My personal Oscars

To see all the nominees, click here.

It's Oscar season, and once I again I am convinced that I am smarter than all of the Academy combined. 2024 was a great year for me in terms of watching new releases, and it is the first year that I have seen the majority of films nominated for the major awards (biggest blind spots being Emilia Pérez and I'm Still Here). So, without further ado, here are my own winners for the most coveted awards in film, in no particular order.

Film Editing

The Brutalist - David Jansco

Costume Design

Conclave - Lisy Christl

Makeup & Hairstyling

The Substance - Persin et. al.

Music (Original Score)

The Brutalist - Daniel Blumberg

Animated Feature Film Flow - Gints Zilbalodis

Visual Effects

Dune: Part Two - James et. al.

Production Design

Conclave - Davies et. al.

Sound

Dune: Part Two - John et. al.

International Feature Film

Flow - Latvia

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Conclave - Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Anora - Sean Baker

Cinematography

Dune: Part Two - Greig Fraser

Directing

Anora - Sean Baker

Actor (Supporting)

The Brutalist - Guy Pearce

Actor (Leading)

The Brutalist - Adrien Brody

Actress (Supporting)

Wicked - Ariana Grande

Actress (Leading)

Anora - Mikey Madison

Best Picture

The Brutalist - Gordon et. al.

A stunning still from The Brutalist.

Congratulations to The Brutalist! While its runtime is understandably daunting, this was the best theater experience I had all year. I was truly swept away by the story, I found the intermission delightful, and I've thought about it almost every day since leaving the theater. The score is infectious and Adrien Brody is fantastic as well, the film would not work without him. I will always champion films that are made independently and for cheap! Regardless of the scandal around their (in my opinion, minimal) use of AI, I believe it is a step in the right direction for independent filmmakers to make the production of such sweeping and artful stories more accessible, and I do admire The Brutalist's team for their transparency. For more information on the media frenzy, see here.

I would also like to defend my choice of Ariana Grande for best supporting actress in Wicked. First of all, the category was not very strong this year (it will likely go to Saldaña, but I haven't seen Emilia Pérez), and while I did love Isabella Rossellini's brief performance in Conclave, I must commend Grande for her performance being the best part of Wicked. While reminiscent of her work in Victorious on Nickelodeon, it must be said that an over-the-top and comedic performance is no less valid than the dramatics that are typically nominated for these coveted acting awards. Grande's Glinda will make you smile (if nothing else about Wicked does), and that is an achievement in itself.

The most "must-see" film of the year is Flow. I was blown away by the spirit of the film, and my animator boyfriend was blown away by the fact that it was made by such a tiny team of Latvian filmmakers. Again, I am compelled to celebrate independent filmmaking, and nothing this year brought me the same joy or sense of optimism for the future of the art of film as Flow. Completely lacking in dialogue, Flow follows a cat who must befriend other predators and prey alike when their ecosystem is completely flooded. It's so beautiful, so moving (yes, I cried), and so refreshingly creative. If you are interested in cute animals making their cute animal noises in a way that is emotionally devastating, I highly recommend you check it out (now streaming on Max).

Check out Flow on Letterboxd.

Finally, a note on the films I believe were unjustly ignored:

Kinds of Kindness (Yorgos Lanthimos) is an uncomfortable triptych that is worthy of a nomination for costume design, and Emma Stone (the Academy's princess) deserves a nomination for best supporting actress.

Challengers (Luca Guadagnino) is my favorite film of 2024. Breathtaking in performance, editing, costume design, and pure adrenaline. Josh O'Connor deserves a best supporting actor nomination, as does Zendaya for best supporting actress. Challengers should also have been nominated for its phenomenal score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (even if you don't watch the film, please listen to the score), and is the true winner of Cheyenne's best picture award.

Queer (also Luca Guadagnino) also went unrecognized; a stunning adaptation of the novel by William S. Burroughs, Queer should have earned Daniel Craig a nomination for best lead actor. The stunning 1950s period piece taking place in Mexico City's expat scene deserves costume design and production design nominations as well. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross also scored this film, and I am beginning to believe that everything they do is worthy of an award.

My personal best picture winner, Challengers.

Thanks for reading! Every year, I try my best not to care about the Oscars, but I always do. It's the Super Bowl for film enthusiasts. Whether you're watching the show this year or not, I appreciate you tuning in for the more important awards, my personal Oscars. I would love to hear your winners from this year's nominations in the comments, whether you've seen them all or you've only seen one. Follow me on Letterboxd to keep up with what I'm watching in 2025, and happy viewing!

P.S. My winner for Worst Picture is a tie between Megalopolis and It Ends With Us.

-Cheyenne