The 2025 Oscars are no longer easy to predict.

Việt Nam•23/09/2024

Following the conclusion of the Venice, Telluride, and Toronto international film festivals, several strong contenders for the 2025 Oscars have emerged.

Adrien Brody in The Brutalist (left) and Ralph Fiennes in The Conclave are considered by The New York Times to be two of the top contenders for Best Actor - Photo: Vanity Fair

However, unlike the last two years, there is currently no single name strong enough to dominate the race. Oscar 2025 is like Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) or the Barbieheimer craze (Barbie and Oppenheimer) from last year.

This has led to an unpredictable period leading up to the Oscars.

Many film publications such as Variety, IndieWire, and critics from The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, etc., are vying to predict which film will win awards next year.

The Oscar nomination for Best Actor will almost certainly go to Adrien Brody, who still holds the record for the youngest Oscar winner for his role in The Pianist.

Kyle Buchanan, a critic for The New York Times.

Many candidates emerged.

New York Times critic Kyle Buchanan immediately points out two of the most prominent titles: Conclave—a film about a group of cardinals plotting to choose a new pope, and The Brutalist—following a... architect Jewish people immigrated to the United States after World War II.

Directed by Edward Berger, who won four Oscars for All Quiet on the Western Front, The Conclave is predicted to win over audiences and garner numerous Oscar votes thanks to its compelling story reflecting pressing social issues.

The Brutalist scores points for its massive story, unique storytelling style, and superb performances from its cast, including Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, and Felicity Jones.

Variety magazine, however, assessed that the two most outstanding contenders were two films from the Cannes Film Festival: Anora and Emilia Pérez. Anora – the winner of the Palme d'Or – is an R-rated film about a romantic but tumultuous love affair between a stripper and the son of a wealthy tycoon.

Emilia Pérez tells the story of a Mexican drug lord who, with the help of a lawyer, escapes the troubles of his drug business and gender transition.

The film was highly praised for the solid performances of its female cast, who made history this year by winning the Best Actress award at Cannes for three stars: Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Selena Gomez.

On Rotten Tomatoes, *The Life of Chuck* received an 85% fresh rating - Photo: The Verge

Additionally, The Guardian also mentioned the two biggest unknowns after the film festival seasons: September 5 and The Life of Chuck - two "dark horses" in this year's Oscar race.

Perhaps the biggest surprise at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival was The Life of Chuck's win in the People's Choice Award category, beating out strong competition from Emilia Pérez.

Even before that, director Mike Flanagan's film was largely ignored by the media, had yet to find a distributor, let alone launch a campaign for Academy Awards.

With September 5, the film about journalism was unexpectedly acquired by Paramount Pictures and received significant investment to compete in the Best Picture category next year.

According to the producers, the film will have elements related to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and is likely to attract the attention of voters due to its topical relevance.

Anora and Emilia Pérez are two names that are "sure to appear" at the 2025 Oscars, according to many film websites - Photo: TIFF

Other categories were equally dramatic.

Further discussing the acting categories, this year's Academy Awards also marked a competition among many top Hollywood names such as Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Adrien Brody, Ron Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, and others.

In particular, the recent Venice and Toronto film festivals alone have featured many outstanding performances worthy of Oscar nominations.

Notable examples include Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore (The Room Next Door), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Angelina Jolie (Maria), Vincent Lindon (The Quiet Son), Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones (The Brutalist), and Daniel Craig (Queer).

In the animation category, IndieWire predicts a fierce battle between three outstanding works: Flow, Inside Out 2, and The Wild Robot – a film that recently emerged as a phenomenon at the opening night of the Toronto Film Festival.

Overall, the outstanding films we've just reviewed are only just beginning their journey; there's still six months before film enthusiasts reunite with the Oscars, and it's highly likely that many more excellent films will emerge by then.

Source