Atlanta Film Critics Circle Crowns ‘Anora’ as 2024’s Best Film

The 2024 Atlanta Film Critics Circle winners have been announced!

The Atlanta Film Critics Circle (AFCC), now in its eighth year, has spotlighted some of the most compelling under-the-radar films you might have missed this year. The winners provide a remarkable mix of storytelling that proves bigger isn’t always better.

The surprise heavyweight of the year is Anora, directed by Sean Baker, which claimed the top spot and multiple awards. If you’re wondering why you haven’t heard much about this film yet, you’re in for a treat. Rising star Mikey Madison delivers what critics are calling a career-defining performance as a Brighton Beach stripper whose life takes an unexpected turn when she falls for a Russian oligarch’s son. Madison’s portrayal was so powerful that she took home both Best Lead Actress and Best Breakthrough Performer.

For fans of epic storytelling, The Brutalist emerged as another major winner, with Adrien Brody claiming Best Actor for his role as a tortured architect. Director Brady Corbet’s three-and-a-half-hour masterpiece proves that sometimes the best stories need time to unfold.

The AFCC also introduced a couple of new categories this year – Best Voice Performance – with Lupita Nyong’o winning for The Wild Robot. And in a delightful twist, they also created a Best Dog category, won by Peggy, the adorable pugese who plays Dogpool in Deadpool & Wolverine.

The top 10 list offers something for everyone, from the tennis drama Challengers to the magical Wicked: Part One and the sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two. Check out the full list of this year’s winners below.

2024 Atlanta Film Critics Circle Winners

Best Film:

Anora

Top 10 Films (Ranked):

1. Anora
2. Challengers
3. Nickel Boys
4. The Brutalist
5. Conclave
6. Dune: Part Two
7. Sing Sing
8. Wicked: Part One
9. The Wild Robot
10. I Saw the TV Glow

Best Lead Actor:

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Best Lead Actress:

Mikey Madison, Anora

Best Supporting Actor:

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Best Supporting Actress:

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Best Ensemble Cast:

Sing Sing

Best Director:

Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

Best Original Screenplay:

Sean Baker, Anora

Best Adapted Screenplay:

RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, Nickel Boys

Best Documentary:

Sugarcane

Best International Feature:

Kneecap (Ireland)

Best Animated Film:

The Wild Robot

Best Cinematography:

Nickel Boys

Best Original Score:

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Challengers

Best Stunt Work:

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Best Breakthrough Performer:

Mikey Madison, Anora

Best First Feature Film:

Josh Margolin, Thelma

Best Voice Performance:

Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot

Best Dog:

Peggy as Dogpool, Deadpool & Wolverine

For movie lovers feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of new releases, consider this list your curated guide to some of 2024’s most meaningful and impactful films. Let us know your thoughts on this year’s AFCC winners in our comment section below!

About the Atlanta Film Critics Circle

Co-founded by longtime Atlanta film critics Felicia Feaster and Michael Clark in 2017, the Atlanta Film Critics Circle is an attempt to fill a void in the local film community and in the representation of Atlanta’s media on the national stage. The AFCC is supported by its Advisory Board and longtime critics Jason Evans, Will Leitch, Hannah Lodge, Michael McKinney, Jesse Nussman, Kyle Pinion, and Josh Sewell.

Composed of a dynamic mix of 38 Atlanta-based critics working in newspaper, magazine, and online journalism, the AFCC’s mission is to establish a national presence for a film critics group in Atlanta and to foster a vibrant film culture in Atlanta, already home to an exploding film industry production presence.

Members (critics living in and/or currently writing for global, national, regional and/or Atlanta metro area outlets) of AFCC voted on December 8 for the group’s annual awards. FanBolt’s Emma Loggins is a part of this group as well.