostlight”
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David “September 5”
Adam Elliot “Memoir of a Snail”

Best Adapted Screenplay
Peter Straughan “Conclave”
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John Divine G Whitfield “Sing Sing”
Jacques Audiard “Emilia Perez”
Shira Piven “The Performance”
Malcolm Washington “The Piano Lesson”
Barry Jenkins “The Fire Inside”

Saturday Night

Best Cinematography
Greig Fraser “Dune: Part Two”
Lol Crawley “The Brutalist”
Jomo Fray “Nickel Boys”
Edward Lachman “Maria”
Jarin Blaschke “Nosferatu”

Best Musical Score
Daniel Blumberg “The Brutalist”
Camille and Clement Ducol “Emilia Perez”
Kris Bowers “The Wild Robot”
Volker Bertelmann “Conclave”
Jon Batiste “Saturday Night”

Best Soundtrack
A Complete Unknown
The Fall Guy
Maria
Fly Me to the Moon
Twisters
Deadpool & Wolverine
The Idea of You

Best Production Design
“The Brutalist”
“Blitz”
“Maria”
“Wicked”
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
“Conclave”
“September 5”
“Dune Part Two”
“Hundreds of Beavers”
“Saturday Night”

Wicked

Best Costume Design
Paul Tazewell “Wicked”
Massimo Cantini Parrini “Maria”
Colleen Atwood “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
Mike Cheslik “Hundreds of Beavers”
Jacqueline West “Dune: Part Two”
Danny Glicker “Saturday Night”
Mary Zophres “Fly Me to the Moon”

Best Visual Effects
Dune Part 2
Alien: Romulus
Wicked
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Deadpool & Wolverine
Twisters
A Quiet Place: Day One
The Fall Guy
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Problemista

Best Make-Up and Hair
Dune: Part 2
Wicked
Saturday Night
The Substance
A Different Man
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Elliott (Maisy Stella) in MY OLD ASS Photo: Marni Grossman/Prime Video © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Juvenile Performances
Maisy Stella “My Old Ass”
Elliott Heffernan “Blitz”
Alyla Browne “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
Katherine Mallen Kupferer “Ghostlight”
Izaac Wang “Didi”
Ian Foreman “Exhibiting Forgiveness”
Cailee Fleming “IF”
William A. Fitzgerald “Ezra”
Nico Parker “Suncoast”
Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez “We Grown Now”

Best Comedy

Hundreds of Beavers
Saturday Night
My Old Ass
Fly Me to the Moon
Thelma
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Memoir of a Snail

Stunt Work
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator 2
Dune Part 2
Deadpool & Wolverine

Best Animated Feature
The Wild Robot
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Flow
Memoir of a Snail
Inside Out 2
Piece by Piece

Will and Harper

Best Documentary Feature
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Black Box Diaries
Will & Harper
Dahomey
Frida
Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story
Music by John Williams
Stopping the Steal
The Last of the Sea Women
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

Honorable Mention: Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburg, To Russia with Lev, The Truth vs. Alex Jones, The Greatest Night in Pop, I Am Celine Dion, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,

Best International Feature
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Emilia Perez
All We Imagine As Light
I’m Still Here
Vermiglio

Best Horror Film
Longlegs
A Quiet Place: Day One
Late Night with the Devil
Heretic
The Substance

Best Scenes
Civil War – “What kind of American are you?”
Dune: Part Two – Riding the Sandworm
Furiosa – War Rig battle
His Three Daughters – Dad’s Chair
Challengers – The Churros
Wicked – Defying Gravity
Hard Truths – Mother’s Day brunch


Alex’s Top Ten Best Films of 2024

Alex’s Top Ten Best Films of 2024

By Alex McPherson

11 Honorable Mentions: “No Other Land,” “Nickel Boys,” “A Real Pain,” “The Outrun,” “Monkey Man,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Nosferatu,” “Sing Sing,” “In Our Day,” “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus”

10. “Good One”

Meditative, and maintaining an undercurrent of suspense throughout, director India Donaldson’s debut feature is a true gem – an indie that has ample layers to unpack beneath its deceptively simple premise. Lily Collias gives one of the year’s absolute best performances as Sam, a young woman preparing to leave home for college, who goes on a weekend backpacking trip with her father, Chris (James Le Gros), and his best friend Matt (Danny McCarthy), in the Catskills. All is not well, however, and tensions simmer among the group; everyone is trying to find their place in the world, navigating life’s complexities. Mesmerizing cinematography from Wilson Cameron and a soothing score from Celia Hollander complement this unconventional and thoughtful coming-of-age story.

9. “I Saw the TV Glow”

Director Jane Schoenbrun’s dreamlike, unnerving, and uncompromising take on identity and loneliness is one of 2024’s most memorable films. It’s difficult to describe and suffused with a foreboding, hypnotically engaging mood. “I Saw the TV Glow” feels like a film of the moment, zeroing in on the ways media and pop culture can help form/support one’s sense of self, and the suffocating effects of not living one’s truth. Open to interpretation and polarizing in the best ways, Schoenbrun once again proves themself as a director with a surreal vision that’s all their own.

8. “Civil War”

Director Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is a provocative look at a dystopian near-future taken to extremes, and a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of journalism and storytelling itself. Looking beyond the film’s grimly compelling Road-Trip-From-Hell structure, excellent performances, and controversial premise that bends some logic, Garland spotlights photojournalists willing to risk their lives and their sanity for the next shot, the next story, in the hopes that, in the end, it will all mean something. It ultimately encourages viewers to look outside the frame to apply their sacrifice to our own reality. Will we merely let their stories wash over us, desensitized, or will we mobilize to support causes that might, one day, end self-perpetuating cycles of violence and cruelty? “Civil War” is an action-packed, grimly entertaining watch on its own, but it’s also a cautionary tale with real bite, a call to action within visceral, propulsive genre filmmaking.

7. “Hard Truths”

Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a staggering performance in director Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths,” — a study on empathy, mental illness, existential angst, and community that offers no easy answers. Leigh’s film is alternately funny, shocking, and heartbreaking, as we observe Jean-Baptiste’s character, Pansy, rampaging through every interaction with little consideration for others or for herself. “Hard Truths” is far from an easy watch, often harsh and unrelenting, but there’s great power in seeing shreds of hope shine through at the most unlikely times, something to hold onto if we have the will and bravery to cherish them in the hopes of a brighter future. An essential film.

6. “The Substance”

Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” is one of the most intense films I’ve experienced this year — brazenly confident in its style, performances, and satire that’s both in-your-face and ingeniously layered. It’s a poignant takedown of societal beauty standards, especially in Hollywood, but also a nightmarish exploration of fame, self-hatred, and aging bodies. The film’s body horror set pieces are both highly entertaining and wildly unsettling, delivering an escalating series of WTF moments along with human truth and real directorial craftsmanship. Indeed, “The Substance” is an unforgettable ride.

5. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”

Filmed in secret in Iran, director Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is a daring look at a family in disarray. Iman (Missagh Zareh) is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, a sought-after position that nevertheless requires him to sacrifice his personal morality. His responsibilities create a rift between him, his wife, and his daughters, who watch protests outside their home (Rasoulof shows real-life, harrowing footage taken from smartphone cameras) in horror and want to stand up for what they believe in. What follows is an urgent, riveting thriller that reaches a fever-pitch of intensity by its conclusion, made all the more powerful by the bravery of the cast and crew, who risked their lives to bring this story to life.

4. “Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World”

Director Radu Jude’s latest film is a blisteringly funny satire that tackles a whole bunch of ideas— worker exploitation, the search for true self-expression, the perils of the gig economy, corporate dehumanization, the push-pull between truth and fiction in filmmaking, and Romania’s tumultuous history — in a nearly three-hour odyssey that’s constantly upending expectations and remains as deeply poignant as it is defiantly unsubtle. Ilinca Manolache is a force of nature as Angela, a production assistant pushed to her limits on a never-ending assignment filming auditions for a multinational company throughout Bucharest, taking breaks whenever she can to make TikToks as her caricatured alter ego, Bobiță. “Do Not Expect,” in all its acerbic glory, is a cry from the heart, a masterful takedown of societal ills. 

3. “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”

As a lifelong fan of “Wallace and Gromit,” especially “The Wrong Trousers,” my expectations were sky high for the return of the world’s favorite inventor and his canine companion. Luckily, directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham do not disappoint — delivering another charming, clever, and well-crafted gem that retains the distinct spirit of the series, putting most other animated films to shame through its sterling attention to detail and all-ages appeal. “Vengeance Most Fowl” packs in some thoughtful commentary about technology (specifically artificial intelligence) as well, and it marks the return of the diabolical penguin Feathers McGraw, one of cinema’s great antagonists. Nothing can recapture the brilliance of the original three shorts, but “Vengeance Most Fowl” comes damn close at times.

2. “Anora”

Fueled by a star-making performance from Mikey Madison, director Sean Baker’s “Anora” is an emotional roller coaster if there ever was one, presenting an intense, darkly comedic, and heartbreaking fairytale turned on its head. With Baker’s characteristically empathetic eye, he explores the complicated nature of the American Dream, the dehumanizing power of wealth, and the perils of young love, while painting compelling pictures of people striving in systems that take advantage of them. Madison, taking us on Ani’s arc every step of the way, expertly conveys the character’s perseverance, fiery spirit, and gradual self-actualization as Baker’s tragicomic odyssey unfolds. A pitch-perfect ensemble elevates the film further, with each character given depth through Baker’s nonjudgmental eye. 

1. “Hundreds of Beavers”

There’s some films that change you, and director Mike Cheslik’s “Hundreds of Beavers” is one of those experiences — a slapstick epic that demands to be watched with a crowd. The inventiveness is off-the-charts, and the film is a reminder of the creative potential of the medium, using limited resources and limitless imagination to elicit guffaws galore, while delivering something firmly, unquestionably new. Nothing has stuck with me quite like “Hundreds of Beavers,” and, if you’re one of the hundreds of people I’ve been preaching its merits to who haven’t checked it out yet, consider this all-powerful ranking another nudge to press play. It’s time. Take the plunge.

St Louis Film Critics Assn Announces Nominations for 2024 Awards

St Louis Film Critics Assn Announces Nominations for 2024 Awards

“Dune: Part Two” leads with 12 nominations, followed by “The Brutalist” with 9, “Wicked” and “Conclave” each with 8, “Nickel Boys” with 6, and “Sing Sing” with 5.

“Dune: Part Two” may have been released Feb. 25, but the St. Louis Film Critics Association recognized this action-science fiction epic with 12 nominations for Denis Villeneuve’s world-building visual artistry.

The massive spectacle was mentioned in film, director, ensemble, adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing, production design, music score, costume design, visual effects, action film, and best scene categories.

The epic historical drama “The Brutalist” earned nine nominations for film, director Brady Corbet, actor Adrien Brody, supporting actor Guy Pearce, original screenplay, cinematography, editing, production design and music score.

 The religious political thriller “Conclave” received eight nominations for film, director Edward Berger, actor Ralph Fiennes, supporting actor Stanley Tucci, ensemble, adapted screenplay, production design and music score.

Also with eight, the musical adaptation and pop culture phenomenon “Wicked” was nominated for film, actress Cynthia Erivo, supporting actress Ariana Grande, ensemble, adapted screenplay, costume design, production design, and soundtrack.

“Nickel Boys” was cited in six categories for film, director, supporting actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, adapted screenplay, cinematography and editing. “Sing Sing” received five – film, actor Colman Domingo, supporting actor Clarence Maclin, adapted screenplay, and ensemble.

“A Complete Unknown,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” and  “The Wild Robot” each garnered four nominations.

SLFCA announced nominations Dec. 8; awards will be announced Dec. 15.

In addition to determining nominations in 26 categories, the regional critics’ group recognized film industry professionals for three special merits

Mohammad Rasoulof at the Cannes Film Festival. Photo by Getty Images.

Special Merit: Iranian Director Mohammad Rasoulof and the cast/crew of “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” for their courage and persistence in confronting political oppression in the pursuit of artistic expression and portraying truth through film.

Special Merit: Pete Timmermann, director of Webster University’s Film Series in St. Louis, for his exceptional, expert programming of international, restored, and independent films, including fiction and nonfiction, animation and live action, in addition to special events. His superb offerings for the St. Louis film community enriches and expands our cinematic world.  

Special Merit: Filmmakers who found creative uses for practical effects and were less reliant on digitized computer-generated graphics this year, such as hair and makeup artist Christine Brundell using puppetry and prosthetics, in collaboration with director Tim Burton, on “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”; makeup effects director Pierre Oliver Pierson on “The Substance” prosthetics; the micro budget DIY home computer effects from director Mike Cheslik for “Hundreds of Beavers”; the no-green-screen creature work on “Alien: Romulus” with animatronics and puppetry, among other collaborations by director Fede Alvarez; and the “Wicked” production design by Nathan Crowley where he merged practical imagery with CGI throughout, and grew 9  million tulips for Munchkinland.

Founded in 2004, the St. Louis Film Critics Association is a nonprofit organization of professional film reviewers who regularly publish current and timely film criticism, support local productions and festivals, and enhance public education, awareness, and appreciation of films. Vetted members are affiliated with qualifying media outlets in the St. Louis metropolitan region.

For the awards, eligible films are those that opened in the greater St. Louis area or had an online premiere during the 2024 calendar year – including those films that were given awards-qualifying runs but aren’t slated for release until early 2025.

For more information, visit the site: www.stlfilmcritics.org

Adrien Brody as “The Brutalist.” A24 Films.

Full List of Nominations:

BEST FILM

Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
September 5
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST DIRECTOR

Edward Berger “Conclave”
Brady Corbet “The Brutalist”
Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
RaMell Ross “Nickel Boys”
Denis Villeneuve “Dune: Part Two”

Colman Domingo in “Sing Sing.” A24 Films.


BEST ACTOR

Adrien Brody “The Brutalist”
Timothee Chalamet “A Complete Unknown”
Daniel Craig “Queer”
Colman Domingo “Sing Sing”
Ralph Fiennes “Conclave”
Hugh Grant “Heretic”


BEST ACTRESS

Pamela Anderson “The Last Showgirl”
Cynthia Erivo “Wicked”
Marianne Jean-Baptiste “Hard Truths”
Mikey Madison “Anora”
Demi Moore “The Substance”
Saoirse Ronan “The Outrun”

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg “A Real Pain.” Searchlight.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kieran Culkin “A Real Pain”
Clarence Maclin “Sing Sing”
Guy Pearce “The Brutalist”
Stanley Tucci “Conclave”
Denzel Washington “Gladiator II”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Monica Barbaro “A Complete Unknown”
Danielle Deadwyler “The Piano Lesson”
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor “Nickel Boys”
Ariana Grande “Wicked”
Zoe Saldana “Emilia Perez”

BEST ENSEMBLE

Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Peter Straughan, “Conclave”
Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, “Dune: Part Two”
RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes, “Nickel Boys”
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield, “Sing Sing”
Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox “Wicked”

Saturday Night. Columbia Pictures.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Sean Baker, “Anora”
Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold, “The Brutalist”
Mike Leigh, “Hard Truths”
Jesse Eisenberg, “A Real Pain”
Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan, “Saturday Night”
Mohammad Rasoulo, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Lol Crawley, “The Brutalist”
Greig Fraser, “Dune: Part Two”
Edward Lachman, “Maria”
Jarin Blaschke, “Nosferatu”
Jomo Fray, “Nickel Boys”

BEST EDITING

Dávid Jancsó, “The Brutalist”
Joe Walker, “Dune: Part Two”
Nicholas Monsour, “Nickel Boys”
Nathan Orloff, Shane Reid, “Saturday Night”
Hansjörg Weißbrich, “September 5”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Judy Becker, “The Brutalist”
Suzie Davies, Roberta Federico, “Conclave”
Zsuzsanna Sipos, Shane Vieau, Patrice Vermette, “Dune: Part Two”
Beatrice Brentnerova, Paul Ghirardani, Craig Lathrop, “Nosferatu”
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales, “Wicked”

“Wicked.” Universal Pictures.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Jacqueline West, “Dune: Part Two”
Casey Harris, “Hundreds of Beavers”
Massimo Cantini Parrini, “Maria”
Linda Muir, “Nosferatu”
Paul Tazewell, “Wicked”

BEST MUSIC SCORE

Daniel Blumberg, “The Brutalist”
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, “Challengers”
Volker Bertelmann, “Conclave”
Hans Zimmer, “Dune: Part 2”
Kris Bowers, “The Wild Robot”

“A Complete Unknown.” Searchlight.

BEST SOUNDTRACK

A Complete Unknown
Deadpool & Wolverine
I Saw the TV Glow
Maria
Wicked


BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE

Maya Hawke “Inside Our 2”
Lupita Nyong’o “The Wild Robot”
Pedro Pascal “The Wild Robot”
Amy Poehler “Inside Out 2”
Sarah Snook “Memoir of a Snail”


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

“Alien: Romulus” – Eric Barba, Shane Mahan, Nelson Sepulveda
“Dune: Part Two” – Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” – Andrew Jackson, Dan Bethell, Eric Whipp, Andy Williams
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” – Erik Winquist, Danielle Immerman, Paul Story
“Nosferatu” – Angela Barso, Lisa Wakeley

BEST STUNTS

Deadpool & Wolverine
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Monkey Man

“The Fall Guy.”

BEST ACTION FILM

Deadpool & Wolverine
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Monkey Man

The Wild Robot. Dreamworks.


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

BEST COMEDY

Deadpool & Wolverine
The Fall Guy
Hundreds of Beavers
A Real Pain
Saturday Night

BEST HORROR

Heretic. A24 Films.

Heretic
I Saw the TV Glow
Late Night with the Devil
Longlegs
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Daughters
Will & Harper
Music by John Williams
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

“Emilia Perez.” Netflix

BEST INTERNATIONAL

All We Imagine as Light
Dahomey
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Emilia Perez
The Seed of The Sacred Fig


BEST FIRST FEATURE
Annie Baker “Janet Planet”
Anna Kendrick “Woman of the Hour”
Josh Margolin “Thelma”
Dev Patel “Monkey Man”
RaMell Ross “Nickel Boys”
Malcolm Washington “The Piano Lesson”


BEST SCENE

Civil War – “What kind of American are you?”
Dune: Part Two – Riding the Sandworm
The Substance – New Year’s Eve performance
Furiosa – War Rig battle
His Three Daughters – Dad’s Chair

“Civil War” – A24 Films.