Oscars Preview: What Will Win, What Should Win, and What I Still Haven’t Watched Out of Unwillingness to Pay $20 to Watch News of the World in My Living Room

We stand at the precipice of the 93rd Academy Awards, a fittingly banal yet oddly compelling installment of a largely irrelevant yet oddly compelling awards show. These awards come at the conclusion of the Year When Movies Died, a horrifying stain on cinematic history that the stupid Academy of stupid Motion Picture Arts and Sciences dragged out for two impenetrably stupid months longer than usual so that they could film and edit the entirety of The Father in between the nominations and awards.

Things are grim in the world of film awards. First Cow was predictably yet heartbreakingly shafted. Expert prognosticators were left holding their visions of an America gripped by MankMania in their hands after David Fincher’s latest came and went without fanfare. The film was then bestowed 10 Oscar nominations, but alas, the ears of the nation had already turned away. Despite their best efforts, the show’s producers were unable to avoid setting another record for consecutive years without Bob Hope hosting. Nomadland, a perfectly good movie, is the most unstoppable lock to win Best Picture in quite some time, which will bring the entire enterprise to a close marked by a chorus of a million awed “yeah, ok”s. The film’s director, Chloe Zhao, will then go on to direct a Marvel movie, one of which is due to win 7 of these, including Best Picture, in at most three years.

This is all coming, of course, a year after Parasite‘s big win, a moment that renewed my faith in both the Oscars and the film industry as a whole. For one brief second, it felt like there was some hope to be had in breaking free from Hollywood’s total immersion in its own ass, in pushing people’s boundaries in their consumption of art. Then the pandemic happened, the studios decided that this was their big chance to kill movie theaters once and for all, and we were left with a Best Picture crop that, despite some really great films and no flat-out bad ones, manages to feel completely unremarkable. This is only partially a failure caused by the pandemic, to be clear, watching these films at home isn’t projecting any sort of lack of creativity onto them that isn’t actually there. I should’ve seen it coming. It’s useless to have hope in these sorts of things, it’s always one step forward and two steps back. Just look at a few years ago– The Shape of Water winning was a landmark moment for fish-human love advocates across the world, and it was followed up by Green Book, a movie that has all of zero scenes of fish-human intercourse, and is also bad. That’s what’s so uninteresting about this year: Nomadland inevitably winning won’t bring the same glee as Parasite, or even draw the same revulsion as Green Book. And it certainly won’t be nearly as hilarious as The Shape of Water, which is still useful as joke fodder over three years later. And, come Sunday night, it will happen, and the gilded list of films designated immortal by an arbitrary jury will grow by one, and we will forget about almost everything else nominated. And goddammit, I will be watching. After everything we’ve all been through in the last year, having something as dependable as whining about the Oscars to fall back on is unspeakably comforting. Having an exercise as futile and useless as scientifically parsing the winners in advance to rely on is a light in darkness. Is this insane? Is this hopeless Stockholm Syndrome level devotion to an actively harmful institution? You bet it is. In fact, I think I would advise anyone not as terminally sunk into it as I am to break free while you can. Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s 2010 masterpiece Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is available to rent for just $3.99 on itunes. There is nothing stopping you from watching it while the Oscars are happening. There is no rule against this. But for my fellow obsessives, those of us who are going to let these things matter to us no matter how much we know they’re worthless, the Oscars loom. Awards will be given out, and the process of reacting way too much to their eventual results is already underway. Let’s dive in–

Best Picture

Nomadland' Scores Seven Nominations From Chicago Film Critics - Variety

The nominees: The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, The Trial of the Chicago 7

What will win: If you were thinking of putting money on this award, and you decided to bet on something other than Nomadland, you would genuinely be better off just setting that money on fire. That way, at least you don’t have any anticipation or false hope, and you end up with the same result.

What should win: Well, let’s see. The best movie of the year is David Byrne’s American Utopia, which is a filmed production of a Broadway concert and as such is probably ineligible. The best narrative film of the year is First Cow, but let’s be real here, the Academy is just not going to go for a Kelly Reichardt movie, with this or probably any award. The second best narrative film of the year is I’m Thinking of Ending Things, and ditto that for Charlie Kaufman. The best movie that could’ve conceivably been nominated is Da 5 Bloods, which was not nominated, because the Academy hates Spike Lee more than either Reichardt or Kaufman, and he’s actually won one of these. The best nominated film is either Minari or Sound of Metal. I guess Minari should probably win. Great movie. But, obviously, would not have been my very first choice.

Of note: With Minari (Steven Yeun) and Promising Young Woman (Sam Richardson) both nominated, 20% of this year’s Best Picture lineup consists of films featuring cast members of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, although Robinson himself is not in any of the nominees. Next year.

Best Director

Nomadland' Review: A Tale of Roaming and Yearning - WSJ

The nominees: Lee Isaac Chung – Minari, Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman, David Fincher – Mank, Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round, Chloe Zhao – Nomadland

Who will win: This is Zhao’s award for the same reasons BP is Nomadland‘s. Awards bodies simply can’t seem to get enough of the movie. And while I would’ve made a different pick (see below), I can’t deny that Zhao will be a really great winner here. The movie is very good, yeah, but also women haven’t won this award nearly enough throughout the course of its history, nor have Asians. To give it to an Asian woman for a good movie is something I can’t possibly complain about.

Who should win: In a perfect world, a world where either Hong Sang-soo or Claire Denis has won this in every one of the last twenty years, I would not give this to Zhao. In that scenario, it would have to be Reichardt for First Cow (note: I still haven’t been able to see The Woman Who Ran. It could still be Hong). Of the nominees, though, it gets interesting. Minari is, as I’ve established, outstanding, and I would love to give it to Chung, but I actually think I’m going Vinterberg here. He got in on what I like to call the Cold War nomination, a phenomenon where slot five has gone to a foreign language film the Academy likes a lot for no discernible reason. Another Round is outstanding, and felt like one of the most completely directed films of the year as well. The film feels forceful in Vinterberg’s choices and style, carrying you along on the charisma and vigor its direction imbues it with. Would also be funny to go with Fincher for his most completely nothing movie.

Of note: Only one of these nominees gave us Mads Mikkelsen dancing.

Best Actor

Netflix's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Reactions Are In, And Chadwick Boseman Is Earning Absolute Raves - CINEMABLEND

The nominees: Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal, Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Anthony Hopkins – The Father, Gary Oldman – Mank, Steven Yeun – Minari

Who will win: You know, Boseman has been a lock to win here for so long that it feels automatic, but I can’t bring myself to go to 100% with the adulation Hopkins has been getting. I think this’ll still be Boseman, but I’d watch out for the film sensation of awards season… uh… The Father.

Who should win: This is a super strong category. Boseman, if indeed he wins, will deserve it for reasons that have nothing to do with his tragic death, the performance is just that good. I’ll watch The Father tomorrow, but I imagine Hopkins is just ridiculously great. Oldman is fine, don’t know what he’s doing here though. Of the nominees, Yeun or Ahmed should win in my opinion. I’m saying Ahmed. It’s a masterpiece of a performance– playing someone losing their hearing is one thing, but to do it in a way that so evades everything usually showy about portraying a disability is astounding. This isn’t a role demanding plaudits, it’s just a beautiful, sad, perfect piece of acting. All of that being said, this category is rendered completely invalid by the exclusion of Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods, the single best performance in anything this year, across any category. Also would’ve liked to see Mikkelsen get in for Another Round. The dancing!

Of note: I already used my I Think You Should Leave note for Yeun, huh? Crap. Ok, let’s see. Gary Oldman became the first ever person nominated for playing Mank. I guess that’s interesting. Would be great if Mank became one of those characters who was just an inexplicable Oscar magnet, like the joker. I’m rolling on saying “Mank” now, this is gonna get out of hand. I liked the part in Mank where Josef von Sternberg showed up for like three seconds just so there could be a line about how he was Josef von Sternberg so you know that Fincher knows who Josef von Sternberg is. Calm down, man, we’ve all seen Shanghai Express. Would’ve been amazing if he had just had Mank launch into a bunch of terrible von Sternberg puns just to really sell this to the film nerds in the audience. Like just an awful series of “Ah, Dishonored to meet you, wink wink nudge nudge” and stuff like that. I think I would’ve actively campaigned for it for Best Picture.

Best Actress

Hail, Caesar! (2016) – Creative Criticism

The nominees: Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman, Frances McDormand – Nomadland, Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Who will win: Ahahahahaha so yeah about that. This could literally go any one of four ways. Davis, Day, McDormand, and Mulligan have all won exactly one of the four major precursors (poor Vanessa Kirby). Nobody has any sort of visible advantage over any of the others (again, excluding Kirby). If I had to guess, I think I’d say Mulligan. Just feels like the performance they’d go for. But I still can’t shake the thought that Davis has to win this. But also they love Nomadland, maybe the hype crosses into this category and McDormand wins it. And Andra Day definitely does keep looming in my mind as a legitimate threat, despite the fact that she felt like the fifth one in here. I don’t know. Gun to my head, Mulligan, but I would not feel remotely confident about it.

Who should win: Jessie Buckley in I’m Thinking of Ending Things can still take this in the write-ins. There’s too much division. It’s anyone’s game. The right thing can still be done. In case that doesn’t pan out and it goes to one of the nominees, it’d probably be Davis in my opinion. Ma Rainey as a movie is pretty much fine, but as an acting showcase it’s the best thing I’ve seen all year. Mulligan would also be a very good winner. She’s been uniformly great in films that are beneath her for a decade now, and was unambiguously so in a film I was otherwise very split on in Promising Young Woman.

Of note: A Mulligan win would, I believe, be the first by an actor for a performance featuring a scene of singing Paris Hilton in a pharmacy. A similar scene was left on the cutting room floor of Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress, opening the door for Mulligan to make some history.

Ok I used The Heiress there completely at random and the more I’m thinking about it the more similarities I’m finding between The Heiress and Promising Young Woman. Heiress is better though. Watch The Heiress, everyone.

Best Supporting Actor

Daniel Kaluuya doesn't remember filming 'Judas and the Black Messiah' scene

The nominees: Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7, Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah, Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami…, Paul Raci, Sound of Metal, Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah

Who will win: Kaluuya. And he’ll deserve it. He fully embodies Fred Hampton. He’s impossible to take your eyes off of whenever he’s on screen. And he cements himself as possibly the best actor currently working. My only quibble, and I’ll say a bit more on this in a minute, is that it’s not really a true supporting performance.

Who should win: A rare one in that my two favorite entries in this category this year are nominated. Kaluuya, as I already said, is unreal, but I think I’d call Paul Raci in Sound of Metal my favorite performance of the year, or at least second to Delroy Lindo. His last scene in the film brought me this close to sobbing, and I can’t say that about anyone else this year. Also, the only one in this category who actually gives a supporting performance as opposed to a prominent ensemble member or a straight up lead role that benefitted by the most baffling successful attempt at category fraud I’ve ever seen (look, Stanfield is great in Judas but how in the world is Jesse Plemons now apparently the lead in that movie?).

Of note: I’d like to use this section to highlight the following actual supporting actor performances of 2020 that I feel are deserving of some recognition:

David Thewlis, I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Alan Kim, Minari
Jonathan Majors, Da 5 Bloods
Bill Murray, On the Rocks
Jesse Plemons, Judas and the Black Messiah
Glynn Turman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Toby Jones, First Cow
David Strathairn, Nomadland
Bo Burnham, Promising Young Woman
Arliss Howard, Mank (the best part of this movie, you cannot convince me otherwise)

Best Supporting Actress

Minari' Actress Yuh-Jung Youn: 'Stressful' to Be Nominated at Oscars

The nominees: Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy, Olivia Colman – The Father, Amanda Seyfried – Mank, Youn Yuh-jung, Minari

Who will win: It’s starting to look like this is Youn’s, although it’s definitely not a sure thing. This could finally be Close’s year (if it ever will be). I definitely think that you can’t count Bakalova out yet. Seyfried was a big frontrunner for a while but has seemingly disappeared, I have to wonder if that was simply a tactical retreat in preparation for a late strike. I’m very tired.

Who should win: Youn or Bakalova, probably Youn. As the foul-mouthed grandmother in Minari, she makes the film, as well as becomes the first Hong Sang-soo regular to receive an Oscar nomination, beginning the path to Kim Min-hee dominating this category every year for the foreseeable future, as she should. Would also be extremely funny if Colman beat Close again. This is the second time I’ve talked about Hong Sang-soo in this post, which I think is interesting.

Of note: If Seyfried manages to pull this off, this would be the second straight year where this award has gone to a Twin Peaks: The Return cast member.

Best Original Screenplay

Review: 'Promising Young Woman' falters due to predictability

The nominees: Judas and the Black Messiah, Minari, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Who will win: Promising Young Woman. So funny to me that Trial of the Chicago 7, a movie literally designed to win this award in particular, is not going to win.

Who should win: Judas, I think. I’ve talked about Sound of Metal and Minari in this post a lot, but I think writing-wise, Judas beats both of them. Like I said, I was split on Promising Young Woman. There was a lot of stuff I liked about it, but I did not think that the writing was one of these. Odd call I think. Not a ton to say about this one. It’s a screenplay one. Debated even doing it.

Of note: Jeremy Strong and his egg in Trial of the Chicago 7 is of note I think. Haven’t talked about that movie a lot. This might be my only chance.

The 'Trial of the Chicago 7' Character Rankings - The Ringer

Best Adapted Screenplay

It's an utter myth': how Nomadland exposes the cult of the western | Nomadland | The Guardian

The nominees: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The Father, Nomadland, One Night in Miami…, The White Tiger

Who will win: Nomadland. You know the drill by now.

Who should win: Borat. I mean, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, obviously, but of the nominees it has to be Borat. Don’t care how much of it was improvised. Perfect writing.

Of note: One Night in Miami… got completely killed on nominations in a way I definitely wasn’t expecting. I’m pretty much fine with it just getting in for Odom, screenplay, and song (I guess, the day I start paying attention to the songs is not a day that will come willingly), but I do want to plug Odom singing A Change is Gonna Come to close out the film, which is a completely phenomenal scene.

Best Cinematography

Nomadland': Chloé Zhao and crew reveal how they made one of the year's best films - CNN Style

The nominees: Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, News of the World, Nomadland, The Trial of the Chicago 7

What will win: Take a wild guess.

What should win: Probably Nomadland. Above anything else, it looks unbelievable. Also really loved how Judas and the Black Messiah looked, glad it got in. I liked Mank‘s weird anachronistic black-and-white digital thing too, I know that was contentious but I felt it worked well. King of Digital David Fincher stays winning. Best cinematography of the year is either First Cow or Da 5 Bloods though.

Of note: Did you know that Mank was shot in black and white because it’s set in the 1940s, and most films in the 1940s were in black and white? Director David Fincher did this an homage. Also Orson Welles never surpassed Citizen Kane, we must always remember that. He was nothing without the studio system behind him. The studio system is good. It is nurturing. It is the glue that keeps the film industry, and society as a whole, together. Welles flew too close to the sun and never made another film agai- no what are you doing don’t look up The Lady From Shanghai no please just please accept the narrative that he peaked with Kane oh no oh God

Best Original Score

Soul' Review: Another Masterpiece From the Minds Behind 'Inside Out' - Variety

The nominees: Da 5 Bloods, Mank, Minari, News of the World, Soul

Who will win: Trent Reznor is about to receive an Oscar for his work on a Pixar movie. The entire year in movies will be worth it for this fact.

Who should win: Like I said, I can’t complain about Reznor taking it for Soul, especially because it is a great score. This is also the only recognition Da 5 Bloods got, and the ever-brilliant Terence Blanchard deserves more recognition. However, for the second straight year, the best score comes courtesy of Emile Mosseri, who might be my favorite working film composer not named Angelo Badalamenti. His work on Minari is idiosyncratic and wonderful in a way that echoes his stunning soundscape for last year’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco, an utterly brilliant piece of work that I’m thrilled was nominated.

Of note: Trent Reznor and musical partner Atticus Ross received two of the five nods this year, for Soul and Mank. Their score for the former is, like I said, going to win, but their work on the latter is equally intricate and fascinating, making that film far more interesting than it could’ve been. Anyway, my notable fact here is once again that the guy who wrote Closer not only did the score for a Pixar movie, but did it so well that he’s gonna win an Oscar for it. It’s just too funny to me.

These have been all the categories I can speak remotely intelligently on, and even a few on which I can’t. I can give you my strongest guarantee that everything I have said in here will turn out correct. Enjoy the Oscars, everyone. Or, again, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, if you want the exact opposite experience in both vibes and quality.

93rd Academy Awards Preview: Here’s How Paul Raci Can Still Win

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH oh MAN I cannot believe I decided to write this. Oh man. Ok. Upcoming Oscars. Let’s see. Where to start? I guess by clarifying some things. The 2021 Oscars are scheduled for April 25th, with nominations being announced March 15th and the eligibility window for film releases ends on February 28th. In a normal world, They’d probably be this upcoming Sunday. But, as we all know, we are not living in a normal world: Parasite’s win last year was so seismic that they just decided to stop making movies, and the Oscars had to adjust accordingly. Or something.

Anyway, they’re happening. Nobody has any idea what’s going on. Half of the contending movies are uninteresting, the other half are unavailable to the general public. In some ways, it does kind of feel like we’re living in a normal world. So I figured I’d try to do the Oscar preview again. Last season I covered 33 movies, 20 of which were nominated for at least one Oscar. The majority of the misses came in the latter portion of the preview, indicating stuff that were probably longshots to begin with. Some notable predictions, keeping in mind that this was in September, before we had any sense of how the season was shaping up–

The Two Popes was the biggest BP contender: This did not hit. Got in for actor, though.

Parasite was something to watch: A bit, yeah!

Cats was legit: Not so much.

On Jojo Rabbit- “The consensus emerging is that it contains a great use of a David Bowie song”: OH GOD. Oh god. This is genuinely worse than the last one. Thanks, movie, for ruining that song for me.

“I left at least one massive contender off that nobody sees coming”: Looks like… no, actually? I included all nine eventual BP nominees. I only missed one acting nominee (Richard Jewell) and one screenplay nominee (Knives Out). The only multi-nominees I missed were Honeyland (with 2) and, uh… Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? Three Oscar nominations? That doesn’t sound right. I’m assuming that’s a mistake.

So now, much closer to the actual awards, and with some relevant precursor nominations already announced, hopefully this’ll be pretty accurate. Let’s dive in–

Tier 1- Best Picture Potpourri

The group of films that are in the conversation for Best Picture nominations numbers 13 entries. These are those films:

Nomadland– dir. Chloe Zhao

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Frances McDormand), Best Supporting Actor (David Strathairn), Best Cinematography. A lot. Pretty much everything.

Right now Best Picture looks like a two horse race, with Nomadland seeming like a slight favorite. It won the Golden Lion at Venice, which has somehow become a super relevant indicator of awards success, and more importantly the TIFF people’s choice award, which has been a super relevant indicator of awards success. This is the one to beat, although it still has one major hurdle to clear– it’s not clear how much the public is gonna like it. Nomadland hits VOD and Hulu on February 26th, which will be the first time it can be seen by people who didn’t buy a ticket to a virtual film festival or risk going to a theater. Granted, the non-critic people who have done those things seem to be head over heels for it, but that doesn’t necessarily reflect how it’ll play with a more casual subset of the moviegoing community. Also, public reaction isn’t necessarily required for Academy reaction (how many people knew Shape of Water as anything other than the fishman sex movie?).

The Trial of the Chicago 7– dir. Aaron Sorkin

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Sacha Baron Cohen), maybe a handful of other acting nods depending on how much they like it.

And here’s the other half of Best Picture. Sorkin’s latest is undeniably Oscar bait: a dozen middle-to-big-name actors, historical basis, and, most importantly, politically uninflammatory. Chicago 7 treads much of the same ground as Da 5 Bloods and, as I understand the conceit of Judas and the Black Messiah, that film as well, but it manages to do so while ultimately embodying a message of timidity and unearned institutional respect. It positions itself as a Movie of the Moment while not actually making any sort of controversial stand that would earn it this title. Think Green Book, although not nearly as politically disastrous as that film. As well as a lot better– the film is well-made, entertaining, and very well-acted. There would be a lot worse movies to have won Best Picture, and I’m not saying it’s entirely morally worthless. But it would be the wrong winner for this moment in time. Which is exactly why it feels like it’ll win.

Minari– dir. Lee Isaac Chung

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Steven Yeun), Best Supporting Actor (Youn Yuh-jung)

Sundance favorite Minari feels like it’s been riding a wave of hype from way beyond when Oscar hits usually debut, which is because it is. In a normal year, I doubt Minari has the staying power post-Sundance it does, but instead no new movies were released for months, everyone lost their sense of time, and the Minari buzz coasted to Oscar season in suspended animation. I haven’t yet seen the film, debuting on VOD later this month, but it presents some absolutely massive possibilities for my personal taste: if Steven Yeun’s acclaimed performance nets a nod, I believe he would become the first person to appear on I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson to be nominated for an Oscar. And if Youn Yuh-jung gets in, I’m pretty much positive she’d be the first regular Hong Sang-soo collaborator with an Oscar nod (appearing in Hill of Freedom, In Another Country, Ha Ha Ha, List, and Right Now, Wrong Then). For those of us with this very peculiar intersection of interests, this is a massive moment. Anyway, I don’t know exactly what I was talking about. Minari. Could do well.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom– dir. George C. Wolfe

Image result for ma rainey's black bottom

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Chadwick Boseman), Best Actress (Viola Davis), Best Supporting Actor (Glynn Turman), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, etc. This one could lead in nominations I think.

The loss of Chadwick Boseman still doesn’t feel real. He was an eternally vital talent whose stardom felt like it was just taking off. I remember watching the trailer for Da 5 Bloods and getting excited about him getting roles this complex and interesting. It’s heartbreaking. It feels callous to pivot right into “he feels like a lock for a posthumous Oscar win”. He is, probably the only acting winner who can be seen as a shoo-in right now, but it really feels insignificant. From the critical consensus, it feels like he would’ve been even without the Oscars’ predilection for posthumous awards, because of course he would’ve.

By the nature of the exercise, I have to talk about the rest of the film– Davis seems like she’s in a race with Carey Mulligan for Best Actress, with Frances McDormand on the outside but with a solid shot. The film feels like an easy sell in the below-the-line categories, and Netflix will push it hard in all likelihood.

Da 5 Bloods– dir. Spike Lee

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Delroy Lindo), Best Supporting Actor (Chadwick Boseman), Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score

Lindo is the one to watch here– he dominated the early hype of the film upon release, looking like a lock for an actor nod, but has missed some critical precursors and isn’t exactly a sure thing at this point. Which is a shame. He delivered maybe the best performance of the year, and has been phenomenal in overlooked roles for decades. I also have a bad feeling about the film itself. I feel like, despite the fact that it looks good for BP, it has the making of something that could get snubbed on nomination day and upset everyone. Which, again, would be a shame. It’s one of the year’s best, and a singular vision in a year that needs them. Maybe the safest bet here is, again, Boseman, whose role as a prematurely killed Vietnam squad leader has taken on an eerie layer of resonance since his death.

Sound of Metal– dir. Darius Marder

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Riz Ahmed), Best Supporting Actor (Paul Raci), Best Sound

Here’s my favorite. So far, of the movies this year that look like legit Oscar players, this is the one I’m pulling for the most. Unfortunately, it does look like a bit of an underdog. It’s not exactly the kind of thing they usually go for (it’s much better ayyyy). The story of a drummer who finds out he’s going deaf, it’s quietly devastating beyond the obvious literal sense. Ahmed has done well enough so far that I’m feeling pretty good about his chances at a well-deserved nomination. And it’s starting to look like it’ll get in for Picture, too, even if it has no chance in hell of winning. My chief concern here is Paul Raci, whose supporting turn as the head of a deaf community brought me nearly to tears multiple times and gave me the investment in awards season I always hate having. He’s missed the big precursors so far, which is obviously not a good sign. He’s still a possibility, I guess, but things are looking bleak.

Promising Young Woman– dir. Emerald Fennell

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Carey Mulligan), Best Original Screenplay

The range of reactions to this one has been interesting. It could still miss BP, it could still be a major enough contender to score a Director nod. The praise for Mulligan has been universal, though, and right now if I were betting on it (hmmmm… maybe I should do that) I think I would take her as the Best Actress winner. Outside of her, however, there’s uncertainty. I’m projecting it to make the BP lineup, which feels wild– it was highly anticipated at Sundance, and received kind of a tepid reaction before exploding in the fall. If nothing else, this is one of the weirdest narratives of the season.

One Night in Miami– dir. Regina King

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Leslie Odom Jr., Eli Goree), Best Actor (Kingsley Ben-Adir)

There’s a subset of people who really like this one’s chances. I’ve seen some people say it could win the whole thing. I think that it will not. It’s probably a BP nomination lock, and it’s starting to look like Odom is a sure thing to get in. And I guess there’s a world where this really plays– Goree gets in and gives it multiple Supporting Actor nominations, and King gets in for Director. But I feel like a more realistic best case scenario includes BP/Odom plus a lead actor nod for Ben-Adir’s terrific work as Malcolm X, although I’m struggling to see where he gets in. Side note– I know I’ve made it clear that I’m all in on Paul Raci, but I wouldn’t be upset about Odom pulling off the supporting actor win. He’s just a fantastic performer, and he steals this movie with a climactic performance of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” that completely brings down the house with an energy that brings the film to a new level.

The Father– dir. Florian Zeller

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Supporting Actress (Olivia Colman)

As many have pointed out, this movie may not actually exist. Look at the poster–

Psy-op. But that hasn’t stopped the Oscars in the past, and if you think goddamn Anthony Hopkins is missing a nod for a movie in which he plays a man with dementia, you are mistaken.

Mank– dir. David Fincher

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Gary Oldman), Best Supporting Actress (Amanda Seyfried), Best Cinematography, Best Score, Best Screenplay (I think original, but like… the Kael article was a presence here, was it not?)

MANK! A-AAAAAA! It’s underwhelming! (Do doo doo do). Mank is unfortunately Oscar-bait-y for the great David Fincher, which means it will undeniably have more success than any of his many masterpieces (I’ll always remember you, Gone Girl, even if the HOLLYWOOD ELITE won’t). It’s a movie about moviemaking that climaxes with a blatant appeal to the Sanctity of the Academy as part of a larger kneecapping of maybe the greatest director in American history. It’s not great. It’s worth noting that all ravaging aside, I did kinda like Mank. I thought the digital B&W really worked, which is good because it is going to win for Cinematography. I was down for the direction Oldman went in with his lead performance, which is good because it’ll soften the pain of him inevitably knocking Lindo out of lead actor. Seyfried is obviously tremendous, although she seems to have lost her frontrunner status in Supporting Actress with a shocking SAG miss. Anyway, justice for Orson Welles.

Judas and the Black Messiah– dir. Shaka King

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Lakeith Stanfield), Best Supporting Actor (Daniel Kaluuya), Best Supporting Actress (Dominique Fishback)

This drops on HBO Max tomorrow, and you better believe I will be watching it the day of. This isn’t a lock for BP, but it could absolutely change that if the public reaction mirrors the critical reaction. Kaluuya, because there apparently is some benevolence in the world, might be the favorite to win Supporting Actor and win his first Oscar. This, of course, should be the second or third win for one of the most consistently incredible actors of the current generation– his Get Out role or DDL in Phantom Thread should’ve taken best actor in 2017, and in my mind there’s no denying that his turn in Widows in 2018 was the best male supporting performance of that year (he was not nominated). Stanfield is also overdue for this kind of recognition after being reliably great in an astonishing variety of roles over the last few years. However, this will probably get shut out in favor of the movie that completely abandons the Black Panthers after they’re no longer convenient for the plot (thought you were out of the woods for criticism, Sorkin?)

News of the World– dir. Paul Greengrass

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Supporting Actress (Helena Zengel)

I have seen exactly zero rapturous praise or reactions above “yeah this is basically fine” for News of the World, a movie that will receive 5+ Academy Award nominations at a bare minimum. Granted, I may not be looking super hard, but it doesn’t seem like this movie has inspired enough passion in people to inspire the passion in me to expend energy on that. I feel confident in saying that it’ll grab a BP slot, although Hanks probably misses (as he did for his last Greengrass collaboration, Captain Phillips). I think that the biggest lock here might be 12-year-old Helena Zengel. Zero people will remember this in two (2) calendar years.

Soul– dir. Pete Docter

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score

This was always kinda the longshot of the BP group, and it hasn’t had the precursor success it would’ve needed to break into the conversation. I almost moved it down a tier. But it’s a weird year, and Soul has been the most acclaimed Pixar since Inside Out. It could happen.

More importantly, Trent Reznor is absolutely gonna win an Oscar for a Pixar movie, which is just hilarious to me.

Tier 2- Acting!

Movies that almost certainly won’t be in the BP conversation, but feel like they’ll get in for acting categories, or screenplays or techs. Don’t know why I called it “Acting!”, actually. Just felt snappy. I stand by it.

Hillbilly Elegy– dir. Ron Howard

Awards contending for: Best Actress (Amy Adams), Best Supporting Actress (Glenn Close), Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Beyond the initial mass clowning and critical revulsion on this one, it’s managed to worm its way back into the two acting categories everyone thought it’d win. Close especially seems like she has a shot at winning. I guess this could still get in for BP if the Academy likes it enough. Critical love isn’t always necessary for that kind of success. The best comparison I can think of is Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, although for comparison that earned a (very bad!) Rotten Tomatoes score of 46, while this boasts an abysmal 26. It’s an uphill climb.

On the Rocks– dir. Sofia Coppola

Awards contending for: Best Supporting Actor (Bill Murray), Best Original Screenplay

I would like it on the record that On the Rocks is delightful, far better than a number of movies certain to land Best Picture nominations, and featuring a totally stunning lead performance from Rashida Jones that has for some reason completely evaded any year-end-best-of conversation. I guess I’ll settle for the above two major nominations, which it seems like it’ll get. Murray is great, perfect late-career performance that the Oscars tend to go for.

Another Round– dir. Thomas Vinterberg

Awards contending for: Best International Film, Best Actor (Mads Mikkelsen)

Here’s another favorite. This feels like a lock for International Film, but the Actor nod might be wishful thinking on my part at this point. Mikkelsen gives one of the year’s best performances, and it seems like he’s being boxed out of a crowded category. Another Round‘s best case scenario is something like Pain and Glory got last year, with International and Actor nods, and I’d love to see it, but I’m not sure how likely it is.

The Life Ahead– dir. Edoardo Ponti

Awards contending for: Best International Film, Best Actress (Sophia Loren)

This film’s entire Oscar narrative can be summed up as follows: Yup. Sophia Loren.

Ammonite– dir. Francis Lee

Awards contending for: Best Actress (Kate Winslet), Best Supporting Actress (Saoirse Ronan)

Ammonite fell off after a reserved critical response, and as such it’s gone from potential BP/Acting winner to potential Acting nominee. Could also get in for some techs, Score, Cinematography, and Costume Design all feel like possibilities.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm– dir. Jason Woliner

Awards contending for: Best Supporting Actress (Maria Bakalova), Best Original Song (“Wuhan Flu”)

This deserves to win both of these, and it stands a legitimate outside chance at getting both nods. If that comes to pass, it will bring a total of three Oscar nominations to the Borat franchise, which is a real thing I just typed.

Pieces of a Woman– dir. Kornel Mundruczo

Awards contending for: Best Actress (Vanessa Kirby)

Kirby is guaranteed a nod for this movie, and for like a month there it looked like she might be the favorite. She’s fallen off a bit in that regard, but she looks like she’ll pretty much coast to inclusion at least. Nothing else of any real importance here.

Tier 3- Hell if I Know

Two early 2021 releases with negative receptions that could nonetheless break really favorably. I don’t think either of these will get in for BP, but they very well may get in for other things, and hey, you never know. Anyway–

The Little Things– dir. John Lee Hancock

Awards contending for: Best Supporting Actor (Jared Leto), Best Original Score

Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, possibly the greatest novel ever written, closes with the following lines, referring to undeniably the greatest villain ever written–

“He never sleeps. He says that he will never die. He dances in light and shadow and he is a great favorite. He never sleeps, the judge. He is dancing, dancing. He says that he will never die.”

That’s how I feel about Jared Leto.

Malcolm and Marie– dir. Sam Levinson

Awards contending for: Anything ranging from “Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (John David Washington), Best Actress (Zendaya), Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay” to “The razzie for worst picture. Possibly both?

I don’t want to get into this one. The important thing to know is that some people love it, some people hate it, and everyone is very angry about it. I have no doubt that when I inevitably watch it, I will fall into one of these camps. It has ignited comparisons to John Cassavetes that I guarantee you it does not earn, and a subsequent discourse around this. Anyway stream Minnie and Moskowitz.

Tier 4- Odds, Ends, and Documentaries

Some stuff that could fill in the techs/below the line awards. Plus, of course, docs. Buncha docs.

Welcome to Chechnya– dir. David France

Awards contending for: Best Documentary, Best Visual Effects

Here’s a weird one. This was shortlisted for both awards, and could ultimately pull a similar achievement to Honeyland last year by getting multiple nods as a documentary. I’m not missing that again. I’ve learned my lesson.

Tenet– dir. Christopher Nolan

Awards contending for: Probably, like, sound and editing and VFX and stuff like that

Tenet holds the distinction of being the only movie released in 2020. Therefore you’d think it’d be doing a lot better, huh?

Time– dir. Garrett Bradley

Awards contending for: Best Documentary

This is the most acclaimed doc of the year, currently the favorite to win the award. However, based on the utterly hilarious history of the Best Documentary category in recent years, those exact qualities make me 100% certain it will not be nominated. See: Won’t You Be My Neighbor and Apollo 11.

Other Docs

Awards contending for: Best animated short, oddly

Probably not a lot to write about the various other documentaries that are contending for slots. So I’m just going to list a few:

Dick Johnson is Dead

Collective

Gunda

Boys State

MLK/FBI

All In: The Fight For Democracy (I haven’t heard the buzz around this that I have for the others, but come on. Something with that title is gonna get in.)

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)– dir. Cathy Yan

Awards contending for: Best Makeup and Hair, Best Visual Effects

A rare 2020 blockbuster, this is obviously gonna contend for VFX, and was also shortlisted for Makeup and Hair. I could’ve put the “awards contending for” section twice.

The Midnight Sky– dir. George Clooney

Awards contending for: all I have at this point for the blurbs is just to list the stuff it was shortlisted for, so I’m cutting this section effective immediately.

The Midnight Sky was shortlisted for Best Score and Best Visual Effects. Ah. So much better to do it like this. Unfortunately, I think I am out of movies. That’s for the best, I think.

Anyway, in conclusion, the Oscars are coming. God, there’s two more whole months of this.

I close by asking you to watch Sound of Metal, please. Also my favorite movie of 2020, David Byrne’s American Utopia, which I could not find a place for here because it’s not exactly the textbook definition of a “movie”. WHERE’S MY “BEST FILMED BROADWAY PRODUCTION” CATEGORY, AMPAS? Lmao it would still lose that. Hamilton and such. The Oscars are the worst, everyone. I eagerly await their arrival.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things Review

I'm Thinking of Ending Things Trailer Reveals Charlie Kaufman Netflix Pic | Collider

I would love to say that my review of I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Charlie Kaufman’s latest, is so late because I’ve only just now figured the film out. This would be a lie for two reasons- one is that the reason I haven’t had time to write it is due to the return of school and all that brings. The other is that it implies I’ve figured it out at all. The latest directorial effort from the writer of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind hit Netflix earlier this month, after months of silence from the streaming giant on a movie initially supposed to hit in early 2020, and the announcement of a release date immediately stirred fans of Kaufman’s particular brand of surrealism into a frenzy. Counting myself as one of those fans, I can assure you that the phrase “Charlie Kaufman does a psychological horror movie” is extraordinarily exciting. Kaufman is one of our greatest cinematic weirdos, and his totally singular view of the human psyche seemed like a natural fit for the psychological horror genre.

It was. Of course, it’s not exactly that simple. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a horror film much in the same way Lynch’s Eraserhead is: it’s not exactly tangibly “scary” per se, but it’s so deeply wrong and upsetting that any other characterization would feel ill-fitting. Based on Iain Reid’s book of the same name, I’m Thinking of Ending Things delves into the mind of a woman (Jessie Buckley) who is dissatisfied in her relationship with Jake (Jesse Plemons) and is, uh, considering ceasing the relationship. The film concerns a road trip the two take to meet Jake’s parents (masterful lunatic actors Toni Collette and David Thewlis, perfectly cast). To describe the plot as it proceeds from here would be both useless and impossible, so let’s just skip that and talk about what the thing feels like to watch. Cinematographer Lukasz Zal (noted for his Oscar nominated collaborations with Pawel Pawlikowski, Ida and Cold War) bathes the film in snow and wintry aesthetics, and the vibe of the film is decidedly a wintry one. It is, no two ways about it, a dark movie- it quickly becomes clear that it possesses a fascination with aging and death, and the coldness throughout it really perpetuates this. Those seeking the humor of something like Being John Malkovich are out of luck with this one. But Kaufman obsessives will absolutely find plenty to love here- the best way I can put it is that if you haven’t already seen it while you’re reading this, it may not be for you. Personally, I marked September 4th on my phone calendar and watched the movie as soon as I woke up. If you felt a similar anticipation, then you’d probably love the film. If not, either stay away or immerse yourself into Kaufman’s films a bit first.

Charlie Kaufman Aches for More Time In I'm Thinking of Ending Things | Film Review | Consequence of Sound

If you are, in fact, in this for the standard Kaufman oddities, Thinking of Ending Things has you covered. The central performance by Buckley is the obvious standout, a titanic feat of repressed melancholia by which the film lives and dies. When she’s not on screen, the film is worse off for it. But in terms of purely entertaining bizarro stuff, I have to direct you in the direction of Thewlis and Collette’s aforementioned gonzo turns. They play Jake’s parents throughout the duration of a mammoth dinner scene in the center of the film. I mentioned Eraserhead earlier as a tonal comparison, and this is where it really conjures up that film, specifically its early dinner sequence. No manmade chickens in this one, but you get that same deranged vibe from the parents. Collette and Thewlis sell it beautifully, alternating between unnerving and deeply sad. In the home stretch, Kaufman goes full-tilt crazy, descending the film into a disorienting array of farm animals and naked old people that can only be described as “day-ruining”. This is stuff that stays with you, and in the kind of way where you know it’s going to as soon as you see it.

So what does it all mean? Like I said earlier, I can’t claim to know. It’s as if it’s designed to be as impenetrable as possible, every potential revealing plot development overshadowed by misdirection and cascading cultural references. Everything is layered on top of everything else, conversations debating the ethics of “Baby it’s cold outside” collide with fake ice cream jingles before you can even recover from bizarre jabs at Robert Zemeckis. It gets to the point where it’s impossible to distinguish what’s important and the answer ends up seeming like “everything and nothing”.

How I'm Thinking of Ending Things Book and Film Differences Make For Perfect Complements | Den of Geek

Where I’ve arrived is the idea that trying to figure it out is pointless. With I’m Thinking of Ending Things, the best way to go is to let it wash over you, to commit to the feeling of the film above all else. And that feeling is the film’s best asset. It makes you feel so uneasy yet so satisfied, so shaken yet so mystified and compelled. There’s not much like it. It’s a masterpiece, something so remarkable to watch that I feel bad to encourage people not to watch it. But unfortunately that’s what I have to do- this is decidedly not for everyone, and one of the biggest senses I got while watching it was that people would watch it just because it’s on Netflix and absolutely hate it. But for a certain type of viewer, I’m Thinking of Ending Things will resonate. If you think, based on all this, that you might be that, you probably are, and in that case, go check out one of the most beguiling and indelible films in recent memory. If not, you’re probably making a good call. Either way, one thing is for sure about I’m Thinking of Ending Things: it’s a real movie that actually exists. That’s about it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Palm Springs Review

New Movies to Watch July 9 Weekend: 'Palm Springs,' 'The Old Guard ...

One of the things I love most about movies is that they can do anything for you. For whatever mood you’re in, whether you’re craving light entertainment or deep thought, there’s a movie that can help with that. The beauty of film as a medium is the immense range of experiences it offers that still fall under the umbrella of “worthwhile”.

Palm Springs is a movie that makes me remember this about movies. Is it the year’s best film? Hardly. Is it any sort of masterpiece in its construction or themes or significance? Nope. But it’s a delightful experience nonetheless. It’s just under 90 minutes of pure diverting and breezy charm, and considering that I expected next to nothing from this film, I was taken completely by surprise by how well it works.

Speaking strictly to said expectations, I would have to credit my lack thereof with a portion of my enjoyment. So considering that I’m about to really hype it up, maybe just go watch it before reading further with only the promise that it’s a really good time. Because knowing what exactly to expect from Palm Springs would lessen a lot of the charm. Pressing play, I had no idea if I was getting a Lonely Island type raunchy comedy deal, a run of the mill Sundance romcom, an uninspired Groundhog Day ripoff, or some ungodly combination of all three. To be quite honest, it’s kind of all three, yet I somehow mean this in the best possible way. Palm Springs succeeds so much in that it doesn’t allow itself to get too caught up in being one tangible thing, and therefore it never falls into the negative trappings that being a defined thing entails. Take the opening scene, which gets a bit NSFW to say the very least, and might trick you into thinking that an hour and a half of Andy Samberg masturbation jokes was somehow the highest all-time sale at Sundance. But the film quickly progresses past its initial juvenalia, and ends up actually recognizing it as juvenalia and poking fun at it.

From here we move on to the main event of the film. Samberg’s Nyles is the boyfriend of Misty, whose friend (I’m pretty sure, I don’t think the movie ever actually explains their connection) Tala is getting married. Over the course of the wedding day, Nyles bums around carefree until the reception, in which Sarah (Cristin Milioti), the sister of the bride, forgets that she’s expected to make a speech, and Nyles bursts in with impromptu nonsense that distracts everyone and takes the spotlight off of her. So that’s the setup, and at this point I really do urge you to watch the film first if you’re sensitive to plot points, because from here the plot progresses into twisty ridiculousness that’s really better seen unspoiled. If this doesn’t matter to you, carry on.

So, that’s the meet-cute. Samberg and Milioti’s chemistry is undeniable, and the scenes of them together immediately following this are the first signs that this could be special (Milioti, by the way, is just absolutely exceptional in this. As consistently funny as he is, Samberg is basically just playing the Andy Samberg character, while Milioti gets simultaneously tasked with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in Groundhog Day and just absolutely nails it, adding an exceptionally entertaining emotional range into the proceedings while also providing her character with a depth that completely makes the film). So from that setup, things proceed rationally: they begin talking, they both express their dissatisfaction with their lives, Nyles reveals his girlfriend is cheating on him, they go into the desert to keep talking, JK Simmons shows up with a bow and arrow and begins hunting Nyles, the wounded Nyles crawls into a glowing red cave while imploring Sarah not to follow him, she follows him in and proceeds to be sucked in, then wakes up in her bed to find out that it’s the start of the previous day.

So that all happens, and then the movie chills out for a minute to explain some stuff. Yes, it’s a groundhog day situation. Nyles has been living in it for an indiscriminate amount of time, and he bypasses all the figuring-out-what’s-happening by explaining the whole thing to Sarah. It takes a little while for her to believe it, but eventually she recognizes what’s going on and continues looking to Nyles for guidance. From there come some more questions, first and foremost being (and I’m quoting directly here) “what the hell was the deal with JK Simmons and the bow and arrow?” The answer turns out to be that that was Roy, a distant relative and wedding guest Nyles partied with at one point and, under the influence of heavy drugs, dragged into the time loop with him. Naturally, Roy resented this, and has since committed time to torturing Nyles whenever he gets sufficiently mad enough to make the commute. It’s a hilarious plot point, but it’s also one that subtly plants a grim thought in the minds of the audience and characters alike: Nyles and Sarah are getting along great as it is, but infinity looks hard to stomach. Which is why Sarah takes the natural next step of trying to break free. She goes the Groundhog Day route of trying to be selfless and improve herself, to no avail. She tries just leaving palm springs, to no avail. After a short amount of time, she completely gives up and arrives at the conclusion Nyles did long before the events of the film began- that life is now meaningless and they can, nay, should do whatever they feel like.

This is where it starts to get really fun. Sarah embraces her newfound freedom and Nyles embraces his newfound lack of loneliness, and they embark on a range of activities including but certainly not limited to pool hustling, heavy alcohol consumption, and a spectacularly choreographed 80s dance routine. This is all absolutely hilarious, and it represents the key variation this makes on the Groundhog Day formula, which is the introduction of the cathartic element of another person to lessen the growing insanity of repetition. This tells such a fundamentally original story that even mentioning Groundhog Day this much feels reductive.

What's Up With Those Dinosaurs in Hulu's 'Palm Springs'?

Samberg and Milioti sell the comedy so well that it’s almost a shame that there’s more to it, but there is. As it charges headfirst into goofiness, it also lays on layers of character guilt and flaws. Sarah wakes up every morning having just slept with Abe, her sister’s fiance/husband. Nyles is forced to reckon with what he’s done to Roy and his own issues with maturity. Things hit a snag between the two when it becomes evident that Sarah needs to get out and Nyles doesn’t want to. The way the film builds the relationship between these characters into a romance is stunningly natural considering how little time it takes, and stunningly effective given how little time there is before they split apart. Sarah disappears. Nyles spins into despair and aimlessness. He drives to confront Roy, preparing to surrender himself to whatever torture is necessary to take his mind off of his life. Roy, in one of the film’s most resonant moments, explains his reckoning with the fact that he’ll never see his life progress past where it is. He wallows and wallows in a way that was foreign to him even at the beginning. All credit possible to Samberg, by the way. For such an established comedic talent- I even referred to him earlier as a kind of one note performer- he sells his misery here.

And then Sarah shows back up. We are informed, via montage, that she has spent this indiscriminate amount of time studying quantum physics to try to find a way out. This is the most brilliant jab the film takes at Groundhog Day– looking at the resolution of that film, spurred by a karmic character realignment, and saying “yeah no the answer is quantum physics”. What follows is the final reckoning of the characters with who they are, what they want, and what they must overcome. With dynamite.

Palm Springs is ultimately as impressive as it is for its deftness in juggling its higher-minded intentions with brilliant comedy. Samberg and Milioti sell the hell out of a brilliantly funny script, and they’re backed up capably by the likes of Simmons and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson regular Conner O’Malley (I had no idea he was in this. His first appearance may have been my favorite moment of the whole thing). And these are still very real, complex, interesting characters, compulsively watchable ones who make you wish for a longer runtime, despite the brevity likely contributing heavily to the charming feel. Is this a movie that’ll be winning awards come… whenever awards season is happening next year? Nope. Would it have made a ton of money if given a regular release? I doubt it. It’s not the year’s best film or a towering achievement or anything of that ilk. But it’s just an absolutely delightful, fun experience, and a pretty great way to spend an hour and a half.

Rating: 4/5

Most anticipated films of 2020

Coming off the absolute banner year for cinema that was 2019, looking forward to 2020 almost seems depressing. It’s going to be difficult to match last year’s output, and only a handful of the titles slated for release are ones I absolutely cannot wait for. Or at least, that’s what I thought until I started compiling this list and realized that I can’t fit it all into a top 10. Movies are still good, everyone. Or at least, they are unless these all suck. Before we begin, I must insist upon a moment of silence for Wong Kar-Wai’s Blossoms, which was initially slated for a 2020 release and would’ve been far and away at the top of this list had it not been indefinitely postponed.

Alright. Now, on to the stuff that is coming out this year.

First up, a few honorable mentions, in no particular order:

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It (dir. Michael Chaves)

No James Wan and a ridiculous title kept this one off the list.

Memoria (dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

It’s a great film, but I’m not nearly as into Uncle Boonmee who can Recall his Past Lives as most other people are, so the new Weerasethakul misses the cut. Spelled the whole name from memory, by the way. Just wanted to share that.

Annette (dir. Leos Carax)

I should see some of Carax’s films. I’ll watch Holy Motors and Les Amants de Pont Neuf and revisit this list. Until then, this settles for honorable mention based on how interesting it sounds, even without initiation into its director’s work.

Nightmare Alley (dir. Guillermo Del Toro)

I’m so excited for this. How did it not make the list?

The Many Saints of Newark (dir. Alan Taylor)

The Sopranos prequel movie. Self explanatory.

The Last Duel (dir. Ridley Scott)

I feel like Scott, despite having made some canonical masterpieces and being a household name, gets kinda underrated nowadays. What I’m trying to say here is that American Gangster rules.

10- West Side Story (dir. Steven Spielberg)

Extremely cautious on this one because OH MY GOD HOLY BEIGE. Spielberg’s Eastwood-ian impulse to throw color to the wind in the later stages of his career, if followed through on, would do serious damage to a version of a film that relies so heavily on color and vibrancy. Still, he’s one of the indisputable greatest American directors, and the original West Side Story is one of the only legitimate musicals I really like, so I’m still hopeful this is what it has the potential to be. Still, it can go so, so wrong, and when it does it will win 13 Oscars and everything we’ve gained from Parasite‘s win shall be lost (well, no, because that can never be taken away. This is, I think, my first post since that happened, by the way, so I would like to officially react: YEAH. HOLY CRAP. THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. That is all).

9- The Green Knight (dir. David Lowery)

This wasn’t on my radar until the absolutely incredible trailer made me aware of it. It looks like a completely insane blend of fantasy and horror, featuring a knockout cast (including Dev Patel in the starring role and Ralph Ineson, who is a recurring character in this post, as that thing above) and some impressively eerie visuals. I’ll just link to the trailer so its glory can be further basked in.

8- Dune (dir. Denis Villenueve)

I am VERY aware that this is not a real promotional image, but I still like it because DUNC.

Villenueve. That cast. Dune. The hype for Dune is real and it’s deafening, following Villenueve’s critically adored previous foray into beloved sci-fi property. The only question is- Is Dune unadaptable? David Lynch’s notorious 1984 misfire has many people questioning whether it can be done. I mean, all respect to Denis Villenueve (Enemy owns), but if David Lynch can’t do it, what makes you think anyone can? Nonetheless, with the money and talent behind this, the time seems ripe for the Dune adaptation everyone wants, if it’s ever going to happen.

7- Tenet (dir. Christopher Nolan)

“Directed by Christopher Nolan” is a guarantee of interest on my part, which makes me exactly like everyone else. It’s not a stretch to call Tenet 2020’s most widely anticipated film, seeing as it seemingly reunites the uber-popular master with his forte: ridiculously complicated sci-fi thrillers with one word titles. Now, that’s like saying that Martin Scorsese only makes gangster movies, it’s disrespectful to his other, more interestingly-titled work such as, uh… Following… Memento… Insomnia… Dunkirk…. Whatever. This movie is going to be amazing, I have nothing more than that to say about it, so I filled this paragraph with half baked jokes at the expense of a filmmaker I greatly admire. I must admit I like the one word titles. They sound really cool. Now to end this write up, having gotten to the requisite length without slipping and mentioning my shameful secret belief that Following is his best movie and OH CRAP.

6- Mank (dir. David Fincher)

It’s impossible not to be excited by this, given that it’s been so long since we’ve gotten a feature from Fincher. Plus, Gary Oldman as the legendary screenwriter of Citizen Kane. I’m only slightly reserved in my anticipation due to the fact that it feels overly biopic-y, and it would be a waste to confine one of the most idiosyncratic and visionary working directors to something so formulaic. However, I trust Fincher and recognize that I shouldn’t question this gift, so bring it on.

5- Da 5 Bloods (dir. Spike Lee)

The most you could undersell Spike Lee would be by saying his films are always interesting. They are, but I feel as though you need a stronger word. New work from one of the greatest and most important living directors is easy to be excited for, especially coming off something as major as BlacKkKlansman. Taking his talents to a war film will hopefully yield something special, and because it’s Spike Lee, there’s serious talent involved. The great Chadwick Boseman is just the beginning. Delroy Lindo! Jonathan Majors (whose role in The Last Black Man in San Francisco was one of last year’s most disappointingly overlooked)! Giancarlo Esposito! Paul Walter Hauser! Jean Reno! Jean Reno is still around, guys! Who knew? Apparently he played Mufasa in the french dub of last year’s Lion King remake. Movies.

4- Macbeth (dir. Joel Coen)

Is there a more perfect casting choice than Denzel Washington to play Macbeth? There is, and it’s Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth. Throw in Brendan Gleeson as Duncan and Ralph Ineson as… well it hasn’t been confirmed who he’s playing yet but come on it’s Ralph Ineson, and you’ve got a perfect cast for this thing. Plus the singular talents of the Coen brothers and… oh what’s this? It’s only Joel? This will be the first project one of the brothers works on without the other, and because of course there has to be a drawback to all of these, it’s not not a cause for mild concern. Still, it should be pretty hard to mess up Macbeth. Especially with that cast, and the fact that Joel Coen clearly isn’t helpless without Ethan, or else he wouldn’t be billed as his collaborator. This is going to rule.

3- I’m Thinking of Ending Things (dir. Charlie Kaufman)

Kaufman is one of our great auteurs, and has been since before he even really qualified. A Kaufman-written film is an all-too-rare pleasure: Anomalisa five years ago was his last outing as either a writer or director. So it’s great to have him back simply due to scarcity, and even more so because of the subject matter. The film has been described as a psychological thriller/horror, which will be new territory for the typically quirky-comedy-minded writer, and the cast is excellent: two similarly named stars of the moment in Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons, as well as seasoned scream queen Toni Collette, as well as British veteran David Thewlis. Netflix continues to knock it out of the park when it comes to delivering work from big names.

2- Last Night in Soho (dir. Edgar Wright)

This was the clear-cut number one until recently, when the current (slim) top pick knocked it off its spot. Last Night in Soho has been described as a psychological horror drawing from Don’t Look Now and Repulsion… from one of the greatest and most exciting ~~comedic~~ directors currently working. Sign me up on that alone. Screen legends Diana Rigg and Terence Stamp are in tow, as are The Witch powerhouse Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie of Leave No Trace and Jojo Rabbit fame. The ostensibly insane material should prove right in Wright’s wheelhouse.

1- The French Dispatch (dir. Wes Anderson)

I am nothing if not a slave to style, and Wes Anderson has it in spades. From the first look at Anderson’s latest, it would appear that he’s going as far into his trademark idiom as he ever has, diving headfirst into his typical faux-saccharine pitch black twee-as-hell comfort zone, and delivering an impeccably wrapped “f*** you” to all of his critics who wish he would just make something normal. I’m fired up.