Awards season is now in full swing, and before the Oscar nominations are announced later this month, various precursors have been weighing in with their picks. While there’s still always the possibility for a surprise or two, these precursors provide some much-needed clarity on the state of the Oscars race, giving people a general idea about which titles are firmly in contention. As the Golden Globes and film critics associations hand out their accolades, films such as One Battle After Another, Sinners, Hamnet, and Marty Supreme keep popping up, establishing them as the year’s strongest contenders. Based on how the latest round of awards voting turned out, there could be a clear favorite in the clubhouse.
The nominations for the 32nd Annual Actors Awards (formerly known as the SAG Awards) have been announced, and One Battle After Another found its way into the history books. Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed thriller scored seven nominations, which is the most for a single film in Actors Awards history. It bested the previous mark of five, which was originally set by Shakespeare in Love and had been tied multiple times (Sinners would have been the latest to tie the record if not for One Battle After Another). Check out the full list of nominations for One Battle in the space below:
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Leonardo DiCaprio)
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Benicio del Toro)
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Sean Penn)
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Chase Infiniti)
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Teyana Taylor)
- Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
One Battle After Another Is the Frontrunner To Win Best Picture at the Oscars
Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Ever since it premiered in the fall, One Battle After Another has been considered one of the favorites in this year’s Oscars race. The film has earned near-unanimous praise from critics and (even more importantly) industry professionals, with many hailing Anderson’s masterful direction, the strong performances across the board from the cast, and the screenplay’s exploration of timely themes. One Battle After Another‘s impressive showing at the Actors Awards nominations only further solidifies its status as the Best Picture frontrunner. The acting branch is the largest in the Academy, and actors clearly have a lot of love for the film.
When you factor in the element of Anderson’s overdue narrative (to date, he has 11 Oscar nominations and zero wins), One Battle After Another could be poised to dominate the competition throughout awards season. Anderson seems like a lock to take home Best Adapted Screenplay at the very least (he’ll also be a top contender for Best Director), and One Battle After Another has a realistic shot at a couple of acting awards. It wouldn’t be a shock if this film produced the Best Supporting Actor winner. Sean Penn’s villainous turn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw immediately earned raves, and del Toro’s affectionate performance as Sensei Sergio struck a chord with viewers. One thing to watch is the potential for the One Battle actors to split votes, which could open the door for someone else.
If One Battle After Another is indeed at the front of the Best Picture race, DiCaprio could be in line to win his second Best Actor trophy. The last three Best Picture winners all featured an Oscar-winning lead performance, and if DiCaprio continues that trend, he would be a worthy victor. He’s at the top of his game in One Battle After Another, leaning into manic comic energy as he plays an overwhelmed father on a mission to find his daughter. DiCaprio has tough competition in the form of Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme, but he could pull it out. One Battle may have a harder time securing wins for its nominated actresses. Infiniti seems like she’s behind Jessie Buckley and Rose Byrne at this point in the race, and Taylor is up against the likes of Amy Madigan, Ariana Grande, and Wunmi Mosaku for Supporting Actress. It’ll be interesting to see how those races play out.
In recent years, the Oscars have seen one film emerge as a juggernaut in the above the line races. Last year, Anora took home Picture, Director, Actress, and Screenplay, and before that, Oppenheimer and Everything Everywhere All at Once had similar performances. The stage is set for One Battle After Another to have that kind of run, though there’s still a long way to go. More and more it looks like the favorite, but all the other films in the race have their fair share of supporters.
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