After a brief one-week delay caused by the disruptions of the Los Angeles wildfires, Oscar nominations came out this week led by Netflix’s crime comedy EMILIA PEREZ with 13 nominations and A24’s historic drama THE BRUTALIST netting 10 noms.
Intriguing films including Mubi’s body horror flick THE SUBSTANCE and Neon’s comedy drama ANORA also emerged as strong contenders in the top awards categories. All of these nominated films have an international and artistic appeal, either produced by international teams or receiving their worldwide premiere at major international film festivals.
The Academy’s choices represent somewhat of a shift from recent trends, which provided more emphasis on commercially successful films. Note that this year The Academy has made a conscious effort to bring on more international members to their voting body.
Long derided as only rewarding films from Hollywood, the Oscars have increasingly recognized international films in categories outside of “Best International Feature.” Prominent examples were last year when ZONE OF INTEREST was nominated for “Best Picture” and won an Oscar for “Best Sound.” Famously, Bong Joon-ho’s dark comedy PARASITE won “Best Picture” in 2020.
However, this year’s leading features are mostly new movies with an international or artistic appeal. This leaves some Oscar experts to wonder what audience will tune in for the show. Last year’s Oscars reached a record-high rating for the post-pandemic period as Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster OPPENHEIMER won many of the top awards.
After the Golden Globes Awards broadcast registered a modest decline this year, it will be fascinating to watch the number of viewers tuning in to the 97th Academy Awards Ceremony on March 2nd, because most viewers will not have seen – or even heard about – the most widely nominated movies.
