Ranking the 2025 Oscar Best Picture Nominees

Well, here we are. The Oscars are airing very soon, and we’re cutting right through. I’ve seen all 10 movies nominated for Best Picture, and this is how I’d rank them.


10. Emilia Pérez [dir. Jacques Audiard]
[Also Nominated for: Director, Actress, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, International Film, Original Score, Original Song x2, Sound, Cinematography, Makeup & Hairstyling, Editing]

I’m still blown away that this ended up getting the acclaim it got. Every win it’s gotten at other awards bodies feels like I’ve been gaslit by Netflix. Not even mentioning the many controversies that have to do with comments from the movie’s director and the lead actress, Emilia Pérez is a big mess of a movie. While it’s admittedly ambitious in some filmmaking techniques, the story is just so misguided and oddly reminds me of Mrs. Doubtfire in one of its main plot elements. There are many thinkpieces online from members of the trans community and Mexican people on how they feel about Emilia Pérez, which probably hold more weight than a white guy from Ohio, but from my view, I just couldn’t relate to anything here on a baseline, human experience, and that’s where Emilia Pérez falls flat. I could be much more mean to this movie, mainly because I don’t think it’s the worst movie of 2024, but I just want to stop thinking about it.


9. The Brutalist [dir. Brady Corbet]
[Also Nominated for: Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Original Score, Production Design, Cinematography, Editing]

Alright, hot take here. The Brutalist is definitely the most torn I feel about all of these nominees. There are undoubtedly some incredible parts of this movie. Everything pre-intermission is genuinely so close to perfect: Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, and the criminally under-used Alessandro Nivola all tower over the other performances; the overture might be some of the most adrenaline-infused scenes of the decade so far; Daniel Blumberg’s score is also just perfect, no notes. My thoughts on the score also match up with the cinematography, with many shots in the movie in the running for my favorite of the year. The second act, though, ends up becoming very blunt with what the movie is trying to say. I’m not even that mad with the actual story, but The Brutalist feels kneecapped in its second act. Felicity Jones is also really incredible, but she doesn’t appear until the second act. This is nowhere near a bad movie and is worth a watch, but the second act could either make or break The Brutalist for you.


8. Anora [dir. Sean Baker]
[Also Nominated for: Director, Actress, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, Editing]

Two hot takes in a row, I know. I think Anora is generally a decent movie, even if my feelings on it have gone cold over the past few months. I’ll say this, though. I do think Mikey Madison does a good job here, especially when being put in the “realistic Pretty Woman” story. When the comedy isn’t just making rape jokes (come on, we’re better than that), it’s actually a pretty funny movie. The only reason why this is so low on this list is that I never thought it screamed “OSCARS!,” and to a certain degree, it still doesn’t. This is the frontrunner to win Best Picture, and while I definitely wouldn’t be entirely upset about that, I think every movie above Anora would be a better win in the category.


7. Conclave [dir. Edward Berger]
[Also Nominated for: Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Production Design, Costume Design, Editing]

I’ve said this in my full review of Conclave, but I think this is just a good example of a well-oiled machine. Everything is in its right place here. All of the performances are on point, the script is fantastic and is likely going to win the Oscar for Adapted Screenplay, and it’s gorgeous to look at. The attention to detail with the costumes, production design, and the overall story can’t be overlooked. However, what sets this thing back for me is that this would 100% be nominated no matter who is involved. Anyone could’ve made it, and if it’s this good, I think Conclave would’ve gotten nominated anyway. Knowing that this is the closest to being a surprise Best Picture winner is actually pretty interesting, but it’d probably be the most boring choice.


6. A Complete Unknown [dir. James Mangold]
[Also Nominated for: Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Sound, Costume Design]

Music biopics usually don’t do great at the Oscars these days (see Elvis being shut out a few years ago), but I think James Mangold delivered with a slightly unconventional one. It also helps that Timothée Chalamet, who plays Bob Dylan and is my pick for Best Actor, absolutely kills it here, even though his performance in Dune: Part Two should be the one that’s nominated. This just borders on the edge of Conclave’s “well-oiled machine” argument, but I really only have A Complete Unknown above it because the performances here are just so good. Even Boyd Holbrook, who should be nominated in his small role as Johnny Cash, is done real well. Even though it doesn’t even have my favorite Chalamet role of the year, I think this is a well-deserved pick for Best Picture.


5. I’m Still Here [dir. Walter Salles]
[Also Nominated for: Actress, International Film]

Putting this in the middle of the pack really sucks, but that may show just how good most of the picks for Best Picture are this year. I’m Still Here is the true-story heartstring-puller of the year, which follows a family that’s been uprooted by the disappearance of the father, Brazilian congressman Rubens Paiva. This was the year’s surprise entry in Best Picture, pretty much being entirely carried by Fernanda Torres’s performance. It’s honestly pretty easy to see why this is nominated, but I’m very glad to see it.


4. Wicked [dir. Jon M. Chu]
[Also Nominated for: Actress, Supporting Actress, Original Score, Sound, Production Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Costume Design, Editing]

This is pretty much maximalist filmmaking at its finest. Wicked is the last movie I watched before I’ve seen all of the nominees, and it felt like a breath of fresh air. Twitter and all that is still filled to the brim with hate for the filmmaking (lighting and all that), and while I completely understand that, the amount of joy in the movie just overrides that. A lot of that joy comes from the ensemble cast, especially Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. They’re the heart and soul of Wicked, and while the movie still would’ve been good without them, I now can’t imagine Wicked without them.


3. Dune: Part Two [dir. Denis Villeneuve]
[Also Nominated for: Sound, Production Design, Cinematography, Visual Effects]

I’m honestly shocked this isn’t number one. Even without the Best Picture nomination, seeing Dune: Part Two in a theater was and still is a shock to the system. I still stand strong with saying that I prefer the first one, but even the best moments of Part Two are some of the best of this year so far. As I said under A Complete Unknown, Chalamet should be nominated for this, and the fact that Denis Villeneuve isn’t nominated for Best Director is shocking to me. Hell, he should be winning. I could gush about this movie for hours, but I’ve also got two more movies to talk about.


2. The Substance [dir. Coralie Fargeat]
[Also Nominated for: Director, Actress, Original Screenplay, Makeup & Hairstyling]

My favorite horror movie of the decade so far that also somehow is going to be an Oscar-winning movie. I’m still in shock that this is even in the conversation, but The Substance already feels like lightning in a bottle. Sure, it may be blunt in what it’s saying (Dennis Quaid plays a TV executive named Harvey), but how it leans into the surreal and how batshit insane it goes as the movie goes on is something that I love so much about The Substance. What really sends it over, though, is Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley’s unhinged, committed performances throughout. I remember saying when I saw it back in September that I couldn’t imagine this being an awards movie, but it’s such an inspired pick to end up being any sort of awards player.


1. Nickel Boys [dir. RaMell Ross]
[Also Nominated for: Adapted Screenplay]

It pains me to know that this won’t win Best Picture, and on top of that, not even get any other nominations outside of Adapted Screenplay. There aren’t too many movies I can think of right now that really challenge how we take in movies, and I think Nickel Boys could enter that conversation. It’s challenging subject matter, but the presentation is just as challenging, putting us in a first-person perspective and going for full immersion. This is absolutely not a feel-good movie, but if you give it the time, I think it’ll win you over. Also, this is a bit of a tough movie to talk about, and the Oscars are about to start, so I’ve gotta get to work on that. Watch Nickel Boys.