Who Should Win at The Oscars 2024? 

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I'm enjoying the polite but frequent and firm knockbacks of Maestro. It's the kid sitting alone at lunchbreak of the Oscar nominees.

I'm still frustrated that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Boy and the Heron (2023) weren't nominated for the original score. Both pieces were so distinct due to the variety of tracks and instrumentals that accurately entrenched the audience with each character and setting. It shows how much the Academy Awards values animation compared to other mediums.

Past Lives should have gotten a Best Cinematography nomination, since it made me think New York City is pretty after I watched three seasons of How to with John Wilson.

I think Greta Lee and Celine Song deserve mentions as potential snubs for best actress and best directing for their work on Past Lives.

Oscars are like a toxic ex you can’t quit. Loving this run of videos. Great job using the music and finding different ways of talking about da movies

Somehow I feel like this year (2023/24) will go down in history of film as a great one. So many great pictures have been released and finally both studios AND audiences turn to original pieces instead of the endless multiverse blockbusters.

When I watched The Zone of Interest I couldn't recall where I had seen Hüller before. When I realised she was the same actress of Anatomy of a Fall, I thought it must be so amazing for her to have two films she participates in nominated for the Oscars!

One of the most egregious snubs of the year is All of Us Strangers in at least Adapted Screenplay and Lead Actor. Not that many people saw it prior to the nomination announcement but with it getting a somewhat larger release, it continues to be acclaimed by audiences and critics. It’s many people’s favorite of the year (including mine). And if you’ve seen the movie you can at least get behind the Andrew Scott Snub. He was so so devastating and perfect for the role.

including the actual OST in the background is what makes your videos so good. might sound dramatic but it's a small 'detail' that many other creators would overlook, resulting in me having to individually look up the OST myself

Milo Machado-Graner was exceptional in Anatomy of a Fall, and in a less Hollywood-biased (understandably so, it is the American industry's) award ceremony he'd have the strongest case for the supporting actor category.

I still can't understand why nobody is talking about the score for 'Society Of The Snow'. Giacchino does an amazing job building and maintaining tension during their time in the Andes and some of the earlier pieces before the crash especially are very beautiful and emotional.

Great analysis, but I respectfully disagree on your choice of Best Actress: Sandra Huller's performance will be studied by film and theater students for decades to come.

20:32 "spark a discussion about the film making we love, rather than just argue with people" I like that!

can't understand how All Of Us Strangers didn't get a single nomination. the four actors are incredible

Tons of love for mentioning animated films worthy of best picture.

how the fuck was asteroid city not nominated for production design regardless of anyones gripes about the movie itself the movie looks insane

the subtlety within the editing of the holdovers will go overlooked but it's exactly what I'd accredit the cozy and warm feel of the film, to.

I'm so tired of Oscar bait biopics and I want them to stop being rewarded so people will stop making them

Emma Stone should win every year, forever...

Oppenheimer was in a league of its own. From the 1st person script to the score, to the acting and directing, it's on another level. Plus it has the hype...

I'm not sure if there's a precedent for two nominations for the same actress, but Sandra Hüller was magnificent in Zone of Interest

poor things OST, especially the first track, has stuck with me since i first watched the film. never heard an OST so perfectly fitting

Why did you not cover the screenplays? I was really looking forward to that.

I want Poor Things to win best picture. I doubt that’s going to happen but I hope it does. It’s one of the few movies from 2023 that I was never bored of once, and also caught my attention throughout the whole runtime

Anyone else pissed that Pemberton and Levi didn’t get nominated for their movie scores?

Very much agree on the award of Cinematography going to Hoyte. Oppenheimer is a perfect blend of heightened naturalism, and the way they made close ups on IMAX possible is incredible. I also feel that Rodrigo Prieto has not been getting enough attention for his work on KOTFM. The film has a beautiful classic film texture, and the color grading that draws inspiration from old 1900s photography color palettes is genius.

It's nice to hear someone else finally say something about Teyana Taylor getting snubbed, really A Thousand and One as a whole. My wife and I loved the film and were saddened that it was just kind of forgotten.

Really surprised Poor things wasn't mentioned in directing. This was Yorgos Lanthimos chef-d'œuvre, an absolute stunning, original, and memorable movie. His directing is nothing like you've ever seen before, you instantly recognise it, just like a Wes Anderson movie, and the way he de-constructs human behavior to its core components is masterful visual poetry. I am heavily biased though, and I realize this movie is very polarizing. But I sincerely hope it gets much deserved accreditation to its phenomenal accomplishment!

can i just say i hate that people don’t want Emma Stone to win the Oscar for best actress because she already has an Oscar. Emma Stone gave hands down the best performance and the award shouldn’t be by how many Oscar’s one already has..

I really loved Gladstone in KOTFM and kinda wish her the oscar but honestly, Sandra Huller's performance in Anatomy of a fall is just extraordinary. It perfectly captivates the wholistic essence of the movie itself. It's an acting masterclass. Great video btw, coming from a huge fan

Emma Stone should win it. Outside of the Oscar's, she's been winning every major award for the role -- including at the BAFTA. It's a great performance, considering she had to create different ages for her character in the same body.

♫ I got the Oscar fever, hope you feel it too ♫

If you look at some of the behind the scenes for Oppenheimer then it will be obvious that Murphy should win. Giving such a performance with a massive camera just 2 inches from your face is amazing!

Loved your commentary here! I feel like this years lineup is pretty strong in most of the categories. One thing I will add in Costume Design is that Barbie’s costumes throughout the film do change along with the character. She starts off with a more 1960s aesthetic and get closer to contemporary fashion as she learns more about herself and the world. With that an how Ken’s costumes reflect his character arc, I think there’s more to it than just recreating costumes for the dolls. Great video again!

Nearly at a million, man! I feel that second hand gratification you feel when one of the people you know deserves it becomes successful like I never have before. Genuinely, genuinely happy for you and just wanted to send an early congrats 👍

thomas i must tell you, as a person that loves studying film and currently an currently is in the last year of an animation degree, your channel is an amazing. There's not a lot of people that go into an in depth analysis that mentions that many aspects of flim and a good understanding of it. I've learnt a lot from your channel and i thank you very much

Take a shot every time the word “subtle” is stated and…… But seriously, nice overall take. It’s a great year in cinema, and my three “bests” - Oppenheimer, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest - look to be receiving widespread recognition.

I would love it if Emma Stone or Sandra Huller won. They were phenomenal. Lily Gladstone was great, but that really felt more like a supporting role.

Thanks for explaining your picks in such an insightful and useful way, as always! I am going to see Zone of Interest finally in my area this weekend and I could not be more excited since you gave it such a great highlight.

Film is art and art is subjective. The problem is , EVERYONE thinks their opinion is the correct one and refuse to budge, making 'conversations' about it exhausting.

For me the biggest snub in bunch of categories is "May December": its cinematography, acting and directing were extraordinary good (Academy did recognize only the screenplay - rightfully so). All these elements served a story which had something interesting to say and did it in a fresh, original way. For this reason it's one of my best from last year, definitely.

In my opinion, the biggest snub of this year isn't Greta Gerwig or Margot Robbie shut out from their respective categories, nor the fact that Godzilla didn't receive more attention, and not even the fact that animation is once again pushed away, thus ignoring Guillermo Del Toro's message from last year. Not only did Oppenheimer not being nominated for VFX is a big snub, but the fact that it wasn't even shortlisted is a crime. This is the film that used a real bomb, and yet they decided to shortlist The Marvels

Emma was brilliant. She deserves the win. I think Lily is wonderful too but she’s supporting and she is subtle irl, I am not sure she had to act that much…having said that i really enjoyed her and the movie. Emma just blew everyone else away, Emma was incredible. This was such a great year…so many incredible movies and actors that all deserve the win.

Excellent video! I always enjoy your perspective on things :)

Lmao film nerds have it programmed where they can’t give Opp its flowers because it’s popular choice

You brought up a lot of good points, especially in the technical categories. You definitely appreciate Killers of the Flower Moon WAY more than I do and while you brought me around to the editing, cinematography, and score maybe, almost nothing else, with the exception of Gladstone should have been on here. Really loved your take on things. Thanks!

started getting so excited every time u post a new video. always so well done

Society of The Snow had a TERRIFIC score and I’m extremely disappointed it wasn’t nominated, the Oscars still have a long way when it comes to non english movies

My husband and I have this tradition that we always watch the movies nominated for best picture. We are parents, so if we watch 20 movies in a year, that is a good year, despite us loving good film. We use the Oscars as a vetting services. Time is limited, and all that. Some of our favourites have always been the ones that we had 0 interest in before we watched them. Roma, Past lives and CODA are great examples of this. This year, Oppenheimer and Maestro (the two movies we wanted to see the most!) have been our biggest let downs. Maestro was our only DNF, and Oppenheimer, while technically great, did not leave us with any food for thought. To quote Bernstein himself: A work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them!

I think it was the intention not to let Cillians performance breathe. That is exactly the feeling you get from Oppie when you read American Prometheus. He was highly neurotic, and always under pressure his whole life.

Lily was not subtle. Her role was subtle but her acting was more indicating than feeling.

I agree with you on a lot. I think Oppenheimer is going to sweep the techies, and outside of maybe Sound (which yes, should go to The Zone of Interest) it deserves all of them. It’s easily going to win Cinematography, Film Editing, Score, and Sound. Nolan also has Director in the bag. It should probably win Best Picture too. All except maybe Sound I’d say are deserved. EDIT: Wow, the best-case scenario happened where Oppenheimer won everything it should have, but The Zone of Interest won Sound, which is a very pleasant surprise! As for the art direction categories, I think either Poor Things or Barbie will win Production and Costume Design. One of them could win both, or both could win one. Makeup is probably going to Maestro, but Poor Things could take it. Either way, I think Poor Things should sweep all three. EDIT: YEAH POOR THINGS SWEEPED! Deserved. Either Godzilla Minus One or The Creator is going to win Visual Effects. Either one would be an excellent win. EDIT: Godzilla Minus One won, well-deserved. Either The Boy and the Heron or Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is winning Animated Feature. I would be happy no matter which one of these wins, as both were among my top favorite films of the entire year. Anecdote, I’m pissed that neither got nominated for Score! Man, the Academy hates animated movies. EDIT: Yup, Boy and the Heron won. Awesome. As for Original Screenplay, I think Anatomy of a Fall has it. The Holdovers should win in my opinion, but whatever. EDIT: Yup, Anatomy of a Fall won, good win. Adapted Screenplay is gonna be a toss-up between Oppenheimer and American Fiction. I personally think the win should go to Poor Things, but again, whatever. EDIT: Yup, American Fiction won. Sadly, this is my least favorite win of the night. I loved half of the screenplay of American Fiction, but I personally could not for the life of me get into the family drama half of the movie. Oh well, still an understandable win. Regarding Acting, I think the two Supportings are in the bag; Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) are the clear winners, and deservedly so. EDIT: Yup, I was right. Good. Actor and Actress are toss-ups. Actor is going to be either Paul Giamatti or Cillian Murphy, both of which would actually be solid wins. Actress is going to be a toss up between Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone. Again, both would be fantastic wins. EDIT: I was right with Murphy and Stone winning, and honestly I'm glad. This is actually a very solid lineup across the board. I’ll say it again, the lack of Animated movies outside of Animated Feature frustrates me, and May December and Past Lives should have been nominated for more. Also, I’m fine with the Barbie snubs; I wouldn’t replace any of the actual nominees with Margot Robbie or Greta Gerwig.

Spot on, the best films for me were Killers of the Flower Moon and The Zone of Interest. It's hard for me to choose between them, but Zone is so singular, it has certainly stuck with me more.

Emma Stone best actress. Cillian Murphy best actor. calling it now.

One thing that I don’t want to happen at the oscars is Oppenheimer winning too many Oscars, that just feels like laziness.

It's good that you specify that elements like sound and music should be judged based on how well they fit in with the broader aspects of the film. As a musician, i've always said this about the score. It can't just be good music, or the most technically impressive music. The score for Oppenheimer will most likely win, not because it's all that complex musically, but because it perfectly expresses the sense of tension and doom everpresent in the story.

Poor things is the best thing I've seen this year, in so many categories. Movie, scenography, leading and supporting cast, score... Oppenheimer is ok, I'm fine with it getting some. Barbie was disappointing - although I don't mind Ryan gosling or his song winning something.

Love this one. I agree with many of your points but I feel that the artistic uniquness of Poor Things will give it a jump over the others for Best Picture

We appreciate how well you articulate your insights. Keep working hard.

Fascinating and really interesting breakdown of the nominations of the catergieoes mentioned. But really surprised that International Feature Film was not discussed.

Like 'The Irishman' and 'Gangs of New York', 'Killers of the Flower Moon' doesn't deserve a single Oscar. It's too long and that is a major fault of Scorsese's. He doesn't know when to get out once a film has made its point. Rather than ending the film with that radio program where we learned the fate of the characters, the film should have been tightened in spots and the fate of the characters should have been filmed instead. 'The Zone of Interest' takes a very unique approach to the holocaust but it didn't engage the audience and was a major disappointment for me. For the last 20 years or so, we've been seeing very good ideas suggested for films but the execution falls short of greatness.

Thank you for saying something about "Zone of Interest." That movie struck me to my core and I want it to sweep.

My picks: Best Visual Effects - The Creator Best Editing - Killers of the Flower Moon Best Costume Design - Barbie Best Cinematography - Killers of the Flower Moon Best Make-Up - Maestro Best Sound - The Zone of Interest Best Production Design - Barbie Best Original Song - I'm Just Ken Best Original Score - Oppenheimer Best Animation - Across the Spider-Verse Best Original Screenplay - Either Anatomy of a Fall or Past Lives - I can't decide! Best Adapted Screenplay - Poor Things Best Supporting Actress - Davine Joy Randolph Best Supporting Actor - Robert Downey Jr Best Actress - Either Lily Gladstone or Emma Stone Best Actor - Cillian Murphy Best Director - Christopher Nolan (I would be happy with any of them though, it's a great line-up) Best Picture - Poor Things (But I would be very happy with Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon or Past Lives too)

Once again, incredibly insightful commentary. There's a reason you are my favorite cinema nerd on the RU-vids.

Poor things is my favorite of the group. It was well done technically and with a strong message.

I think Emma Stone had the best performance. It's simply next level.

Great take, well-articulated, and of course subtlety put ;) I'd love to hear you're take on Oscar's that are given in many categories because of how hard the conditions or "its time" awards. What I mean is Leo in The Revenant wasn't the best performance of his or that year but because it was almost a "we've snubbed you so many times and you suffered unimaginably, here ya go" award. This year I think deservedly goes to Nolan being that he's turned out so many amazing films its a culmination to give it to him but this year in particular he deserves it?

I really enjoyed this video, you did a wonderful job. You were spot on describing the "Killers of the Flower Moon" score - sadly, the brilliant Robbie Robertson passed away in August of '23. He will be truly missed.

A film I don't see anyone talking about is Pierre Földes' "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman," an animated take on a slew of Murakami short stories. "Blind Willow" is a beautiful, and shockingly original meditation of grief, identity, modernity, and ennui. The animation is, at turns, surreal and gestural; neon outlines in curls of smoke, forgotten conversations while there's a frog at the dinner table. "Blind Willow" made a huge impact on me last year, and it seems to be a film that has completely flown under the radar. Oh well. At least it earned a Lumières Award nomination this year.

The Zone of Interest was the best picture in my opinion. While most people probably won't want to rewatch it often it does have a lot to pick up on in repeat viewings. It's amazing to me how a film with so little conventional plot has so many memorable scenes and shots. This movie ended exactly when I wanted it to but the how it ended was still a surprise. It's the only movie last year that didn't bore me for a second. Every other movie I watched had at least one scene or one moment I could say I could do without but this was flawless in my opinion. Totally subjective but that's my pick.

Totally agree with film editing. Oppenheimer was 3 hours long and me and my partner really felt those 3 hours Killers was 3 hours 45 and the pacing is really held up by the editing, so much so that it felt like a shorter movie in many ways

I take it someone didn't love Oppenheimer as much as I did

A few thoughts. Where’s the “big performance” in Cillian Murphy? I think that’s clearly your Holdovers bias speaking. Cillian does so much with his gaze, his expressions, he never shouts, he has longs moments of silence, he carries a film with his eyes. I don’t know what film did you watch. Man this hipster take of voting for anyone else other than Nolan just takes credibility away. What he did was an cinematic achievement, and he gets overlooked by some people because of his name and being a blockbuster filmmaker. Also there’s a very critic bias where the Blockbuster gets overlooked for the more “artistic” films when Oppenheimer is a monumental artistic achievement. Oppenheimer has been sweeping and will sweep at the Oscars, deservedly so.

Would recommend people to take another look at that Cillian Murphy performance. It's beyond great. There's a video on RU-vid that touches upon some of the reasons why it's so good. 5+ viewings and the layers don't stop revealing themselves.

I always appreciate your commentary on the Oscars every year and you're absolutely right they should be about joy and discovery and what movies particularly strike a chord in you as a viewer. I personally think that May December was snubbed I think it was a difficult and controversial movie to make and Todd Haynes did pretty delicate and unnerving piece of work there. Yorgos' work has always intrigued and entertained me and I'm always happy to see his work highlighted. Cheers!

Society of the Snow was robbed. It deserved also a nomination for best score and Matias Recalt deserved a nomination for Best supporting actor.

I’d like to see Robbie Robertson win Best Original Score. Just as a way to honour him at the Academy in light of his passing (the film is dedicated to him) and he was also very instrumental, no pun intended, to Scorsese’s career. It’s also a fantastic score in its own right.

Please make a separate video about The Zone Of Interest

Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of a Fall is by far my number one pick for best actress. Lilly was good, Emma was great but Sandra was just insanely good.

Can’t believe people think Margot Robbie was a snub and not Greta Lee lol

The Zone of Interest is my personal pick for best picture. Felt like it was the most engaged Ive been in a movie in my life. Very rare in 2023 that I felt like a film maker not only respected my intelligence but more importantly trusted my judgement. Biggest snub is May December for the acting for the three leads and while it doesn’t have a score I’d say is oscar worthy Id say the way it’s used is my favorite of any score in 2023z

Everything Poor Things is nominated for is what I will be rooting for. Sad Iron Claw didn't get anything. A lot of great movies came out like Dream Scenario, Beau is Afraid, or Zone of Interest.

Great video! Gonna have to disagree with your take on the editing category though. I had the opposite take. I thought Oppenheimer was the best edited film this year, not only in sheer scope and the juggling of timelines and different narratives, but it was beautifully paced. It's hard to make the last hour of people talking in different time periods so entertaining. For KOTFM, I think Thelma Schoonmaker is the greatest editor working today, but there was a good 40 minutes in that film that could've been trimmed off. Ironically, I thought she should've won for The Irishman (also 3.5 hours).

Loved this video and your take on the Oscar nominations. Would love to see your take on the noms in the next year!

Every single thing you said about Oppenheimer was so wrong lmfaooo

I liked your analysis in this, interesting and balanced takes mostly praising the good work of the nominees/snubs. Your only point I strongly disagree with is the editing of Oppenheimer, which blew me away in a way editing usually never does. So I really hope Jennifer Lame wins this one.

I was interested to see All of Us Strangers with no nominations - I ADORE Andrew Haigh and his body of work (Lean on Pete is incredible).

Oppenheimer is easily the best film of the year and deserves to win everything. If it doesn't, the Academy should pack it in.

Tell me you hate Oppenheimer without telling me you hate Oppenheimer

The biggest snub for music is John Powell's score to Migration. It was probably overlooked because its a silly and charming children's cartoon, but it's the best music I've heard in a movie in at least the last five years. I don't remember the last time I asked out of a movie theater clearly remembering 4-5 different motifs, understanding what they represent, and loving every single one of them. If you haven't watched the movie, watch it for the music alone. It's absolutely gorgeous.

to me the winners should be ryan gosling and sandra hüller..both did an absolutely outstanding job..and ken was to me definitely one of the hardest roles and he smashed it out of the park

I agree with you on everything. I'm also rooting for Killers of the Flower Moon when it comes to directing and best picture.

The Iron Claw. Clear Snub. But ehh a movie doesn’t need an Oscar to indicate the best of a category. These things happen and like you said, the Oscar’s don’t necessarily reflect the best art.

I wish this video would've been at least twice as long and include the other categories as well.

American Fiction, Past Lives and The Holdovers were all fantastic. Best films of the year. ✌

I think one movie which was snubbed across the board was They Cloned Tyrone, the cinematography, acting, directing were all really great, but the movie was done dirty by being put on Netflix with little to no promotion on the same day Barbie & Oppenheimer came out. I agree that Paul Giamatti should win best actor, I will be disappointed when Cillian Murphy inevitably wins.

I agree with a lot you said but wasn’t impressed by Leo in killers of the flower moon. Very one dimensional and underwhelming performance

Would love see an full review/analysis of zone of interest. Jonathan Glazer does some very interesting choices creatively not only with sound that I would love to ear your takes, here or on the podcast. Love your content!

Lol i think this dude has some inner personal problem with Oppenheimer 🤣 it certainly felt like that to me