Our correspondent Abbie Martin Greenbaum has curated a list of the 10 best Oscar nominated films to watch before the Academy Awards 2022 on March 27th.
10 Oscar-nominated films to watch before the Academy Awards 2022
The Academy Awards are a week away, which means we’ve arrived at the best part of the whole experience: making predictions. Of course, it’s hard to know exactly who will take home the top prizes – which we’re glad about! Oscar upsets are often the best part of the night – but it’s fun to try and place some bets.
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Though there’s a lot we won’t get to cover here – including short films, visual effects, sound, and costume awards – we are coming to you with our best guesses. Here are ten films you should definitely try to see before Sunday, March 27th.
The 10 best Oscar-nominated films our expert says we all need to add to our watch list before the Academy Awards in March 2022
10 Oscar-nominated films to watch before the Academy Awards 2022
1. The Eyes of Tammy Faye
The Eyes of Tammy Faye may not have been discussed as often as some of the other films on this list, but it’s nominated for two awards –Actress in a Leading Role, and Makeup and Hairstyling – and it seems likely that it will win in at least one, if not both, categories. Jessica Chastain stars in the titular role, in a film about the life of the well-known televangelist and singer. Chastain received recognition for her performance with awards from both the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards (where the film also won for hair and makeup), and we would not be at all surprised if she takes home this year’s Acting trophy.
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2. West Side Story
Tied with Belfast, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story has received the third highest-number of nominations of any film this year – seven total, including nods for Best Picture, Directing, and Actress in a Supporting Role. And with her remarkable performance in the role of Anita, Ariana DeBose seems poised to accept this year’s prize. DeBose has already received many accolades for her work, winning the same award at the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and the BAFTAs. Film audiences seem united: DeBose was a stunning highlight of the musical remake, and she deserves recognition for her performance.
3. King Richard
King Richard received the fourth-highest number of total nominations – six total – and we’d be shocked if it doesn’t take home at least one of them: specifically, Actor in a Leading Role, for Will Smith’s incredible performance. Smith is at the center of the film in his role as the powerful father of Venus and Serena Williams, and he has received the same award from every other major ceremony of the season. And with additional nominations for Best Picture, Actress in a Supporting Role, Original Screenplay, Editing, and Original Song, we would not be surprised to see the film collect an additional award or two as well.
4. CODA
CODA first came to our attention in January, 2021 – back when this sweet crowd-pleasing movie swept every award at that year’s Sundance. And it seems possible that the film will work its magic a second time, winning at least one – if not more – of the three awards it’s up for. CODA (which stands for Child of Deaf Adults) tells the story of a family in the fishing business, and the difficult decisions they must make when Ruby, the only hearing member of the family, reveals her desire to leave home and attend music school. The film is nominated for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Actor in a Supporting Role, and Troy Kotsur is the favorite to win in his acting category this year. Kotsur shines in his role as Frank, the family’s lovable patriarch, and he has already collected several of the season’s major accolades.
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5. Power of the Dog
This year, Jane Campion’s Power of the Dog leads the Oscar pack with twelve nominations –almost double what some of the other front-running films have received. It’s hard to know exactly how some of the ceremony’s biggest awards categories – Best Picture, Directing, and Adapted Screenplay – will shake out, but we are expecting some major wins for the tense Western.
6. Dune
Dune seems to have faded into the background of the Oscar conversation – which is surprising, since it received the second-highest number of nominations: ten total. Though it missed out on nods for directing and acting, it did receive nominations for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and more. And since it was one of the most visually striking movies of the year, we’re delighted to see it acknowledged in this way. Though it doesn’t seem likely to pick up the Best Picture prize, there is a chance Dune could leave the ceremony with more awards than any other film.
7. Belfast
Another Academy frontrunner, Belfast has received nominations across almost all of the major categories – Best Picture, Directing, and Original Screenplay, as well as nominations for Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench in their supporting roles. Kenneth Branagh’s autobiographical film has slid further into the background as spectators began imagining a duel to the death between CODA and Power of the Dog. But don’t sleep on it come Sunday night.
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8. Drive My Car
Drive My Car was our personal pick for the best film of last year, and we’re thrilled to see it nominated in four categories. In addition to Best Picture, it’s also being considered for Directing, Adapted Screenplay, and International Feature Film. Though International Feature Film is a particularly strong and diverse category this year, Drive My Car does seem the likely winner.
9. Encanto
Who didn’t love Encanto? Well, the Academy are clearly fans – they’ve nominated the latest Disney film for three awards – Animated Feature, Original Score, and Original Song. And before you ask, no – the nominated song is not the much-loved, much-sung, much-Tik-Tok’ed “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” Instead, “Dos Oruguitas” is the nominee. We’d be surprised to see Encanto leave the ceremony empty-handed.
10. Flee
Though it may not have received a Best Picture nomination, Flee has pulled off something that is nearly – or equally – as impressive: nominations for International Feature Film, Documentary Feature, and Animated Feature. The film – which tells the true story of one man’s refugee journey from Afghanistan to Denmark – breaks exciting new ground in all three categories, and is sure to be one of the best-remembered nominees after this year’s ceremony is over.
10 Oscar-nominated films to watch before the Academy Awards 2022
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Abbie Martin Greenbaum grew up in New York City and currently lives in Brooklyn, where she drinks a lot of coffee and matches roommates together for a living. At Oberlin College, she studied English and Cinema, which are still two of her favorite things, along with dessert and musical theater. She believes in magic.
