warner bros moviesBattles continue one after another
It’s hard not to love a movie where Leonardo DiCaprio runs around in a bathrobe and a group of revolutionaries hilariously try to remember a password to save their kidnapped daughter. A comic action drama with sharp political themes, One Battle After Another is one of the year’s best films and is dominating the awards conversation. These two things don’t always go together. Paul Thomas Anderson has mysteriously never won an Oscar, despite receiving several Best Picture nominations for Phantom Thread, There Will Be Blood, and Licorice Pizza, as well as a Best Director nomination. At this point, the thought dawned on me: “He’s overdue.” The film is certain to be nominated for Best Picture, Anderson could win Best Adapted Screenplay, Leo could be nominated again for Best Actor, and Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, and Teyana Taylor are favorites in supporting roles. The film may have had lower box office returns than expected, but it’s still by far this year’s hottest awards contender. (CJ)
frankenstein
Guillermo del Toro specializes in extravagant spectacles, and Frankenstein is the most extravagant of them all. Therefore, it was always considered for Oscar nominations for Production Design, Costume Design, and Hair and Makeup. But now it’s making a comeback in other categories as fans enjoy the movie on Netflix and debate its merits online. Not only is Frankenstein likely to be nominated for Best Picture, but there is also talk that Jacob Elordi, who plays the monster, will be nominated for Best Acting. The question is, is Elordi a main character or a supporting character in a movie that tells the story first from Victor’s point of view and then from the monster’s point of view? (Note)
cannes film festivalJafar Panahi
A dynamic off-screen story never hurts an awards campaign, and esteemed Iranian director Jafar Panahi has created one of the year’s most dramatic films. Mr. Panahi, who was twice imprisoned for films that displeased the government, secretly made “It Was Just an Accidion” and sent it out of Iran on a thumb drive. The film won the top prize, the Palme d’Or, at the Cannes Film Festival and is currently nominated for the French Oscar for Best International Film. The chances of winning are very high, because that in itself is a victory. Remarkably, the drama, about a former prisoner who kidnaps the man he believes was the one who tortured him, is laced with anti-comedy. Panahi may also win in the director and original screenplay categories. But other international candidates are also strong. Kleber Mendonça Filho won Best Director and Wagner Moura won Best Actor at Cannes for his powerful Brazilian political drama The Secret Agent. Alternatively, voters may avoid politics and seek Norway’s sentimental value. But director Panahi has a long history of great films, and he’s never had a better chance to win this award season. (CJ)
amy madigan
Horror films are usually rejected at the Oscars, but this year could be the year as horror films have been so successful lately. “Sinners” and “Frankenstein” are sure to do well. And a campaign is underway to get Amy Madigan nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Zack Cregor’s spine-chilling Weapon. She plays Gladys, a gloriously grotesque character who has already become a social media meme and a Halloween costume. Perhaps most impressively, Madigan, 75, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the drama “Twice in a Lifetime” exactly 40 years ago. This title may prove oddly appropriate. (Note)
TIFFStellan Skarsgard
Oddly enough, 74-year-old Stellan Skarsgård may be nominated for an Oscar for the first time. He’s been solid for decades and often taken for granted, but there’s no better character than in the family drama Sentimental Value, where he plays Gustav Borg, a famously narcissistic but never monstrous film director who comes to terms with the emotional damage he’s caused his two daughters. Skarsgård is truly the centerpiece of this film and should be considered the lead actor, but his campaign is more of an endorsement. As such, he will certainly face stiff competition from Paul Mescal in Hamnet and Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro in One Battle After Another. When these four come together, the supporting cast becomes one of the most volatile and interesting races of the year. Stellan, the father of actors Alexander Skarsgård and Bill Skarsgård, has already proven to be a refreshing favorite on the campaign trail, sarcastically calling himself In an interview “Nepopapa.” (CJ)
KPop Demon Hunter
Since the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature was awarded in 2002, most of the trophies have been kept in Pixar’s offices, with the rest distributed to Disney, DreamWorks, and several other studios. But times seem to be changing. The past three animation Oscars have gone to Netflix (Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio”), Studio Ghibli (“The Boy and the Heron”) and the Latvian-French-Belgian team-up (“Flow”). This trend is likely to continue into 2026. KPop Demon Hunter began streaming on Netflix in June and was so popular that it had two short film screenings, including one “Utattemita” release. In a year where mainstream animation has stumbled (Elio, The Smurfs and Bad Guys 2 won no awards), could an Oscar go to Netflix’s musical about a monster-hunting Korean pop group? (Note)
It used to be hot, but now it’s not
The absolute truth about awards season is that you can’t count on anything. Some of this year’s most anticipated films created a buzz but quickly faded. The most surprising drama was “Smashing Machine,” in which Dwayne Johnson plays the role of mixed martial artist Mark Carr. This film has won many awards. This is a biographical film based on fact by esteemed director Benny Safdie. The star known for his crowd-pleasing hits is now proving he can really act in what was supposed to be the moment we all look up to him. However, despite high praise, the film’s disastrous box office performance put an end to everything. Another shock was Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt, in which Julia Roberts, still Hollywood’s sweetheart, played an unconventional role as a troublesome college professor embroiled in scandal. Critics and audiences dismissed the film and its #MeToo plot as overwrought and boring. Both films premiered at the Venice Film Festival, which is usually one of the strongest starting points for winning awards, so don’t count out the chickens and trophies right away. (CJ)
Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22, 2026. The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 15th.
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Source: BBC Culture – www.bbc.com
