Good day to you. My name is Luis A. Mendez. I’m a film critic based in Central Florida, and these are my PERSONAL awards ballots for the year 2024 in film. If a favorite film or performance of yours from the year is missing from any preferred categories, chances are I probably liked it, I just happened to have liked at least a few films or performances a little more.
Just a heads up, this version of the ballots was published a year after I first made them in late 2024, and I did tweak a few of the nomination slots since then.
Now without further adieu here are my nominees for the best of the year:
BEST PICTURE
Anora
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
Sing Sing
The Brutalist
The Substance
Wicked
My Personal Winner: Wicked
BEST DIRECTOR
Jon M. Chu; Wicked
Brady Corbet; The Brutalist
Robert Eggers; Nosferatu
Coralie Fargeat; The Substance
RaMell Ross; Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve; Dune: Part Two
My Personal Winner: Denis Villeneuve; Dune: Part Two
BEST ENSEMBLE
Conclave
Nosferatu
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
The Piano Lesson
Wicked
My Personal Winner:Sing Sing
BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody; The Brutalist
Timothee Chalamet; A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig; Queer
Colman Domingo; Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes; Conclave
Sebastian Stan; The Apprentice
My Personal Winner: Adrien Brody; The Brutalist
BEST ACTRESS
Lily-Rose Depp; Nosferatu
Cynthia Erivo; Wicked
Angelina Jolie; Maria
Mikey Madison; Anora
Demi Moore; The Substance
Naomi Scott; Smile 2
My Personal Winner: Demi Moore; The Substance
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Nicolas Cage; Longlegs
Chris Hemsworth; Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Guy Pearce; The Brutalist
Bill Skarsgard; Nosferatu
Jeremy Strong; The Apprentice
Denzel Washington; Gladiator II
My Personal Winner: Guy Pearce; The Brutalist
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Danielle Deadwyler; The Piano Lesson
Aunjuane Ellis-Taylor; Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande-Butera; Wicked
Felicity Jones; The Brutalist
Margaret Qualley; The Substance
Isabella Rossellini; Conclave
My Personal Winner: Ariana Grande-Butera; Wicked
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
A Real Pain
Anora
Hard Truths
His Three Daughters
The Brutalist
The Substance
My Personal Winner:The Brutalist
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Conclave
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
The Piano Lesson
The Room Next Door
Wicked
My Personal Winner:Conclave
BEST HORROR FEATURE
Abigail
Alien: Romulus
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Longlegs
Nosferatu
The Substance
My Personal Winner: Nosferatu
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir Of A Snail
The Wild Robot
Transformers One
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
My Personal Winner:The Wild Robot
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
All We Imagine As Light
Flow
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Count Of Monte Cristo
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig
My Personal Winner:Flow
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Look Into My Eyes
No Other Land
Separated
Soundtrack To A Coup d’Etat
The Remarkable Life Of Ibelin
Will & Harper
My Personal Winner:Soundtrack To A Coup d’Etat
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma”; Twisters
“Double Life”; Despicable Me 4
“Harper And Will Go West”; Will & Harper
“Kiss The Sky”; The Wild Robot
“Like A Bird”; Sing Sing
“Piece By Piece”; Piece By Piece
My Personal Winner: “Kiss The Sky”; The Wild Robot
BEST SOUNDTRACK
Better Man
Piece By Piece
The End
The Wild Robot
Twisters
Wicked
My Personal Winner:Wicked
BEST SCORE
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
The Brutalist
The Substance
My Personal Winner:The Brutalist
BEST SOUND
Blitz
Civil War
Dune: Part Two
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Wicked
My Personal Winner:Wicked
BEST EDITING
Challengers
Conclave
Nickel Boys
The Brutalist
The Substance
Wicked
My Personal Winner:Wicked
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dune: Part Two
Monkey Man
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Brutalist
The Substance
My Personal Winner:Nosferatu
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alien: Romulus
Dune: Part Two
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
Mufasa: The Lion King
Wicked
My Personal Winner:Dune: Part Two
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked
My Personal Winner:Wicked
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked
My Personal Winner:Wicked
BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Nosferatu
Sasquatch Sunset
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
The Substance
Wicked
My Personal Winner:The Substance
BEST STUNT WORK
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Hundreds Of Beavers
Monkey Man
The Fall Guy
My Personal Winner:The Fall Guy
WIN TALLY
7: Wicked
4: The Brutalist
2: Dune: Part Two; Nosferatu; The Substance; The Wild Robot
1: Conclave; Flow; Sing Sing; Soundtrack To A Coup d’Etat; The Fall Guy
NOMINATION HAUL
13: Wicked
11: Nosferatu
10: The Substance
9: Dune: Part Two; The Brutalist
7: Conclave
6: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Nickel Boys
5: Gladiator II; Sing Sing
4: Bettlejuice Beetlejuice;
3: Anora; Flow; Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire; The Piano Lesson
2: Alien: Romulus; Challengers; Flow; Longlegs; Monkey Man; Piece By Piece; The Apprentice; The Wild Robot; Twisters; Will & Harper
1: A Complete Unknown; A Real Pain; Abigail; Better Man; Blitz; Civil War; Despicable Me 4; Hard Truths; Hundreds Of Beavers; All We Imagine As Light; His Three Daughters; I’m Still Here; Inside Out 2; Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes; Kneecap; Look Into My Eyes; Maria; Memoir Of A Snail; Mufasa: The Lion King; No Other Land; Sasquatch Sunset; Saturday Night; Separated; Smile 2; Sonic The Hedgehog 3; Soundtrack To A Coup d’Etat; Queer; The Count Of Monte Cristo; The End; The Fall Guy; The Remarkable Life Of Ibelin; The Room Next Door; The Seed Of The Sacred Fig; Transformers One; Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
