2024 in Film

[That Venice Bitch 28,505]

What are your favorite films of the year? Which ones do you still need to see? Any films that disappointed you? Recommendations?

 

This thread can also be used for preliminary Oscar discussion and speculation~~

 

 

Some of the likeliest 2025 Oscar nominees according to prediction site GoldDerby:

Just sharing the predictions that currently have more than a 1/100 betting chance:

Quote

Best Picture: Anora, The Brutalist, Conclave, Wicked, Emilia Perez, Dune: Part Two, Sing Sing, A Real Pain, Nickel Boys, The Substance, A Complete Unknown, September 5, Gladiator II

Best Actress: Mikey Madison - Anora, Karla Sofia Gascón - Emilia Perez, Angelina Jolie - Maria, Cynthia Erivo - Wicked, Marianne Jean-Baptiste - Hard Truths, Nicole Kidman - Babygirl, Demi Moore - The Substance, Fernanda Torres - I'm Still Here, Saoirse Ronan - The Outrun

Best Actor: Adrien Brody - The Brutalist, Ralph Fiennes - Conclave, Timothee Chalamet - A Complete Unknown, Colman Domingo - Sing Sing, Daniel Craig - Queer, Jesse Eisenberg - A Real Pain, Sebastian Stan - The Apprentice

Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana - Emilia Perez, Ariana Grande - Wicked, Felicity Jones - The Brutalist, Isabella Rossellini - Conclave, Danielle Deadwyler - The Piano Lesson, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor - Nickel Boys, Selena Gomez - Emilia Perez, Margaret Qualley - The Substance, Saoirse Ronan - Blitz, Monica Barbaro - A Complete Unknown

Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain, Guy Pearce - The Brutalist, Clarence Maclin - Sing Sing, Denzel Washington - Gladiator II, Yura Borisov - Anora, Edward Norton - A Complete Unknown, Stanley Tucci - Conclave, Jeremy Strong - The Apprentice

 

[Make me your Dream Life 88,840]

I didn't enjoy the conclave. Like I got everything about it, but I was just annoyed about it. It just felt like a long commercial for me.

Happy about the Substance. 

Enjoyed Gladiator II. I loved it actually, and it felt like it was one of those movies that you'll enjoy in theaters. 

[Embach 45,054]

I haven't seen that many movies this year because most of these will be out earlier next year where I live but so far, it seems to be a bit weaker year for movies compared to last year and it also seems that 2019 still won't be topped for me. 

 

But what I do think is that Dune 2 will sweep the technical categories like cinematography, editing and effects. As it deserves to be honest, it was visually epic. But I think that there will definitely be a lot of competition in the acting/directing categories because these many of the possibly nominated actors have very high chances of winning. This year seems to be a less sweepy years as the previous two, perhaps it is more interesting to see different winners and juicy competition lol!

 

I really hope that Demi Moore gets nominated because she was so good in her role. I really hope that The Substance - one of the best movies of the 2020s - will get a lot of nominations but knowing The Academy, they don't have a good relationship with horror movies for some reason. It will definitely win or will at least be nominated for Best Make-Up. Also imagine if Margaret Qually gets nominated for an Oscar and she wins and "when you know you know..." part from Margaret gets played in the background

 

I haven't seen Anora and The Brutalist but they seem to be neck and neck in those important categories but I think that Anora will get Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay and The Brutalist will get Best Director and Best Actor. OR Anora gets Best Director and The Brutalist gets Best Picture (judging by their chances and also film descriptions). I really want to see these films, the reviews from both critics and the general public are crazy great, Anora seems to be a wild ride in the best way possible and The Brutalist seems to be a really epic one (and I absolutely love architecture).

 

I also think that Emilia Perez might be the dark horse and may actually win Best Picture (since it also got so many Golden Globes nominations) but I also read that it's contoversial because the portrayals of trans and Mexican people were offensive? I haven't seen it. 

 

I haven't seen Conclave but I have a feeling that it will be boring? Like, it seems to be like a theatre play which centers around one place and people (the Vatican). I don't know, I'm lowkey surprised it has got a lot of nominations (at the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice). Nevertheless, I still want to see it, I do think that the cast performances and the cinematography (based from the trailer) will be good and I'd be happy if Ralph Fiennes wins because he's a great actor and for me it would conpensate the Oscar snub for his amazing role in The Schindler's List, perhaps The Academy would give him Best Actor for his career achievements because we have seen from the latest years, how much they love to give awards for actors who have had long careers without an Oscar.

 

I don't know but considering the current political climate - how much would Trump's election victory affect the results? Because I remember in 2017 everybody thought that La La Land would win Best Picture and Moonlight won instead then many people speculated that it won as a statement because of Trump's victory. And also, since Anora seems to be Russian centered movie, I have seen some backlash from Ukranians and maybe if it actually wins Best Picture, it would maybe stir more controversy? I don't know. 

 

Wicked seems to have great chances as well, I do think that it will be nominated and will actually win for both Best Production Design and Best Costume Design (similarly how Poor Things won these awards together). Ariana has a great chance of winning as well (neck and neck with Zoe Saldana), it would be cool if she wins while I'm not her biggest fan but I'm proud how far she has come. Same with Selena Gomez as well! Although I'm hesitant on watching Wicked and Emilia Perez because I'm not the biggest fan of musicals. Either way, there seems to be a resurgence of musical pictures this year and in early 2021 I predicted that musicals will start to dominate the movie industry in the mid-2020s, so we'll see how it will roll out eventually.

 

I'd be surprised if The Complete Unknown will be nominated for Best Picture because (well, based on the trailer) it doesn't really give me epic vibes like other music biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody or Elvis gave (although...I didn't really like Elvis besides the lead performance). 

 

Sing Sing was really acclaimed when it was released but seems like it was overshadowed by other releases this year. I really want to see A Real Pain, I love Kieran Culkin, he's amazing and I'd be happy if he wins.

 

I'm also lowkey sad that Saoirse Ronan has narrow chances of winning because she's an absolutely amazing actress who always gets snubbed at award shows.

 

Am I only one who doesn't like when movies are released in the later quarter of the year (like in October, November, December)? I know that they do this because these are released during the awards season but as someone who doesn't live neither in the US and UK, I hate to wait for like 3 months until the movie gets released in my country (and it's always like January or February when I'm busy). The best time for watching movies in cinemas for me will always be Summer (or Spring).

 

I always write long essays about films, jesus christ

[DeadSeaOfMercury 23,268]

The Substance

- It’s a Masterpiece!

 

Deadpool & Wolverine

- Saw it 7 times in theaters, One of my favorite movies ever.

MaXXXine

- Really liked it, But I enjoyed X & Pearl a little more.

I haven’t seen Challengers yet, But both versions of it’s score are AMAZING!

 

Borderlands

- Is one of my favorite game series.

This film has no redeeming qualities.

The acting was shit.

Like every character was miscast.

Guns are a MAJOR part of the games / Life on Pandora - But not in this dumpster fire.

Story wise it really didn’t match / belong in the Borderlands universe.

It really doesn’t work as a Sci-Fi film on it’s own due to its lack of substance.

Is it the worst film I’ve ever seen?

No that’s still The Car: Road To Revenge,

But this was pretty fucking close.

 

EDIT:

Wanting to see Babygirl!

[spencertaureanmartin 4,321]

My Top Films released this year:

The Substance, His Three Daughters, Parachute, Anora, Dune:Part Two, MaXXXine, Memoir of a Snail, Immaculate, I Saw the TV Glow, Challengers

 

My Least Fave Films released this year: 

The Idea of You, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Time Cut, The Fall Guy, Argylle, In A Violent Nature, If, Despicable Me 4, A Family Affair, Mean Girls, It Ends With Us

 

Recommendations:

The Substance - Very bloody good! A masterpiece of a film and standout performances from Demi Moore & Margaret Qualley!!

Anora - A lowkey fun kind of movie, a dark comedy in my eyes compared to Sean Baker’s previous films and great chemistry between all actors. Mikey Madison is a bloody star in it!

 

His Three Daughters, We Live in Time, I Used to be Funny - All sad banger movies if you need a movie to laugh and cry to.

 

Still need to watch:

A Complete Unknown - Yes, I love my man Timothée Chalamet and I can’t wait to see this. Also have to say good cast with Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro plus i think Lana’s love for Bob Dylan & Joan Baez has fuelled my excitement and interest even more for this movie too. (Release Date - Australia: January 23 2025) 

 

Queer - I love Luca Guadagnino with all my heart. I’m interested to see this but I feel like i’ll relate it too much to Call Me By Your Name (One of my fave movies ever) and therefore will be very harsh on it. (Release Date - Australia: February 6 2025)

 

Personal Disappointments:

Wicked: Part One - I’m really sad I didn’t enjoy it because this was my highly anticipated for the year like Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh…UGH PERFECT CAST but i just didn’t like it that much. It was fun yes and visuals were amazing but i just couldn’t get behind which is crazy because i haven’t been able to shut up about Wicked all year - Loved the play though and I’m really keen for Part Two which I think i’ll love more!

 

Emilia Perez - I was hoping to like this but i felt it was a just disjointed to me and felt like they just threw way too much at it

 

Best Picture:

Dune: Part Two, The Substance or Anora!!!!

 

With awards seasoning heading in to full swing, I’d honestly be very happy with either Demi Moore or Mikey Madison taking the Best Actress/Female Lead Performance Awards because I think that their characters that they portrayed in their respective movies were so complex and they brought so much emotion to their roles. 

Supporting Actress Awards i’m definitely rooting for Margaret Qualley - Although if Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne or Carrie Coon get nommed I will be rooting for them too!

[bluechemtrails 27,316]

I've only seen Gladiator II this year. It wasn't bad, but easily forgettable. I'm looking forward to seeing Part I on TV again tonight.

[Embach 45,054]

Yesterday, the Academy announced the shortlists in 10 categories for the 97th Academy Awards: Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, International Feature film, Makeup And Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Sound and Visual Effects! Here's the list of the films that made the shortlist (copy-pasted from The Academy website): 

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

Spoiler

Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Feature Film category for the 97th Academy Awards. One hundred sixty-nine films were eligible in the category. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“The Bibi Files”
“Black Box Diaries”
“Dahomey”
“Daughters”
“Eno”
“Frida”
“Hollywoodgate”
“No Other Land”
“Porcelain War”
“Queendom”
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin”
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”
“Sugarcane”
“Union”
“Will & Harper”

 

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

Spoiler

Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Short Film category for the 97th Academy Awards. One hundred four films qualified in the category. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Chasing Roo”
“Death by Numbers”
“Eternal Father”
“I Am Ready, Warden”
“Incident”
“Instruments of a Beating Heart”
“Keeper”
“Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World”
“Once upon a Time in Ukraine”
“The Only Girl in the Orchestra”
“Planetwalker”
“The Quilters”
“Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr”
“A Swim Lesson”
“Until He’s Back”

 

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

Spoiler

Fifteen films will advance to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category for the 97th Academy Awards. Films from 85 countries and regions were eligible in the category.
Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.

In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote. The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Brazil, “I’m Still Here”
Canada, “Universal Language”
Czech Republic, “Waves”
Denmark, “The Girl with the Needle”
France, “Emilia Pérez”
Germany, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
Iceland, “Touch”
Ireland, “Kneecap”
Italy, “Vermiglio”
Latvia, “Flow”
Norway, “Armand”
Palestine, “From Ground Zero”
Senegal, “Dahomey”
Thailand, “How to Make Millions before Grandma Dies”
United Kingdom, “Santosh”

 

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Spoiler

Ten films will advance in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 97th Academy Awards. All members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be invited to view excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar® consideration. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“The Apprentice”
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
“A Different Man”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Maria”
“Nosferatu”
“The Substance”
“Waltzing with Brando”
“Wicked”

 

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Spoiler

Twenty scores will advance in the Original Score category for the 97th Academy Awards. One hundred forty-five scores were eligible in the category. Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The scores, listed in alphabetical order by film title, are:

“Alien: Romulus”
“Babygirl”
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
“Blink Twice”
“Blitz”
“The Brutalist”
“Challengers”
“Conclave”
“Emilia Pérez”
“The Fire Inside”
“Gladiator II”
“Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1”
“Inside Out 2”
“Nosferatu”
“The Room Next Door”
“Sing Sing”
“The Six Triple Eight”
“Wicked”
“The Wild Robot”
“Young Woman and the Sea”

 

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

Spoiler

Fifteen songs will advance in the Original Song category for the 97th Academy Awards. Eighty-nine songs were eligible in the category. Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title:

“Forbidden Road” from “Better Man”
“Winter Coat” from “Blitz”
“Compress/Repress” from “Challengers”
“Never Too Late” from “Elton John: Never Too Late”
“El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez”
“Mi Camino” from “Emilia Pérez”
“Sick In The Head” from “Kneecap”
“Beyond” from “Moana 2”
“Tell Me It’s You” from “Mufasa: The Lion King”
“Piece By Piece” from “Piece by Piece”
“Like A Bird” from “Sing Sing”
“The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight”
“Out Of Oklahoma” from “Twisters”
“Kiss The Sky” from “The Wild Robot”
“Harper And Will Go West” from “Will & Harper”

 

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Spoiler

Fifteen films will advance in the Animated Short Film category for the 97th Academy Awards. Eighty-eight films qualified in the category. Academy members from the Animation Branch and Short Films Branch were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.

In the nominations round, Academy members from the Animation Branch and Short Films Branch are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Au Revoir Mon Monde”
“A Bear Named Wojtek”
“Beautiful Men”
“Bottle George”
“A Crab in the Pool”
“In the Shadow of the Cypress”
“Magic Candies”
“Maybe Elephants”
“Me”
“Origami”
“Percebes”
“The 21”
“Wander to Wonder”
“The Wild-Tempered Clavier”
“Yuck!”

 

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Spoiler

Fifteen films will advance in the Live Action Short Film category for the 97th Academy Awards. One hundred eighty films qualified in the category. Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.

In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Anuja”
“Clodagh”
“The Compatriot”
“Crust”
“Dovecote”
“Edge of Space”
“The Ice Cream Man”
“I’m Not a Robot”
“The Last Ranger”
“A Lien”
“The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent”
“The Masterpiece”
“An Orange from Jaffa”
“Paris 70”
“Room Taken”

 

SOUND

Spoiler

Ten films will advance in the Sound category for the 97th Academy Awards. All eligible members of the Sound Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

 

Academy members will be invited to view excerpts from each of the shortlisted films beginning Thursday, January 9, 2025, in the San Francisco Bay area, followed by London, Los Angeles and New York on Saturday, January 11, 2025.

 

Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Alien: Romulus”
“Blitz”
“A Complete Unknown”
“Deadpool & Wolverine”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Gladiator II”
“Joker: Folie à Deux”
“Wicked”
“The Wild Robot”

VISUAL EFFECTS

Spoiler

Ten films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 97th Academy Awards. The Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist.

 

All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 11, 2025.

 

Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Alien: Romulus”
“Better Man”
“Civil War”
“Deadpool & Wolverine”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Gladiator II”
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
“Mufasa: The Lion King”
“Twisters”
“Wicked”

 

Nominations voting begins on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, and concludes on Sunday, January 12, 2025.

[barttttender 5,246]

On 12/15/2024 at 11:05 AM, That Venice Bitch said:

What are your favorite films of the year? Which ones do you still need to see? Any films that disappointed you? Recommendations?

 

This thread can also be used for preliminary Oscar discussion and speculation~~

 

 

Some of the likeliest 2025 Oscar nominees according to prediction site GoldDerby:

Just sharing the predictions that currently have more than a 1/100 betting chance:

 

 

 

Already made a thread on this topic this year  But sure, posting here too:

 

My top 11 goes something like:

 

Wicked 

Babes

Anora

Inside Out 2

Blink Twice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Late Night with the Devil

The Substance

Oddity

The Apprentice

 

It's such a great year for film that I can't even do 10 only.

 

Honorable mentions: The Challengers, Abigail, A Different Man, Speak No Evil, Immaculate, Conclave, Civil War

 

Biggest Disappointment: Kinds of Kindness

 

Biggest Surprise: Zoe Kravtiz's directorial and screenwriting skills (Blink Twice) 

 

Yet to see: Babygirl, The Brutalist, The Room Next Door, Blitz, Juror #. 2, Queer, Emelia Perez, The Last Showgirl, Nickel Boys, Nosferatu...

 

Full list here:

 

Loved: 

 

Wicked - So, so good! If this wins BP, it will be a very worthy winner. Ariana Grande can act! 10/10

Blink Twice - brilliant debut for Kravitz. Food for thought and gripping af. 10/10

Anora - brilliant as expected with Sean Baker 10/10

Inside Out 2 - an absolute blast at the cinema imo and better than the first 10/10

Oddity - so fucking good! Not a single cliche in it. One of the best horrors of the decade 10/10

The Substance - phenomenal, outrageous, stylish, few flaws but well worth the hype 9/10

Late Night with the Devil - very, very good, original, and creepy. 9/10

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: also an absolute blast at the cinema, and a return to form for Tim Burton. 9/10

Babes - best comedy of the year imo. Absolutely fucking hilarious 9/10

The Apprentice: surprisingly good and watchable, Oscar nom worthy performance from Sebastian Stan 8.5/10

 

 

Good:

 

Abigail: fun, bonkers,  hilarious, a great time at the cinema 8/10

Challengers: Okay, it's not quite as hot and sexy as I thought it was gonna be, but still good. great soundtrack 7.5/10

Speak No Evil: clever, twisty script, and performances 7.5/10

Immaculate: fun, scary, with a really good performance by S. Sweeney 7.5/10

Conclave: well-made, watchable, good acting, bit overrated. Expected more after all the hype. 7.5/10

Civil War: Not Alex Garland's best but still good 7/10

A Different Man: Artsy and well-acted, but also drags on 7/10

 

Meh: 

 

Maria:  Solid work from Jolie, but the movie kind of becomes more and more boring  and less specific as it goes along, and eventually ends up being sappy as hell. 6.9/10

Thelma:  Cute movie, but not worthy of the praise it's getting? 6.9/10

Fly Me to the Moon: Look great, but too long and overstuffed 6.5/10

Kinds of Kindness:  What a comedown after Poor Things. Guess they had fun making it 6/3 (and that's only for the style)

Heretic: Solidi Grant but just meh, didn't even finish it. 6.2/10

Alien: Romulus:  Major MEH. 6/10

Hit Man: I like Powell, and it's a good concept, but kinda fell asleep 6/10

The Fall Guy: Very long nap vibes. If basic bitch were a movie 5/10, but then pretty harmless

Twisters: same, one big cliche 5/10, but harmless

A Family Affair: harmless background movie while you do your laundry or dishes 5/10

 

Loathed:

 

Love Lies Bleeding: Nonsense. Starts good, but turns into hogwash. 4/10

A Quiet Place Day 1: Absolute rubbish compared to the first two films in the series. 4/10

Longless. A good Nicolas Cage, but the script is outright moronic. 4/10

I Saw the TV Glow: What the fuck even was that? 1/10

The new Lindsay Lohan Xmas movie. 1/10. Netlix is churning out literal shit

 

 

Can't wait to see: The Room Next Door, Babygirl, Juror no. 2, Queer,  Blitz, Nosferatu... There's a lot going on this year. But what a year for cinema!

 

Thread here: https://lanaboards.com/topic/20023-favorite-movies-of-2024/

 

[barttttender 5,246]

On 12/15/2024 at 11:05 AM, That Venice Bitch said:

What are your favorite films of the year? Which ones do you still need to see? Any films that disappointed you? Recommendations?

 

This thread can also be used for preliminary Oscar discussion and speculation~~

 

 

Some of the likeliest 2025 Oscar nominees according to prediction site GoldDerby:

Just sharing the predictions that currently have more than a 1/100 betting chance:

 

 

Out of all of these, Wicked deserve Best Picture. It's the greatest musical since Moulin Rouge! and genuinely better than Chicago, which won BP. If not Wicked, then Anora. (from those I've seen)

 

Acting wise, Oscar nods belong to Mickey M. in Anora in Lead and Ariana Grande in Supporting . Also loved Jeremy Strong in Apprentice. High hopes for Kidman in Babygirl.

 

Sebastian Stan deserves a nod from Trump, but the Academy really doesn't appreciate him for some reason (maybe it's his Romanian origin).

 

Who doesn't deserve a nod: Isabella Roselini, she barely has 10 mins of screentime and doesn't do that much. If she gets it, it's a career nom. I do not get the hype around Jolie either. The movie is the weakest in the trilogy and it's 40% lip syncing which wasn't even that convincing. Would rather see Erivo get in, that woman worked her ass off on Wicked and actually sang live.