• Emma Stone, Bella Baxter in Poor Things

  • Talk about giving it all! Not only did she leave nothing on the sidelines, she captured the physicality and speech of a child in an adult's body, growing throughout the film. This is my hands-down choice, who is likely to lose to...​

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• Lily Gladstone, Mollie Burkhrt in Killers of the Flower Moon

  • The most sympathetic character in a film full of victims. I think the historic nature of the role and her nomination will carry the day over Bella Baxter, but a killer performance in Killers, nonetheless.

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• Carey Mulligan, Felicia Montealegre in Maestro

  • An outstanding peformance that is clearly in 5th place, demonstrating the strength of this category and the 2024 movies in general.

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• Sandra Huller, Sandra Voyter in Anatomy of a Fall

  • Sandra carried this movie, even with a haunting performance by Milo Machado-Graner. It's rare to see a character so dominate the screen in this way and not win. You'll see that rarity this year.

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• Annette Bening, Diana Nyad in Nyad

  • She captured the obsession of Diana Nyad beautifully, but there's something unsettling about movies almost entirely in the water. Maybe I'm just scarred by The Perfect Storm. Also, ask Kevin Costner.​​​​