It’s hard to imagine a better year for original films. Because of the writer’s and actor’s strikes in 2023, many tentpoles, blockbusters, and IP extravaganzas had to be put on hold. This shift in the slate for 2024 created a void that many great original films filled and succeeded in. Many original films also became frontrunners for various Oscar categories. Some of these would have been lost in the cacophony only to have emerged as unique nominees in this Oscar race. What other year could a sprawling epic about a fictional architect, a tightly sequenced timeline of a terrorist attack caught on film, a fairy tale of sex work and oligarchs, a buddy comedy about grief, and a body horror about the plight of an aging starlet coexist within the same category?
Best Original Screenplay is the category that gets to be more unconventional than the rest. The category gets to be far-reaching even when it sticks close to the Best Picture category. Three of this year’s five nominees are also Best Picture nominees. It shows the support that original films have been enjoying in this era of ten Best Picture nominees. Each one of them is worthy in its own way, but only one can win.
It’s hard to keep a film where the main characters exist mainly inside a control booth intriguing. The writing team of Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, and Alex David pulled off that feat with September 5. As producers and technical directors argue the ethics of filming a terrorist operation, there is a tremendous amount of tension. These characters may not be in the action, but we’re pulled into the anxiety, fear, triumph, and grief of every moment.
Many have said that they won’t see The Substance because of the horror and gore elements, but they have to know they’re missing out on a layered and complex portrait. Writer Coralie Fargeat has built an exceptional treatise on identity, aging, addiction, and sexism that, yes, is tremendously graphic but with a purpose. The Substance joins other fabulous women-centered horror films of the last ten years that bring feminist topics to the forefront of a historically exploitative genre.
Epic is a descriptor that barely scratches the surface of The Brutalist, written by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold. Their script builds layers of history into a tale of the debilitating capitalist system on those who pursue a vision of creativity. Their male characters are so vivid and three-dimensional that they feel like they could have lengthy Wikipedia pages. The Brutalist is a fabulous character study that is also a realistic take on the concept of the American Dream.
Anora feels so much tighter than Sean Baker’s other films because its script is far more of an entity. Baker is a filmmaker who favors spontaneity, but his script for Anora is very well-plotted and expertly woven. Sure, his actors were allowed to play with it, but the structure was far more sound than his previous outings. While it masquerades as a love story, Anora also hits the nail on the head of the transactional nature of love, and that one person always has the upper hand.
Truly, the best script of the year is Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain. In spite of the marketing and the fact that Kieran Culkin is getting every award under the sun for his performance, the film is about a duo. It’s a buddy comedy that takes a detour toward necessary darkness. The script is witty and charming, yes, but Eisenberg also lets it breathe. There are stretches of silence and contemplation that are beautifully timed and expertly paired with the terrific character work.
Many scripts have been mentioned in terms of this category since the beginning of the season, and many have been nominated and won precursor awards. It’s true that Sean Baker triumphed at the Writers Guild Awards, but I predict Jesse Eisenberg will prevail on Oscar night. A Real Pain is a superbly mature outing on par with the adult comedies of James L. Brooks and Nora Ephron.
