Christopher Nolan Names His Favorite Film of 2024

It’s been a year filled with tremendous films, some that became major critical and commercial successes, some that failed to make a profit despite their positive reviews, and others that flopped. Christopher Nolan was among the directors who chose his favorite film and opted for a highly-anticipated sequel.

In a Variety feature with several directors choosing their favorite 2024 films, Nolan picked Gladiator II as his favorite. Ridley Scott returned to the arena 24 years after the original movie, the critically acclaimed Gladiator. With a new cast starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington, the sequel was enough to keep Nolan entertained.

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In his review, Nolan points out that the original confronts the viewers with “the truth of why we’d visit the Colosseum through a movie. Scott knows we’re not there for insights into Roman culture; we’re there to see our own dark desires at a comfortable remove.” He praises Ridley Scott’s understanding of the audience, pointing out that he let “the world of Gladiator II speak for itself, once again showing us who we are simply by inviting us to enjoy the crazy inflationary ride. Why are there sharks in the coliseum? Because we demand them, and Scott masterfully gives them to us.”

About the sequel, Nolan claims that it’s a “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. Scott raises the game with the staging of his action — his incredible, hyper-observant, multi-camera mise-en-scène (so different to the original) masterfully wrestles the action into clear and jaw-dropping sequence after sequence.”

The effect is not just to entertain, but to drive us towards awareness of the movie’s themes.

He continues, “The effect is not just to entertain, but to drive us towards awareness of the movie’s themes. Few filmmakers have ever worked so invisibly on multiple levels. In films from Blade Runner to Thelma and Louise to Gladiator II, the visual density of Scott’s art serves as foil for his underlying thematic clarity.“

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Gladiator II received positive reviews, and it currently has a Certified Fresh badge with a 71% approval score. From the audience, the sequel has an 82% approval score. The original had 80% from the critics and 87% from the audience. Gladiator II had a budget between $250 million to $300 million, and currently grossed $399.1 million worldwide, not enough to make a profit yet. It currently falls behind the original’s tally, which ended its theatrical run with a total of $451.6 million.

Other Directors Shared Their Favorites

All of Us Strangers filmmaker Andrew Haigh chose Steve McQueen’s Blitz as his favorite film. The historical drama stars Saoirse Ronan in the leading role, for which she is getting Oscar buzz. Two-time Academy Award-winning director Alexander Payne, who directed 2023’s The Holdovers, picked Edward Berger’s Conclave.

Star Wars‘ J.J. Abrams picked Daisy Ridley’s Young Woman and the Sea, Taylor Hackford chose Emilia Pérez, calling it a “revelation,” Rick Famuyiwa signed out The Fire Inside, with Fede Alvarez choosing Inside Out 2, and Barry Jenkins picked Nickel Boys. David Lowery chose the upcoming Nosferatu, and Seth Rogen singled out Saturday Night, as Michael Mann chose the biopic Unstoppable.

Two former Harry Potter directors also weighed in on their favorites. Prisoner of Azkaban‘s Alfonso Cuarón chose the Brazilian movie I’m Still Here, while Philosopher’s Stone director Chris Columbus chose the coming-of-age, time-travel My Old Ass.

Gladiator II will be available on digital starting Dec. 24.

Source: Variety

Director

Ridley Scott

Release Date

November 22, 2024

Cast

Paul Mescal , Pedro Pascal , Denzel Washington , Connie Nielsen , Joseph Quinn , Fred Hechinger , Derek Jacobi , May Calamawy , Peter Mensah , Matt Lucas , Alexander Karim , Tim McInnerny , Lee Charles , Chidi Ajufo , Alfie Tempest , Riana Duce , Chi Lewis Parry , Paul Candelent , Hadrian Howard , Alexander Simkin , Mikhail Basmadjian , Matthew Charlery-Smith , Maxime Durand , Lior Raz

Runtime

148 minutes

Main Genre

Adventure

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

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