Chris here, with a quick update on the visual effects Oscar race. Two weeks ago this year's longlist of twenty eligible CGI wonders dropped but the VFX branch is already down to the next bake off round, slicing those contenders in half. Those not tough enough to stick around included many of the early year releases (like Beauty and the Beast and Logan) and every superhero film with the exception of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
But fear not, humble porg, for you and the fish nuns of The Last Jedi are still in the hunt. Here's the ten films that advance:
- Alien: Covenant
- Blade Runner 2049
- Dunkirk
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Kong: Skull Island
- Okja
- The Shape of Water
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi
- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
- War for the Planet of the Apes
Interesting to see smaller art house fare like Okja and The Shape of Water advance in a category that traditionally favors studio pictures. The win two years ago for Ex Machina (and to a much lesser extent last year's Deepwater Horizon nomination) suggests that supporting visual effects actually stand a chance against showier work. Along with the seemless, unflashy Dunkirk these make for curious potential nomination threats against the flashier sights of likely nominees Last Jedi and Apes. What five do you think are the eventual nominees?