When I told my editors that I would write this article, I had every intention of watching all of the Best Picture nominees. I had already seen six of them, and “Emilia Peréz” was relatively easy to get my hands on. After watching “Emilia Peréz,” though, I hit a roadblock for two reasons. First, I had the winter musical, which ate up a majority of my time to the point that I am writing this article during a musical rehearsal. The second reason was that the three movies I had left to watch, “Nickel Boys,” “I’m Still Here,” and “A Complete Unknown,” haven’t really been released digitally, so they are only in theaters and I haven’t had the time to watch any of these films in theaters.
As it stands, though, I have seen a good number of these movies, so I say, what the heck, let’s just write about the ones I’ve seen. That being said, I will be updating this article on the KO News website once I’ve actually seen the rest of the films, so look out for that in the near future. Based on looking at these films from the outside, I would say that “Nickel Boys” is probably the best of the three, then “I’m Still Here,” and finally “A Complete Unknown.” Let’s get on with the list, starting with the worst Best Picture nominee:
7. “Emilia Peréz”
The film I watched last was easily the worst. What can I say about this film that hasn’t already been said about this film? It’s a disgusting portrayal of both Mexican and trans identity from a director who refused to research either. The film’s plot, which should be really simple and easy to pull off, is somehow made confusing by the poor writing, the terrible acting from Selena Gomez, and the songs that actively make this movie way worse with how just bad they are. I could go on, but honestly, I don’t really care. It’s a bad movie; you already knew that.
I will say, though, that it is a worthwhile movie to watch. Why? Because then you know what not to do when you are making a movie. If this movie somehow takes the gold, I will be infuriated. Besides some competent directing, this movie is god-awful, and I can’t believe that it was nominated for 13 Oscars, which is the same amount as “Oppenheimer.” Watch it and form your own opinion if you like, but I promise all you will receive is two hours you will never get back.
6. “Wicked”
Put down the pitchforks and torches. This movie may be just one rank above “Emilia Peréz,” but this film is a huge step up from that movie in almost every single way. The only thing “Emilia Peréz” does better than “Wicked” is its overall filmmaking prowess. “Wicked” is an enjoyable film with some strong performances and great sets. I will say this movie is my own personal Oscars enemy because of how awful the cast and crew have been to other films, but that is beside the point.
It’s good. Jon M. Chu is still a bad director, and I stand by that claim, but the movie is good. Also, Ariana Grande shouldn’t win Best Supporting Actress, as there are so many better performances. Maybe I should just stop talking. Anyway, I stand by all that I said in my original review, so read that one if you want a more concise and articulate review.
5. “The Substance”
This might be a controversial take, but I will stand by it. To tell you about the pros first, the movie is possibly the best-directed of the nominees. It also has some mind-blowing special effects, and the third act especially is quite entertaining. The story works quite well, and the message is communicated throughout the film. I mean, how could it not, with the film bashing it over your head literally every second of the film, though that is a part of the film’s charm in a way.
This brings me to the cons, though. This movie, like many movies these days, is about 30 minutes too long. This drags out the pacing way too much, and a lot of the stuff it drags the film out with is not interesting or really creepy in any way. I also think that Demi Moore’s performance is not very special. I feel like I’m living in Cloud Cuckoo Land with everyone calling this the best performance of the year. It’s good; it services the film’s needs, but Best Actress? Let’s get serious here. I will also say, and this isn’t a pro or a con, that the movie is extremely gross. It isn’t for the faint of heart, so expect that going into the film.
4. “Conclave”
“Conclave” is probably the most accessible movie on this list. It’s your typical thriller film with a good plot, good acting, and good directing. The only real negative I have with the movie is that it’s a bit long, and the score doesn’t really work with the story the film is trying to tell, but it’s alright. I honestly kind of want this film to take the gold purely for the memes, but other than that, I don’t really have much to say. It’s just good, but it’s not great, which all the other films on this list are in some way or another. That being said, they all have more glaring flaws that I will get to as I talk about each, starting with:
3. “Dune: Part II”
“Dune: Part II” is probably the film that deserves to win the gold this year. It has almost everything: great music, great performances, a great story. The problem with this movie, though, is that it’s a midqual. They have stated that it’s the second movie in a trilogy, and the Oscars almost never award middle films, even when they’re the best in the series, like “The Dark Knight.”
It will most likely not take the gold, which is sad to me, but you should definitely watch this movie cause it’s great. In fact, a lot like “Conclave,” this movie is kind of just great all around, with some sequences that wowed. That being said, the movie is poorly paced in places, leading to this placement, and it has some unintentionally hilarious moments. If you want to get more of my opinion on this film, you can read my review of it that I wrote at the beginning of the school year.
2. Anora
“Anora” was probably the most surprising movie for me this year. It was surprising because despite what I thought this movie would be like, a somewhat somber film about a prostitute being destroyed by the world (which it kind of is in some ways), it was actually my favorite comedy of last year. The whole second act of this film is just constant slapstick, and every single second of it works. The cast is amazing, especially Mikey Madison and Yuri Borislav, who are both hilarious, and I would be happy if they both got away with the gold (though that probably won’t happen).
My major problem with the movie is that the first act is way too long. There is a reason why this is, but I refuse to put it to print because it is far too inappropriate to write about, but if you watch the movie, you will know what I mean. Still, this movie is great and is probably my favorite movie released this year. Even so, there is one movie that I do think is just a better overall film, and that is:
1. “The Brutalist”
“The Brutalist” in my opinion, is just a master class of filmmaking prowess. Every shot is amazing and perfectly set up. The script is interesting and palpable, giving us just enough to understand every theme but allowing room for you to dig into it. The performance by Guy Pearce is possibly one of the best I have ever seen in a film. The score is just the best thing in any movie from this year. The movie is long, but with the aid of the intermission, it feels perfectly paced. It should probably win every Oscar it’s nominated for.
There is one problem with this movie, and, in my opinion, it’s the ending. It feels like a hat on a hat in a way and just doesn’t really work. But it’s just one problem in a magnificent film. I should warn you, though, that the film is extremely heavy and the topics it deals with are quite depressing. Other than that, you should most definitely watch this movie.
And that’s my list. Most of the films on this list are great, and I recommend you watch all of them to form your own opinion. What is your favorite Best Picture nominee? This was another good year for films, and if movies like the horror-comedy “The Monkey” are any indication, this year will be just as good if not better.
