"The air is getting chilly, the leaves are starting to turn, and Oscar geeks are analyzing the buzz out of Venice, Telluride, and Toronto like tea leaves at the bottom of a mug - that's right, Oscar season is here. Welcome to another season of Gold Rush, where we'll be parsing all the narratives, precursor awards, and industry chatter that accompanies the annual competition for the Academy's favor."
"Last year was dominated by, among other things, Neon's rise to industry prominence with , the formal grandeur of The Brutalist, the roller coaster of hype and backlash that was Emilia Pérez, and Demi Moore's career comeback with The Substance. This year, we've got vampires, revolutionaries, maybe-alien CEOs, and Bruce Springsteen, not to mention Elphaba and Galinda putting their friendship to the test."
"For months, the only Oscar narrative with any staying power has surrounded Sinners, Ryan Coogler's juke-joint vampire quasi-musical that blew critics away in April and dazzled audiences to the tune of $278 million domestic. Sinners has a path laid out before it, one potentially similar to Get Out - another crowd-pleasing work of social commentary from the first third of the year that was able to maintain its momentum and nab a Best Director nomination for an exciting young Black filmmaker."
Oscar season centers on narratives, precursor awards, industry chatter, and strategic campaigning that influence Academy voting beyond pure merit. Voters weigh factors such as a director's career arc, actor likability, and a film's perceived importance over the season. Last year's race featured Neon's rise, The Brutalist's formal grandeur, Emilia Pérez's hype-and-backlash cycle, and Demi Moore's comeback. This year includes high-profile titles: Ryan Coogler's Sinners, films about vampires, revolutionaries, ambiguous CEOs, and music-associated projects. Sinners earned critical acclaim and significant box office, drawing comparisons to Get Out, but Coogler's past awards trajectory complicates predictions.
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