2022 is almost finished, and that means awards season (which traditionally runs from the end of November to February) is in full swing. 2022 has been a great year for film, and the closer the end of the year gets, the more competitive the race to the Academy Awards gets as well. This year acclaimed award-winning filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and Guillermo del Toro all have new movies set for release. There have been some big surprises coming out of the festival circuit, and at this point, it could be anyone’s prize to win.
Awards season is a build-up to the Academy Awards, which are set to air on March 12, 2023. The nominees will be announced on January 24, 2023. Meanwhile, other major awards like the Screen Actors Guild, Producers Guild, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, Critic’s Choice, Independent Spirit, and even the controversial Golden Globes will have aired, helping set the stage for the potential nominees. While there is still some time until any nominees are announced, these 2022 movies have a strong chance at some major awards, particularly the Academy Awards.
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Top Gun: Maverick
Paramount Pictures
Currently the highest-grossing movie of 2022, Top Gun: Maverick also has the chance to be a major awards contender. That rare blockbuster film also has the potential to score some major nominations, including Best Picture similar to another critically acclaimed well regarded summer blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road.
Like Mad Max: Fury Road, Top Gun: Maverick does seem like a long-shot at winning Best Picture but surely has the chance to sweep the technical fields including Best Sound and Best Editing, and could possibly even earn Tom Cruise a nomination and win for Best Actor.
Avatar: The Way of Water
20th Century Studios
The original Avatar was a major awards contender when it was released, so anticipation is high for the sequel Avatar: The Way of Water. Seeing as how James Cameron’s previous two films, Titanic and Avatar, went on to be nominated in multiple categories across multiple awards shows, it is a safe bet to assume Avatar: The Way of Water will as well, even if is a rarity for sequels to be nominated (but the Godfather Part II win shows it is not impossible). It is for sure the lock for Best Visual Effects, and will likely be the front-runner for Best Production Design and maybe even a Best Director nomination for the tireless, decade-long work from James Cameron.
The Fabelmans
Universal Pictures
Two sure-fire things that get awards attention are Steven Spielberg and movies about the power of cinema, and The Fabelmans checks both of those boxes. The movie is a semi-autobiographical look at Spielberg’s youth and shows not only his early passion for filmmaking but acts as a moving family drama about a family falling apart. The movie has been warmly received with some of the best reviews in Spielberg’s career (which is saying something for the legendary filmmaker) and right now could be considered the early front-runner for Best Picture.
Michelle Williams also has a strong shot at the Best Actress nomination and Paul Dano feels like a potential Best Supporting Actor nominee. All eyes are on Steven Spielberg if he can win his third Best Director trophy, and even possibly secure the Best Original Screenplay win alongside Tony Kushner.
Women Talking
United Artists Releasing
Women Talking has been earning rave reviews since playing at various festivals like Telluride, Toronto International, New York, and AFI, and is set to open in theaters on December 23, 2022. The film follows eight women in an isolated Mennonite colony in 2010 that have their faith tested when they discover that the men for years have been drugging them and sexually assaulting them.
Much of the praise has gone to director Sarah Polley, who feels like a sure bet for Best Director and following the recent trend of women directors taking home the Oscar (Chloé Zhao for Nomadland and Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog), the odds seem in her favor. The film’s massive cast of talented women including Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Shelia McCarthy, Judith Ivey, and Francis McDormand means it could receive multiple acting nominations.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
A24
Nobody could have expected Everything Everywhere All At Once to become a major awards contender when the trailer was first released. Yet the film went on to become not only a mainstream hit but also garner widespread critical acclaim. Despite being released in March, those two factors will likely carry it over into awards season and A24’s highest-grossing movie now has the potential to earn a Best Picture nomination.
It seems likely Michelle Yeoh will be nominated for Best Actress and Stephanie Hsu for Best Supporting Actress. It is the career comeback of Ke Huy Quan, previously seen in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Goonies, who is the big awards contender and is the front-runner for Best Supporting Actor.
Tár
Focus Features
Ever since Tár premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár has shot to the top of the conversation for Best Actress. She already has won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice International Film Festival as well as the Desert Palm Achievement Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Tár has a strong possibility of securing a nomination for Best Picture and Best Cinematography, but it feels clear that Blanchett has a good chance of winning her third Oscar.
Pinocchio
Netflix
Best Animated films tend to be favored by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation, and while this year Turning Red had a strong chance at winning the top prize it appears now Pinocchio is the front-runner. One of three Pinocchio adaptations released in 2022 (Disney even remade their classic animated film), this newest offering comes from visionary director Guillermo del Toro and is a stop-motion animated film. It has been showered with praise since it was released, and with a limited theatrical release in November before releasing on Netflix in December, it could become the last-minute surprise winner.
Del Toro’s Pans Labyrinth won Best International Film and The Shape of Water won Best Picture, so the director has won two different Best Picture categories, and it would not be surprising in the least if another one of his films won another major Best Picture title. Pinocchio might also join the rare list of animated films to also earn a Best Picture nomination, one that includes Beauty and the Beast, Up, and Toy Story 3.
