We’re down to the pointy end of the award season now! With the 97th Academy Awards upon us, it’s time to highlight some of the best films of the last year. Who will win?
Animation has come a long way in gaining critical recognition to match its commercial success. Even in the mainstream sequels below, the care and artistry of the form remain front and center.
Yet, despite this progress, none of these films have earned a Best Picture nomination. In fact, the last animated film to do so was Toy Story 3 in 2010, with only two others preceding it: Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Up (2009). This year, Flow follows in the footsteps of Waltz with Bashir and Flee as a nominee for Best International Feature.
As an unabashed fan and amateur historian of animation, I have no hesitation in calling this one of the strongest years for the medium in recent memory—so much so that 90% of the entries below featured in my Best Films of 2024 round-up.
So, without further ado, let’s take a deep dive into the nominees at this year’s Oscars.
Flow
At its finest, animation achieves what live action never could, conjuring limitless worlds brimming with real emotion. Flow exemplifies this power without uttering a single word. From its breathtaking opening frames, Gints Zilbalodis and his team craft an extraordinary universe—a seamless fusion of computer-generated animation and a watercolour aesthetic, where reflections of water and light dazzle alongside deeply felt characters. Real animal sounds heighten its authenticity, immersing us further. As the waters rise, so does the tension, each moment of peril and beauty revealed with jaw-dropping artistry. In a standout year for animation, Flow is a formidable contender.
Will it win? This could be a dark horse (or dark cat, as the case may be). Also nominated for Best International Feature, it’s the second most nominated animated film behind The Wild Robot. Plus, it just won the Spirit Award in the same category a week before Oscars.
Inside Out 2
It’s hard to imagine a more heartfelt or warmly told exploration of anxiety and mental health than this. Building on the excellent foundation of its predecessor, Disney/Pixar delivers one of their finest films in years, effortlessly swinging between imaginative fantasy and grounded emotional moments—who else could create a film where the central goal is the establishment of a sense of self? In less than a decade, the animation has reached staggering new heights—shifting from photorealism to outlandish style, while embracing a conscious bricolage of influences to nod to both the past and future of the medium. I’m at risk of gushing, but this is truly something special.
Will it win? As Disney’s sole entry in this year’s slate and one of my favourites of the past year, I’d like to think this film was a serious contender. After all, it’s not just one of the highest-grossing films of 2024, but the highest-grossing animated film of all time and one of the Top 10 highest-grossing films ever (at the time of writing). Despite this, it has yet to secure any major awards this season. Perhaps Sadness can find some Joy in all the money they’ve earned.
Memoir of a Snail
How can something so bleak be so uplifting? The answer, of course, is Adam Elliot, who has made this kind of tale his own. In his unmistakable, painstakingly crafted stop-motion style, he delivers another character whose hardships shape them but never define them, propelling the story with a perfect blend of humour and heartbreak. And I can’t help but feel a certain Australian pride in seeing ‘Chiko roll’ introduced to the global lexicon.
Will it win? Elliot is no stranger to the Oscars. Short film Harvie Crumpet (2003) earned Elliot his first Academy Award, but collectively his shorts and features have won over 100 awards from over 700 festivals and screenings. In fact, this won the Cristal Award winner at Annecy International Animation Film Festival, animation’s most prestigious festival.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Returning to the world of Wallace and Gromit after nearly two decades feels like wrapping yourself in a cosy, knitted sock. The film revels in its familiar, handcrafted charm, lingering in its quirky world with a leisurely first half before picking up momentum. While the story feels stretched, as if a mid-length script were padded to feature length, the warmth and gentle humour remain irresistible. Even if it leans a little too much on nostalgia, it’s a joy to revisit West Wallaby Street, and I’d happily return for more adventures. Surely Feathers McGraw was robbed of a supporting actor nomination as well?
Will it win? There’s so much love for Wallace and Gromit, particularly in its native UK, where it recently took home the BAFTA equivalent of this category. The series has already claimed two Academy Awards for its short films, and its predecessor, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, won this Best Animated Feature category two decades ago. Could this be the Godfather of animated films, securing back-to-back wins?
The Wild Robot
As we approach the remake of director Chris Sanders’ most enduring classics, Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, this Ugly Duckling narrative that Sanders so often favours serves as a reminder of what he does best. The story weaves a powerful message about nurture versus nature, chosen families, and the lasting impact they can have on one’s life. The animation is breathtaking, with a hand-painted, intentionally “unfinished” aesthetic that creates a rich, inviting world full of life. With nods to the original books, Miyazaki, and even Pixar’s earlier works, this is a world we never want to leave. It’s mind-boggling that DreamWorks is producing something like this while stepping away from their in-house model, but quality animation—especially of this calibre—doesn’t come cheap!
Will it win? Lilo & Stitch lost to Spirited Away. How to Train Your Dragon lost out to Toy Story 3. The Croods couldn’t stand up against the might of Frozen. With so much critical love out there for The Wild Robot, here’s hoping the fourth time is the charm for Chris Sanders.
