Conclave Wins In North Carolina


The North Carolina Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2024!

BEST NARRATIVE FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
Civil War
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
I Saw the TV Glow
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Dahomey
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Transformers One
The Wild Robot

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Pérez
Evil Does Not Exist
I’m Still Here
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST DIRECTOR
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Luca Guadagnino – Challengers
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two

BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
Zendaya – Challengers

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Chris Hemsworth – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Katy O’Brian – Love Lies Bleeding
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN ANIMATION OR MIXED MEDIA
Kevin Durand – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Lupita Nyong’o – The Wild Robot
Maya Hawke – Inside Out 2
Pedro Pascal – The Wild Robot
Sarah Snook – Memoir of a Snail

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Conclave

Dune: Part Two
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
A Different Man
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
The Substance

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Conclave

Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
Sing Sing

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Challengers
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Brutalist

BEST EDITING
Anora
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST SCORE
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Compress/Repress” – Challengers

“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez
“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot
“Like a Bird” – Sing Sing

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Challengers
Civil War
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Dune: Part Two

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST STUNT COORDINATION
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Monkey Man

DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Vera Drew – The People’s Joker
Francis Galluppi – The Last Stop in Yuma County
Zoë Kravitz – Blink Twice
Josh Margolin – Thelma
Sean Wang – Dìdi (弟弟)
Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Carlos Diehz – Conclave
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Mikey Madison – Anora
Katy O’Brian – Love Lies Bleeding
Adam Pearson – A Different Man

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Cinematography
Roger Deakins

Christopher Doyle
Greig Fraser
Emmanuel Lubezki
Hoyte van Hoytema

KEN HANKE MEMORIAL TAR HEEL AWARD
Stephen McKinley Henderson – Civil War
Jeff Nichols (Director) – The Bikeriders
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Hunter Schafer – Cuckoo
Drew Starkey – Queer

Here Are The 2024 Nominations of The North Carolina Film Critics Association!


The North Carolina Film Critics Association has announced its nominees for the best of 2024.  The winners will be announced on January 3rd!

BEST NARRATIVE FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
Civil War
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
I Saw the TV Glow
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Dahomey
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Transformers One
The Wild Robot

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Pérez
Evil Does Not Exist
I’m Still Here
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST DIRECTOR
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Luca Guadagnino – Challengers
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two

BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
Zendaya – Challengers

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Chris Hemsworth – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Katy O’Brian – Love Lies Bleeding
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN ANIMATION OR MIXED MEDIA
Kevin Durand – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Lupita Nyong’o – The Wild Robot
Maya Hawke – Inside Out 2
Pedro Pascal – The Wild Robot
Sarah Snook – Memoir of a Snail

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
A Different Man
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
The Substance

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
Sing Sing

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Challengers
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Brutalist

BEST EDITING
Anora
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST SCORE
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Compress/Repress” – Challengers
“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez
“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot
“Like a Bird” – Sing Sing

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Challengers
Civil War
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST STUNT COORDINATION
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Monkey Man

DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Vera Drew – The People’s Joker
Francis Galluppi – The Last Stop in Yuma County
Zoë Kravitz – Blink Twice
Josh Margolin – Thelma
Sean Wang – Dìdi (弟弟)
Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Carlos Diehz – Conclave
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Mikey Madison – Anora
Katy O’Brian – Love Lies Bleeding
Adam Pearson – A Different Man

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Cinematography
Roger Deakins
Christopher Doyle
Greig Fraser
Emmanuel Lubezki
Hoyte van Hoytema

KEN HANKE MEMORIAL TAR HEEL AWARD
Stephen McKinley Henderson – Civil War
Jeff Nichols (Director) – The Bikeriders
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Hunter Schafer – Cuckoo
Drew Starkey – Queer

Quick Review: The Last Stop at Yuma County (dir. by Francis Galluppi)


This review might be a bit biased, as I’m a fan of actor Jim Cummings’ work. I loved The Wolf of Snow Hollow and his brief cameo in Halloween Kills. The moment Francis Galluppi’s Last Stop at Yuma County was released on Apple Films, I bought it. Not even a rental. At 90 minutes, it’s a short crime thriller that fits in well with those late night gems you may come across.

On his way home to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, a Knife Salesman (Cummings) arrives at a gas station in Yuma County, Arizona, only to find that the station’s gas truck is a bit delayed. He decides to wait for the truck in the the gas station’s diner. Additionally, the news on the radio is going around about a recent heist of a nearby bank. Similar to movies such as Legion or Tales From the Crypt Presents : Demon Knight, the Diner makes a great setting for a standoff when the two robbers make an appearance – played by Richard Brake (Barbarian) and Nicolas Logan (I Care a Lot). Can the Knife Salesman and the local waitress, Charlotte (Jocelin Donahue, The House of the Devil) make it through the day and save themselves?

For his first production, Galluppi handled things well, I felt. The shots are evenly paced, well lit and framed in such a way where it doesn’t feel like the camera lingers too much or is too shaky. The strongest part of The Last Stop in Yuma County are the characters. Cummings, Brake, and Logan are the stand outs, but everyone contributes to the story in their way. The film dances between drama and comedy pretty quick, which had me chucking in moments before getting jolted back to reality with the ever changing situation.

If the movie has any kind of drawback, it’s that some of the story’s elements aren’t fully closed up by the time the film ends. It’s not a terrible thing, considering where the focus of the story moves, but a little more closure would have been nice. Outside of that, The Last Stop at Yuma County is worth the watch.