Films from 2024 that deserved an Oscar nomination

The dust from this year’s Oscars ceremony has indeed settled, but it’s still worth asking: who was unfairly overlooked by the Academy? Although the quality of the nominated titles this year was more than good (setting aside all non-film-related controversies), it would still be easy to list films that should have been included in the Oscar race. Below, I mention a few of my picks – both those that were close to a nomination and those that were completely ignored by the Academy.

“Challengers”

Probably the most obvious choice on the list. Although it seemed like a handful of Oscar nominations were already in the bag for Challengers, this time Luca Guadagnino and his team had to go home empty-handed. I have come across the argument that the Italian director’s film is “about nothing”, but I can’t agree with that. Challengers is an almost perfect example of storytelling using purely cinematic techniques – photography, editing, and the integration of image with music. Guadagnino, with his precise direction, is able to extract the maximum amount of eroticism and sensuality from what seems like a banal love triangle. And the lack of even a nomination for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is, to me, a curiosity comparable only to Shakespeare in Love winning the Oscar.

“Civil War”

In an era of increasingly deep political divisions tearing America apart, Alex Garland’s film may appear to some as little more than a disguised piece of journalism. This is unfair – although Garland’s latest work brings to mind certain obvious associations (now probably even more than less than a year ago at the time of its release), he manages to avoid simplistic diagnoses remarkably well. Civil War is more a story of internal burnout experienced by characters who have stared too long into the abyss; a burnout that is portrayed in an exceptionally evocative way through the film’s visual language. The images from Civil War linger under the eyelids for a long time, which makes the complete omission of Garland’s work by the Academy all the more painful.

“Longlegs”

Yes, yes, I know – Osgood Perkins’ film never really had a chance at an Oscar nomination. Unfortunately, horror films remain the least favored genre by the Academy, and any improvement in this regard (despite a few notable exceptions like this year’s nominated The Substance) doesn’t seem likely anytime soon. This doesn’t change the fact that Longlegs is one of the most intriguing films we had the chance to watch on the big screen last year – dense with suffocating atmosphere, stylishly shot, and brilliantly acted by the reserved Maika Monroe and the over-the-top Nicolas Cage. In a better world, this would have been enough to secure Perkins a spot at the Oscar ceremony. In our gray reality, most horror filmmakers still have to accept marginalization by the Academy.

“The Order”

Unlike Alex Garland, Justin Kurzel made a film directly addressing the current political climate. It may therefore be surprising that The Order, although it deals with the latent racist and fascist inclinations in American society, is an exceptionally restrained film in terms of its formal approach. But it is precisely this restraint that gives Kurzel’s work its power. Although the director willingly draws on genre tropes, from westerns to police procedurals, they serve purely utilitarian functions here. What stands out in The Order is the slow build-up of on-screen horror – all the more terrifying because it has its roots in real events. Kurzel’s film is thus a prime example of what is called a “film on a current topic” – in the best possible sense.

“A Different Man”

It’s easy to forget that Donald Trump’s role in The Apprentice wasn’t the only performance by Sebastian Stan that was highlighted during this year’s awards season. However, although he was awarded a Golden Globe (and earlier a Silver Bear at the Berlin Festival) for his performance in A Different Man, Aaron Schimberg’s film received only one Oscar nomination – for makeup. While I do see some issues with the film, I must be honest – A Different Man grabbed me right from the opening credits (my poor friends had to listen to my praise for the main musical theme for weeks after the screening) and didn’t let go until the very end. Schimberg skillfully blends biting black humor with a deep psychological portrait of the protagonist, while Stan’s performance effectively distracts from certain structural flaws in the script. I won’t hide the fact that A Different Man is the kind of cinematic eccentricity I often miss at the Oscar ceremonies.

Written by Jedrzej Paczkowski