My Favorite Writing in This Year’s Oscar Nominees

The 98th Academy Awards are this Sunday at 7:00 PM ET, airing on ABC and streaming on Hulu. This year, we have a true race in so many categories to the point where the only prediction I am confident in is that Jessie Buckley will win Best Actress for Hamnet. Just call me Hot Take Tallent.

I decided to see if I could pull off watching every nominee before Sunday. It took some time and planning, but I saw my last one earlier this week with Sentimental Value. Along the way, I saw many well-written films. Here are my 10 favorite examples of writing in this year’s nominees in no particular order.

One Battle After Another (13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay)

A common refrain about this adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland is “They don’t make movies like this anymore.” That’s the truth. This film feels like a throwback to the 1970s when directors were given huge budgets to make films about uncomfortable subjects and morally ambiguous characters. Like those films, it has you enthralled, terrified, and laughing at different points throughout its 162-minute runtime.

Sinners (16 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay)

If you grew up in the 1990s, chances are you have watched Robert Rodriguez’s and Quentin Tarantino’s From Dusk till Dawn, maybe even more than once. In watching Sinners, I could not help but wonder if Ryan Coogler once saw this grindhouse picture about two bank robbers finding themselves in a biker bar run by vampires and decided he could do this on a much more epic and socially important scale. Either way, he did just that and may come away with several Oscars.

Bugonia (Four nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay)

Director Yorgos Lanthimos’s most accessible film will have you questioning who is telling the truth, who is delusional, and who is flat out lying all the way to the end. That is a testament to Emma Stone’s and Jesse Plemons’ performances, but also Will Tracy’s script.

The Secret Agent (Four nominations, including Best Picture and Best International Feature Film)

The legend of the Hairy Leg came about during the Brazilian military dictatorship when newspapers would use it to take the place of stories that were censored by the government and give their readers a nod to what had happened. It is used as an anchor in this story of resisting an authoritarian regime.

Weapons (Best Supporting Actress, Amy Madigan)

When you think of this movie, you remember the kids running and Amy Madigan’s terrifying performance. However, what makes it truly resonate is the way it shows how an unspeakable tragedy causes a seemingly normal town to unravel.

It Was Just an Accident (Two nominations, including Best International Feature film and Best Original Screenplay)

This film about former Iranian political prisoners kidnapping the man they believed was their torturer is even more remarkable when you learn that it was filmed in secret in the Islamic Republic. It is hard to believe that would have been possible without a topnotch script.

Sirat (Two nominations, including Best International Feature Film)

All of the movies I have just mentioned are pretty easy to stream. When you get a chance to watch this movie that is still in theaters about a group of European ravers traveling across North Africa as World War III breaks out, I suggest you take time to do so.

Jane Austen’s Period Drama (Best Live Action Short Film)

Perhaps the most on-the-nose title on this list, the plot to this short is exactly what it sounds like, and it is hilarious. But you don’t have to take my word for it. You can take 12 minutes and watch it right here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxpjzOLVRR0

The Girl Who Cried Pearls (Best Animated Short Film)

This is a masterclass in storytelling, but if I share any more, it will give away the plot of this 17-minute film.

Frankenstein (Nine nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay)

 Mary Shelley’s novel has been adapted in some form or fashion more than 400 times, but none have captured its true message and feel. While Kenneth Branagh’s comes the closest in following it scene-for-scene, Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation does the best job capturing the spirit of the original book.

One other thing I noticed is that this year’s nominees are the best collectively since before COVID-19. Hopefully, this will be a sign of things to come.

If you enjoyed this piece, you might also like my earlier blog on Understanding Both sides for your writing.

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