Consider this my mid fall festivals outlook into the Best Picture race for the 97th annual Academy Awards, which will be celebrating and awarding their choices for the best in film from 2024. I’ve presented all 30 films, via 3 tiers, that I currently have on my radar as of September, and with awards season on the verge of exploding. If you want more detailed thoughts on my thinking on why I believe a certain movie may currently be a contender, and why I have them placed where I do in the running, look out for my much more in-depth piece on the matter that might be over at Ordinary Times by the time this is published.
TIER 1: THE MID FALL FESTIVALS’ HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDERS
01. The Brutalist (+24 Since The Last Update)
02. Dune: Part Two (+0 Since The Last Update)
03. Blitz (+0 Since The Last Update)
04. Conclave (+0 Since The Last Update)
05. Anora (+0 Since The Last Update)
06. Emilia Perez (+0 Since The Last Update)
07. Saturday Night (+17 Since The Last Update)
08. Sing Sing (-7 Since The Last Update)
09. The Piano Lesson (-2 Since The Last Update)
10. The Nickel Boys (-2 Since The Last Update)
TIER 2: THE MID FALL FESTIVALS’ “ON THE BUBBLE” CONTENDERS
11. The Life Of Chuck (New Addition To The Board Since The Last Update)
12. A Complete Unknown (-2 Since The Last Update)
13. September 5 (New Addition To The Board Since The Last Update)
14. Gladiator II (-2 Since The Last Update)
15. Wicked (-1 Since The Last Update)
16. The Wild Robot (+13 Since The Last Update)
17. Queer (-8 Since The Last Update)
18. Challengers (-3 Since The Last Update)
19. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (-6 Since The Last Update)
20. Joker: Folie à Deux (-9 Since The Last Update)
TIER 3: THE MID FALL FESTIVALS’ CONTENDERS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE
21. The Substance (+7 Since The Last Update)
22. Nosferatu (-5 Since The Last Update)
23. Nightbitch (-5 Since The Last Update)
24. A Real Pain (-5 Since The Last Update)
25. Juror No. 2 (Returning To The Board After Confirmation Of A 2024 Release)
26. Here (+0 Since The Last Update)
27. The Room Next Door (-4 Since The Last Update)
28. The Seed Of A Sacred Fig (-7 Since The Last Update)
29. Flow (+1 Since The Last Update)
30. The Apprentice (Returning To The Board After Confirmation Of A 2024 Release)
Predicting that September 5th makes it into that Top Ten soon, and Saturday Night, upon release, vanishes completely.
This is not the most thrilling year :(
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com