2024 was a great year for animated films, and few stood out more thanLook BackandThe Wild Robot. The former was a phenomenal adaptation of the Tatsuki Fujimoto manga of the same name, the latter was largely seen as the best DreamWorks film in years, and both are easy contenders for the best animated films of 2024, if not some of the best films of 2024, in general.
Look BackandThe Wild Robotwere two of thebest animated films of 2024, by far, but one might have overtaken the other in prestige. With 2024 officially over, the full statistics of how certain films performed over the year are finally coming out, and to the surprise and joy of many,Look BackbeatThe Wild Robotin one of the biggest movie rankings of the year. It’s nothing but a testament toLook Back’s incredible quality, and it says great things about its chances at even more prestige.
Look Back Officially Overtakes The Wild Robot As The Top-Rated Animated Movie On Letterboxd
Letterboxd is a popular site for cataloging someone’s personal movie watchlist, and in recent years, it’s become a major tool for evaluating the quality of films for both casual viewers and self-proclaimed cinephiles. With how much attentionLook BackandThe Wild Robotreceived, they both ranked highly on Letterboxd’s end-of-year ranking lists, and surprisingly,Look BacksurpassedThe Wild Robotto be both the top-rated animated film of 2024 and the fourth-best film of 2024, in general, withThe Wild Robotonly ranking second and sixth on each respective list.
As for whyLook Backranked so highly, it’s easy to see why. It was one thing for the film to have creative and all-around gorgeous art and animation, but just like the original manga,Look Backtells a heartwrenching story about loss and finding yourself that anyone can relate to, and it stands out as the best adaptation of a Tatsuki Fujimoto work, by far.The Wild Robot, of course, is similarly great with its touching drama and gorgeous 3D visuals, but it makes sense thatLook Backwould beat it out on Letterboxd, if only by a little.
Look Back’s Letterboxd Ranking Makes Its Oscar Chances That Much Greater
Is Look Back A Shoe-In For The Oscars?
Look Back’s Letterboxd ranking is great to see, especially for what it could mean for future awards.Look Backis one of several anime movies eligible forBest Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards, and with its Letterboxd rankings solidifying its status as a high-quality film,Look Back’s Letterboxd rankings could give it a better chance at securing an Oscar nomination. Naturally, there’s no direct correlation between the two, but other major Oscar contenders likeFlow,Dune: Part Two, and, of course,The Wild Robothave similarly high rankings, so things do seem to be going in its favor.
Naturally,Look Backgetting at least a nomination, if not a win, would be great to see.Look Back’s quality is one thing, but anime is infamously underrepresented at the Academy Awards, soLook Backat least getting nominated for Best Animated Feature would go a long way toward helping anime receive more recognition at the Academy Awards. Overall, the success of bothLook BackandThe Wild Robotmade 2024 a great year for animation, and it will be great to see what other honors they might receive.
Look Back
Cast
Confident artist Fujino and reclusive Kyomoto bond over their shared passion for drawing manga. As they navigate the challenges of growing up and pursuing their artistic dreams, their friendship deepens. The story beautifully explores themes of creativity, dedication, and the impact of personal connections on their journey.
