This is your guide to the major nominees of the 95th Academy Awards ceremony. Part 1 takes a look at the films in the running for Best Picture.
There’s always a lot of talk leading up to the big day about who will win what awards. We try to make our predictions based on trends from the past, but we can’t help to be swayed by our own personal opinions. Some movies truly strike a chord with us, while others aren’t interesting at all. Furthermore, Oscar films are usually heavy in the drama department and therefore they aren’t always the easiest or most entertaining movies to watch.
That’s why we’re here. We’ve compiled the following brief summaries, interesting facts, and critical reviews for all these films and people. The goal is to give you a solid background even if you haven’t been able to catch up with this year’s nominees. So read on, and then start planning your Oscar-related drinking game. The 95th Academy Awards ceremony will take place Sunday, March 12th.
Click here for Part 2 of our Oscars coverage!
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES
All Quiet on the Western Front
Directed By: Edward Berger
Starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Bruhl
Story: War breaks out in Germany in 1914. Paul Bäumer and his classmates quickly enlist in the army to serve their fatherland. No sooner are they drafted than the first images from the battlefield show them the reality of war.
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
BAFTA – Best Film
BAFTA – Best FIlm Not in the English Language
BAFTA – Best Screenplay (Adapted)
BAFTA – Best Director
BAFTA – Best Cinematography
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best International Feature Film
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
Best Sound
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Best Achievement in Production Design
What Our Critic Said:
“More an updated interpretation of the classic novel than another adaptation, All Quiet on the Western Front brings the gut-wrenching horrors of war front and center.” – G.S.Perno
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 76%
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
IMDB: 7.8
Cinelinx: 4/5
Interesting Fact: A huge mud field the size of 10 football fields was used to film the battlefield.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Directed By: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver
Story: Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
BAFTA – Best Achievement in Special Effects
AFI Awards – Movie of the Year
Critics Choice Awards – Best Visual Effects
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best Sound
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Best Achievement in Production Design
What Our Critic Said:
“If the goal of a film is to transport its audiences to another place, The Way of Water succeeds in ways some films can only dream of accomplishing.” – Jordan Maison
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 67%
Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
IMDB: 7.8
Cinelinx: 4.5/5
Interesting Fact: Weta FX used its own data center to render most scenes of this film, however processing capacity from Amazon Web Services was added in the last months. Rendering each frame took 8,000 thread hours, which is equivalent to the combined power of 3,000 virtual CPUs in a data center for an hour. At some point, all available capacity of Australian AWS data centers was used to render scenes of this movie.
The Banshees of Inisherin
Directed By: Martin McDonaugh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kerry Condon, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan
Story: On a remote island off the coast of Ireland, Pádraic is devastated when his buddy Colm suddenly puts an end to their lifelong friendship. With help from his sister and a troubled young islander, Pádraic sets out to repair the damaged relationship by any means necessary. However, as Colm’s resolve only strengthens, he soon delivers an ultimatum that leads to shocking consequences.
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
BAFTA – Outstanding British Film of the Year
BAFTA – Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA – Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA – Best Screenplay (Original)
Golden Globes – Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Golden Globes – Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Golden Globes – Best Screenplay
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
Best Achievement in Directing
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (x2)
Best Original Screenplay
Best Achievement in Film Editing
What Our Critic Said:
“The greatest movies make you laugh and cry, The Banshees of Inisherin will make you do both at the same time.” – G.S.Perno
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 87%
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
IMDB: 7.8
Cinelinx: 5/5
Interesting Fact: Jenny the miniature donkey (also her name in real life) had never been in a movie before. She was not a trained animal actor and seemed to detest the experience. Colin Ferrell joked that she was the biggest diva on the set. A second donkey with ample experience on set, Nosey Rosey, filled in as Jenny’s double.
Elvis
Directed By: Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge
Story:
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
BAFTA – Best Leading Actor
Golden Globes – Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
Best Sound
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Best Achievement in Costume Design
Best Achievement in Film Editing
Best Achievement in Production Design
What Our Critic Said:
“Certainly the look is modernized and embellished for the big screen, but it’s the type of impression that probably gets you as close as anything to what it would have been like watching Elvis perform in person. ” – G.S.Perno
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 64%
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
IMDB: 7.3
Cinelinx: 3.5/5
Interesting Fact: Even though his hair was dyed dark brown, or he wore dark brown or jet black wigs in some scenes, Austin Butler is a natural blonde. Elvis, who was known to have dark or jet blonde hair, was also a natural blonde.
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Directed By: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis
Story: When an interdimensional rupture unravels reality, an unlikely hero must channel her newfound powers to fight bizarre and bewildering dangers from the multiverse as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
AFI Awards – Movie of the Year
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films – Best Fantasy Film
Critics Choice Awards – Best Director
Critics Choice Awards – Best Original Screenplay
Critics Choice Awards – Best Picture
Critics Choice Awards – Best Supporting Actor
Directors Guild of America – Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film
Golden Globes – Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Golden Globes – Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
SAG Awards – Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
SAG Awards – Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
SAG Awards – Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
SAG Awards – Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best Original Screenplay
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
Best Achievement in Directing
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (x2)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Achievement in Costume Design
Best Achievement in Film Editing
What Our Critic Said:
“…Rather than falling apart as a jumbled mess under the weight of its massive ambitions, the film sticks to its guns, and it pays off. For once, too much is just plenty.” – G.S.Perno
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 81%
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
IMDB: 8.0
Cinelinx:
Interesting Fact: All of the VFX for this film was done by 9 people, including the two directors. A majority of the shots were done by a core group of 5 people. None of the VFX team went to school for special effects – they were all friends who taught themselves from videos online for free.
The Fabelmans
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Judd Hirsh, Seth Rogen
Story: Young Sammy Fabelman falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Armed with a camera, Sammy starts to make his own films at home, much to the delight of his supportive mother.
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
AFI Awards – Movie of the Year
Golden Globes – Best Motion Picture – Drama
Golden Globes – Best Director – Motion Picture
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best Achievement in Directing
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Original Screenplay
Best Achievement in Production Design
What Our Critic Said:
“…the ultimate iteration of Speilberg’s go-to expressions as a filmmaker. While he has always worn his inspirations on his sleeves, The Fabelmans is a Spielberg film turned inside out.” – G.S.Perno
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 84%
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
IMDB: 7.6
Cinelinx: 4.5/5
Interesting Fact: The 8mm and 16mm camera props used in the film had real film inside them. Gabriel LaBelle was taught to use the cameras so that what was shot with them on set could be developed for usage in the film.
Tár
Directed By: Todd Field
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss, Noemie Merlant
Story: Renowned musician Lydia Tár is days away from recording the symphony that will elevate her career. When all elements seem to conspire against her, Lydia’s adopted daughter Petra becomes an integral emotional support for her struggling mother.
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
BAFTA – Best Leading Actress
AFI Awards – Movie of the Year
Critics Choice Awards – Best Actress
Critics Choice Awards – Best Score
Golden Globes – Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Best Achievement in Directing
Best Original Screenplay
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Best Achievement in Film Editing
What Our Critic Said:
“Whatever else we are meant to think of Lydia Tár in this movie, it’s undeniable that this is a woman who lives and breathes music, for better or worse.” – Becky O’Brien
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 92%
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
IMDB: 7.5
Cinelinx: 4/5
Interesting Fact: The screams when Lydia hears when jogging in the woods are the audio of Heather Donahue from the climax of The Blair Witch Project (1999).
Top Gun: Maverick
Directed By: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm
Story: After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films – Best Action/Adventure Film
AFI Awards – Movie of the Year
Critics Choice Awards – Best Cinematography
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best Achievement in Film Editing
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
Best Sound
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Best Adapted Screenplay
What Our Critic Said:
“Top Gun: Maverick is bonkers entertainment for the sake of entertainment, and that feels refreshing. Not because it is all about turn-your-brain-off-at-the-door thrills, but because it feels timeless. The things it does really well are things that will never NOT be entertaining.” – G.S.Perno
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 78%
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
IMDB: 8.3
Cinelinx: 4.5/5
Interesting Fact: Both Goose in Top Gun (1986) and Rooster in the sequel tell Maverick “Come on Mav, do some of that pilot shit.”
Triangle of Sadness
Directed By: Ruben Ostlund
Starring: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean Kriek, Dolly De Leon
Story: Carl and Yaya, a couple of influencers, are invited to a luxury cruise ship alongside a group of out of touch wealthy people. The situation takes an unexpected turn when a brutal storm hits the ship.
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
Cannes Film Festival – Palme d’Or
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best Original Screenplay
Best Achievement in Directing
What The Critics Said:
“[This] winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes Film Festival, is a…out there piece that castrates the influencer generation, obliterates class divides, and screams Viva La ‘Eat The Rich’ at anyone who will listen.” – Jacob Richardson, Film Focus Magazine
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 63%
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
IMDB: 7.4
Interesting Fact: Harris Dickinson spent some of his formative years in the Royal Marines Cadets so he would have known exactly how to survive on a desert island, unlike his character.
Women Talking
Directed By: Sarah Polley
Starring: Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw
Story: The women of an isolated religious colony reveal a shocking secret about the colony’s men. For years, the men have occasionally drugged the women and then raped them. The truth comes out and the women talk about their new situation.
Biggest Awards Wins So Far:
AFI Awards – Movie of the Year
Critics Choice Awards – Best Adapted Screenplay
Other Oscar Nominations:
Best Adapted Screenplay
What Our Critic Said:
“Director Sarah Polly’s restrained yet thought-provoking approach provides a forum to discuss and meditate upon big ideas which extend beyond the context of the film.” – G.S.Perno
Overall Critic Consensus:
Metacritic: 79%
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
IMDB: 7.4
Cinelinx: 4/5
Interesting Fact: Throughout filming, the cast were advised not to put on make-up and shave until wrapping.
Click here for Part 2 of our Oscars coverage!
