By Maximillian Owen-Wong

The 94th Academy Awards ceremony – also known as the Oscars – will take place on March 28 to celebrate and honour what they deem as the best films released between December 31, 2021 and March 1, 2022. Although there were hundreds of independent and commercial films released in 2021, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can only privilege ten with the honour of being nominated for the Best Picture award. 

Although in past years the Oscars has been met with controversy and accusations of corruption, big changes have been made to the Academy. With #OscarsSoWhite and a bias towards international films slowly fading into the past, there is a great variety of films up for the big award this month.

This article will help guide you through the Best Picture nominees this year. Exploring the quality of the films, whether they are worth watching and whether they have a chance of winning this year. 

The Power of the Dog:

Genre: Western, Drama

Rating: R

Director: Jane Campion

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee

A film that has at many moments been the number one contender for the award of Best Picture. The stellar ensemble brings the western genre to life, exploring a story about toxic masculinity and sexuality leading to destruction of relationships. The movie is very slow-paced and requires viewers to give their complete and undivided attention for its two hours of runtime, leading to many audiences calling the film dull and boring. For this reason, I would only recommend the film to teachers, as the pacing may lose many younger audiences attention during the watch. There were moments where I was inclined to give up on the film because of its slow burn, however, I was ultimately rewarded with thoughtful ideas and a provoking character study. Although the film's plot surrounds a domineering rancher, it's the subtlety of many scenes that reveals interesting darkness within the characters and the overall plot that is worth watching. 

Dune:

Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rating: PG-13

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Zendaya

A cinematic spectacle to marvel at. The visually thrilling adaptation of the novel written by Frank Herbert is bold and ambitious. The scale of the production is massive with incredible set pieces and character costume design, creating a world that feels full and lived in. Villeneuve expertly crafted this sci-fi fantasy epic with passion and it shows through the screen, with the highlight of the film being that it is on such a large scale but still has so much detail. Although the story takes time to hook the audience in, the star-studded action and story keep the audience hooked for the rest of the film. It is important to note that this is part one of a larger story, with the production of part two already announced, so don't expect to be fully satisfied in the end. The vagueness and complexity of the plot itself may leave viewers feeling confused, with the goals of the characters feeling unclear at times. It is unlikely to win the best picture, however, it is still a very fun watch. 

Drive My Car:

Genre: Drama

Rating: Not Rated (Recommended 15+)

Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi

Cast: Tôko Miura, Reika Kirishima, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Sonia Yuan

This Japanese slow burn three-hour journey may deter some viewers just from the runtime and subtitles alone. However, the long runtime is able to hold a rich and engrossing drama that tackles the ideas of self-acceptance and regret. Based on the short story written by Haruki Murakami of the same name, Drive My Car is moving if you are able to stick with it. A quiet, slow-paced Japanese film with excellent and artful writing that allows us to explore the emotional isolation in the Murakami story. The film is able to melancholically represent how grief sticks with us and follows us around, leading to very intimate and personal moments of self-acceptance. The film is highly unlikely to win the best picture given its limited award-season promotion, nonetheless, it is enjoyable to see another foreign-language film make it into the Best Picture race after Parasite’s win in 2019.

Belfast:

Genre: Drama/Comedy-Drama

Rating: PG-13

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Cast: Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe,Ciarán Hinds, Judi Dench, Jude Hill 

This charming, semi-autobiographical film is Branagh's love letter to his family. What the film lacks in colour is made up for by expert camera work and cinematography that explores Branagh's experiences through the lens of a child in Ireland in the 60s. Whilst nothing in Belfast is entirely new or original, the strong personal connection and heart being put into this film make the ordinary daily venture feel like a spectacle. However, some may criticise that Belfast is ‘Oscar Bait’, produced solely for the purpose of attaining more accolades. Its stylistic comparisons to Roma, a film nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2019 are more tantalising than encouraging. Belfast is one of the top contenders for taking home Best Picture this year as it checks most of the boxes of an Oscar-winning film. Though the question is, is that enough?

West Side Story:

Genre: Romance, Musical

Rating: PG-13

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist, David Alvarez 

Speilberg presents a new look at a classic musical that lives up to the original. The singing and dancing are terrific, with the choreography well blended into the cinematography to create theatrical scenes that are both entertaining and moving. The cast is incredible (for the most part), with every actor (except Ansel Elgort) giving their role all the energy and emotion they have. This creates a story with a lot of heart that genuinely makes the audience emotional for the characters, even if it is a story that we have seen before. The film is definitely in contention for Best Picture, especially seeing as the original was nominated for 11 Oscars and won 10. 

Don't Look Up :

Genre: Satire, Comedy

Rating: R

Director: Adam McKay

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Mark Rylance, Timothee Chamalet, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, Hamish Patel

One would think assembling one of the greatest on-screen ensembles of all time is enough to make a great film (it's not). Adam McKay provides his Netflix viewers with a Sci-Fi satire, warning the world about the impending doom of a meteor, symbolic of climate change and global warming. With such a grand cast and such an important message, the already Oscar-winning Adam Mckay does have a very big chance at bringing home the Oscar for Best Picture. However, that does not mean Don't Look Up is worth the watch. The two hour and twenty-minute runtime drags on with little to no justification for the film being that long. Personally, I think this is one of the most poorly edited films I have ever seen. The big message arrives with little depth as the film explores the climate change metaphor on a very superficial level, struggling to create any sense of indignation in the viewer. The message is essentially “pay more attention to climate change”, a message that the majority of viewers would already know. If you like the actors, it might be worth the watch with a couple of good jokes here and there. Otherwise, I would recommend any other film on this list.

King Richard:

Genre: Biography, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Cast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal, Saniyaa Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn

Globally beloved actor Will Smith stars in this emotional biographical sports drama about the William twins. King Richard is an immensely enjoyable tale of a father determined to have his daughters achieve their maximum potential both on and off the tennis court. The film's nuanced storytelling allows King Richard to create a story that is both engaging and compelling. Smith’s acting in the movie cannot be understated and is a big reason the film was enjoyable to watch, making sense considering Smith is currently the front runner in the Best Actor contention. Although the film is not above the classic sports movie formula of adversity to triumph, the complex characters are difficult to predict, keeping the film fresh in familiarity. The film is definitely in contention for Best Picture, however, it has some stiff competition against the other, sometimes more unique films. 

Licorice Pizza:

Genre: Comedy

Rating: R

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper

Unfortunately, I have not been able to watch this film due to COVID-19 restrictions in Hong Kong. However, the critic and audience consensus gathered from RottenTomatoes has been stated below.

Licorice Pizza finds Paul Thomas Anderson shifting into a surprisingly comfortable gear -- and getting potentially star-making performances out of his fresh-faced leads. The film has the power to make you nostalgic for your own youth, however you first need to push through what has been described as “barely a plot”. The cast members put on incredible performances, the two leads, musician Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, each in their feature film debut, are remarkable. It is a quirky coming of age flick that is worth the watch. 

Nightmare Alley:

Genre: Mystery & Thriller

Rating: R

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Ron Perlman, Tony Collete

Though I also have not been able to watch this film due to COVID-19 restrictions in Hong Kong, the critic and audience consensus summarised from RottenTomatoes can be found below.

Nightmare Alley is a powerful and disturbing psychological thriller. Bradley Cooper leads an excellent cast, and director Guillermo del Toro fills the film with striking visuals that lean into the movie's classic Hollywood inspirations. While it may not hit quite as hard as the original, del Toro's Nightmare Alley is a modern noir thriller with a pleasantly pulpy spin. The film is very stylish but slow, Nightmare Alley pays off with a powerful ending if you can hang in long enough to make it. 

CODA:

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG-13

Director: Sian Heder

Cast: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Daniel Durant, Eugenio Derbez

The critic and audience consensus from RottenTomatoes summarised below prove the strong impact of this film. CODA's story offers few surprises, but strong representation and a terrific cast -- led by Emilia Jones' brilliant performance -- bring this coming-of-age story vividly to life. Well-written, well-acted, and thoroughly heartwarming without being heavy-handed about it, CODA simply works. It is simply a coming-of-age story meant to move the audience. And while the beats of the film may be predictable, it's no less affecting.