At the end of January, I was so annoyed with some of the picks and omissions at the Oscars (see my main reaction to the Oscar nominations here) that I decided I was going to make an effort to shed light on people and movies that the Oscars decided to not recognize. With the amount of movies that come out on the endless streaming services on top of the ones in theaters, it is easy to let worthy nominees slip through the cracks. As if that weren’t enough, we still constantly hear about Oscar voters not watching the movies that ARE nominated.
If you didn’t see the nominees for the NAAscars, they are all here: NAAscar 2025 Nominees. If you’re going to do nominees, you kind of have to choose winners. So here are the winners for each of those categories!
Best Picture
All We Imagine As Light
All We Imagine As Light is a quiet film about the deep impact friendship and sisterhood can have on people whose existence seems forgotten by the rest of the world. A true joy to watch these women find themselves in each other.
For my complete thoughts on the film, see my review here: All We Imagine As Light Review.
Best Director
Edward Berger – Conclave
Conclave is actually my pick for Best Picture at the Oscars, which makes it even more baffling that Edward Berger was snubbed for Best Director. The framing was always perfect and the choice to shoot the film in a horror style just nailed this as my pick for this category.
For my complete thoughts on the film, see my review here: Conclave Review.
Best Actress
Lily-Rose Depp – Nosferatu
This was a tough decision, but in the end I think it’s hard to overlook Lily-Rose Depp’s breakthrough performance in Nosferatu. Her physical commitment to really sell the Ellen’s visceral reactions throughout the film is what brings it all together. Especially in the climax of this Robert Eggers epic, you could not take your eyes of the magnetic performance on screen both of her face and her body. Criminal that she was not nominated for an Oscar.
Best Actor
Sebastian Stan – A Different Man
Sebastian Stan’s nuanced and emotionally deep performance in A Different Man blew me away. His ability to dig deep and convey everything even through heavy prosthetics for the first half of the film is remarkable. If you haven’t had the chance to watch this film, I’d highly recommend you don’t miss out on one of the best films and performances of the year.
Best Supporting Actress
Kristen Stewart – Love Lies Bleeding
I nominated Katy O’Brian for best actress, but I think without Kristen Stewart to play off of, O’Brian’s performance wouln’t have landed as well either. Stewart provides the perfect complement in this film that takes you places you wouldn’t expect. She’s just adept at investing you in the sensual as in the violent parts of her role.
Best Supporting Actor
Nicolas Cage – Longlegs
Almost all of the nominees in this category were small roles with big impact. This was the toughest category to decide for me, but in the end, the chilling ridiculousness of Cage’s performance was hard to beat for sheer staying power. Tell me you didn’t screech “Mommy! Daddy!” after you left the theatre.
Best Cinematography
Sharone Meir – Monkey Man
I realize that Monkey Man was a film that came out in the first half of 2024 and flew under the radar for the most part. It was far from a perfect film, but it did a lot of unique fun things. The standout aspect of the film though was the cinematography. The use of colours, the environment, and lighting made this a visual feast that not enough people experienced.
Best Original Score
Atticus Ross & Trent Reznor – Challengers
Well as much as my cinematography pick is a bit off the board, this is the no brainer that I think everyone would pick. The bass and synths mingle perfectly with the back and forth tennis scenes while finding a way to underscore the more emotional moments as well. As usual, Atticus Ross & Trent Reznor don’t miss.
I do want to point out that just because I did my own version with exclusively different nominees, that doesn’t mean I disagree with all the actual Oscar nominees. At the end of the day, art is subjective and everyone works hard to put out the art that they do. Although it’s fun to make alternate picks and pick winners, 2024 was a great year for film and that alone should be celebrated.
Just remember, when you’re upset with next year’s Oscar nominations, the NAAscars will be there for you.
