It’s that time of year again: when publications and critics release their annual best-of-the-year lists, and cinephiles scramble to compile their own. But what about the favorite 2024 movies from the people who helm them? Enter Variety, who asked some of Hollywood’s biggest directors which films from the past year they loved the most.
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And some of the answers may come as a surprise. For instance, what 2024 film blew Christopher Nolan away? No, it’s not a potential Oscar Best Picture winner like “Oppenheimer“. Instead, it’s Ridley Scott‘s sequel “Gladiator II,” which many consider a bloated, unnecessary mess. But that’s not what Nolan thinks of the picture.
“Like the best long-awaited sequels, “Gladiator II” must be a remake and sequel in one, and it’s testament to Scott’s brilliance that he manages to balance the individual pathos of the original with the expansionist demands of the sequel’s central theme, bringing a lifetime of experience in controlling tone,” Nolan wrote about the film. Talk about a contrarian take. Nolan also praised “Gladiator II” as a culmination of Scott’s “contribution to the evolution of cinematic storytelling,” which Nolan considers an overlooked facet of Scott’s entire career. It’s a persuasive piece from Nolan, who even champions the movie’s eyebrow-raising use of sharks at one point. “Why are there sharks in the coliseum? Because we demand them, and Scott masterfully gives them to us,” said the director. But did we demand them, Nolan? Did we, really?
Elsewhere in the feature, “Mufasa: The Lion King” director Barry Jenkins praised RaMell Ross‘ “Nickel Boys“; a safer 2024 fave choice, to be sure. “This is medium-defining work — aesthetically, spiritually — a rich and overwhelming cinema where the camera is always curious and what it finds is always arresting,” Jenkins said of the movie. “In a time where there are more ways to make a film than ever (and yet less variation in the look, the feel, the shape of those films than in any other point in the medium’s history) RaMell has given us a new way of seeing. It is a thing to make one both humbled… and filled with gratitude.” It’s hard to argue with Jenkins’ assessment there, but then “Nickel Boys” has its fair share of advocates.
“Ferrari” director Michael Mann used the feature to celebrate his former editor Billy Goldenberg‘s movie “Unstoppable.” In Mann’s opinion, the film isn’t just an inspiring story of a real-life athlete, but a testament to Goldenberg’s masterful understanding of visual storytelling, particularly montage. “Billy is a born filmmaker. He builds in imagination a scene’s emotional gestalt before he cuts,” Mann said of his former collaborator. “And, now, it’s before he shoots. That’s evident in the quiet majesty of “Unstoppable.” His direction brings lives into contact with us genuinely and movingly. The story of this extraordinary athlete stays with you long after the end of “Unstoppable.” It’s a life you will not forget. It’s real human experience unfolding in front of you.”
The Variety feature has 19 directors’ picks in all, featuring other names like Alexander Payne (who chose “Conclave” as his favorite 2024 film), Jeff Nichols (“Sing Sing“), Seth Rogen (“Saturday Night“), and David Lowery (“Nosferatu“), among others. It’s worth reading, especially in its insight into what successful filmmakers look for in a satisfying viewing experience. And in that sense, Nolan loving “Gladiator II” isn’t so shocking after all.
