For casual movie enjoyers, Oscars season is full of extravagant outfits and too many movies to keep track of. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reported that 321 feature films were eligible to compete this season for the prestigious awards. Rather than spending countless hours watching all the films nominated, let’s break down the 10 nominees for Best Picture.
AMERICAN FICTION
This comedy-drama, written and directed by Cord Jefferson, is based on the 2001 novel “Erasure,” written by Percival Everett. The movie follows novelist and professor Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, who is frustrated that successful Black novels are full of stereotypes relying on offensive tropes. To prove his point, he writes a satirical Black novel of his own under a pen name, full of melodramatic plots of gang violence, deadbeat parents, and drugs. Only, his book is an automatic success, thrusting him deep into the middle of the hypocrisy he disdains.
ANATOMY OF A FALL
This French legal drama is directed by Justine Triet and co-written by her and screenwriter Arthur Harari. After her husband is found dead on the ground under their second-story window by their visually impaired son Daniel, Sandra Voyter, a German novelist, is put on trial and forced to prove her innocence in what she believes to be a horrible accident. With too many details left a mystery, the prosecution argues she pushed him from the window due to marital issues, and a tense court case follows.
BARBIE
This fantasy comedy is directed by Greta Gerwig and co-written by her and Noah Baumbach. Based on the iconic fashion dolls by Mattel that defined many young childhoods, the movie follows Barbie and Ken in Barbieland, an idyllic paradise where every day is a party in pink. When things start to go wrong, the duo must travel to the real world in search of the child playing with Barbie with hopes of making things right again. Only, shenanigans ensue as the fate of Barbieland is threatened by the very residents residing within it.
THE HOLDOVERS
This comedy-drama is directed by Alexander Payne and written by David Hemingson. Set in the winter of 1970, the movie follows the very disliked teacher of a New England boarding school as he’s forced to chaperone the students who have nowhere to go over the Christmas Break. The movie touches on the unlikely bonds he forms with the few people around him as they pass their holiday together.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
This epic western crime drama is written, produced, and directed by Martin Scorsese and based on David Grann’s 2017 novel by the same name. Set in the 1920s in Oklahoma, the plot follows a series of murders of Osage tribe members after oil was discovered on the Osage Nation tribal land. The tribal members hold mineral rights on their reservation but are challenged by corrupt local politicians looking to get rich quickly off the resources by whatever means necessary.
MAESTRO
This biographical romantic drama is directed by Bradley Cooper and co-written by him and John Singer. The movie follows the life and relationship of American composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre. Bernstein was well known for composing several popular operas and Broadway musicals like “West Side Story” throughout his life, though the movie goes into greater detail about his bisexuality and substance abuse, showing the ways it impacted his relationship.
OPPENHEIMER
This epic biographical thriller was written, directed, and co-produced by Christopher Nolan based on the 2005 biography “American Prometheus.” The movie follows the work and the eventual fall from grace of nuclear physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his research on the Manhattan Project. The plot is told nonlinearly with two different timelines, one in color and the other in black and white, woven together to tell the larger story.
PAST LIVES
This romantic drama was written and directed by Celine Song, marking her feature directorial debut. The semi-autobiographical movie follows two childhood friends, Na Young and Hae Sung, over the span of 24 years. The movie starts when they are 12 years old and living in Korea, then jumps two decades later when they are reunited in New York for a fateful week as they reflect on the choices they’ve made to make for a turbulent and enjoyable romance movie.
POOR THINGS
This dark comedy is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Tony McNamara, based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray. The movie follows the story of Bella Baxter, a young Victorian woman who comes to life through a less-than-ethical brain transplant and embarks on a surrealist, wildly sexual journey of self-discovery and independence. Full of vibrant and dynamic sets, beautifully detailed costumes, and a thrillingly unique storyline, it’s the movie I’m personally hoping takes the win this award season!
THE ZONE OF INTEREST
This historical drama was written and directed by Jonathan Glazzer and is loosely based on the 2014 novel by Martin Amis. The movie follows the life of German SS officer Rudolf Höss and his family as they move into their new home next to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Unlike previous films that cover the Holocaust, what makes this movie unique is the fact that the audience never sees the inside of the camp itself, only how the family is impacted by the sounds, smells, and ambiance.
Best Picture is only one of the two dozen categories movies can be nominated under for the Academy Awards but is largely considered the biggest and most prestigious award of the night. These movies are considered the best of the best for good reason, and I highly encourage everyone reading to watch them if they have the chance. If not, these quick summaries should give you enough context to enjoy the Oscars, airing on March 10th!