The 2025 Academy Awards will be hosted by Conan O'Brien on Sunday, marking the 97th year of the highest award in American cinema. Of all the accolades available, perhaps none is as sought after as Best Picture.
This season features 10 unique nominees, ranging from a musical retelling to a body horror film. In the past few months, “Anora” and “The Brutalist” emerged as frontrunners, but the race is not done yet. With a season as diverse as this one, each film holds its own merit for the gold.
“Anora”
Directed, written and edited by Sean Baker, “Anora” is a thrilling and heartbreaking film that tells the story of Anora, or Ani, played by Mikey Madison. A sex worker from Brooklyn, Ani becomes entangled in a relationship with Ivan, the son of a Russian oligarch. The film tracks their relationship in three distinct acts, exploring sex work and working-class heartache explicitly yet empathetically. Madison packs an emotional punch in her performance, flawlessly adapting to the switch of the film’s tone to deliver a layered portrayal of Ani — for which she earned a Best Actress nomination.
Aided by the visually stunning anamorphic camerawork that manages to romanticize a bitter New York winter, the plot-driven story is hilariously charming before reality catches up in the final act. It’s the kind of film that lingers with viewers even after the final two-minute-long shot cuts to black. After taking home major guild awards and winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, “Anora” has rightfully positioned itself as a frontrunner for Best Picture.
— Molly Sheehan, Sports Editor.
“The Brutalist”
A decades-spanning story about the pain of immigration and art is hard for most people to watch. Perhaps “The Brutalist” has gained so much audience attention because it represents something risky in our current film landscape. With a staggering length of three and a half hours, a deeply flawed protagonist and multiple scenes that inspire disgust, it never plays it safe with the choices taken. It is because of this that the film is expertly able to keep audiences in suspense by the time intermission occurs.
Nominated for 10 Oscars, “The Brutalist” is favored to win for its technical aspects and the performances of its principal actors. It is a marvel of modern filmmaking and a memorable time at the movies.
— Joseph Panzer, Senior Staff Writer.
“A Complete Unknown”
Directed by James Mangold, “A Complete Unknown” stars Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, exploring the start of the singer’s career in folk amid the growing political tensions and evolving musical landscape of the 1960s. Chalamet embodies Dylan with ease, earning a Best Actor nominee by adapting the singer’s voice and mannerisms, taking audiences back in time to a forgotten period where folk music reigned supreme.
With supporting characters such as Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), the film not only gives audiences a glimpse into the rise of a beloved musician, but a peek into a time where cultural shifts were laying the foundation for America’s modern creative landscape. Though the film only covered four years of Dylan’s early career, the period encapsulated the wide range of Dylan’s musical influences from folk to electric. Compared to its fellow nominees, the cinematography and writing in the film may not measure up, but what it lacks in grandeur it makes up for in perfect simplicity, a trait most biopics lack. More than the music, “A Complete Unknown” weaves a powerful narrative that conveys the evolution of both Dylan and music itself.
— Rebekah Irby, Arts Editor.
“Conclave”
Edward Berger’s “Conclave” follows Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) and members of the Catholic Church through the process of selecting a new pope. Through the three-day process, we follow the men who become the four main candidates for the papacy, each with a different vision for the future of the Church. The addition of Archbishop Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz) adds a new layer of complexity to the race. Throughout the conclave, viewers see as each Cardinal works against each other in attempts to derail each other’s campaign and seek the highest power in the Church.
The movie is an adaptation from a 2016 book of the same name by Robert Harris and has done well so far this award season, picking up Best Film at the BAFTAs on Feb. 16, as well as winning Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes in January. With the momentum it has gained thus far in the awards season, who knows what will happen on Oscar night.
— Emma Schieffer, Staff Writer.
“Dune: Part Two”
Director Denis Villeneuve skillfully adapts the second half of Frank Herbert’s science fiction epic “Dune” in this masterful sequel. The first “Dune” sets up the rich political and religious landscape of Arrakis, but “Dune: Part Two” shows Paul (Timothée Chalamet) coming into his final form as the Mahdi, a messiah figure for the native Fremen. After gaining their trust, he uses his status as a prophesied savior to exact vengeance on the villainous House Harkonnen who killed his father and dethroned his family in the previous film.
This movie has beautiful cinematography from Greig Fraser and phenomenal performances from Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Dave Bautista and Javier Bardem. The lengthy runtime is hardly noticeable since “Dune: Part Two” grabs its viewers by the collar and doesn’t let go until the credits are rolling.
— Marit Erickson, Staff Writer.
“Emilia Pérez”
No other movie has been under more scrutiny for Best Picture this season than “Emilia Pérez.” Controversies involving the actors and the film’s cultural inaccuracies plague the awards season discussion surrounding the film. It follows a fictional Mexican cartel leader as she enlists the help of a lawyer to facilitate their gender transition and disappearance. The cartel leader starts a new life and navigates the changes of their situation. Critics have praised the film's poignant discussion on gender and heritage, while general audiences have panned it for the exact same topics. The Mexican cartel musical from France does not have a single memorable song. Most of the choreography consists of two characters sitting at a table, begging the question: why this film is a musical at all, especially when part of the plot is inspired by very real tragedies taking place in Mexico.
The film has 18 nominations including Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Song. What seemed to be a predictable Netflix flop by fans has turned into an awards powerhouse by critics. The so-bad-it's-not-even-fun musical has a chance to make a historic run with the most Academy Awards nominations ever for a non-English film.
— Cameron Schneider, Photo Editor.
“I’m Still Here”
Family is at the heart of “I’m Still Here,” the first ever Brazilian movie nominated for Best Picture. The movie, an adaptation of a biography by the same name, follows the lives of the Paiva family as they grapple with the brutalities of the military dictatorship that gripped Brazil during the 1970s. Taking place over three distinct decades, we follow Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres) and her family through the stages of grief, anger and acceptance in a stellar and emotionally complex performance worthy of the Best Actress nomination as she navigates just what it means to become the pillar of a household, and to be thrust into the world she so willfully ignored.
With stellar cinematography that runs the gamut from a claustrophobically sterile precision to shakey, hand-filmed Super 8 footage, director Walter Salles commands the viewer’s attention through the subtleties — both audio and visual — which have become his forte. At the very least, it’s earned “I’m Still Here” the Best International Feature nomination it so rightfully deserves.
— Jake Piper, Staff Writer.
“Nickel Boys”
RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys,” based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, delivers a devastating story on racism and the effects of systemic abuse. Set in the 1960s Jim Crow Florida, the film follows the story of two young Black men, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), who are sent to an abusive reform school called Nickel Academy. The nonlinear narrative is told almost exclusively through the eyes of Elwood and Turner via a POV shot as the characters become the camera. Teetering between the boys’ vision of the past and Elwood’s life in the present, each frame tells a unique story that redefines the spectator’s place as an audience member. “Nickel Boys” doesn’t simply tell a narrative, but immerses the audience in it to see and experience the world through the eyes of someone else.
The intricate soundscape that bridges the mesmerizing non-diegetic music, the sonorous speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the awkward lulls of silence add to the staggering experience the film offers. Nominated for two Oscars, “Nickel Boys” has largely flown under the radar, but it should not be taken out of the running for Best Picture.
— Molly Sheehan, Sports Editor.
“The Substance”
We usually don’t see horror in the nominees for Best Picture — this is only the seventh time it has ever happened — but the nomination was rightly earned for “The Substance.” The film uses body horror to criticize societal pressures placed on women as they age. “The Substance” depicts Demi Moore as washed-up Hollywood star Elisabeth Sparkle, who takes a black market drug called The Substance that produces a younger version of herself, known as “Sue,” played by Margaret Qualley. The two begin to loathe each other, resulting in Sue “disrespecting the balance,” ultimately causing both of them to combine into one disfigured entity, “Monstro Elisasue.”
Moore was the standout performance, with the film reflecting her actual career as a former prominent actress whose popularity had faded as she grew older. In a time where society has been increasingly putting more pressure on women to look younger, the film does an excellent job — while in a grotesque manner — critiquing the unreasonable beauty standards women face with age.
— Brendan Wolf, Staff Writer.
“Wicked”
The film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s Broadway hit “Wicked” left a lasting impression on audiences globally. Raking in 10 nominations this season including Cynthia Erivo for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba, the film has real potential to bring home an Oscar this season.
While a movie musical like “Wicked” is not the typical candidate for an Academy Award in many respects, it allows itself to stand out amongst its fellow nominees. The film's lavish cinematography paired with its brilliant soundtrack made for an emotionally moving story of friendship and unity. Erivo and Glinda actress Ariana Grande make for a compelling female duo that transitions from friends to enemies, which has been lost in many recent films. “Wicked’s” transition from the stage to the big screen did not disappoint long standing fans of the story.
— Brooke Horowitz, Staff Writer.
Rebekah Irby is an arts editor for The Daily Cardinal.
Molly Sheehan is the Sports Editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has covered Wisconsin Badgers sports teams, written articles including player profiles and game previews, and covered match-ups as a photojournalist. Follow her on X @mollyrsheehan and Instagram @msheehanphotos
