Awards season is finally here, which means the Academy Awards aren’t too far around the corner. With the nominees officially announced on January 24, ten films are vying for the prestigious honor of winning this year’s Oscar for Best Picture. From big-budget blockbusters to indie festival favorites, this year’s selection is a diverse range with something to appeal to every movie lover.
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The ceremony will take place on March 12th, where one film will take the top prize home. As for their Rotten Tomatoes scores, each nominee is expectedly certified fresh, all earning a rating above 70%, although some rank higher on the Tomatometer than others.
10’Triangle of Sadness'
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 72%
The latest film to follow the trend of scrutinizing andsatirizing the rich is the outrageous dark comedyTriangle of Sadness. Winner of the Palme d’Or award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, it has both delighted and shocked audiences worldwide.
The film is set on a luxury cruise for the super-rich, which sinks and leaves its survivors stranded on a desert island. It has connected with viewers thanks to its razor-sharp social commentary and offbeat humor, but may be too much for some to stomach, with extended sequences featuring the most bizarre and extreme sea-sickness in cinematic history.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
The Academy loves a good biopic, and this year’s pick is the dazzling and epicBaz LuhrmandirectedElvis. With his distinct grandiose style, Luhrman tells the story of the king of rock and roll, from his rise to fame to his complicated relationship with managerColonel Tom Parker(Tom Hanks).
While Hanks’ caricature performance received mixed reception, audiences can agree thatAustin Butlerknocked it out of the parkas the iconic musician, with a commanding and empathetic approach that elevates the performance from simply being an imitation to something more.
8’Avatar: The Way of Water'
A ton of pressure to perform well was put on the sequel to thehighest-grossing movie of all time, butAvatar: The Way of Waterproved to be another smash success forJames Cameron. Pandora proves just as exquisite as ever as viewers reunite with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his Na’vi family.
Despite its daunting runtime of over three hours, audiences flocked in masses to see the highly anticipated flick. While some argue that the film’s narrative - along with its predecessor - is fairly basic, no one can deny the mastery and spectacle of Cameron’s visuals and special effects.
7’Women Talking'
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Based on the novel byMiriam Toews, and inspired by real-life events that occurred in 2010,Women Talkingis one of the most timely, passionate and urgent films of the year. It follows a group of women in an isolated religious community, who learn that the male members drug and rape the women in their colony.
Deciding whether to stay or leave, and potentially go against their religious principles, the film asks hard questions and highlights the surreal nature of this true story. With a starry ensemble cast featuringRooney Mara,Claire Foy,Jessie BuckleyandFrances McDormand, it is both haunting and empowering.
Cate Blanchettcemented herself as one of the greatest actors of her generation early on in her career, but she continues to astound audiences with each performance being better than her last. The latest example is the psychological dramaTár, arguably Blanchett’s best performance to date.
Blanchett plays Lydia Tár, the renowned conductor of a German orchestra, in a film that examines power as Tár loses control over her facade. Blanchett is a force to be reckoned with as the titular musician, and the film’s subtly unsettling atmosphere creates a mesmerizing and transfixing experience.
5’All Quiet on the Western Front'
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
The only non-English language film in the Best Picture lineup, theAll Quiet on the Western Frontremake is one of the most harrowing and brutal depictions of war ever put to film. Following a young German soldier (Felix Kammerer) during World War I, it highlights the horror, bleakness and pointlessness of war.
With meticulously staged battle scenes that assault the senses, a blaring score and eerily realistic make-up, the film can be described as both beautiful and horrifying. It is ultimately one of Netflix’s best original films and a journey audiences won’t soon forget.
4’The Fabelmans'
WithThe Fabelmans,legendary directorSteven Spielbergdirectsthe story of his own life, and proves there’s no better person to do so. This autobiographical tale follows young Sammy (Gabriel LaBelle), who discovers his love for filmmaking, which ultimately helps him navigate his adolescence and family life.
Both a love letter to cinema and a powerful family drama, Spielberg infuses his passion project with nostalgia, warmth, relatability and poignancy. Featuring captivating performances fromMichelle Williams,Paul Danoand the rest of an extensive ensemble, Spielberg reminds us that he’s still got it after all these years.
3’Everything Everywhere All At Once'
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Of all the films released in 2022,Everything Everywhere All At Oncewas the one that was able to unite both critics and audiences in their love for this uniquely brilliant sci-fi comedy. With one of the most mind-bending and original concepts in recent years, there’s never been a film quite like it.
Michelle Yeohplays Evelyn, a Chinese immigrant who must travel through parallel universes in order to save the multiverse. The heart and generational family themes at the core of this wacky adventure touched audiences everywhere, and marked a triumphant return to the spotlight for former child starKe Huy Quan.
2’Top Gun: Maverick'
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
The sequel to 80s classicTop Gunwas highly anticipated, especially after almost forty years since the release of the original, but nobody expected it to be one of the most exciting and acclaimed movies of 2022 - or the highest-grossing second toAvatar: The Way of Water.
Top Gun: MaverickseesTom Cruisereturn as the titular aviator pilot, this time training a group of young new recruits. It’s the perfect example of how a legacy sequel should be done, improving on the original in every way. With higher stakes and conflict, breathtaking practical action sequences and the perfect dose of nostalgia, it’s the ultimate thrill ride.
1’The Banshees of Inisherin'
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Irish writer-directorMartin McDonagh’sThe Banshees of Inisherindeservedly earns the highest score of all the Best Picture nominees on the Tomatometer. Already a Hollywood heavy hitter with films likeIn BrugesandThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, this is McDonagh’s masterpiece.
Set in the Irish countryside during the 1920s, the film follows the fairly simple plot of a fallout between two friends when one stops talking to the other - yet beneath that are many dark truths and thought-provoking themes. Perfectly balancing its dramatic and comedic tones with a brilliantly tight script, and featuring some of the best performances of the year, it’s simply a must-see.
NEXT:‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ & Other Great Tragicomedies, Ranked According to IMDb
