After a surprisingly indulgent, Barbenheimer-themed Oscars in 2024, this year’s nominations are a return to form. As usual, the nominees are a mix of the most tasteful blockbusters of the past year, viz Wicked: Part 1 And Dune: Part 2; A handful of short but buzzy films with which the average moviegoer is at least partially familiar, viz Conclave And Anora; And a kind of Oscar bait that shows the “out of touch” label that earns the award, such as the most nominated film of the year. Emilia Perez.
Compared to last year’s ceremony, which honored both populist and surprise indie hits, this current slate of nominees seems like a bit of a bewilderment. It’s not as if the pioneers of the year don’t have enthusiasts, though most do letterboxd. Rather, this year’s Oscars are notably lacking in films that mass audiences can strongly agree with Masterpiece. Of course, plenty of contenders have compelling premises, but it’s still arguable that many of these movies, e.g The Brutalist or AnoraActually execute them.
Still, this year’s sometimes curious nominations have plenty to say about 2024 in our cinema. Although its opinion Mostly white, male The Academy doesn’t necessarily account for the average moviegoer, they provide an interesting recap of the past year and reveal some trends that may continue for the next few years.
The strike made things weird
Despite receiving five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Dune: Part 2 It was surprisingly easy to forget throughout awards season. It was definitely much less of a conversation-starter compared to other buzz movies that came out this year. It’s Timothée Chalamet’s turn to star as Bob Dylan completely unknown, Plus her Oblivious press tour for that roleCompletely overshadowed his part in the film of Denis Villeneuve. The timing of its release also made it somewhat ineffective last summer.
Due to the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strike, the sequel was pushed back from its October 2023 release date to March 1, 2024. One wonders if the movie would have been a big talking point this awards season had it not been for its Q1 release. Maybe then Austin Butler would actually have a shot Best Supporting Actor department
On the other hand it seems ChallengersWhich received zero nominations, could have made a big splash if it hadn’t been rescheduled repeatedly. like Dune: Part 2The strikes also prevented the movie from its original release in the fall of 2023 It was also set to premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival before its theatrical release, which likely gave the film more prestige. Instead, most of Luca Guadagnino’s Oscar buzz was moderately reviewed quiet, Which is also neglected by the academy. One wonders if either of these films, as well as Guadagnino, who has yet to receive a Best Director nomination, would have had a stronger footing in the race had they been released in different years.
“Middlebrow” movies are back
After a decade of redundant superhero franchises and other CGI-laden IPs, 2024 seemed like a much-needed reset for movie culture. Specifically, it’s a throwback to the box office lineup you’d regularly see in the 90s and 2000s. Likewise, the year delivered a number of mid-budget, “middlebrow” films like the eight-time nominees ConclaveTriple nominated substance and two-time nominee A real painA compelling yet accessible premise for the average person looking to spend a memorable time at the multiplex. These now-Oscar-nominated films, and similar fun fare that were firmly in the awards conversation but ultimately didn’t get the nod, e.g. Babygirl And ChallengersAll have exceeded expectations at the box office. They have become major talking points and references in pop culture, offering polarizing characters and unexpected endings that are usually absent from Marvel fare.
The treatment of these movies by award bodies like the Oscars also seems significant. A piece for the vultureAuthor Louis Petitzman referred to the celebration of these films as “the year of advanced trash”. For all intents and purposes, Conclave An adaptation of an airport novel; substance A satirical body horror film where Demi Moore becomes a blob. ConclaveIn particular, it has apparently managed to meme its way into the awards conversation, earning the affection of its intended senior audience as well as younger Letterboxed users.
It may be somewhat debatable whether some of these films are artistic achievements worthy of recognition by the Academy. Still, their dominance in pop culture could be a net good for the industry and a range of attractive options for movie theatergoers in the future.
Musicals are still hit-or-miss
The jury is still out on whether audiences are interested in movie musicals, though 2024 looks like a significant step forward. Four splash movies in the genre — Wicked: Part 1, Joker: Folie à Deux, Emilia Perez, Good Man – Released this year with big marketing push. (Also known as the just-aired A24 musical The End starring Tilda Swinton.) Only two of these films earned major Oscar nominations, which is saying nothing. Emilia Perez 13, while getting the most nods with wicked: Part 1 10 achieved. good man Perhaps thanks to a stronger word-of-mouth campaign than its box-office performance, the surprise also earned a sole visual effects nomination. Only among the four films wicked Managed to be a blockbuster, earning on $700 million internationally.
At least wicked: Part 1 proved that audiences are willing to sit through a bunch of showtunes with the help of a $150 million marketing budget and Ariana Grande. However, it turns out that huge pop stars alone aren’t enough to get their own fans to sit through musical movies. Golden Globe winner Emilia Perezwhich co-stars Selena Gomez, seems to hold more sway with festival goers and awards bodies than the average person with a Netflix account. Despite all the critical buzz surrounding the film at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, the musical about a cartel leader’s gender transition, quietly landed on streaming platforms and hit theaters last December. Meanwhile, questionable parts of the movie — such as a song in which a doctor calls Zoe Saldana “male to female, penis to vagina” or a scene in which Selena Gomez explains gender-affirming surgery to Zoe Saldana by speaking poorly in Spanish — are their way of socializing. Created media doesn’t seem to inspire more people to watch it.
Then there was the highly anticipated but poorly received Joker: Folie à DeuxStarring Lady Gaga. Sequels hardly won any awards, bombed box office and getting to pan It was a joke this month that it was shut out of awards by critics Golden Globes. good man The Robbie Williams musical biopic, was another commercial disaster, perhaps due to Americans’ general lack of knowledge about the former Take That member – and perhaps the outwardly confusing decision to portray Williams as a CGI chimpanzee. But managed to earn Good review And Letterboxed has a strong cult following among fans, in addition to its surprising Oscar nod.
Overall, it seemed wickedOne of the most popular musicals of all time, based on one of the most popular IPs of all time, will inevitably make a lot of money. It is being promoted as a huge cultural event at the level of 2023 barbie, Even his debt The right marketing agenda. Although, it didn’t work for every movie…
There are still long, epic movies
with Wicked and Dune: Part 2the Amazing success at the box office 10-time nominated epic The Brutalist proved that moviegoers are willing and even excited to sit through a long, spectacular movie. when wicked With a tolerable runtime of two hours and 40 minutes, the excitement surrounding watching these two long films in theaters is clearly a side effect. barbenheimer, Which seems to promote the idea of cinema as an “event” equivalent to a concert. its release Killers of Flower Moon Audiences are probably primed for your entire afternoon movie outing in 2023, too.
in particular, Oppenheimer Convince audience members that if a film is important or visually impressive enough, it should be seen in a large-format such as IMAX or 70mm. Similarly, The Brutalist Also being presented in 70mm most of its marketing focuses on the fact that it is a visual spectacle.
There is only one “Barbenheimer”.
2024 proved that Barbenheimer Not as easily replicable as the studio had probably hoped. Despite all efforts the actor and making film journalists “Glicked” — same day release wicked And Gladiator 2 Back in November – for one thing, it wasn’t comparable to the more organic excitement around barbie And Oppenheimer years ago.
Arguably, wickedA musical instrument, and Gladiator II, A sequel to a 20-year-old movie, a movie about the world’s most famous toy and a Christopher Nolan flick had less appeal to the public. Thus, they each made less money – although, no trivial the number. Gladiator 2In particular, it doesn’t seem to live up to the expectations set by its predecessor, Earnings mixed up Review and criticism for its leading man Paul Mescal. Even the most outstanding aspect of the movie, Denzel Washington’s performance, was snubbed by the Academy, although it earned a nomination for Best Costume Design.
In general, these nominations are a reminder that the biggest blockbusters don’t always overlap in taste, or that Oscar glory — or even consideration — isn’t immediately determined based on how well they perform. For example, despite Ryan Reynolds’ campaign efforts over the years Second highest earner movies, Deadpool and WolverineThe third Marvel sequel, in which Reynolds and Hugh Jackman mainly exchange gay jokes, didn’t really stand a chance among the more prestigious offerings. and the highest-grossing film of the year, Inside Out 2It didn’t make it past the expected Best Animated Feature category to get other major nominations
When you like movies barbie, OppenheimerAnd even the Best Picture winner of 2023 In Everything Everywhere All At Evening While the Academy seems to sway voters with their box office numbers, it clearly—and perhaps thankfully—doesn’t take it all.
