It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again, but the upcoming Academy Award season is officially upon us.
With the final few weeks of 2024 looming on the horizon, it’s worth wondering which of the year’s past films stand a chance at earning an accolade at the 97th Academy Awards ceremony. Fortunately, 2024 has come loaded with numerous potential Oscar contenders, including such critically praised hits as Anora, Dune: Part Two, and Inside Out 2, among many others.
From visionary space opera epics to steamy sports dramas, here are seven 2024 films most likely to take home an Oscar this year.
Having won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Anora seems poised to perform favorably at the Academy Awards, almost assuredly earning nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actress (Mikey Madison), among other categories. The highest-grossing film from director Sean Baker yet, Anora once again illustrates Baker’s sympathetic treatment of America’s most marginalized groups, specifically focusing on the romantic connection between a Russian oligarch’s son and a Brooklyn-based exotic dancer. Like Baker’s previous work on Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket, it’s an eminently satisfying film that defies clear-cut genre classifications, dovetailing romance, drama, comedy, and elements of a thriller into one flavorful combination.
As one of the most noteworthy films of 2024, it’s safe to say that Dune: Part Two is a shoo-in for an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Just as the previous entry in the series had left viewers awestruck with its impeccable special effects and expansive narrative scope, Dune: Part Two made for an ideal continuation of the series, focusing on Paul Atreides’ continued uphill battle against the corrupt forces of House Harkonnen. A splendid cross between Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings, it’s a novel sci-fi film sure to earn praise and attention for many years to come.
One thing the Academy simply adores are underdog films coming in and making a clean sweep at their awards’ ceremony. While there’s no shortage of indie dramas that might fill out this specific categorization, one needn’t look further than the recent prison drama, Sing Sing. A fascinating portrayal of the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, Sing Sing has the potential to earn global praise at the Oscars, mainly thanks to its believable performances, emotional script, and sweeping musical soundtrack.
Like his aforementioned contemporaries Sean Baker (Anora) and Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two), director Luca Guadagnino has been on something of a career hot streak in recent years, churning out such celebrated titles as Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria, and Bones and All. Continuing forward with this creative momentum, Guadagnino has released two fantastic movies this past year: the romantic sports drama Challengers and the period romance film, Queer. Though each film stands a decent chance at earning an Oscar nomination, Challengers ranked as one of the most talked-about movies of 2024 for a reason. Bolstered by Zendaya’s commanding lead performance, it’s a rapturous romantic epic that never fails to gauge our collective interest.
Adapted from Robert Harris’s best-selling novel, Conclave tackles the darker side of the Catholic Church – an organization where the idealism of its religious beliefs is juxtaposed with the long-dormant secrets of the church’s highest members. A cerebral thriller with a tight script and fine performances (none more so than Ralph Fiennes’ starring role), Conclave has garnered nothing short of glowing reviews from critics and mainstream viewers, leaving little doubt that it’ll earn plenty of prestigious nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards.
If there are any certainties in life, it’s that Pixar will always find a way to produce a film worthy of the Oscars’ attention. Following in the footsteps of 2023’s fairly well-received Elemental, the Academy Award-winning studio returned with their latest venture, Inside Out 2. Continuing its narrative exploration of Riley’s gradual growth into young adulthood, Inside Out 2 makes for a fittingly unforgettable animated family film that’s every bit as funny as it is genuinely tear-jerking (seriously, don’t even get us started on Riley’s hockey game fiasco).
Of course, Pixar isn’t the only major animation studio to see a major release this year. In late summer, DreamWorks Animation oversaw the theatrical debut of their acclaimed sci-fi family film, The Wild Robot. Adapted from Peter Brown’s award-winning children’s novel of the same name, The Wild Robot might very well be the best DreamWorks film the studio has yet to release, even when compared to the studio’s most illustrious modern films like Kung Fu Panda 4 or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Even if it somehow fails to earn a nomination for Best Picture, there’s a very strong possibility the film will leave with this year’s award for Best Animated Feature.
