Best Movies of the year 2024

1.      Flow

Flow is magic and depth, an active meditation, full of visceral and frequently harrowing moments. The movie doesn’t need dialogue (it has none) since the sounds and images deliver astonishing moments with sublime visual power that celebrate resiliency and the collective spirit in times of adversity. This bold animated fable is a cinematic wonder that captures the genuine meaning of friendship, lodging images in our minds that make us imagine things we have never seen before and present emotions we didn’t expect to feel. Without a doubt, flow is a masterpiece of animated storytelling. We desperately need more animated features like Flow.

2.      Conclave

A thrilling and expansive narrative anchored by a colossal ensemble cast with fascinating dramatic elements and unexpectedly amusing ones as well. Edward Berger should have earned a Best Director nomination for his incredibly sharp, polished, riveting, supremely entertaining melodrama. Exquisitely shot and confidently told with a gripping score and immersive cinematography, Conclave ultimately succeeds as an incredibly entertaining tale of faith, power and morality.

3.      Nosferatu

Once again, Eggers transports viewers back to the era he's putting to screen.  Nosferatu was haunting, sensual, and achingly beautiful. Eggers masterfully constructed a chilling atmosphere, highlighted by striking cinematography, meticulous costume and set design. The shots are crystal clear, and incredibly inventive, finding a way to be entirely grounded in reality, yet pushing the audience into a dreamlike nightmare. There is much virtuosity, creativity, imagination and risk as there is quirk and joy in this film.

4.      Ghostlight

A deeply moving, highly intelligent film is about loss, grief, repressed emotions, and the value of human connection. Everything feels sincere here, and that's the film's core strength. It is a story about the very personal roads of grief we all must travel and of how community can get us through tough times. No extravagant set pieces here, just an authentic singular experience, with nakedly heartfelt performances, evoking the magic feeling of freedom from heartbreak.

5.      Sing Sing

A film largely staffed by real-life formerly incarcerated actors playing past versions of themselves is one of the most powerfully acted prison dramas you will ever see. A careful balance of drama and humor, Sing Sing is a precious piece of empathy, kindness, and understanding of what it means to be free. Led by Domingo’s careers’ best performance, the film is living proof of what can be achieved when we nurture compassion and creativity in people. The movie displays that no matter our past or actions, a shared humanity remains.

6.      I am Still Here

Anchored by the extraordinary, subdued performance from Fernanda Torres, one that is constructed from subtlety, the movie is a reconstruction of a family in the face of tragedy that draws poignant parallels to historical (and current) struggles for justice. Although it has a political context, it is ultimately a personal drama that juggles themes of tragedy with personal courage.

7.      The Brutalist

The first half, which is brilliant and flawless in every aspect, is arguably one of the best and greatest pieces of filmmaking of the 21st century (unfortunately, that didn’t carry to the second half of the movie). Even with its flaws, the Brutalist is a timely examination of how modern America came into existence, a stunning reflection on ambition and identity. The movie was packed with ravishing cinematography, a thrilling score and a production design you must see to believe. Brody’s commanding screen presence was transfixing in the lead role.  

8.      Queer

Led by a magnetic central performance by Daniel Craig, the film mutates in front of our eyes in its exploration of love, desperateness, melancholy, and everything in between. Visually and thematically experimental, the movie is an arresting voyage into discomfort and euphoria. It is a rare gem, haunting and strange, gutsy and unexpected, heartbreaking and extraordinarily trippy.

9.      A Different Man

Infuses a dry sense of humor while also packing a cathartic emotional punch. Ultimately, it is a dark and hilarious tragedy of realizing your problems were always more than skin deep and how much of our lives are rooted in perception. It felt like a meditation on the power of positive thinking versus the impact of negativity.

10. Saturday Night

Shot in real time with brisk urgency and razor-sharp humor, the film managed to capture the idea that, even in utter chaos, there is room for greatness. The sharp editing and excellent score keep things humming along making the experience of watching addictive. Although the film is not perfect, the outstanding ensemble, superb period detail, and a well-constructed script make this a fun and frenzied ride, one that champions creativity and innovation.

Honorable mention

11. A real pain

The film navigates delicate issues with sensible simplicity, without lecturing the audience or injecting cynicism. It is a journey about brotherhood, depression and suffering, with thematic richness and disarmingly poignant screenplay. Ultimately it is a film about the boundaries and limits of love family and friendship one that transforms deeply rooted pain into something profoundly human,

Oscar Predictions

Best Picture

Who should win: Conclave

Who is going to win: Anora

Comment: Anora is not a bad film; it is actually Ok- it is just not best picture material. Among the movies nominated- Conclave is the far superior film

Best Director

Who should win: Brady Corbet

Who is going to win: Sean Baker 

Comment: It looks like Sena Baker (Anora) will win this , which I think would be one of the most underserving awards in years. Hopefully Brady Corbet can come up with the upset. There is a slight possibility Conclave wins, but Anora has the momentum.

Best Actor

Who should win: Adrian Brody

Who is going to win: Adrian Brody

Comment: For me it was difficult to say “who should win”’- it was a tie between Brody and Ralph Fiennes. We might see a surprise of Timothée Chalamet coming up with the win- but if that is the case, it would be unfortunate, since of the 5 nominees, Chalamet is the least best.

Best Actress

Who should win: Fernanda Torres

Who is going to win: Demi Moore

Comment: I was so happy to see Demi Moore do this kind of work, and she is awesome in The Substance, but there is no performance that comes close to Fernanda Torres this year.

Best Supporting Actor

Who should win: Jeremy Strong

Who is going to win: Kieran Culkin

Comment: I think Culkin was great, and it is worthy of all the acclaim. But Jeremy Strong delivered the best supporting performance of the year.

Best Supporting Actress

Who should win: Monica Barbaro

Who is going to win: Zoe Saldaña

Comment: I didn’t think A Complete Unknown was a great film, it was Ok. But the best thing in that movie was not Timothée Chalamet, it was Monica Barbaro.

Best Original Screenplay

Who should win: A Real Pain

Who is going to win: A Real Pain

Comment: Anora is the favorite to win here, but I think Jesse Eisenberg (writer/director of A Real Pian) might pull it off. I am hoping so, because there was nothing special with the Anora screenplay.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Who should win: Conclave

Who is going to win: Conclave

Comment: Weak category this year, none of the nominees (except for Conclave) were great screenplays.