Joey Magidson
At midnight, Taylor Swift released her latest album, Midnights, and I finalized my latest Oscar predictions update. Now, one is more widely acclaimed than the other (and rightly so, the album is excellent), but it’s a delineation of the season that I wanted to point out. As of last week, when I saw an until then unseen awards player, we now only have three or four X factors left in the season. It’s usually much later in the year before that happens. So, it’s good to mark the time, as we dive into my latest update, spurred on by a new player on the seen.
Once Amsterdam, which Swift appears in (sorry, I really like the album and it’s playing in the background as I write this), debuted and was met with mostly indifference last month, all eyes turned to She Said. The dramatization of the journalists who investigated the story which eventually would take down Harvey Weinstein debuted at the New York Film Festival (as well as in London) to largely positive buzz. Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan especially received strong mentions for their keyed in performances. After a long wait, the movie showcased the goods in an understated way, which suggests strong Oscar potential if all goes well, but also a potentially thorny path forward.
She Said feels like a contender, but with the caveat that the industry needs to embrace it. Voters need to not avoid the content, which is a worry, but the quality is there. So, once you take it in, it isn’t long before you wondering about its awards prospects. Even back in my review out of NYFF (here), I was already speculating about its Oscar season potential:
Awards prospects for She Said should be robust. At this point, A Best Picture nomination should be in the cards, as should a Best Adapted Screenplay nod for Lenkiewicz. Below the line, Nicholas Britell‘s music could definitely crack a Best Original Score lineup. As for Kazan and Mulligan, category placement will have something to say about how they do, nom-wise, but both are worthy of Best Actress consideration. One might be bumped to Best Supporting Actress, and if that’s Mulligan, she might even be a threat to win. Simply put, this film is a player.
Now, we just await the arrivals of Avatar: The Way of Water, Babylon, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Emancipation. They will be the final reveals before we take on the contenders a whole. We’re nearing that time, too, as at least one of these is about to screen. Sit tight for more there, but the puzzle is rapidly being filled in. She Said was simply the latest piece to come out of the box.
My prior early prediction articles (found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) are available for your perusal, and can see some more of the changes I’ve been making. Like I’ve been saying since early on in the month of September, we’re now in it, friends.
Folks, as always you can see my newest crack at advance Oscar predictions (which officially now will just be considered regular old new predictions, as opposed to year in advance) right here at Awards Radar. The changes are coming, and will continue to come, more and more, now that the fall festivals have basically wrapped up. So, sit tight for more…
Stay tuned for another update to these Oscar predictions as the awards season continues!
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