The nominees for the 94th Academy Awards have been announced, and there were a few notable surprises and snubs across several categories. At the front of the pack is Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog with an impressive 12 nominations. The 10 films nominated for Best Picture cover a variety of genres and include some historic firsts.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Drive My Car is the first Japanese film to earn a spot in the Best Picture race. Meanwhile, CODA is the first film featuring a predominantly deaf cast to be nominated in the category. But how do the cinephiles on Letterboxd rank these 10 very different films? And which film will reign supreme when winners are announced on March 27?
Don't Look Up (3.18)
Stream On Netflix
Adam McKay's star-studded satire about the climate crisis follows two low-level astronomers played by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio as they try to warn the world of a dangerous comet approaching Earth. When their warnings of an impending extinction-level event are met with apathy, they're forced to get the news out however they can.
Netflix's Don't Look Up has been a divisive film this award season, but managed to a total of four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. McKay and David Sirota will compete for Best Original Screenplay. Composer Nicholas Britell received the third Best Original Score nomination of his career, while Hank Corwin earned a Best Film Editing nomination.
Nightmare Alley (3.56)
Stream On HBO Max
Based on William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel of the same name, Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley is a neo-noir centered around manipulative carny Stan Carlisle, played by Bradley Cooper, and his romantic involvement with a dangerous woman, played by Cate Blanchett. For her turn as Dr. Lilith Ritter, Blanchett earned a SAG Award nomination.
The thriller is one of del Toro's most star-studded features, with the likes of Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara, and Toni Collette rounding out the main cast. Along with its Best Picture nomination, Nightmare Alley will compete in the Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design categories at the 94th Academy Awards.
Belfast (3.56)
Rent On Apple TV
Kenneth Branagh's Belfast chronicles the life of a young boy named Buddy as he grows up in the titular Northern Irish city during the Troubles. The director and screenwriter uses his childhood as inspiration and has described the coming-of-age story as his "most personal film." The black-and-white drama will compete for a total of seven Oscars, including Best Picture.
Branagh is up for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds will compete in the Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor races respectively. At the Golden Globes, Belfast tied with The Power of the Dog for the most nominations, with seven each.
King Richard (3.72)
Stream On HBO Max
King Richard, the sports biographical film about the father of Venus and Serena Williams, is the only biopic to be part of the final 10 Best Picture nominees, though many of the acting nominees this year come from the genre. Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis play Richard Williams and Brandy Price, two hardworking parents who do everything they can to help their daughters become tennis stars.
Both performers are nominated for their work in the sports drama, King Richard marking Ellis's first nomination. As a producer, Smith is competing for Best Picture alongside Tim and Trevor White. King Richard is also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song, and Best Film Editing.
The Power Of The Dog (3.75)
Stream On Netflix
A twist on the usual western, Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog has become an awards season juggernaut and features some standout performances from its stacked cast. Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the lead role of Phil Burbank, a cruel rancher who enjoys tormenting his new sister-in-law. Kristen Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi-Smit McPhee round out the main cast.
All four actors have earned critical praise and Academy Award nominations for their performances in The Power of the Dog. Smit-McPhee took home the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor earlier this year. With a total of 12 nominations, including a historic second Best Director nomination for Campion, the western has a good chance at taking home at least one statuette.
Licorice Pizza (3.90)
Not Available To Stream Yet
The third film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson to earn a Best Picture nomination, Licorice Pizza is a love letter to growing up in the San Fernando Valley during the 1970s. The film, filled with the director's usual trademarks, stars Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim as a young actor and the slightly aimless woman who catches his eye.
Both Hoffman and Haim were praised for their incredible film debuts, splitting the Best Breakthrough Performance award from the National Board of Review and earning Golden Globe nominations. Haim also earned a BAFTA nomination. Along with his Best Picture nomination, Anderson will compete in the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay categories.
CODA (3.90)
Stream On Apple TV+
A remake of the French film La Famille Bélier, Sian Heder's CODA centers around the Rossi family in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Ruby, the only hearing member of her deaf family, works on Rossis' fishing boat and serves as an interpreter for her parents and brother. After discovering she has a talent for singing, Ruby must balance her new dreams with her familial obligations.
Along with CODA's historical Best Picture nomination, actor Troy Kotsur also made Oscars history by becoming the first deaf male actor to be nominated for an Academy Award. His on-screen wife Marlee Matlin is the only deaf performer to win an Academy Award.
West Side Story (3.97)
Stream On Disney+ Starting On 3/3
Steven Spielberg's West Side Story is the second film adaption of the stage musical by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, following the celebrated 1962 Best Picture winner starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer. Set in 1950s New York City, the musical focuses on rival gangs, the white Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks. The star-crossed love between Tony and Maria is the central focus of West Side Story.
Much like its predecessor, this adaption of West Side Story has earned multiple Oscar nominations. Spielberg became the first filmmaker to receive Best Director nominations in six different decades. Ariana DeBose will compete for the Best Supporting Actress statuette, which the original Anita, Rita Moreno, won at the 34th Academy Awards.
Dune (4.03)
Rent On Vudu
The stunning Dune, Denis Villeneuve's adaption of the 1965 Frank Herbert novel, received a total of 10 Academy Award nominations on Tuesday morning. The sci-fi epic centers around the hero's journey of Timotheé Chalamet's Paul Atreides, a young man born into one of the most powerful families in Dune's universe. Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, and Zendaya also star in the film.
Most of the sci-fi film's nominations are in technical categories like Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Sound. Along with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Composer Hans Zimmer earned the 12th Oscar nomination of his career.
Drive My Car (4.22)
Not Available To Stream
Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Drive My Car, primarily based on a Haruki Murakami short story, follows Yūsuke Kafukua, a Japanese actor and director who struggles with his wife's death as he tries to put on a complex production of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Due to his glaucoma, the theater company makes Yūsuke use Misaki Watari as a chauffeur. They slowly bond over the course of their daily drives, and both eventually confront their pasts with the help of the other.
The impressive film earned nominations in four Academy Award categories, including its surprise Best Picture nomination. Hamaguchi will compete for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, a nomination he shares with co-writer Takamasa Oe. Drive My Car was selected as one of the final five nominees for Best International Feature Film.