9 Movies To Watch Out For This Awards Season

13th January 2025 | By Rufus Punt

It’s that time of year again for film fans, as awards season comes into full swing and the inevitable questions of who and what might win the Oscars are hotly debated. And just like every year, the roster of movies likely to be nominated for those shiny gold statues and others have come into focus. There are critical favourites like The Brutalist and Anora, and crowd pleasers like Wicked and A Complete Unknown – here’s the list of movies to keep an eye on throughout the awards race.

The Brutalist

There’s plenty of time before the ceremony, but if you had to back a horse for the Best Picture Oscar, The Brutalist would certainly be a good pick. It stars Adrien Brody, who’s previously won an Oscar himself, as an immigrant architect, László, who arrives on the shores of the US in search of a better life during WWII. Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones also star, as a client who Adrien meets, and László’s wife back home in Hungary, respectively. As he tries to make sense of this new country, László is given an opportunity with his talents that could change his life forever. It’s long, has been compared to the likes of The Godfather and Citizen Kane, and may be remembered as one of the best films of the 2020s.

Anora

Another critically popular film of last year, Anora is another strong contender for awards season: while it didn’t win at the Golden Globes, it did beat out the competition at the Cannes Film Festival last year to win the Palme d’Or. Directed by Sean Baker, it stars Scream star Mikey Madison as Ani, a sex worker, who is hired by Ivan, the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. The two fall into something of a fairy tale relationship, with Ani hoping this will turn into her dream life. But trouble soon erupts in paradise when Ivan’s family hears of the two heading for marriage and seeks to intervene. Madison’s performance, Baker’s direction, and the screenplay have been particularly acclaimed.

The Substance

Demi Moore definitely etched her name into this awards season when she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy for The Substance, completing her second act in Hollywood. In this often squirm-worthy and yet unforgettable horror satire, Moore plays a former Hollywood star and TV workout guru, Elizabeth Sparkle, who finds that age is catching up to her. Given the boot by her boss (Dennis Quaid), she orders a drug known as “the substance” in an act of desperation. It creates a younger version of her (played by Margaret Qualley) who sets out to reclaim Elizabeth’s former workout host role. But things, of course, don’t go very smoothly…

Emilia Perez

Emilia Perez was released back in October, and while it was a bit under the radar for a while, it too took home awards at the Golden Globes and became a contender for more this award season. A thriller-comedy-musical hybrid, it follows a cartel leader (played by Karla Sofía Gascón), who hires a lawyer (played by Zoe Saldana), to help her to both disappear and to transition in a woman. It’s not the only musical looking toward the Oscars (Wicked and A Complete Unknown, for example), but it could have the appeal needed to win over the Academy.

Conclave

Mixing political machinations with a commentary on the Catholic Church and its future, Conclave is one of those films your eyeballs are drawn to due to its impressive cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini, to name a few. But it’s also a very enjoyable watch, with the script and Fiennes’s performance particularly singled out by critics as “likely to be given awards.” Essentially, the setup is simple: the Pope has died, and a new head pontiff needs to be chosen. But what really goes on within the walls of the Vatican before the Pope is elected? The film explores this and more and remains a strong contender for awards.

A Complete Unknown

A music legend, a biopic, and a star lead performance: three ingredients that will often result in a slew of award nominations. Focusing on what happened to the music world “when Dylan went electric”, A Complete Unknown stars Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, alongside Elle Fanning as his girlfriend, based on the real-life figure of Suze Rotolo. In the mid-60s, Dylan was already well known and being described as the voice of his generation. But he would stir controversy when he decided to start utilising electric instruments, and while it would lead to what is now regarded as some of his best albums, was seen at the time as selling out. Chalamet faces strong competition, but could well end up with an Oscar by his name this year.

Wicked

Wicked certainly has a lot of popular appeal, becoming a box office hit and based on the stage phenomenon, though it’s perhaps not the most obvious pick for big, prestigious awards. Though it’s unlikely to be a Best Picture winner, it’s gotten a strong response from critics and audiences, and could well pick up gongs for its soundtrack, visuals and costumes. You’re probably at least somewhat aware of the story: a prequel (and sequel) to The Wizard of Oz, telling the origins of The Wicked Witch of the West (known here as Elphaba, and played by Cynthia Eviro) and Glinda the Good (played by Ariana Grande). Even if it doesn’t get many wins this year, the forthcoming Part Two set to release in November provides another shot.

A Real Pain

A comedy from Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain follows two cousins, David (Eisenberg) and Benj (Kieran Culkin), who despite their differences go on a trip together to Poland to honour their late grandmother. David is the much straighter laced of the two, preferring to keep an uneventful life and focus on his job, while Benj is much more of a wildcat, flaunting the rules and happily smoking weed. As they explore their Polish-Jewish heritage, they’re unable to stop themselves from clashing with one another and their different outlooks. Culkin won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor- so the Succession star could well see further glory throughout the awards season.

All We Imagine As Light

Another contender looking to make a splash this awards season, the drama All We Imagine As Light has been widely praised since debuting at Cannes. It follows a nurse, Prabha (Kani Kusruti), living in Mumbai and juggling her career and her home life. Things get difficult when a present arrives from her estranged husband, sparking inner turmoil about her future. At the same time, her younger roommate, Anu (Divya Prabha) is struggling to find a place in the city where she can be alone and intimate with her partner. It’s certainly going to have a good chance of winning the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.


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