In this second of two year-end episodes of Streamed & Screened, hosts Bruce Miller and Terry Lipshetz go over the best films of the year, breaking down Miller's Top 10 list and adding in plenty of other options to catch up on if you need something to watch during the holiday season. Listen to the discussion through the podcast player above and read more from Miller below.
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With plenty of examples, it was a time to celebrate an end to bloated network runs and cheer 10 really good episodes of something like “Hacks” or “Baby Reindeer.”
“Wicked” proved there’s still life in big-budget studio films. But the bulk of 2024’s best still came from independent studios, streaming services and foreign filmmakers.
Does that say the business is expanding? Or has the capital of moviemaking shifted?
Take a look at the list and you’ll realize the idea of actors milling about a Hollywood studio didn’t happen this year. Citing high costs, producers used locations to cut the bottom line and produce the year’s best.
The list, in order of preference, goes like this:
1.THE BRUTALIST – Shot around the world in VistaVision (a process used decades ago to lend importance to a film), this was one of the longest films of the year (clocking in at three hours and 35 minutes and featuring an intermission). It accomplished what Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” couldn’t – it told an engrossing story about an architect who had to rebuild his life after World War II. Coming to America, Laszlo Toth (a brilliant Adrien Brody) survives on menial jobs, then gets a commission to design a towering facility that reflects his own growth. Co-written and directed by Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist” zips by as turmoil threatens to hammer Toth at every turn. Luckily, determination helps him see the project through, brick by brick. Considering it was produced for less than $10 million (a fraction of “Wicked’s” budget), Corbet’s achievement is remarkable.
2.CONCLAVE – Choosing a pope may seem simple but Edward Berger’s account makes it every bit as exciting as a John Grisham thriller. Led by Ralph Fiennes (as the cardinal running the election), it slyly introduced its candidates, then let the very formal voting process comprise the story. One by one, frontrunners emerged, then fell only to lead to a conclusion that few could see coming. Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini were standouts in a cast filled with scene stealers.
3.EMILIA PEREZ – The best foreign language film of the year, “Emilia Perez” combined several hot-button issues in one elaborate musical. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the film let Zoe Saldana fire on all cylinders as the attorney for a drug cartel leader who has a dream – to live life as a woman. While making her moves, Saldana encounters countless “players” in the leader’s life, including his wife (nicely played by Selena Gomez). Karla Sofia Gascon, as the title character, crossed countless barriers while showing how important the quest was.
4.SEPTEMBER 5 – Covering the Olympics is difficult. Covering a terrorist attack during the Olympics is almost impossible. Yet the men and women at ABC Sports gave viewers a window onto a world they hadn’t seen before. As terrorists claimed hostages at the 1972 Munich games, reporters scrambled to get the story right. In a day when hearsay is often enough for broadcasters to break into regular programming, this is the real deal – the way journalism should be done. Peter Sarsgaard was outstanding as leader Roone Arledge, Leonie Benesch was unforgettable as a translator trying to help Americans disseminate the truth. Director Tim Fehlbaum got the look just right and made us long for a time when ingenuity and integrity were key.
5.WICKED – Popular. What can we say? Jon M. Chu did the Broadway fans proud with an adaptation that expanded the story (there are two parts – the second comes next year), introduced new characters and leaned into the O.G., “The Wizard of Oz.” While Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were overexposed in the lead-up to its release, they didn’t let “Wicked” down. Their performances were ideal and won over a tough crowd. Even original stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel got to be part of the fun. Don’t be surprised if this wins the Best Picture Oscar.
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6.ANORA – Mikey Madison made a huge splash as a sex worker who amused the son of a Russian oligarch and quickly found herself in a pot full of trouble. The way director Sean Baker twisted the story made it impossible to ignore. As the Russians in Anora’s life, Mark Eydelshteyn and Yura Borisov were welcome additions to the American acting scene. Both brought new colors to the medium and let Madison shine in ways even she wouldn’t think possible. Three stellar performances in a well-written thrill comedy were more than we could ask.
7.NICKEL BOYS – After making a name for himself in documentary films, RaMell Ross turned Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winner into a cinematic original. Using some of those documentary techniques, he found a way to pull audiences into the story of two boys sent to an abusive reform school. The film’s cinematography was key; its editing connected the story’s dots.
8.SATURDAY NIGHT – On the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live,” director Jason Reitman came up with the perfect present – a look at the first days of the revolutionary television series. Getting actors to more than suggest the personalities it created justified Reitman’s belief there was something worth preserving. Cory Michael Smith was almost too good as Chevy Chase, the show’s first big star.
9.A REAL PAIN – Actor Jesse Eisenberg wrote and directed this look at cousins who go to Poland to pay homage to their late grandmother. While she may have been the only tie that bound them, she served as a catalyst for change in both. Eisenberg played the uptight cousin; Kieran Culkin (in an Oscar-winning turn) played the rebel. Both were exceptional.
10.CHALLENGERS – Luca Guadagnino had a flashier film this year (“Queer” with Daniel Craig), but this was the more accessible entry. Zendaya starred as a tennis pro who turned to coaching after her playing days were over. Her friendships, however, made it difficult to choose one over the other. Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor played her potential life doubles partners and they kept the rally going throughout the film. Guadagnino tried a few tricks of his own and came away with a film that was both glossy and telling.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: “Dune, Part Two”; “A Complete Unknown”; “The Substance”; “The Apprentice”; “Nosferatu” and “The Wild Robot.”