The Year's First Oscars Villain Has Arrived

"But Oscars season tells a story, often multiple stories, and stories need villains if only as a point of relief for the main characters. Thus far, those main characters have established themselves as Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler's . They're both artistically ambitious, have struck a chord with critics and audiences, are seen as socioculturally important, and are directed by men who have been welcomed into the Oscars fold with previous nominations but have never won."

"Hamnet is Chloé Zhao's adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel, a fictionalized telling of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, dealing with the death of their young son. Over the course of its lauded run through the fall festivals, Hamnet was characterized as the year's most emotionally devastating film, one whose Oscars ambitions would be boosted by how many voters wept at the film's conclusion."

The 'Oscars villain' functions as a narrative device rather than a literal label, supplying contrast and relief within awards-season storytelling. Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler's Sinners have emerged as frontrunners, both artistically ambitious, culturally resonant, and led by directors with past nominations but no wins. Other contenders, such as Sentimental Value and Marty Supreme, possess niche appeal but lack the threatening momentum of the frontrunners. Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, a fictionalized adaptation about Shakespeare and his wife coping with their son's death, has been framed as emotionally devastating and could convert audience tears into awards traction, potentially disrupting the frontrunners and assuming villain status.

Read at Vulture