The best of the Best Pictures: 2025 Oscars nominees ranked

Ah, awards season. That beautiful time of year when the fattest hogs in the Hollywood sty jostle for a sniff of those little gilded statuettes. The most coveted of these Oscars is that one that will follow a film’s legacy forever — the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Which film will take home 2025’s trophy? Only the Academy knows. Here, however, is my ranking of the nominees.

First, I must acknowledge the elephant in the Dolby Theatre. I did not see “The Brutalist.” It’s old news by now, but “The Brutalist” used artificial intelligence both to augment the lead actors’ Hungarian dialogue and to generate imagery of architectural designs by the titular brutalist. I believe generative AI to be a plague upon artistry and to represent a massive, imminent threat to the livelihoods of artists everywhere. It may seem like a minor nitpick over which to boycott a film, but I recommend you all boycott “The Brutalist” as well. Now, on with the list.

9. “Emilia Pérez”

Trash-talking “Emilia Pérez” has become so common of late that I don’t even feel like engaging with it. The internet is (for once) right: it’s bad! And racist. And pretty reductive as a trans story. If the Academy wanted to uber-nominate a 2024 movie about the transgender experience, "I Saw the TV Glow" is the one that they should’ve picked. “I Saw the TV Glow” is a fantastic movie, not racist, not edited by a 5-year-old and has more than zero good songs! “Emilia Pérez” is the polar opposite. In fact, “Emilia Pérez” is only nominally a “movie.” Don’t watch it. Do, however, watch “I Saw the TV Glow.” Posthaste.

8. “A Complete Unknown”

“A Complete Unknown” is fine, if a bit surface-level. You can get the same experience as watching this movie by putting on Bob Dylan’s greatest hits. The film also sidelines the more interesting stories of Joan Baez and Pete Seeger (shoutout Edward Norton) in favor of a frankly played-out recounting of Dylan’s early years. I would rather have seen a more politically-focused Seeger biopic than Highway 61 Re-Re-Revisited. Save yourself some time and skip this one. Hopefully, the industry will soon move away from its compulsion to make these boring biopics, but it doesn’t seem like the times are a-changin’ just yet.

7. “Wicked”

I’ve long been skeptical of “Wicked” as a concept. Do we really need a Wicked Witch of the West prequel? Does it really need to be two movies, the both of which combined will likely run close to six hours? Well, that said, “Wicked” is pretty solid! Outside of some technical nitpicks, I found it surprisingly entertaining, and I especially liked Ariana Grande’s performance. Still, does it deserve to be nominated for Best Picture? I say no. A good blockbuster does not a great film make. Sorry, Elphaba stans, the best I can do for “Wicked” is hold some space near the bottom of the list.

6. “Anora”

It’s just uphill from here! “Anora” is the first movie on this list that I’d describe as inarguably very good. “Anora” knows what it wants to do and does it well. The main issue with the picture is its length – “Anora” is a 7/10 as it stands, but could trim almost 40 minutes of fat and jump straight to a 9/10. That said, Mikey Madison kills in the lead role, and Sean Baker can sling a camera like nobody’s business.

5. “Conclave”

“Conclave” is great! I don't have any outstanding gripes with the film, but it sinks a bit in this ranking because of how typical it is, for lack of a better word. Though I hesitate to say “Oscar Bait,” this film feels lab-grown to win awards. A “Conclave” victory would far and away be the safest choice the Academy could make, and I want to see them take risks.

​​4. “The Substance”

It’ll change your life! Well, I mean, maybe not, but you should still watch it. It’s a rockin’ horror (horror comedy? — I thought it was pretty funny) with impeccable set design. I could live in that creepy hallway. I don’t have anything bad to say about “The Substance”; it’s only held back by how sheerly monumental the films I rank above it are. It might not be the Best Picture, but “The Substance” is definitely one of the best horror flicks of the 2020s.

I’ll interject here to say that the three films that follow are all very, very close to each other in ranking and I ranked them based on personal taste.  All of the movies in my top three are absolutely deserving of Best Picture, and I’ll be delighted if any of them wins.

3. “Ainda Estou Aqui ”/“I’m Still Here”

“I’m Still Here” is the only Brazilian film I’ve seen, and it still rockets to the top of my ranking thereof. Fernanda Torres, in my opinion, floors her competition for Best Actress, and the rest of the cast deliver to an almost equal degree. The biggest standout in “I’m Still Here” is the atmosphere. More than any other film on this list, “I’m Still Here” immerses the audience in the world, locale, period and feeling of the story. One leaves the theater feeling that they just walked out of 1970 Rio de Janeiro. 

2. “Nickel Boys”

“Nickel Boys” is more than just a fantastic story put to film — it’s a giant leap for film form. I see this picture being taught in film classes everywhere within the decade, and rightfully so. I don’t want to say anything more, as this is a film best experienced as blind as possible. If you only see one film on this list, make it “Nickel Boys.” It’s the most captivating feature of the year by far.

1. “Dune: Part Two”

I’ve raved enough about “Dune: Part Two.” Go read my dedicated review of it. This movie is a monumental cinematic achievement. It rules. Desert power. ‘Nuff said.

Letterboxd: @Banana_Peels

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