Welcome to the 2024 SiftPop.com Sifties!
This year, the SiftPop writers came together to nominate five movies for Best Narrative Experience. A film’s narrative often plays a large role in its overall quality, and we wanted to recognize that with this award!
Anora manages to have the best of a few worlds. It starts off as a wish-fulfillment romantic comedy, transitions into a slapstick caper, and ends as a sobering portrait of the kind of life available to people of a certain class. Each section of the movie works well on its own merits, and they work even better as a whole. It’s one of those situations where the sum and the parts are each excellent. In terms of a narrative experience, you probably couldn’t ask for any more.
Conclave is a riveting movie about the process of selecting a pope, and a glimpse into how things work in the Catholic Church. Thankfully, the film doesn’t pass judgement; rather, it tells a compelling story about the chess moves and tradition that is present with such a timeless ritual. Conclave does a superb job of making something that might not be exciting feel incredibly tense. It’s as if the world is on these men’s shoulders, and it certainly shows when a light is shone on their actions. Cardinal Lawerence (Ralph Fiennes) has quite the job to do in dragging this process over the finish line. All the while, the audience just wants to know who will be selected. When the dust settles, Conclave gives the audience a view of history and all the twist and turns that come with it.
The road trip movie typically has a high floor, and when it’s one with as much on its mind as A Real Pain, you can be sure you’re in for an all-around fulfilling cinematic experience. While not as complex as some of the other movies on this list, A Real Pain’s narrative is just as meaningful and just as inherent to the film’s overall spirit. It’s just two cousins going on a trip to reconnect with each other and with their heritage. Jesse Eisenberg’s script allows for little moments between characters to stand out, while never losing the meaningful heart at the center of the overarching story.
Whereas Dune: Part One methodically sets up its world, characters, and dynamics, Part Two is able to hit the ground running, and the narrative experience improves because of it. A common criticism of One was that it could feel cold at times, not focusing enough on its characters or how they feel about what’s happening. But that’s just about all that Two does, and it excels for that reason. Each little event compounds, and we watch Paul Atreides slowly but surely transition into Muad’Dib. And giving attention to the different factions of Fremen, as well as the Harkonnens, allows the film to have a large yet still character-focused scope and narrative.
Challengers follows three central characters across the better part of a decade, and it’s a testament to its story that it’s able to stay focused all the way through. And as for a narrative experience, the way the movie hops around in time while keeping the framing device of the final match between Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) works wonders. When each one of the little peeks into the characters’ minds culminates in a final scene that is so exhilarating and intoxicating that you feel like you can run a marathon just off its energy, you know there’s something effective about the story.
Make sure to check out the previous 2024 Sifties winners, and don’t forget to check back tomorrow for the winner of Best Performance!