Last year (see here) as part of our Flickering Dreams podcast show we had a fun game with our Oscar Predictions: trying to predict, almost a year ahead, which films would be nominated as the Ten “Best Films” at the Oscars. So, it’s that time again and my friend and colleague Scott Forbes has thrown down the gauntlet!
So, here are my predictions for the 10 films which I think will make up the Best Film Oscar nominations next year. I’ve also named some standby’s (in ranked order) to slot into the list if (for any reason) any of my main list don’t get released within the Oscar window for the 97th awards.
It’s worth pointing out that in putting down this list I have NOT looked at the films that Scott has selected! You can see that list at the end of this post (and I promise, I haven’t changed any of mine!).
May the best man win!
My Oscar Predictions List
Here’s my list for the Top 10 films. Now, before you all rush out to Ladbrookes and place accumulator bets on these, it’s worth pointing out that I only successfully predicted three of last year’s list (Oppenheimer, Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon)!
- Dune 2 (dir : Denis Villeneuve). This one feels like a shoe-in for the list.
- Furiosa (dir: George Miller). Anticipation is high on this one and I can see Anya-Taylor Joy getting a much deserved Actress nomination. Despite being an “action film” I think this (with Dune 2) has legs;
- Hit Man (dir: Richard Linklater). It stars man of the hour Glenn Powell stars and with Linklater in the chair… this feels a possible.
- Gladiator 2 (dir: Ridley Scott). Scott swept to success with the first one. Can the sequel match it?
- Nosferatu (dir: Robert Eggers). Eggers produces critically admired films and this gothic horror could get attention.
- Kinds of Kindness (dir. Jorgos Lanthimos). Actually filmed before “Poor Things” and with Emma Stone and Willem Defoe (plus Jesse Plemons). Not one to bet against.
- Queer (dir. Luca Guadagnino). A William S. Burroughs adaptation with Daniel Craig directed by Guadagnino? Count me in.
- Blitz (dir. Steve McQueen). Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke in a wartime epic drama. Sounds interesting.
- The Bikeriders (dir Jeff Nichols). I saw this at the LFF and it’s a powerful retelling of a biker gang story with brilliant performances from Austin Butler and Jodie Comer.
- Joker: Folie A Deux (dir Todd Phillips). Maybe going out on a bit of a limb with this one. But Phoenix and Gaga. And the trailer is just FANTASTIC so my hopes are high that this will be one of the cinematic events of the year.
My Oscar Predictions Standby list, in ranked order:
- 1) Klara and the Sun (dir. Taika Waititi): Loved, loved, loved the book. Very uncertain about the film adaptation with (for me) the ‘Marmite’ director Waititi at the helm.
- 2) Y2K (dir. Kyle Mooney): great concept for a film, around the computer paranoia of New Year’s Eve 1999. An A24 film which is always a plus. And it has Rachel Zeglar in it!
- 3) Fly Me to the Moon (dir: Greg Berlanti). A Rom com so an outside chance but it looks to have style and Scarlett Johansson. Will do doubt be at least a crowd-pleaser.
Comparison with Scott’s Oscar Predictions List
So, having now cemented in my list, these are the one’s Scott predicted. We seem to agree on just four of them: Blitz; Dune Part 2; Furiosa and Joker: Folie a Deux!
To be Nominated
- The Apprentice (dir. Ali Abbasi)
- Blitz (dir. Steve McQueen)
- Conclave (dir. Edward Berger)
- Dune Part 2 (dir. Denis Villeneuve)
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (dir. George Miller)
- Joker: Folie a Deux (dir. Todd Phillips)
- Maria (dir. Pablo Larrain)
- The Nikel Boys (dir. Ramell Ross)
- The Piano Lesson (dir. Malcolm Washington)
- Sing Sing (dir. Greg Kweder)
Dark Horses
- A Real Pain (dir. Jessie Eisenburg)
- Kinds of Kindness (dir. Yorgos Lanthemos)
- The Bikeriders (dir. Jeff Nichols)
- We Live in Time (dir. John Crawley)
- Wicked (dir. John M. Chu)
Sleepers
- Eleanor the Great (dir. Scarlett Johansson)
- Gladiator 2 (dir. Ridley Scott
- Parthenope (dir. Paolo Sorrentino)
- The Fire Inside (dir. Rachel Morrison)
- The Room Next Door (dir. Pedro Almodovar)
Check out his excellent film reviews at https://www.facebook.com/theforbesfilmreview .