Winners
- Nickel Boys
Even though they are called the Critics’ Choice, the Critics Choice often struggles to nominate more experimental and complex films. Look at last year, when The Zone of Interest received no nominations outside of International Feature. That’s why it’s a great day for Ramell Ross’ Nickel Boys, which received five nominations, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Director.
So far, even with its highly experimental vision, Nickel Boys is looking very strong for the Academy Awards. With a Best Picture nomination here, as well as nods from the Golden Globes and the American Film Institute (AFI), it’s solidifying its place as a major contender.
- The Substance
The Substance looks unstoppable after today, securing seven nominations, including Best Picture. Both the Globes and Critics Choice had no issue with the film’s genre or subject matter. With how well the film is performing, a Best Picture nomination seems like a foregone conclusion. It’s doing so well that it makes you wonder if there’s potential for greater success then just nominations.
- Sing Sing and Dune Part 2
Both Sing Sing and Dune: Part 2 rebounded strongly after landing on the losers list at the Golden Globes earlier this week. Dune: Part 2 earned an impressive 10 nominations, including a Best Director nod for Denis Villeneuve, a category he notably missed on Monday. Meanwhile, Sing Sing garnered five nominations, a significant improvement from its single recognition at the Globes. While this success doesn’t guarantee all of these nominations will translate into Oscar nods, it’s a positive step forward for both films as awards season progresses.
Losers
- A Real Pain
Before today, A Real Pain had not missed a beat, earning a Best Picture spot at the National Board of Review (NBR), AFI, and Golden Globes. That’s why it was a shocker to see it left out of the Critics Choice’s Ten for Best Picture. It is not a good look that a small sundance independent film would be left out by the group (the critics) that is supposed to be their champions in awards season.
It was still able to get two nominations: Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Kiernan Culkin. However, this snub could be very concerning given how crowded the Best Picture race is becoming and how small the nomination potential is overall.
- Nicole Kidman
In what continues to be an ultra-competitive Best Actress race, Nicole Kidman was left out today for her performance in Babygirl. Since the Critics Choice began nominating for Best Actress in 2000, they have only left out the eventual Oscar winner once—Kate Winslet for The Reader in 2008, though she was nominated in Supporting instead of Lead.
Kidman could still very easily get the Oscar nomination, but her chances of securing a second trophy are now slim.
- Challengers
It might sound hyperbolic to say today was Challengers’ last stand, but after today’s results, it’s hard to see the film’s path to Oscar glory. It received four nominations but none for Best Picture, Best Director, or any acting categories. Going forward, it looks like the ceiling for Challengers will be Best Score and Best Original Screenplay.
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Any hope that Furiosa would find similar awards success to its predecessor Mad Max: Fury Road has long been extinguished. However, it was still perceived to be in the race for many of the technical and craft categories. The Critics Choice did not help enforce that perception completely shutting out the film in these categories, rewarding it only with a single nomination for Best Young Actor (a category not shared with other awards bodies).
Whether due to poor box office performance or its early release date, this awards season looks like it will have no love for George Miller’s potential final installment in the Mad Max franchise.
Unsure
- September 5
It’s funny that, just like after the Golden Globes, September 5 is still in the “Unsure” category. It still remains unclear where this film stands going forward. It received only two Critics Choice nominations and failed to crack Best Picture.
However, those two nominations were in Original Screenplay and Editing, two traditionally important categories for securing a Best Picture nomination. September 5 continues to be a wildcard, with its Best Picture nomination status still up in the air.
- A Complete Unknown
The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown continues to rack up Best Picture nominations, now with mentions at the Critics Choice, the Golden Globes, the AFI, and the NBR.
The reason it remains in the “Unsure” category and not “Winners” is that it only received two additional nominations, both in acting categories for Timothée Chalamet and Edward Norton. The film has struggled to gain momentum in Screenplay, Directing, or any technical categories. This leaves a sense of vulnerability, even as the film continues to accumulate Best Picture nominations.
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