"All Quiet on the Western Front" | © Netflix
Like in the last few seasons, the Academy has announced shortlists in 10 Oscar categories – Documentary Feature, International Film, Original Score, Song, Sound, Visual Effects, and the three Shorts races. As always, there are surprises along with expected honors and the domination of certain frontrunners. One imagines this is an especially sweet batch of finalists for fans of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and All Quiet on the Western Front, who rule over all other contenders with mentions in five different categories. Not far behind, we find Avatar: The Way of Water with four categories.
Expect more commentary at a later time, but for now, let's look over the complete lists and fire off some instant reactions…
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
- Argentina, Argentina, 1985
- Austria, Corsage
- Belgium, Close
- Cambodia, Return to Seoul
- Denmark, Holy Spider
- France, Saint Omer
- Germany, All Quiet on the Western Front
- India, Last Film Show
- Ireland, The Quiet Girl
- Mexico, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
- Morocco, The Blue Caftan
- Pakistan, Joyland
- Poland, EO
- South Korea, Decision to Leave
- Sweden, Cairo Conspiracy
I'm sad that Alcarràs and Mars One missed the list and most surprised by Klondike's snub. But, overall, I didn't do that lousy predictions-wise – a rare occasion worth celebrating.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
- All That Breathes
- All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
- Bad Axe
- Children of the Mist
- Descendant
- Fire of Love
- Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song
- Hidden Letters
- A House Made of Splinters
- The Janes
- Last Flight Home
- Moonage Daydream
- Navalny
- Retrograde
- The Territory
This category has the potential to be one of the very best lineups of the year. So please don't disappoint, AMPAS. Regarding surprises, I'm shocked at Good Night Oppy's failure to secure a spot on this shortlist. The same goes for Three Minutes: A Lengthening, which many were predicting.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" | © Disney
ORIGINAL SCORE
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- Babylon
- The Banshees of Inisherin
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Devotion
- Don't Worry Darling
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- The Fabelmans
- Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
- Nope
- She Said
- The Woman King
- Women Talking
Though Tár was deemed ineligible, Hildur Gudnadottir is still on track for a second nomination thanks to her work in Women Talking. Good to know Nope wasn't completely forgotten and that Don't Worry Darling can get recognition for one of its few worthy elements.
ORIGINAL SONG
- "Time" from Amsterdam
- "Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)" from Avatar: The Way of Water
- "Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- "This Is A Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once
- "Ciao Papa" from Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
- "Til You're Home" from A Man Called Otto
- "Naatu Naatu" from RRR
- "My Mind & Me" from Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
- "Good Afternoon" from Spirited
- "Applause" from Tell It like a Woman
- "Stand Up" from Till
- "Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick
- "Dust & Ash" from The Voice of Dust and Ash
- "Carolina" from Where the Crawdads Sing
- "New Body Rhumba" from White Noise
Justice for "Nobody Like U" and "(You Made It Feel Like) Home" from Turning Red and Bones & All, respectively. Also, am I the only one surprised at Amsterdam's success here?
"Moonage Daydream" | © Neon
SOUND
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- Babylon
- The Batman
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Elvis
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
- Moonage Daydream
- Top Gun: Maverick
Moonage Daydream is a delightful inclusion, though it's sad that Tár's sound design didn't impress Academy voters. Pinocchio is another surprise addition, while The Fabelmans' absence may indicate less widespread support than many have assumed. We'll have to wait and see.
VISUAL EFFECTS
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- The Batman
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
- Jurassic World Dominion
- Nope
- Thirteen Lives
- Top Gun: Maverick
What a boring list overall. Sad, too, since Everything Everywhere All At Once's absence is a shock. Also, how on Earth did The Secrets of Dumbledore make it here?
MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Amsterdam
- Babylon
- The Batman
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Blonde
- Crimes of the Future
- Elvis
- Emancipation
- The Whale
A Man Called Otto won't follow in the path of its Swedish original, which scored one of those weird Makeup nods for European flicks. It seems The Northman was utterly forgotten by voters. Furthermore, Crimes of the Future aside, this branch remains vexingly anti-horror.
"Ice Merchants" | © COLA - Colectivo Audiovisual
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
- Black Slide
- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
- The Debutante
- The Flying Sailor
- The Garbage Man
- Ice Merchants
- It's Nice in Here
- More than I Want to Remember
- My Year of Dicks
- New Moon
- An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
- Passenger
- Save Ralph
- Sierra
- Steakhouse
I can't begin to explain how overjoyed I am at Ice Merchants' success. Please, let this materialize in a nomination.
LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM
- All in Favor
- Almost Home
- An Irish Goodbye
- Ivalu
- Le Pupille
- The Lone Wolf
- Nakam
- Night Ride
- Plastic Killer
- The Red Suitcase
- The Right Words
- Sideral
- The Treatment
- Tula
- Warsha
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
- American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton
- Anastasia
- Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison
- As Far as They Can Run
- The Elephant Whisperers
- The Flagmakers
- Happiness Is £4 Million
- Haulout
- Holding Moses
- How Do You Measure a Year?
- The Martha Mitchell Effect
- Nuisance Bear
- Shut Up and Paint
- Stranger at the Gate
- 38 at the Garden
What are your thoughts on the Oscars shortlists? What surprised and delighted you the most? What made you seethe?