- Words Notion Staff
The full 'Best Picture’ list has been revealed by the Oscars, but were there any glaring misses?
Oscars season is upon us, and the awards ceremony finally released its nominations on Tuesday, courtesy of Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams. The past year has seen a strong film roster hit our cinemas and streaming services, meaning the biggest prize in Hollywood is loaded with competition. James Cameron’s Avatar franchise made its highly anticipated return, with The Way of Water becoming one of only six films in history to turn over two billion dollars in the box office.
Joining James’s high-grossing adventure thriller on the ‘Best Picture’ list is a healthy range of cinema. From music biopics like Elvis, to dark comedies like the Banshees of Inisherin and fellow blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, the list’s evident variety is something to behold. Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, Todd Field’s psychological drama TAR and Sarah Polley’s thrilling American drama Women Talking are also on the shortlist.
Topping the selections, Everything Everywhere All at Once has a total of 11 nominations, followed by fellow ‘Best Picture’ candidates All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin. Glaringly, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with its five nominations, isn’t selected for the coveted Academy Award. The loss of Chadwick Boseman is noticeable in the film, but with stellar performances from Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright and a significant box office turnover, it’s surprising that the Marvel epic didn’t make the cut.
However, many star-studded films failed to meet the mark in 2022. David O’Russell, who is yet to win a gold statue but has earned over 25 nominations previously, disappointed with Amsterdam – a historical fantasy drama led by a cast of Christian Bale and Margot Robbie. This is one of many examples that is indicative of a year where film reached great heights, but lacked the depth for there to be any real competition in the ‘Best Picture’ category.
After an eventful ceremony in 2022, where Will Smith controversially slapped Chris Rock, Jimmy Kimmel is set to host the event on March 12.