The 10 films getting the biggest early Oscar buzz

From Demi Moore’s return to body horror to the return of Ridley Scott’s sword-and-sandal blockbuster, these are the films generating the most excitement ahead of awards season.

Its potboiler plot doesn’t sound like prize bait on paper, but conclave It hits Oscar’s sweet spot. It plays like a compelling commercial thriller, but with plenty of artistic credibility. This fictional story goes behind the scenes as the cardinals plan and govern to elect a new pope. The story is told through Edward Berger’s meticulous direction, with every shot packed with visual artistry and information, and by Ralph Fiennes, who plays a cardinal in charge of a council who questions his own faith. is enhanced by the subtle and powerful acting of . It received positive reviews from critics and audiences, and is sure to be nominated for Best Picture, with Fiennes likely to be nominated for Best Actor, Berger for Director, and perhaps Stanley Tucci likely to win Best Supporting Actor. expensive. Fiennes, who has been nominated twice, has never won the award and says it is “overdue.” Voters clearly like Mr. Berger. All is quiet on the Western Front (2022) won four Oscars, including Best International Film. Conclave’s biggest hurdle is maintaining its initial momentum. (CJ)

The Nickel Boys is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead. The novel is based on reports of horrific racist abuse at a Florida correctional school in the 1960s. No matter how it’s made, it’s exactly the kind of heavy, political period drama that would appeal to the academy. But the film’s innovative camera work is what really sets The Nickel Boys apart. Ramel Ross, the creator of the 2018 Oscar-nominated documentary “Morning in Hale County, Tonight,” tells everything from the perspective of his protagonist. The audience appears to be looking through the eyes of two teenage boys (Ethan Herris and Brandon Wilson). This is an immersive technique common in video games and virtual reality experiences, but very rare in movies, so The Nickel Boys was an obvious choice for this purpose. At the very least, it will win Best Cinematography and Best Editing that year. (Note)

No film is as bold, wonderfully outlandish and captivating as this song-and-dance drama. The story is about a transgender Mexican crime lord who fakes his death and hides his new identity from his wife and children. Relatable and unique, this vibrant film is filled with criminal acts and personal emotions, making it a frontrunner for Best International Film and a strong contender for Best Picture. It will definitely get noticed in the acting department. Carla Sofia Gascón, who plays Emilia, has a strong chance of winning Best Actress and will be the first trans nominee in the category. Zoe Saldaña, who has one of the best dance scenes, stands a good chance as a supporting actress with her moving performance as Emilia’s lawyer. There is one positive sign. cannes film festivalShe shared the Best Actress award with her co-stars Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz. If Netflix’s campaign goes well enough, director Jacques Audiard could be named best director. (CJ)

Even before the colorful, action-packed trailer was released, audiences were excited for the sequel to the Best Picture-winning 2000 Swords and Sandals blockbuster. That sense of anticipation was built in part by the dream team’s casting. The cast includes Paul Mescal as Lucius, the vengeful son played by Russell Crowe in the original, Pedro Pascal as the Roman general, and Denzel Washington as the gladiator’s wealthy owner. of trailer There was instant speculation that Washington was a likely supporting actor nominee, if only for his fiery, scenery-chewing proclamation, “I must have the power.” The film’s spectacle and scale make it a natural fit for technical disciplines such as production design. It is also likely to be nominated for Best Picture, a category in which up to 10 films are selected. But what would happen to Sir Ridley Scott if there were only five directorial slots available, in a career that included? alien, blade runner And for the first Gladiator, he was nominated for director three times, but never won. There’s a good chance he’ll qualify, especially in a high-profile race. (CJ)

Most film journalists predicted that this year’s most memorable drama about a visionary architect would be the work of Francis Ford Coppola. megalopolis. But then along came Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist. This indie-era epic cost less than £10 million ($13 million) to make, or less than a tenth of the cost. megalopolis budget – but the film lasts 215 minutes, including intermission, and its themes, ideas, and ambitions are soaringly vast. Adrien Brody plays a Hungarian-Jewish architect who immigrated to the United States just after World War II and is hired to build a huge concrete cultural center for a tycoon played by Guy Pearce. This is Brody’s most convincing performance since he won an Oscar for The Pianist in 2003, so if he were to win a second Oscar for the same role 22 years later. There will be some kind of symmetry. Meanwhile, Corbett and his co-writer and partner Mona Fastvold are in the running for Best Original Screenplay. And if Hollywood wants to be sure that a movie is serious, uncompromising, and artistic, a Best Picture nomination isn’t out of the question. (Note)

Sean Baker follows earthy indie favorites such as: florida project And Red Rocket produced their most crowd-pleasing film to date. It’s a rip-roaring farce about a strip club dancer played by Mikey Madison who is introduced to the world of sordid wealth by the son of a Russian oligarch played by Mark Eidelstein. Brilliantly funny isn’t something that can be said for every film that wins prestigious awards, but Anora is no escapist romantic comedy. The film is not only rooted in the gritty, harsh realities of New York’s Russian-American community, but also takes an unsparing look at the power imbalance between the super-rich and everyone else. Since winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, it has been considered a contender for the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director. And if Madison doesn’t get a Best Actress nomination, the Academy might as well admit it’s not fit for purpose. (Note)

Kieran Culkin, who plays one of two cousins ​​visiting his grandmother’s birthplace in Poland, has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor since this touching, funny, crowd-pleasing drama premiered at Sundance. It has been thought that this is the key to Culkin deserves that conversation. In fact, he co-stars with Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote and directed the movie, but having Culkin in a supporting role increases his chances of winning (i.e. Culkin plays alongside stars Adrien Brody and Ralph Fiennes). It turns out he could face Denzel’s potential, although not in competition). Culkin plays the outgoing, irreverent cousin, Eisenberg the nervous, straight-laced man, and each actor stays close to their typical roles, but brings new depth to those types. . The film, which deftly blends Cousin’s Jewish heritage with themes of the Holocaust, familial relationships and personal emotional pain, should also be competitive for Best Picture and Original Screenplay. It’s a little surprising that this movie isn’t considered stronger in those categories as well, but now that it’s out in theaters, that quiet buzz may get even louder. (CJ)

Pedro Almodovar’s next room won this year’s top award venice film festivaland considering that other recent recipients are included: poor thing, joker, nomadland and water shapewhich means you’ll be able to win even bigger prizes in the coming months. Most critics agree that this is not Almodovar’s best work, but it is the Spanish writer-director’s first English-language feature film, and it does explore the thorny issue of the terminally ill’s right to end their own lives. It deals with the subject honestly and elegantly. . Tilda Swinton plays a retired war correspondent with cancer, and Julianne Moore plays her old friend, a writer, who agrees to live with her in a rented country house as she approaches death. Since this movie is more of a two-person duo, the difficult question is whether the studio will put both women in the lead actress category. Or will they just pretend that Moore is a supporting actress to avoid the risk of splitting votes? (Note)

Like Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman, salt burn, material The film is a high-concept satire that isn’t subtle by any means, but it’s cheeky and gory enough to get people into the theater and talk about it on the way home, so writer-director Coralie Farguito It could be nominated for an Oscar. Original script. Lead actress Demi Moore should also be in the mix this year’s awards season. She plays a former superstar who is abandoned by a sexist and ageist entertainment industry and resorts to creating a younger clone of herself (Margaret Qualley). It’s a bravely self-parodying role, and Moore attacks it so passionately that it reminds Academy voters just how much they once valued actors who have gone out of style, even though it’s a pulp movie. It could be one of those fictional John Travolta situations. Another factor is that “Substance” might even be nominated for Best Picture, as Hollywood has an uncanny penchant for films that mock Hollywood. (Note)

Oscar voters can’t resist biopics. And, although critics and audiences won’t see it, a fictionalized version of Bob Dylan’s early career is already in the mix. Part of that is due to lead actor Timothée Chalamet, who played Dylan during his Greenwich Village days. Part of that comes from a template as much as building a blueprint for an Oscar nomination. Have famous actors play real-life famous singers and let them sing themselves. Think about it. Completely Unknown was directed by James Mangold, who directed another awards-bound music biopic, Walk the Line (2005). Reese Witherspoon won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role as June Carter Cash in the film, and Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor for his role as Johnny Cash. At the very least, there’s a good chance that “Complete Unknown” will earn Chalamet a second nomination. call me by your name (2017). (CJ)