2024 Oscars: Picks

As always, these are picks, not predictions. These are the movies I would choose if I were an Oscar voter. I saw every movie that was nominated in my top eight categories, so I’m feeling good!

Best Director – Oppenheimer

I have to give it up for Christopher Nolan here. I often like and admire his work without adoring it, but he really knows how to direct a film; Oppenheimer is just wonderfully made.

Best Lead Actor – Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)

I debated the most between Giamatti and Jeffrey Wright. While I wasn’t crazy about Bradley Cooper this year, I thought the other nominated actors were all excellent, and I’d honestly be happy with any of them winning. But for me, Giamatti just slightly has the edge.

Best Lead Actress – Emma Stone (Poor Things)

Lots of great performances in this category, but I find that “best performance” often comes down to “best role,” and it’s undeniable that Stone has the chance to go all out in this movie. She’s so fascinating—I just love seeing what she does here!

Best Supporting Actor – Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

Honestly, my biggest wishes for this category didn’t end up getting nominated (more on that in Sunday’s post,) so I’m left without super strong feelings here. Everyone is good, but I’m not really wowed. Of these five performances, I’d say Downey rose to the top for me.

Best Supporting Actress – Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)

This is a pretty strong category, filled with a lot of talented actresses. Brooks is the one my heart wants, though. From her first scene to her last, she never misses, and she blends comedy and angst with some powerful singing on top!

Best Adapted Screenplay – American Fiction

There are a lot of good entries here, but American Fiction was the obvious choice for me. It’s a film that really leads with its screenplay—the characters are wondrously specific, the dialogue is terrific, and I love the bold ending.

Best Original Screenplay – The Holdovers

Ooh, this one was so tough! It’s a stacked category—I really loved Past Lives and May December too, and I thought Anatomy of a Fall was excellently written. Again, The Holdovers kind of just edges out the competition.

Best Picture – The Holdovers

This is definitely a “the heart wants what it wants” pick. Lots of the Best Picture nominees this year were really great, and I could’ve easily gone with one of the others for the top prize. But thinking it over, the film that made me go, “Ooh, ooh, pick that one!” was The Holdovers.