Best Actress in a Leading Role: Ranking Every 96th Academy Award Nominee
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
This article is a part of the Academy Awards Project, where Andreas Babiolakis from Films Fatale ranks every Oscar nominee from worst to best, and goes through every category once a day five days a week.
At last. The final category before we get into all of the awards that honour entire films (shorts, documentary, international, animated, et cetera). Two thoughts crossed my mind when the Best Actress nominees were announced. Firstly, I cannot wait to see how this transpires come March 10th, given the calibre of performances we have here. Secondly, it instantly dawned on me that I would have to rank these nominees. While I know where I stand with two of the roles here, three were an automatic stalemate for me, and finally figuring out how I’d rank them was not fun; my answer may very well change in an hour, but I won’t sit here and keep editing this article. I’ll stick with my selection below. Which performers stood out the most in 2023? Who strengthened weaker films, or became the focal point of perfect motion pictures? We’ve got a tall order ahead, so strap in.
Here are your nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role ranked from worst to best.
Biggest Snub: Greta Lee-Past Lives
The biggest name tossed around regarding the unavoidable snubs of 2024 is Margot Robbie for Barbie, and I do agree that every character, theme, and idea bounces off of the strength of her performance. Having said that (consider Robbie a close second for the biggest snub of this category), I must go with Greta Lee in Past Lives who felt so real. Perhaps Lee was overlooked because her nuanced, subtle performance never tries to steal any show or win any awards (although, paradoxically, that’s one of the reasons why she should be winning awards). Her emotions are instantly identifiable. She handles the minimalist, poetic screenplay with organic ease, rendering Celine Song’s words into trains of thought and on-the-spot decision-making. I feel like so many other actors would have tried to sell this part to break your heart. Lee manages to do so without ever feeling like an actor, but, rather, a person you’ve stumbled upon who is in the middle of a heartbreaking dilemma.
5. Annette Bening-Nyad
Annette Bening is an acting legend, but she instantly felt like the weakest nominee of these five to me. Not to say that she is bad in Nyad (far from it), but because of how much her performance relies on the support of others (including Jodie Foster). True, it’s believable when her Diana Nyad is exhausted during her insane swimming trek (and all of the practice rounds leading up to her full-on attempts), but I also don’t feel like Bening once dominates the film alone (which is something I can say the other four women nominated here do). I don’t want to diminish the great work Bening has done here (I also think she has had stronger performances throughout her illustrious career), but I’d argue that the other performances couldn’t have been played by anyone else whatsoever; Nyad only gives Bening so much to work with (and, to be fair, she does her best with what she has), and, as a result, I feel like a number of people could have delivered around the same quality of acting in this role. I am a fan of Bening’s ever since American Beauty, but I don’t think a nomination for something like Nyad makes perfect sense in a year that had many great performances that weren’t nominated (maybe in a weaker year, Bening in Nyad would make sense, because, again, it is a really good performance, but just not a terrific one).
4. Carey Mulligan-Maestro
Even though Maestro is a film about Leonard Bernstein, Bradley Cooper made a point of having Carey Mulligan billed higher than him. I think that was the right call to make, given how much of the film is tethered around the importance of Felicia Montealegre in Bernstein’s life. Mulligan ages herself appropriately throughout the many years the film covers (something I don’t think gets enough credit when done right), and her accent feels ever so slightly more believable than Cooper’s (which is mostly good, mind you). Mulligan erupts emotionally precisely when needed to, and is otherwise the right level of theatrical; she feels like a bubbly actress, but not like an attention seeker with false notes all around. In the later portions of Maestro, Mulligan shines the most given the devastating subject matter; these moments contain some of Mulligan’s strongest acting to date. While I’m still comfortably placing her in fourth place, I’d argue that Mulligan does have a case for being nominated here.
3. Sandra Hüller-Anatomy of a Fall
In most other years, Sandra Hüller may even be ranked first. What a year this must be. Anatomy of a Fall is a brilliant film, but part of that success comes from how much the motion picture relies on Hüller’s performance: one where the central character believes they are innocent, yet the film never gives us a certain answer as to whether or not this is true. Of course, one could point to the pivotal argument recording as a standout moment for Hüller, but I’d argue that she is tremendous throughout Anatomy of a Fall. Not once does she feel feigned or showy. You believe you’re watching someone on trial who is calculating each and every step in their mind while having to defend themself to the world. Hüller’s performance is incredibly multifaceted, as you cannot split apart all of the thoughts she is exhibiting but you can at least tell that she is thinking ten thousand things a minute. This is an exemplary performance in a legal drama and one that will likely be pointed to as Exhibit A of great courtroom and crime thriller acting for years.
2. Lily Gladstone-Killers of the Flower Moon
How do you project the internal battles of grief onto the big screen? Well, one Lily Gladstone managed to do just that in Killers of the Flower Moon. The only “scene-stealing” moments, in a conventional sense, are the ones where her Mollie Burkhart experiences death first hand and is brought to the floor in agony. Otherwise, everything about Gladstone’s Mollie is as natural as you can get. When she wins the heart of Ernest Burkhart early in the film, she feels like an everyday person just being herself. When she gets sick, it feels like her illness is actually defeating her. The climactic moments where Mollie confronts Ernest are full of internalized rage. Not a single shout or cry is emitted, yet you can feel all of the hurt she has ever felt. Most of Gladstone’s acting comes from her eyes (and, even then, she’s not really emoting all that much). You don’t watch Gladstone as much as you feel her in Killers of the Flower Moon. It’s an acting masterclass that must be cherished. In a film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, Gladstone is their contrast as she dials back the entire film about ten points; even so, she silently steals the show from them almost effortlessly. No question about it: Gladstone is exceptional in Killers of the Flower Moon, and only a performance that feels impossible could take the number one spot from her. But, alas…
1. Emma Stone-Poor Things
I usually wouldn’t gravitate to a silly, comedic performance as much as I do with Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter in Poor Things, but this is an all-time level of performance. It is easily Stone’s greatest role (which is saying a lot, given the quality of performances she has delivered her entire career). As Bella starts off with the mind of an infant in an adult body, Stone makes this odd trait come to life in a way that I feel like would have been so clunky or forced by anyone else; with Stone, Bella feels real to the point of being worrisome (I am concerned for her wellbeing). As Bella ages mentally, Stone gradually changes her performance to match each milestone; not once does it feel like there’s a large leap where there shouldn’t be, or a lack of evolution at all. Bella becomes her own agent with a personality and philosophies, and Stone makes sure that all of this feels normal (and not like a goofball who is now trying to be smart and is failing). All of this is going on while Stone balances absurdist, uncomfortable comedy with the soul-shattering reality that women are treated poorly in society all of the time (and Bella is the attack point for many problematic men in Poor Things). Bella’s development, both her fun and seriousness, and the richness of her character all come from Stone’s impeccable performance that cannot be ignored. Watching Bella become her own individualistic self was one of 2023’s greatest joys in film, and much of that is owed to the actor that made it happen. Stone already has had quite the career, but her work as Bella Baxter is an all new high for the established actor. It is my favourite performance of 2024.
Who I Want To Win: Goodness gracious. I’m going to go with Emma Stone in Poor Things, Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon, and Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of a Fall, who all delivered three of the greatest performances of a highly-stacked year. I’d be thrilled if any of them won.
Who I Think Will Win: The tightest race so far is between the top two candidates. For now, I think Emma Stone in Poor Things is going to win, given the snowballing of her accolades this award season. There’s a chance Poor Things may only win one award out of its many nominations, and it’ll be here. Having said that, Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon is facing the same award-season outcome, albeit with fewer major wins. It’s a tough race that can change at any given moment so it’s worth keeping an eye on, but, for now, it looks like Stone is going to win her second Oscar here.
The Academy Awards Project will continue tomorrow with another category. We’re going to rank every single nominee in every single category, Monday through Friday. You don’t want to miss it!
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.