The Oscars Nominations in 2025
- Krzysztof Rówiński
- 30 mar
- 5 minut(y) czytania
Krzysztof Rówiński
Noone needs me to introduce them to the concept of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards, also known as the Academy Awards, or, simply, The Oscars. Nearing its 100th anniversary, the awards are universally regarded as the most important and influential film competition in the world. Despite some controversy surrounding the previous editions and the supposed crisis in Hollywood, their position as the leader of movie awards remains uncontested. With the gala of the Awards’ 97th edition drawing near, it may be a good idea to take a closer look at this year’s nominees. However, because of the multitude of categories celebrated by the awards, this article will only focus on, perhaps, the most important one of them. The Best Picture category, which garners the greatest attention from a wide range of people from both inside and outside of the film industry, has received ten nominees this year. As they all represent widely different genres and touch upon very different topics, deciding on the best one is surely a very challenging thing to do. In order to allow our readers to form their own judgement and predictions about the Academy’s decision, here is some concise information about each of the nominated films.
Anora
Sean Baker’s Anora is a drama centred around the story of a young American woman marrying a son of a Russian oligarch. The decision isn’t well received by the groom’s Russian family, who decide to come to the US in order to cancel the marriage. Considering the film’s small budget, its reception was surprisingly good, which is proven by its box office performance and the reviews by general audiences and the critics. The movie is certainly not the most well-known from amongst the nominees, and some critics have pointed to its fairly conservative approach to both storytelling and treatment of social issues, yet that does not need to impact the final verdict.
The Brutalist
The Brutalist, a drama written and directed by Brady Corbet, tells the story of a Hungarian architect László Toth, who, together with his wife, emigrates to the US after the Second World War. The film gathered very positive reviews from both critics and audiences as it is said to skilfully explore the deeper psychological layer of the characters. An interesting fact is that though the film was largely produced in the US, there was also some British and Hungarian help, making it a fairly international endeavour.
A Complete Unknown
This movie, based on a book devoted to the early career of the legendary singer Bob Dylan and written and directed by James Mangold, puts a strong emphasis on the artist’s origins, as well as the revolutionary impact that he had on American folk music in the sixties. The film seems to be quite divisive, as its box office is smaller compared to its budget, and the reviews are slightly less favourable than those on the previous two nominees. It appears to focus on the music itself, which has been seen as the reason for its mixed reception.
Conclave
Based on a book by Robert Harris, the thriller, written by Peter Straughan and directed by Edward Berger, focuses on the election of a new pope and the role of Cardinal Lawrence tasked with chairing the proceedings. The plot of the film revolves around the deliberation concerning his support for any of the candidates, who may not be worthy of such a position. The film received largely positive responses, especially considering the potentially controversial topics.
Dune: Part Two
Probably the most popular of this year’s nominees is the second part of the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, a famous science-fiction saga. It is a continuation of the story of Paul Atreides, focusing on his reconquest of the planet Arrakis from the enemies of his house, the Harkonnens. As expected after the resounding success of the first movie, the second part received wildly positive reviews and was a great financial success. If the verdict was decided by the audience themselves, it is highly probable that the film would emerge victorious.
Emilia Pérez
Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez is an interesting entry on the list. It tells a story of Rita, a lawyer who receives an offer from a former cartel boss who wants Rita to help her feign her own death. The movie aims to blend in the elements of different genres, such as musical, drama and thriller. It would seem that its reception is fairly mixed because although the reviews place it on par with other nominees, its box office loss of several million dollars makes the film a financial failure. In addition, some critics don’t quite seem to appreciate the movie as it is supposedly much shallower than they expected.
I'm Still Here
I'm Still Here, written by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, and directed by Walter Salles, is on a real-life testimony of Marcelo Rubens Paiva. Set in the 70s, it focuses on the story of Eunice Paiva, whose family is subjected to harsh repression from the Brazilian dictatorial government. The movie portrays her transformation into a person striving to hold the government accountable for their unlawful actions. The film received a largely positive critical reception and was a box office success, considering its earnings in comparison with its budget.
Nickel Boys
Written and directed by RaMell Ross, the film tells the story of two African-American boys staying at a correctional facility. Through their mutual bond they are able to overcome the hardships caused by their situation. Despite a largely positive reviews, the was a financial disaster as the box office revenue barely covered 10% of its budget.
The Substance
Despite some seemingly controversial choices, Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance seems to be one of the best received movies on the list of nominees. The film tells the story of an aging television star, who in order to retain her popularity, decides to take a mysterious Substance, which is supposed to allow her to create a younger, more perfect version of herself. However, after she decides to break the rules, her situation becomes grim. The film both garnered positive reviews and achieved satisfactory financial results, and some people perceive it as an important social commentary.
Wicked
Wicked, a musical written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox and directed by Jon M. Chu, offers a different perspective on the well-known story of the Wizard of Oz. The film focuses on the lives of the two witches of Oz, Elphaba and Glinda, before the start of the plot of L. Frank Baum’s novel. Similarly to Dune, the movie was met with a very good reception and had great financial results, making it one of, if not the most, popular position among the Oscar nominees.
As you can see, this year the award committee is presented with a fairly wide roster of options. It may not be the most exciting competition, concerning the low popularity of the majority of the nominees; however, this is not the only quality that should be taken into account. As the awards are granted based on a multitude of factors, the final result may be surprising.
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