1. Anora
I'll always remember predicting Anora to win the Palme d'Or, even though the odds were not in its favor. I was met with skepticism for predicting it'd win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. I remained its biggest champion—not just for its historic use of the Armenian language, but because the film speaks to the power and potential of cinema. Anora is fun, hilarious, tragic, and deeply heartbreaking— quite simply, it’s the film that defines 2024 for me.
2. The Brutalist
I'm sorry to those who this film isn't for, but it absolutely is for me. The Brutalist is cinema.
3. Challengers
I wasn't particularly excited about or interested in seeing Challengers, but this won me over and was my favorite film of the year until recently. The movie is firing on all cylinders— directing, cinematography, editing, score— it's the most fun I had at the theater all year.
4. Here
Unfortunently, Here has been overlooked by almost everyone, but I predict it'll age incredibly well. The film has so much heart, and it certainly touched mine unlike any other movie all year.
5. Monsieur Aznavour
I realize many people haven't seen this movie yet, but it's hard for me not to love what it's doing. Tahar Rahim is exceptional, but it's a movie for Armenians unlike anything else that's ever been made.
6. Megalopolis
God bless Francis Ford Coppola for being one of the only directors to take an actual swing with his work. It's all up there on the screen— risk, love, ideas, and passion for the art of cinema.
7. A Different Man
Sebastian Stan absolutely won me over, but Renate Reinsve is doing something that you rarely see in movies. I was shook to my core for days after seeing this film and it simply has not left my mind since I saw it months ago.
8. Hard Truths
I absolutely agree with those who feel like Marianne Jean-Baptiste was snubbed, as she was my favorite performance of the year. This is such a nuanced film that felt relatable in so many ways. It's another film I haven't stopped thinking about.
9. Juror #2
They just don't make movies like this anymore. Clint Eastwood is simply one of the best, and I hope this isn't the last film of his I watched in a theater.
10. Nickel Boys
I admired RaMell Ross' Hale County This Morning, This Evening, but his work in Nickel Boys is so assured and stunning. Brandon Wilson was my MVP and I can't wait to see more of him in the future.
