All 10 Oscars 2025 Best Picture Nominees, Ranked Worst To Best

What's your favorite season? Why, Awards, of course! Yes, the time has come yet again for everyone to treat movies like sports. Who will win? Who will lose? We'll find out when the 97th Academy Awards are held on March 2, 2025! For now, though, we have the full list of Best Picture nominees to grapple with. As always, there are snubs and surprises, and I'm sure everyone has an opinion about what landed a nom and what got overlooked. For the purposes of this post, though, we're only looking at what we've been given: ten films from the year 2024. In the spirit of the season, we're ranking all ten Best Picture nominees from worst to best. 

If you've seen the viral clip of the song "La Vaginoplastia" making the rounds on social media, you already know that no other Best Picture nominee is as controversial and polarizing as the Spanish-language French musical crime comedy (you read that correctly) from Jacques Audiard for Netflix, "Emilia Pérez." Awards buzz was immediate after the film competed for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival when the female ensemble was collectively awarded the Best Actress honor. It earned an alleged 11-minute standing ovation after its premiere, with critics lauding this story about a Mexican lawyer who helps a transgender cartel leader get out of the game and disappear after transitioning. A story like "Emilia Pérez" is catnip for Academy voters, but there's just one problem ... depending on who you ask, the movie is a bit of a mess at best and offensively problematic at worst.

The queer publication Them released a critical round-up titled, "Emilia Pérez Is Bad, Actually. Why Does Awards Season Love It?" and Ricardo Gallegos of But Why Tho? went as far as to say, "Emilia Pérez Hates Mexico." Mexican/Cuban and transgender critic Juan Barquin called the film, "regressive" in their review for Little White Lies, and there are countless others truly baffled as to why this film is in awards contention. The reason being? There are also plenty of people calling it one of the best films of the year. For example, Mexican and transgender critic Mey Rude has been championing the film all year, and after the film's wins at the Golden Globes, it seems the voters of awards bodies are agreeing with her.

Personally? Couldn't be me. "Emilia Pérez" is what happens when you try to order a Pedro Almodóvar film from Temu. If it wins, it'll be remembered like "Crash" or "Green Book." Good performances and good intentions can't override such a cursed watch. (BJ Colangelo)

For reasons that can cynically be labeled as mercantile (there's more box office dollars to be had!), the Broadway hit "Wicked" was adapted into not one but two movies, with a total runtime that will inexplicably clock in as longer than the stage version. Ultimately, though, audiences were fine with that — "Wicked," or "Wicked: Part One" as it's officially called on screen, received somewhat mixed-to-positive reviews (you can read ours here), but was a very pop-u-lar box office smash, and fans are no doubt clamoring for the follow-up film (which, confusingly, isn't called "Wicked: Part Two" but rather "Wicked: For Good"). The modern Hollywood musical is currently in a dire place, as more often than not, filmmakers seem to not understand how to shoot such a thing (the most notable exception is Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story," one of the best Hollywood musicals in the last 20 years). Jon M. Chu fares a little better with "Wicked," although he bafflingly smothers the entire film in harsh, ugly lighting that works to counteract the fantastical nature of the material. It also doesn't help that when all is said and done, the songs of "Wicked" are kind of forgettable. I'm a big musical fan, but I'll contend that the show only has two truly memorable numbers — the two songs everyone knows: "Popular" and "Defying Gravity." 

Still, "Wicked" has its charms. Cynthia Erivo belts out numbers like her life depends on it playing Elphaba, the green-skinned sorceress destined to become the Wicked Witch of the West. And while she can't hold a candle to her original stage counterpart Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Grande is quite funny as Galinda, Elphaba's vapid roommate who starts off as her sworn enemy only to become her good friend. These two leads lend much-needed energy to "Wicked," which is a good thing, because a lot of the supporting cast leaves you wanting (the film could shave about a full hour off its runtime if it stopped cutting to "funny" reaction shots from Bowen Yang). Despite its many flaws, "Wicked" does indeed conclude on a show-stopping number, with "Defying Gravity" really packing a huge, emotional punch in an otherwise messy movie. (Chris Evangelista) 

Musician biopics are frequently terrible yet almost always get awards season attention. For reasons I don't quite understand, awards voters are excited to watch actors impersonate famous singers. Bryan Singer's "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a truly awful movie, and yet, it scooped up awards season love (and even won Rami Malek a Best Actor trophy). James Mangold is no stranger to musician biopics — he helmed the Johnny Cash movie "Walk the Line," and had that film mercilessly (and hilariously) mocked in the wonderful "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story." With "A Complete Unknown," Mangold gives the musician biopic another shot, this time focusing on Bob Dylan. All told, the film is ... fine? I ultimately enjoyed it (you can read my positive review here), but it also suffers from many of the problems of so many other musician biopics (it only scratches the surface; it takes lazy shortcuts; famous figures show up and have their full names announced so we all know who they are; the list goes on and on).

Essentially the Bob Dylan origin story, "A Complete Unknown" has Timothée Chalamet doing a pretty good impression of Dylan as he bursts onto the folk scene, only to then decide he wants to do something different. Chalamet may be the star, but everyone around him is doing far more interesting work. Edward Norton is absolutely fantastic as the kind Pete Seeger, who takes Dylan under his wing only to watch in horror as this kid becomes famous and then decides to throw off folk music for electric rock. Boyd Holbrook is a hoot as Johnny Cash. And Monica Barbaro gives a star-making turn as Joan Baez. What helps "A Complete Unknown" stay above water is its handsomely mounted production design and a host of great songs, which Chalamet performs quite well (the "Times They Are a-Changin'" scene is the best moment in the movie). "A Complete Unknown" isn't offensively bad like "Bohemian Rhapsody," but in the end, it's kind of forgettable, which I guess is a running theme for Mangold's musician biopics. After all, when was the last time you felt the urge to rewatch "Walk the Line"? (Chris Evangelista)

Walter Salles' "I'm Still Here" is frequently upsetting, even emotionally devastating. And yet, the filmmaker deliberately underplays things, keeping the picture subdued — perhaps too subdued. While dealing with harrowing subject matter, the movie has no big moments of melodrama, no speeches, no outbursts. It instead lets the emotional weight speak for itself. Based on true events, the film begins in Rio de Janeiro in 1970, dropping us into the lives of former Congressman Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), his wife Eunice (Fernanda Torres), and their five children. Life seems idyllic for the Paiva family as they frequently spend time together, heading to the beautiful beach and watching home movies. And yet, turmoil lurks in the background. A military dictatorship has hold of Brazil, and news reports tell of leftist organizations kidnapping ambassadors to spurn the release of political prisoners. 

One day, the bliss of the Paiva family is shattered when Rubens is scooped up by armed men who claim they want to bring him to a deposition. After Rubens doesn't return, Eunice wants to know where her husband is. All her questions lead to her and her daughter Elina (Luiza Kosovski) being arrested by the government, hauled away to a dingy location where Eunice is brutally interrogated for 12 days, only to be released with no answers and her husband still missing. "I'm Still Here" could've easily become a thriller about Eunice trying to get her husband back, but instead, the film carefully moves across time as it becomes abundantly clear that Rubens has likely been killed and there's absolutely nothing Eunice can do about it. All of this is compelling, and yet the film is so muted that it doesn't quite pack as much of a punch as it should — although Fernanda Torres' performance is fantastic as she carries the entire picture. (Chris Evangelista)

One of the bleakest blockbusters in recent memory, Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Two" is a sci-fi saga about how power corrupts. Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides may have been positioned to be a hero, but by the time the film ends, he's embraced his role as a genocidal messiah figure, willing to obliterate anyone who dares question his power. While not as memorable as the first "Dune" film, "Dune: Part Two" is a grand, operatic story of revenge, religious mania, war, worms, and politics. Once again, Villeneuve has assembled a massive team of artisans to bring Frank Herbert's world to life, and the film is loaded with stunning moments that feel truly out-of-this-world (who can forget that early shot of a bunch of baddies using jetpacks to silently float up into the air as if they're completely weightless?). 

While the script changes around some elements from Herbert's book, Villeneuve deserves credit for not shying away from how unpleasant this all is. At every turn, Paul has the chance to do the right thing and not be manipulated into becoming a destructive force. And yet time and time again, he makes the choice to embrace death and violence, ultimately hurting the only person who seems to genuinely love him (Zendaya as Fremen warrior Chani) for who he really is. Also, Rebecca Ferguson was clearly born to play a manipulative, all-powerful space-witch. (Chris Evangelista)

Coralie Fargeat's "The Substance" is so unapologetically unsubtle that it might turn you off. I get that. But gosh, it's kind of wonderful that a bonkers, body-horror-heavy movie that ends with a literal bloodbath is now a Best Picture nominee, especially since the Academy tends to turn their noses up at horror. In "The Substance," Demi Moore is Elisabeth Sparkle, an actress turned TV aerobics star who finds herself out of a job due to her age. As chance, or fate, would have it, Elisabeth learns about "The Substance," an injection of day-glo green goo (reminiscent of the syrum from "Re-Animator") that will literally give birth to a younger, sexier version of herself. Desperate, Elisabeth goes through with this insanity, which leads to the Frankenstein-like creation of her younger alter ego Sue, played by Margaret Qualley.

While Elisabeth and Sue are technically the same person (even though they have two distinct bodies), Sue ends up getting all the glory and becomes a star while Elisabeth spends all her time in her apartment. As you might imagine, this soons leads to conflict and things take a turn for the worse when Sue begins overstaying her welcome, causing Elisabeth's body to rapidly age into something monstrous. Big, bold, silly, and nasty, "The Substance" is maximalist filmmaking that benefits from a fearless performance from Moore, who seems poised to scoop up a Best Actress trophy for her work here. (Chris Evangelista)

The fact that "Conclave" became a prestige picture is a bit amusing, because when you get down to brass tacks, this is ultimately a pulpy airport paperback with a slick sheen. But gosh, it's a lot of fun! I don't think I'd call this a great movie, but it's one of the movies I had the most fun watching in 2024. Director Edward Berger goes all-out crafting a stylized saga of catty, gossipy Cardinals as they spend a few days locked in the Vatican trying to elect a new Pope. "Conclave" isn't really a mystery or a thriller, and yet, it plays out like one, dropping twists and turns and wrapping up with a surprising conclusion that feels slightly like a cheat but works anyway.

The always-dependable Ralph Fiennes anchors the film as a weary Cardinal trying to maintain order as his fellow men of the cloth all stab each other in the back. Everyone is bringing their A-game here, taking big bites out of the scenery as they deliver flowery speeches and look oh-so-serious. Sergio Castellitto deserves a special shout-out for stealing scenes as a vile right-wing Cardinal prone to taking big vape hits, with laugh-out-loud funny results. "Conclave" also manages to be a bit subversive, as it's ultimately about progressives grappling to push back against stubborn conservatives who would rather burn it all down than embrace even a sliver of change, something that of course feels very timely for our current political landscape. Of all the movies nominated this year, "Conclave" might not be the best, but it is perhaps the most watchable. (Chris Evangelista)

Sean Baker's screwball comedy-drama "Anora" is the type of film that lives or dies by its lead actor. Thankfully, Baker is lucky enough to have Mikey Madison, who is phenomenal, carrying practically the entire film on her shoulders. Madison is Ani, a sex worker who catches the eye of Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), a spoiled rich kid who happens to be the son of a powerful Russian oligarch. After a whirlwind (and transactional) romance, Vanya asks Ani to marry him, and Ani says yes. And then the real problems begin. When Vanya's family learns he's married a "hooker," they lose their minds and send some goons to straighten things out, setting off a wild chain of events that are both laugh-out-loud hilarious and frequently harrowing. Madison, with her thick New Yawk accent and sparkling personality, is the reason this all works as well as it does, although the supporting cast is pretty damn great, too. Karren Karagulian steals scenes as the put-upon handler tasked with cleaning up Vanya's mess, and Yura Borisov makes a great impression as the hired muscle who seems to be the only person here genuinely sympathetic towards Ani. 

Baker, who specializes in movies about down-and-out people just trying to make it through the day, brings a madcap energy to the proceedings, and while I've seen some fair criticisms about his approach to portraying sex workers, I think the film is ultimately empathetic and sympathetic, even if it does feel like you've just been put through an exhausting marathon by the time the heartbreaking final scene arrives. (Chris Evangelista) 

I was genuinely worried that RaMell Ross' "Nickel Boys" would be shut out of the Oscar conversation, so I'm thrilled it landed itself a much-deserved Best Picture nod. Adapting Colson Whitehead's novel "The Nickel Boys," "Nickel Boys" practically invents its own cinematic language, presenting the entire film via point-of-view shots of the two lead characters. POV films have been done before, and yet, what Ross and cinematographer Jomo Fray are doing here is nothing short of breathtaking, with every shot packing a punch. Inspired by the real-life Dozier School for Boys, "Nickel Boys" introduces us to Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a Black teenager living in the 1960s who is sent away to Nickel Academy, a brutal Florida reform school where students are routinely abused and even murdered by the staff.

Once inside Nickel, Elwood befriends Turner (Brandon Wilson), a young man who has been here before and tries to tamp down Elwood's desires to push back against the system and one day get away. Ross cuts back and forth between Elwood and Turner's perspectives, while occasionally showing us flashes of other media and glimpses of the future. While the subject matter is frequently bleak, "Nickel Boys" is also a powerful film that deserves far more attention than it's received. As I said in my review, "By the time the absolutely stunning final shot arrived, I felt the air rushing from my lungs, as if the wind had been knocked out of me. For all its heartbreak, for all its pain, 'Nickel Boys' is a staggeringly beautiful film. You don't simply watch it; you experience it. This is a major work of art, and we are lucky to have it." (Chris Evangelista) 

Brady Corbet's "The Brutalist" arrives riding a wave of hype, with words like "monumental" and "masterpiece" being thrown around. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this is the fact that the film actually lives up to the hype, and even surpasses it. Corbet and co-writer Mona Fastvold have conjured up the kind of great American epic that stands alongside films like "The Godfather" and "There Will Be Blood." Like all of Corbet's films so far, "The Brutalist" is best described as a fictional biopic, focusing on a historical figure who never actually existed, even though he feels very real. Adrien Brody is László Tóth, a Hungarian who survives a concentration camp and heads to America after World War II. An acclaimed arctictech in his home country, László has to start at the bottom in United States, landing a job in his cousin's furniture store. But fate comes calling when László catches the eye of a millionaire (Guy Pearce) who hires him to construct a sprawling structure that's technically a community center, but ultimately feels like so much more.

A sprawling epic clocking in at nearly 4 hours, "The Brutalist" spans decades as we watch László's rise and fall in meticulous detail. Bolstered by jaw-dropping cinematography from Lol Crawley and Daniel Blumberg's propulsive score, the film frequently overwhelms — this isn't even close to being a horror movie, and yet, there are scenes here that feel genuinely terrifying in a kind of unnamable, indescribable, almost mystical (or perhaps mythical) way. By the time the movie ended, I wanted even more. Even at 215 minutes, "The Brutalist" never sags, never drags. It pulls you along through the years, leaving you stunned. (Chris Evangelista)