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There are nearly 180 films in the Oscar race this year, but there’s only room for 10 on the Best Picture ballot. So which will be lucky enough to make the cut? Oscar voters are a fickle lot — and for every argument in favor of a given film, there’s someone more than willing to argue the opposite. Which means the only thing certain about this year’s Best Picture contenders is that there are going to be surprises and heartbreak when the Academy Award nominations are unveiled on Jan. 17. Here, we lay out the cases for and against each of the top contenders — their strengths, their challenges, and their odds of making the cut.

Anora

The case for: Anora skyrocketed to the front of the pack by winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and has led Gold Derby’s combined Best Picture Oscar predictions since early September.

While 2024 will be remembered by many in the entertainment biz as an uphill battle and a make-or-break transition time, for a number of talents working in international film and TV, it will be considered the year where everything changed — a breakout period when new doors opened, calls were answered and bigger projects started coming their way. Some were catapulted into the limelight from relative obscurity and were soon juggling major awards ceremonies and lucrative studio deals. Others were already rising names at home, but suddenly found themselves on Hollywood’s radar.

Variety‘s crop of international breakouts — actors and filmmakers — includes the creator and stars of one of the most talked about TV shows of the year (and one which could leave Netflix with a tasty legal bill), the writer/director of a wild body-horror that took Cannes by storm and could give a beloved star her first brush with...

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2024 has come to an end, and while this year wasn’t the greatest year for films or Hollywood after the disastrous pandemic and the Writers’ and Actors’ strike, it did see the release of some great films. From the much-anticipated sequel of the sci-fi film Dune to the superhero buddy-comedy film no one thought would ever happen, Deadpool & Wolverine. So, lets find out which films that were released in 2024 you should not miss out on.

A Real Pain (In Select Theaters) Credit – Searchlight Pictures

A Real Pain is a buddy comedy-drama film written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg. The 2024 film follows American Jewish cousins David and Benji as they embark on a tour of Poland to honour their grandmother’s memories while exploring their family history. Still, their polar opposite personalities get in the way. A Real Pain stars Jesse Eisenberg,...

Sean Baker’s latest cinematic offering, “Anora,” has taken the film world by storm, clinching the coveted Palma d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival – and for good reason. This audacious feature turns the classic Pretty Woman narrative on its head, delivering a refreshingly original and uproariously funny take on the romantic comedy genre.

At the heart of this unconventional tale is Anora, a strip club dancer whose life takes an unexpected turn when she meets the son of a Russian billionaire. What begins as a week-long arrangement blossoms into a marriage proposal, setting the stage for a familial uproar that defies all expectations.

Baker, known for his distinctive directorial style, masterfully crafts a film that seems to revel in breaking every rule in the cinematic playbook. “Anora” gleefully disregards traditional script structures, creating scenes that feel almost accidentally brilliant in their naturalism. Yet, despite – or perhaps because of – this apparent randomness,...

Looking for what to see in theaters? Our feature, updated weekly, highlights our top recommendations for films currently in theaters, from new releases to restorations receiving a proper theatrical run.

While we already provide extensive monthly new-release recommendations and weekly streaming recommendations, as distributors’ roll-outs can vary, this is a one-stop list to share the essential films that may be on a screen near you.

All We Imagine as Light (Payal Kapadia)

Following up her enigmatic, beautiful debut A Night of Knowing Nothing, Payal Kapadia shows an entirely different register with her dazzling Cannes Film Festival Grand Prize winner All We Imagine as Light. While India foolishly didn’t select it to compete in the international feature category at this year’s Academy Awards, hopefully it’ll take an Anatomy of a Fall-esque path this season. Luke Hicks said in his review, “Writer-director Payal Kapadia isn’t interested in the...

Christmas bargain shopping usually doesn’t start until December 26. But this week’s Video on Demand top 10 lists suggest the sales started early. And once again this year, Ron Howard’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (Universal) leads the way.

Overall, nine different holiday-related movies charted either at iTunes or Fandango (as VOD) or among the current top 10 movies streaming on Netflix. For the latter, that includes their original thriller “Carry-On,” with the Christmas Eve-set movie starring Tagon Egerton and Jason Bateman #1 for the second straight week.

It’s an odd year for VOD, with fewer than usual top recent films getting a pre-holiday release with potential digital gift ability. None of November’s four biggest hits, “Gladiator II” will go digital after its fifth weekend in theaters. It is likely to lead VOD activity both because of its strengths and the lack of competition during this period.

‘The Six...

If you’ve been waiting for the 2025 Oscars race to settle into something like its final form before devoting time to watch all the major contenders, the time has come. As the 2024 eligibility period — or the year, as less awards-obsessed people would call it — ends, here’s where to watch the top 20 contenders in theaters and on streaming before the Oscars ceremony on March 2, 2025.

This list primarily consists of the top 20 Best Picture contenders in Gold Derby’s rankings, organized from highest to lowest odds, along with a few movies that are not considered Best Picture contenders but could score acting nominations.

Anora

Writer-director Sean Baker’s empathetic portrait of a Brooklyn sex worker who sees the opportunity for a financially secure life when she meets the callow son of a Russian oligarch is a likely nominee in five categories — Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay,...

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the scripts fueling the year’s most talked-about movies continues with Neon’s Anora, a zany romantic comedy written and directed by Sean Baker. The film, which won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, stars Mikey Madison as Anora, a sex worker from Brooklyn whose life takes an unexpected turn when she meets and impulsively marries the son of a billionaire oligarch.

Neon released Anora on October 18, and it has grossed $29.5 million to date at the global box office. The pic has been a major presence during awards season, having scored a co-leading five Indie Spirit Awards nominations, seven Critics Choice noms and five Golden Globe noms including for directing and screenplay, and Best Picture. The Los Angeles Film Critics named it film of the year, and it’s on several Top 10 lists including AFI‘s.

Set over three contrasting acts,...

Who would hear their names called if the 2025 Oscars nominations were announced today? Since our predictions center opened on July 1, 2024, more than 7,200 people have now made their forecasts. Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: Nosferatu in Best Cinematography, according to the most recent Gold Derby Oscar predictions. Also of note, Conclave‘s Isabella Rossellini has jumped up to third place in Best Supporting Actress for playing Sister Agnes in the religious thriller. This would be her first career Oscar bid.

Below, see a snapshot in time of our odds for the 97th Academy Awards in all 23 categories, updated on Dec. 23, 2024 — that’s one week after the shortlists were unveiled. See how the odds and rankings have changed over time by examining our previous Oscar snapshots on July 3, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 29, Aug. 6, Aug. 19, Aug. 28, Sept. 11, Sept. 19, Sept. 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 22, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11, Nov. 18,, Nov.

A year where the most celebrated films are as diverse as “Wicked,” “The Brutalist” and “Smile 2” is a year movie-lovers are going to remember for a long time. The industry’s and the audience’s acceptance of wildly disparate films allowed for a host of memorable, unique performances in 2024 that challenged the norms of motion picture performance and gave many actors their most iconic roles to date.

It’s hard to narrow down all the greats; by the time this retrospective was already getting out of hand, it became clear that some wonderful turns were somehow, despite their brilliance, not going to make the cut. But these are the performances that stood out amongst the standouts, in some of the best — and arguably one or two of the worst — movies of the 2024.

Mikey Madison in “Anora” (Neon) Mikey Madison, “Anora”

It’s a cliché to call actors a “force of nature,...

Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2024, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.

Each year offers some important movie-going lessons, and 2024 was no exception. Buy tickets early when taking kids to see Wicked. Never count out Mike Leigh, George Miller, or Clint Eastwood. Bow to Francis Ford Coppola, whether you enjoy Megalopolis or not. Start reappreciating Demi Moore and Nicole Kidman. Stop watching Alien: Romulus before the ending.

And, of course, choose your Uber driver carefully; on my way to my first screening at September’s Toronto International Film Festival, mine raced through a stop sign, got pulled over, and made me miss the one press screening of The Brutalist. (I’m still stewing over that.)

Now, to my list of 2024 favorites; read on to see if I eventually caught up with Brady Corbet’s film.

Honorable mentions: A Different Man,...

“Anora” is a significant outlier in Sean Baker’s filmography. Commonly described as ‘America’s neo-realist,’ Baker opts to penetrate the upper class, using the titular character Anora as somewhat of a Trojan horse. In previous works, specifically, “The Florida Project” and “Prince of Broadway,” Baker has had a particular focus on the hidden homeless and the social working class and their struggles therein.

“Anora” has a sense of disregard for these particular areas and gets swept up in the chaos and grandeur of the high-class party lifestyle. Instead, “Anora” places very minimal focus on the lower class. Besides her house being in close relation to the subway line, nothing more is said about her living conditions or daily life. We are only shown Ani’s hustle and romantic entanglements, which reduce her character to little more than a commodity, existing solely to serve the desires of men.

Auteur Theory...

Christmas Day will bring a cluster of specialty titles to the box office, but some films got a head start this weekend. Leading them is A24’s “The Brutalist,” which opened on four screens in New York and Los Angeles this weekend and grossed $266,791 for a strong average of $66,700.

Starring Adrien Brody as Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian architect who struggles to fulfill his artistic vision after emigrating to America after World War II, “The Brutalist” has earned critical acclaim since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where director Brady Corbet won the Silver Lion. It has earned seven Golden Globe nominations, putting it alongside films like “Anora,” “Conclave” and “Emilia Perez” in the Oscar race.

With a 215-minute run time and an emotionally grueling second half, “The Brutalist” will have limited appeal with mass audiences. But a 15-minute intermission could help get curious moviegoers who are antsy about the length off the fence,...

Few weekends annually are less certain indices of future grosses than the one before Christmas. That said, a combined $97 million for the openings of two new family-oriented titles set theaters up for a healthy holiday season.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” (Paramount) was the clear winner with $62 million, with “Mufasa: The Lion King” (Disney) second with $35 million. This is the first time two films on this pre-holiday date have debuted at $35 million or more, and with higher ticket prices today a factor, the best overall since 2011.

The weekend also saw the start of New York/Los Angeles platform runs of two significant awards contenders. New York Film Critics’ Best Film winner “The Brutalist” (A24) despite an over three and a half hour running time averaged nearly $67,000 in four theaters, while Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language film “The Room Next Door” (Sony Pictures Classics) started with $107,000 in six.

Pre-Christmas weekends more often...

Brandy Corbet’s The Brutalist from A24 hammered its way into theaters this weekend with one of the best limited openings of 2024 (no. 3 after Anora and Kinds of Kindness). It sold out nearly 30 showtimes in New York and Los Angeles for a gross of $266.8k on four screens for a per screen opening of $66.7k.

The majority of audiences were under 35 and almost half heard about the film via Letterboxd as the online film-centric social network continues to be a defining force for indie word-of-mouth in the post-Covid era.

Corbet’s third feature centers on Adrien Brody’s László Toth, a Brutalist architect from Hungary attempting to rebuild his life in postwar America. Initially forced to toil in poverty, Toth soon wins a contract that will change the course of the next 30 years of his life.

The sweeping film premiered in Venice where Corbet won Best Director and has built throughout the fall season.

As 2024 draws to a close, everyone who's prone to opining on the art they've consumed throughout the year is making their lists of bests, worsts and so on. Your friendly neighborhood entertainment junkies at /Film have been busy little beavers over the last couple of weeks, compiling what we collectively believe to be the year's 20 best movies and 15 best TV shows. You may or may not agree with our selections, but we do hope you'll give each and every title a shot if you've got the time.

This list-making bug doesn't just bite critics; regular ol' moviegoers love to get in on the act as well. All you have to do is spend a little time on TikTok or YouTube, and you'll find folks of all ages weighing in on their favorites of the year. One person we've become accustomed to hearing from every December is former president Barack Obama.

Pamela Anderson isn’t naming names, but she tells me that she’s heard from “a lot of great directors” following her awards buzzy work in “The Last Showgirl.”

“It’s exciting because I want to keep working,” Anderson said Tuesday at the Golden Globes First-Time Nominee Luncheon at the Montage in Beverly Hills.

However, she insists all the praise and attention isn’t going to her head. “I’m going to pretend that I belong here,” Anderson said. “It’s all so surreal. Sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and I’m like, ‘I’m a Golden Globes nominee – how did that happen?’”

She said she’s feeling more secure as awards season ramps up. “It’s getting better, but it’s still a little hard to walk into these rooms and and see people who you’ve admired for so long,” Anderson said.

We're not going to lie: Our personal perception of Barack Obama's tradition of releasing regular lists of his favorite books, films, and songs has shifted a bit in recent years, going from "Ah, here's what our hip young President is into!" into something more like "Best to keep tabs...

Mikey Madison’s Anora has certainly become her defining role in the film industry. Although the actress did gain recognition for her work in 2021’s Scream, the recently released film stands as one of her more critically acclaimed projects. Playing the role of a s*x worker who is suddenly thrust into a new world full of money and love, the film was certainly an entertaining watch for many.

Mikey Madison in Anora | Credits: Neon

Considering its themes, the work is certainly more on the mature side of Hollywood, having several explicit scenes throughout its runtime. With this, one would expect an intimacy coordinator to be very active in the production of the film.

However, Madison and the director of the film, Sean Baker, decided against getting an intimacy coordinator.

Mikey Madison decided against having an intimacy coordinator on Anora

Intimacy coordinators have recently become somewhat of a norm in Hollywood.

Former President Barack Obama has published his annual list of greatest films for 2024, which includes a varied range of international cinema. His list, released on social media on Friday, contains ten carefully chosen films representing major studio releases and indie ventures from around the world.

In his usual modest style, Obama invited admirers to explore these cinematic offerings. This year’s selections demonstrate his enduring fondness for mainstream and independent films. Notable titles include the highly anticipated sci-fi sequel “Dune: Part Two” and the personal drama “Dìdi (弟弟).” Both films star Timothée Chalamet, who has gained attention this awards season.

Eight of the ten films on Obama’s list debuted at renowned international film festivals. These include works from Sundance (“Dìdi (弟弟)” and “Sugarcane”), Cannes, Telluride (“The Piano Lesson” and “Conclave”), and Venice (“The Promised Land”).

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” a film set in Tehran and Germany’s...

With another year in the books, Barack Obama has some new recommendations for his fellow cinephiles.

On Friday, the former president of the United States shared his annual list of top 10 movies, which featured a papal thriller, a sex worker’s romantic-dramedy and a Timothée Chalamet double billing.

“Here are a few movies I’d recommend checking out this year,” he wrote on Instagram with the list.

Obama’s list included All We Imagine as Light, Conclave, The Piano Lesson, The Promised Land, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Dune: Part Two, Anora, Dìdi (弟弟), Sugarcane and A Complete Unknown.

His comments section was partially flooded with fans accusing him of snubbing titles like Wicked, Challengers, Sing Sing and I’m Still Here.

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A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama)

While sharing last year’s list, Obama commended the WGA and SAG-AFTRA for going “on strike...

Barack Obama dropped his highly anticipated best of 2024 lists, including his favorite movies, songs and books of the year.

“I always look forward to sharing my annual list of favorite books, movies, and music,” the former president wrote on his social media accounts. “Today I’ll start by sharing some of the books that have stuck with me long after I finished reading them.” He also invited his followers to check out the books he shared, preferably at an independent bookstore or library.

His favorite books included Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo, Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, Arlie Russell Hochschild’s Stolen Pride, Martin MacInnes’ In Ascension and Alexei Navalny’s Patriot.

Samantha Harvey’s Orbital, Aysegul Savas’ The Anthropologists, Daniel Susskind’s Growth, Dinaw Mengetsu’s Someone Like Us and Adam Moss’ The Work of Art round out the list.

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A post shared by...

It’s that time of the year: Barack Obama is sharing insight into his top hits of the year. On Friday, the former president posted the playlist of his favorite music of 2024, which included standouts by Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, and Shaboozey.

Some big 2025 tracks made Obama’s cut: Billie Eilish’s “Lunch,” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Tyla’s “Jump,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold’Em,” and “Hozier’s “Too Sweet.”

“Here are my favorite songs from this year! Check them out if you’re looking to shake up...

Barack Obama has no interest in defying gravity.

America’s 44th president released his “favorite movies of 2024” list on Friday, and box-office smash Wicked is noticeably absent. Instead, the 10 films that made the Obama cut are All We Imagine as Light, Conclave, The Piano Lesson, The Promised Land, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Dune: Part Two, Anora, Dìdi, Sugarcane, and A Complete Unknown.

“Here are a few movies I’d recommend checking out this year,” the pop culture-loving former Potus wrote on his social media, while also running down his favorite books and music of the 2024 calendar year.

Obama’s film list includes a mix of Oscar frontrunners like Anora, starring Mikey Madison as a Brooklyn sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch; Conclave, about the turmoil that erupts inside the Vatican after the pope dies; and Dune: Part Two, the second installment in Denis Villeneuve‘s epic trilogy.

Keeping with his yearly tradition, Barack Obama has once again started the rollout for his favorite movies, books, and songs of the year, dropping the lists on the former two categories on Friday.

As he usually does, on the film front, the former president shared an eclectic mix of blockbusters and critical darlings, singling out 10 films for 2024. Timothée Chalamet stars in two of them: Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown, the latter of which comes out on Christmas. The rest of his list included All We Imagine as Light,...

Barack Obama has shared his favorite movies of the year, continuing what has become an annual list-making tradition from the former President.

“Here are a few movies I’d recommend checking out this year,” Obama wrote in a briefer than usual caption on social media for this year’s list.

The full line-up, listed in no established order by Obama, includes “All We Imagine as Light,” “Conclave,” “The Piano Lesson,” “The Promised Land,” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Anora,” “Dìdi (弟弟),” “Sugarcane” and “A Complete Unknown.”

Several titles on the former President’s list have featured heavily in awards conversations, with “Anora,” “Conclave” and the Timothée Chalamet-led duo of “A Complete Unknown” and “Dune: Part Two” being widely projected to land nods in the Oscars’ best picture category. The Tehran-set “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is also Germany’s official submission for the best international feature film category.

Everybody loves Rafiki, the wise old mandrill voiced by John Kani in the new animated musical prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King”. But not everybody — including IndieWire’s “Screen Talk” podcast hosts Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio — loves Barry Jenkins’s quote-unquote photorealistic animal adventure that traces the origin stories of Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) and even Scar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), known first as Taka.

In the movie’s commitment to realistic images, what gets lost is any sense of imagination or, even worse, fun. Jenkins himself has been candid about the virtual set as being not really his bag. We need Barry Jenkins’s voice, which is hardly here at all. Still, the kids’ movie might still end up taking in dump trucks of money over the holiday season. (Read IndieWire’s mixed review by Alison Foreman here.)

Elsewhere on this week’s episode, we take in the 2025 Academy Awards shortlists in 10 categories,...

Lee Cronin's The Mummy: With a release date of April 17, 2026, we now have an official title for the latest horror film from Evil Dead Rise's Lee Cronin, who is is writing and directing the film, produced by Atomic Monster, Blumhouse and Doppelgängers, for New Line.

"This will be unlike any Mummy movie you ever laid eyeballs on before. I'm digging deep into the earth to raise something very ancient and very frightening," said writer/director Lee Cronin.

As previously announced, Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are co-financing the film. James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville are producers on the film. Michael Clear, Judson Scott and Macdara Kelleher are executive producers. Alayna Glasthal is the executive overseeing the project for Atomic Monster.

Lee Cronin is represented by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.

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Grafted: "Chinese...

The end-of-year cascade of lists, ballots, scorecards, and rankings can mean a lot of the same: It’s all “Anora” this, “Conclave” that. While IndieWire’s own list of the best films of 2024 was crowned by RaMell Ross’s emotional, searching story of Black kids in Jim Crow South, “Nickel Boys,” there are still plenty of indies that didn’t get enough love this year even beyond our top 25.

Still, there’s some overlap in titles across IndieWire’s list of the Best Overlooked Indies of 2024. We picked 27 of them for brevity’s sake, meaning more than a few gems likely got left off, but here’s a good sampling of many of the indies snubbed by critics groups or more mainstream-leaning awards bodies so far this year.

Sure, “His Three Daughters,” Azazel Jacobs’s poignant tale of a dysfunctional trio of sisters staring down their father’s death,...

Erika Jayne is immensely grateful for the things unfolding in her life. The Young and the Restless guest star shared two new gigs she’ll embark on soon. She’s already starting 2025 on the right foot. However, Erika is still dealing with legal troubles. She revealed that she’s “not out of the woods yet.”

Expanding Her Horizons

Erika no longer depends on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for income. She lost out on numerous gigs amid her divorce from estranged husband Tom Girardi. The couple was accused of embezzling funds to provide for their lavish lifestyle. In addition, Erika’s stint on Broadway was nixed due to the Covid pandemic in 2020.

Now, she’s back. Erika just made a music comeback with a residency in Las Vegas. Next, she’s reprising her role as Roxie Hart in Chicago. She confirmed the news on Wednesday, December 18.

Erika took to Instagram,...

Who would win if the 2025 Golden Globes ceremony was held today? According to our exclusive Gold Derby predictions, where more than 2,000 people have made their forecasts following the Globe nominations on Dec. 9, 2024, we have the latest peek at the early leaders for this year’s trophies.

Below is a snapshot of our film and TV odds for the 82nd annual ceremony, updated on Dec. 20, 2024. Our predicted winners are denoted in gold. See how the odds and rankings have changed over time by examining our previous Golden Globe snapshot on Dec. 11.

Two films are predicted to sweep this year’s Globes by winning a leading three trophies apiece: The Brutalist in drama picture, drama actor (Adrien Brody), and director (Brady Corbet); and Anora in comedy/musical picture, comedy/musical actress (Mikey Madison), and screenplay (Sean Baker).

Meanwhile, three other movies are forecasted to each claim two statuettes: A Real Pain in...

Zoe Saldana will receive the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation at the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards. The “Emilia Perez” actor becomes the second recipient of the award, following Colman Domingo’s inaugural win last year.

The recognition comes as Saldana also competes in the Supporting Actress of the Year category for Jacques Audiard’s musical drama “Emilia Perez.” Her career spans major franchises including “Avatar,” “Star Trek” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” with starring roles in four of the highest-grossing films ever made.

Saldana’s recent work includes producing and starring in TV series “Special Ops: Lioness” and “The Absence of Eden,” focusing on U.S.-Mexico border trafficking. Earlier this year, she shared the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress with “Emilia Perez” co-stars Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz.

“I’m honored and thrilled to receive the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation from the London Film Critics’ Circle,...

Zoe Saldaña, who is currently enjoying a high-profile awards season for her performance in Emilia Pérez, will be honoured with the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation at the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards in February, 2025.

The actress is the second recipient of the award created in the memory of film critic Derek Malcolm, who died aged 91 in August 2023, after actor and filmmaker Colman Domingo who was feted at the 44th London Critics’ Circle Awards.

“I’m honored and thrilled to receive the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation from the London Film Critics’ Circle, a group I greatly admire and respect,” said Saldaña.

“This has been a wonderful year for film with so many striking and indelible roles for women. To have had the opportunity to work in this industry for twenty-five years has been a privilege and to perform the role of Rita in Emilia Pérez has been the opportunity of a lifetime.

Mikey Madison begins Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning drama “Anora” as a stripper who accepts thousands of dollars to be exclusive with her rich Russian client, Vanya (Mark Eidelstein) for a too-perfect week that ends with a diamond ring on her finger. But as quickly as the marriage came together, Vanya runs away while his family’s goons chase, gag and tie Ani up before forcing her to help them arrange an annulment. Needless to say, the film earns its R-rating with violence, drugs and of course, plenty of sex.

But there was no intimacy coordinator on set.

“It was a choice that I made,” Madison said in a conversation with Pamela Anderson for Variety‘s Actors on Actors. She went on to explain that Baker and his wife, producer Samantha Quan, offered her the chance to work with an intimacy coordinator, but she and Eidelstein “decided that it...

The online world has gone wild after comments “Anora” star Mikey Madison made about not using an intimacy coordinator on the set of Sean Baker‘s Palme d’Or winner. But is the outrage against the awards season favorite justified? Let’s unpack the ongoing debate.

Madison’s comments come from a recent chat with “The Last Showgirl” star Pamela Anderson on Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series.

Continue reading ‘Anora’: Mikey Madison Says She Chose Not To Have An Intimacy Coordinator On Set To Preserve Film’s “Authenticity” at The Playlist.

Any independent filmmaker will tell you that getting a movie financed, produced and released is akin to summiting a mountain. Rockslides, however, are less common.

Brady Corbet had to brace for one nonetheless, to complete his ambitious and impressively inexpensive “The Brutalist” — a three-hour-and-change epic made for a measly $10 million. The expansive story of a Hungarian architect and his haughty patron required Corbet and team to shoot in the marble quarries of northern Tuscany — where rockslides constantly shift the landscape.

“Mother Nature is pissed,” Corbet exclaims to his friend Sean Baker, the writer-director of this year’s Palme d’Or winner “Anora.” Baker is used to outsmarting forces of nature to deliver his microbudget indies to the world. For “Anora,” the tale of a hopeful sex worker’s unhinged affair with the son of a Russian oligarch, he found himself “making, borrowing and stealing” whatever he could to get the project across the finish line.

It’s the most chaotic sequence in “Anora.” It’s also the turning point of the movie.

Brooklyn escort Ani (Mikey Madison) basks in the glow of newlywed bliss after impulsively marrying Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of Russian oligarchs, at a hole-in-the-wall Vegas chapel. The ink has barely dried on the marriage certificate before the fantasy of her fairytale romance is shattered. Two hired henchmen, Igor (Yura Borisov) and Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan), barrel through the doors of the glass-enclosed mansion Ani and Ivan have burrowed themselves in. Word has gotten to Ivan’s powerful parents about their marriage — ill-advised and a sham, they argue — and a speedy annulment is the only solution.

What transpires is a frenetic 30-minute scene that plays out in real time. It reaches a crescendo once Toros (Karren Karagulian), a paid fixer on Ivan’s parents’ payroll, arrives at the mansion to bully Ani into kowtowing to their demands.

Anora is one of this awards season's biggest contenders, particularly for the lead performance from Mikey Madison. But for such a major movie it was made "tiny and under the radar" using "all the guerrilla indie techniques," director Sean Baker says in Variety's latest Directors on Directors conversation with Brady Corbet.

The UK’s leading film critics announced their nominations for the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards. Sean Baker’s Anora and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist lead with seven nominations each. This year’s winners in all categories will be announced at London’s May Fair Hotel on 2nd February 2025, hosted by venerable critic Mark Kermode. Last year’s ceremony saw Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest and Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers lead the 44th annual London Critics’ Circle Awards with three wins apiece. The inaugural Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation was presented to Colman Domingo, while Jeffrey Wright received the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film.

Zoe Saldaña will be honoured with the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation at this year’s awards. The Emilia Pérez actress will become the second recipient of the annual award, named in memory of the legendary critic Derek Malcolm,...

In this Oscar Volley, Eric Blume and Cláudio Alves discuss the Best Original Screenplay race…

Hard Truths, Mike Leigh

Eric Blume: Hi Cláudio, I put us together on this one because I love arguing with you. Hope that's okay. Plus, I am curious to get your takes on some of these films and scripts.

Best Original Screenplay has a lot of strong contenders this year. What I find particularly interesting is that eight of these feature scripts written by their directors - Seed of the Sacred Fig, A Real Pain, The Substance, September 5, Anora, The Brutalist, All We Imagine as Light, and Hard Truths. That has to be some kind of record?

CLÁUDIO Alves: With the growing connection between the big European film festivals and the awards season, auteur cinema is on the rise as an Oscar gold magnet. And many of those selections favor director-forward productions, often...

Mikey Madison’s a walking plot twist. She did it all for her comedy-romance film Anora, but there’s another project wherein she literally snipped off her own hair to dive into the role (talk about commitment!) And her audition for Quentin Tarantino? That’s where things get next-level wild. Let’s just say it wasn’t your typical stand, smile, and read a script scenario.

Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison in Anora | Credits: FilmNation Entertainment

Madison brought her own flavor of chaos, matching the legendary filmmaker’s unpredictable energy. From jaw-dropping dedication to leaving directors speechless, Mikey Madison’s auditions are basically the stuff of Hollywood lore.

Mikey Madison: From sewing hair for Quentin Tarantino to owning Cannes with Anora Quentin Tarantino | Image by Gage Skidmore, licensed under Cc By-sa 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Before Mikey Madison stole the Cannes spotlight with Anora — the flick that bagged the 2024 Palme d...

Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist and Sean Baker’s Anora lead the nominations for the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards 2025, announced today, December 19.

Both films are nominated in seven categories, followed by Edward Berger’s Conclave and The Substance on six nominations each and Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez with five.

All of the above films are nominated in film of the year alongside Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap, RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys, and Robert Eggers’Nosferatu.

Conclave and Kneecap are also nominated in British/Irish film of...

Sean Baker’s “Anora” and Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” have topped the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards nominations with seven nods each.

Edward Berger’s “Conclave” and Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” followed with six nominations each, while Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” secured five nods. Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths” and Rich Peppiatt’s “Kneecap” each received four nominations.

The Film of the Year race features 10 contenders: Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light,” “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Kneecap,” RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys,” Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” and “The Substance.”

In the performance categories, Actress of the Year nominations went to Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”), Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”), Demi Moore (“The Substance”), and Saoirse Ronan (“The Outrun”). The Actor of the Year category features Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”), Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”), Daniel Craig (“Queer”), Colman Domingo...

Sean Baker’s Anora and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist have topped the nominations for the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, making it into seven categories each.

Further frontrunners in the nominations, announced today, include Edward Berger’s Conclave and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance with six nominations each.

They are followed by Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez with five nominations, and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths and Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap, with four nominations each.

All of these films are in the running for Film of the Year alongside Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys and Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu.

The Actress of the Year category celebrates performances from Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance) and Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun), while Actor of the Year recognises Adrien Brody (The Brutalist...

Sean Baker’s Anora and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist are top of the pack with seven nominations each ahead of the U.K.’s 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards.

On Thursday, Britain’s leading film critics confirmed their nominees before the Feb. 2 ceremony at London’s May Fair Hotel.

Edward Berger’s Conclave and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance followed Baker and Corbet with six nominations each, while Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard, earned five nods. Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths and Kneecap by Rich Peppiatt both gained four nominations.

All of these films are in the running for film of the year alongside Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys and Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu.

The actress of the year category celebrates performances from Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The...

Mikey Madison’s Anora has certainly gained quite a lot of recognition among critics. The film has been making a name for itself through its breathtaking cinematography, excellent acting, and interesting storyline. The film follows the story of a s*x worker, who gets a shot at love when she meets and marries the son of an oligarch.

A still from Anora | Credit: Neon

It has complex themes of family dynamics, as well as a magnificent portrayal of the titular character by Madison. However, after hearing the story, one cannot help but think of another romance film that followed somewhat of a similar storyline.

Considering how culturally significant Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman was, was Sean Baker inspired by the film when he was making his own?

Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman ended up changing the romance movie scene for good.

1990’s Pretty Woman was an iconic moment in Hollywood’s history for more reasons than one.

During a candid conversation for Variety’s Actors on Actors segment, veteran actress Pamela Anderson and rising star Mikey Madison discussed their careers, ongoing projects, and how they approach acting. But overall, the interview was focused on Madison’s latest movie Anora, under Sam Baker’s direction.

Mikey Madison in Anora (2024) | image: Neon

While Mikey Madison has been praised for her performance in Anora, especially due to the intimate nature of the movie and her bold and raunchy scenes, Pamela Anderson had a different perspective. Recalling her reaction when she saw the film and admitted to having concerns for the actress, Anderson implied being disturbed by Madison’s nudity in the movie.

Pamela Anderson was shell-shocked to see Mikey Madison’s n*de scenes in Anora

Sitting for the Variety’s Actors on Actors segment Pamela Anderson questioned rising star Mikey Madison about her experience filming her latest film, Anora.

Exclusive: Following the success of the summer hit Longlegs, Neon and Maika Monroe have found their next thriller to team on as the studio has has acquired the North American rights to Watcher director Chloe Okuno’s Brides starring Monroe. The film marks the third collaboration for Neonand Monroe and the pic will be produced by Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu through Likely Story. Pre-production is now underway, and it is set to begin shooting in March 2025. Neon will release the film theatrically.

Okuno will direct the film which is based on her original screenplay. The film follows, Sally Bishop (Monroe) and her husband, who travel to a remote Italian villa where the villa’s owner, a mysterious count, takes a peculiar interest in Sally.

The deal for Brides was negotiated by Jeff Deutchman and Jason Wald on behalf of Neon. FilmNation Entertainment launched international sales at the American Film...

In the grand scheme of things, 2024 might end up being remembered as a transitional year that bridged the drama-filled 2023 (which brought both the box office extravaganza of “Barbenheimer” and the SAG and WGA strikes that shut down Hollywood) and the fruitful 2025 (which boasts a slate so packed that many in the industry have spent the year mumbling “survive ‘till 25”). But even if 2024 offered moviegoers a slate that was affected by the previous year’s production shutdowns, there’s still plenty to celebrate as we wind down the year and gear up for the awards race.

To parse the year’s best cinema, IndieWire assembled an elite group of critics around the world who spent the year watching everything that premiered. IndieWire’s annual critics survey featured 177 voters who cover film and television for publications including The New Yorker, Variety, the LA Times, BBC Culture, Sight & Sound, Cineaste, Der Spiegel,...

Will “Challengers” nab a best picture nomination at this year’s Academy Awards? The question might seem trivial to anyone who’s not a “Challengers” superfan — and, full disclosure, I am one, having chosen it as my number one movie of the year. But I assure you I’m not merely asking this out of some defensive personal passion for Luca Guadagnino’s supremely tricky and immersive tennis love-triangle movie. I’m asking it because the kind of movie that “Challengers” is makes this a larger question.

Remember the shrewdly crafted, seductively entertaining, unabashedly accessible mid-budget drama for adults? (The thing we used to call…a movie?) It’s become a fading form. But it was once the meat and potatoes, the bread and butter, the hallowed centerpiece of the Oscars. Movies. For adults (and maybe teenagers too). That audiences showed up for in impressive numbers. Are we willing to...