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Attention, Oscar completists! Award season is in full swing, with all of this year’s biggest releases in the race to score the film industry’s top prizes when the Oscars return in March 2023.
It’s been a stellar 12 months for movies, and as we head into December, the race is about to really heat up, as Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans and James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water are about to enter the chat. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t some big contenders in the mix already.
Despite being released back in April, Daniels’ (aka Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) Everything Everywhere All At Once has not only maintained its award season buzz throughout the year but it’s predicted to get Oscar nods in nearly every category.
Meanwhile, 2022 also marked the return of Baz Luhrmann with Elvis, which was filmed on the Gold Coast. Austin Butler, who plays Elvis Presley in the film, is heavily tipped to be nominated for his first Academy Award for the role, and Elvis will likely also score nods in Costume Design and Production Design, and may even snag a coveted Best Picture nomination.
For movie lovers in Australia, though, this can be a frustrating time of year as we try to track down all the biggest players in award season, as they often have different release dates, stream on different platforms or simply aren’t as readily available to watch here compared to the US. We’re here to help.
We’ve scoured the predictions of Gold Derby to collate all the most likely Oscar nominees across the categories available so far, and pulled all info you need — that is, when and where you can watch them in Australia. The good news? There are plenty of films streaming right now, so you can get started on your Oscar journey today.
Who are Gold Derby? Well, they track all of Hollywood’s hottest races, from who’s going to win Survivor to what will win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. They pool their predictions from experts and editors across media, including Variety, Deadline, USA Today, IMDb, Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly, Huffington Post, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Indiewire, TV Guide, TV Line, Yahoo and more.
As it stands, this post is currently missing the four Short Film categories, which we will add in as soon as they become available in Australia.
Without further ado, the (likely) nominees are…
Aftersun
Directed by: Charlotte Wells
Written by: Charlotte Wells
Starring: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall
Synopsis: Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father 20 years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Mescal), Best Original Screenplay
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas February 23, 2023
All Quiet on the Western Front
Directed by: Edward Berger
Written by: Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell
Starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer
Synopsis: A young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best International Feature Film (Germany), Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Production Design, Score, Makeup and Hair Styling, Sound, Visual Effects
Where to watch: Streaming now on Netflix
All That Breathes
Directed by: Shaunak Sen
Starring: Salik Rehman, Mohammad Saud, Nadeem Shehzad
Synopsis: Amidst the darkening backdrop of Delhi’s apocalyptic air and escalating violence, two brothers devote their lives to protect one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the Black Kite.
Oscar potential: Best Documentary Feature
Where to watch: TBA
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Directed by: Laura Poitras
Synopsis: Following the life of artist Nan Goldin and the downfall of the Sackler family, the pharmaceutical dynasty who was greatly responsible for the opioid epidemic’s unfathomable death toll.
Oscar potential: Best Documentary Feature
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas March 9th, 2023
Argentina, 1985
Directed by: Santiago Mitre
Written by: Mariano Llinás, Martín Mauregui (collaborator), Santiago Mitre
Starring: Ricardo Darín, Gina Mastronicola, Francisco Bertín
Synopsis: A team of lawyers takes on the heads of Argentina’s bloody military dictatorship during the 1980s in a battle against odds and a race against time.
Oscar potential: Best International Feature (Argentina)
Where to watch: Streaming now on Prime Video
Avatar: The Way of Water
Directed by: James Cameron
Written by: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Starring: Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet
Synopsis: Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the planet of Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their planet.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (James Cameron), Cinematography, Film Editing, Production Design, Score, Best Original Song (“You Give Me Strength”, performed by The Weeknd), Sound, Visual Effects
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
Related: “All-Consuming”: James Cameron Might Be Getting Over Making ‘Avatar’ Sequels
Related: Why Did ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Take So Long to Make?
Related: A Viral Tweet Made Me Track How Often I Think About ‘Titanic’ — Here, I Present the Results
Babylon
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Written by: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Jean Smart
Synopsis: A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Damien Chazelle), Best Actress (Margot Robbie), Best Supporting Actress (Jean Smart), Best Supporting Actor (Brad Pitt), Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Score, Makeup and Hair Styling, Sound
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas January 19, 2023
Bad Axe
Directed by: David Siev
Starring: Skyler Janssen, Michael Meinhold, Chun Siev
Synopsis: A real-time portrait of 2020 unfolds as an Asian-American family in Trump’s rural America fights to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Killing Fields.
Oscar potential: Best Documentary Feature
Where to watch: TBC
The Banshees of Inisherin
Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Written by: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon
Synopsis: Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Martin McDonagh), Best Actor (Colin Farrell), Best Supporting Actress (Kerry Condon), Best Supporting Actor (Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan), Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Production Design, Score
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Written by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone
Starring: Daniel Giménez Cacho, Griselda Siciliani, Ximena Lamadrid
Synopsis: An acclaimed journalist-turned-documentarian goes on an oneiric introspective journey to reconcile with the past, the present and his Mexican identity.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Cinematography, Production Design, Best International Feature (Mexico)
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix from December 16th, 2022
The Batman
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Written by: Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, Bob Kane (created by: Batman)
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright
Synopsis: When a sadistic serial killer begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement.
Oscar potential: Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Score, Makeup and Hair Styling, Sound, Visual Effects
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Written by: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole
Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira
Synopsis: The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T’Challa.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Angela Bassett), Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Production Design, Score, Makeup and Hair Styling, Best Original Song (“Lift Me Up”, performed by Rihanna), Sound, Visual Effects
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
Related: Rihanna (the Singer) Is Back for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
Blonde
Directed by: Andrew Dominik
Written by: Andrew Dominik, based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates
Starring: Ana de Armas, Lily Fisher, Julianne Nicholson
Synopsis: A fictionalised chronicle of the inner life of Marilyn Monroe.
Oscar potential: Makeup and Hair Styling
Where to watch: Streaming now on Netflix
Bones and All
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Written by: David Kajganich (screenplay by), Camille DeAngelis (based on the novel by)
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Russell, Mark Rylance
Synopsis: Maren, a young woman, learns how to survive on the margins of society.
Oscar potential: Best Supporting Actor (Mark Rylance), Best Adapted Screenplay, Score
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
Causeway
Directed by: Lila Neugebauer
Written by: Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel, Elizabeth Sanders
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond
Synopsis: A US soldier suffers a traumatic brain injury while fighting in Afghanistan and struggles to adjust to life back home.
Oscar potential: Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Supporting Actor (Brian Tyree Henry)
Where to watch: Streaming now on AppleTV+
Close
Directed by: Lukas Dhont
Written by: Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens
Starring: Eden Dambrine, Gustav De Waele, Émilie Dequenne
Synopsis: The intense friendship between two 13-year old boys, Leo and Remi, suddenly gets disrupted. Struggling to understand what has happened, Léo approaches Sophie, Rémi’s mother. Close is a film about friendship and responsibility.
Oscar potential: Best International Feature (Belgium)
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas February 16, 2023
Corsage
Directed by: Marie Kreutzer
Written by: Marie Kreutzer
Starring: Colin Morgan, Vicky Krieps, Ivana Urban
Synopsis: A fictional account of one year in the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. On Christmas Eve 1877, Elisabeth, once idolised for her beauty, turns 40 and is officially deemed an old woman; she starts trying to maintain her public image.
Oscar potential: Costume Design, Best International Feature (Austria)
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas February 9th, 2023
Crimes of the Future
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Written by: David Cronenberg
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart
Synopsis: Humans adapt to a synthetic environment, with new transformations and mutations. With his partner Caprice, Saul Tenser, celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances.
Oscar potential: Makeup and Hair Styling
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
Decision to Leave
Directed by: Park Chan-wook
Written by: Park Chan-wook, Seo-kyung Chung
Starring: Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Lee Jung-hyun
Synopsis: A detective investigating a man’s death in the mountains meets the dead man’s mysterious wife in the course of his dogged sleuthing.
Oscar potential: Best Director (Park Chan-wook), Best Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Best International Feature (South Korea)
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
Descendant
Directed by: Margaret Brown
Synopsis: Follows descendants of the survivors from the Clotilda, the last ship that carried enslaved Africans to the United States, as they reclaim their story.
Oscar potential: Best Documentary Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on Netflix
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Written by: Michael Waldron, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko (created by: Doctor Strange)
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Synopsis: Doctor Strange teams up with a mysterious teenage girl from his dreams who can travel across universes to battle multiple threats, including other-universe versions of himself, which threaten to wipe out millions across the multiverse. They seek help from the Scarlet Witch, Wong and others.
Oscar potential: Visual Effects
Where to watch: Streaming now on Disney+
Elvis
Directed by: Baz Luhrmann
Written by: Baz Luhrmann (screenplay and story), Sam Bromell (screenplay), Craig Pearce (screenplay), and Jeremy Doner (screenplay and story)
Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge
Synopsis: The life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Actor (Austin Butler), Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Makeup and Hair Styling, Sound
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
Related: After Playing Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’, Austin Butler Is Becoming a Household Name
Related: Olivia DeJonge Opens Up About the Pressures of Playing Priscilla Presley in ‘Elvis’
Related: “It’s Been Hugely Extensive”: Designer Catherine Martin Spent Years Researching for ‘Elvis’
Emancipation
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Written by: Bill Collage
Starring: Will Smith, Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa
Synopsis: A runaway slave forges through the swamps of Louisiana on a tortuous journey to escape plantation owners that nearly killed him.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Antoine Fuqua), Best Actor (Will Smith), Best Supporting Actor (Ben Foster), Cinematography, Makeup and Hair Styling
Where to watch: Streaming now on AppleTV+
Empire of Light
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Written by: Sam Mendes
Starring: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth
Synopsis: A drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times, set in an English coastal town in the early 1980s.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Sam Mendes), Best Actress (Olivia Colman), Best Supporting Actor (Micheal Ward), Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Score
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas March 2nd, 2023
EO
Directed by: Jerzy Skolimowski
Written by: Ewa Piaskowska, Jerzy Skolimowski
Starring: Sandra Drzymalska, Isabelle Huppert Lorenzo Zurzolo
Synopsis: Follows a donkey who encounters on his journeys both good and bad people, experiences joy and pain, and explores a vision of modern Europe.
Oscar potential: Best International Feature (Poland)
Where to watch: TBC
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Directed by: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (aka ‘Daniels’)
Written by: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (aka ‘Daniels’)
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis
Synopsis: An ageing Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, in which she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Daniels), Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Sound
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
The Fabelmens
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner
Starring: Michelle Williams, Gabriel LaBelle, Paul Dano
Synopsis: Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Actress (Michelle Williams), Best Actor (Gabriel LaBelle), Best Supporting Actor (Judd Hirsch, Paul Dano), Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Score
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas January 5th, 2023
Fire of Love
Directed by: Sara Dosa
Written by: Shane Boris, Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput
Starring: Miranda July (voice), Katia Krafft (archive footage), Maurice Krafft (archive footage)
Synopsis: Intrepid scientists and lovers Katia and Maurice Krafft died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded.
Oscar potential: Best Documentary Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on Disney+
Glass Onion
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Written by: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson
Synopsis: Famed Southern detective Benoit Blanc travels to Greece for his latest case.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Janelle Monáe), Best Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Score
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Directed by: Sophie Hyde
Written by: Katy Brand
Starring: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack, Isabella Laughland
Synopsis: Nancy Stokes, a retired school teacher, is yearning for some adventure, and some sex. And she has a plan, which involves hiring a young sex worker named Leo Grande.
Oscar potential: Best Actress (Emma Thompson), Best Original Screenplay
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now, or rent on Prime Video
The Good Nurse
Directed by: Tobias Lindholm
Written by: Charles Graeber (based on the book by), Krysty Wilson-Cairns (screenplay by)
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Chastain, Denise Pillott
Synopsis: An infamous caregiver is implicated in the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients.
Oscar potential: Best Supporting Actor (Eddie Redmayne)
Where to watch: Streaming now on Netflix
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson
Written by: Guillermo del Toro (screenplay by), Patrick McHale (screenplay by), Carlo Collodi (based on the book Pinocchio, written by)
Starring: Gregory Mann (voice), Ewan McGregor (voice), Ron Perlman (voice)
Synopsis: A father’s wish magically brings a wooden boy to life in Italy, giving him a chance to care for the child.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Score, Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song (“Ciao Papa”, performed by Gregory Mann)
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now, or streaming on Netflix from December 9th, 2022
Holy Spider
Directed by: Ali Abbasi
Written by: Ali Abbasi, Afshin Kamran Bahrami, Jonas Wagner (story supervisor)
Starring: Mehdi Bajestani, Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, Arash Ashtiani
Synopsis: A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called “Spider Killer”, who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.
Oscar potential: Best International Feature (Denmark)
Where to watch: TBC
Hustle
Directed by: Jeremiah Zagar
Written by: Taylor Materne, Will Fetters
Starring: Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, Juancho Hernangomez
Synopsis: A basketball scout discovers a phenomenal street ball player while in Spain and sees the prospect as his opportunity to get back into the NBA.
Oscar potential: Best Actor (Adam Sandler)
Where to watch: Streaming now on Netflix
The Inspection
Directed by: Elegance Bratton
Written by: Elegance Bratton
Starring: Jeremy Pope, Gabrielle Union, Bokeem Woodbine
Synopsis: A young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside.
Oscar potential: Best Actor (Jeremy Pope), Best Supporting Actress (Gabrielle Union)
Where to watch: TBC
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Directed by: Kasi Lemmons
Written by: Anthony McCarten
Starring: Stanley Tucci, Naomi Ackie, Tamara Tunie
Synopsis: The joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, one of the greatest female R&B pop vocalists of all time. I Wanna Dance With Somebody tracks her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Actress (Naomie Ackie)
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas December 26th, 2022
The Janes
Directed by: Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes
Starring: Judith Arcana, Heather Booth, Richard J. Daley (archive footage)
Synopsis: Police arrested seven women who were part of a clandestine network. Using code names, blindfolds and safe houses, they built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, illegal abortions calling themselves JANE.
Oscar potential: Best Documentary Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on BINGE
Lightyear
Directed by: Angus MacLane
Written by: Angus MacLane (story and screenplay), Matthew Aldrich (story and additional screenplay material) Jason Headley (story and screenplay), Rebecca Banks (story co-ordinator), Andrew Stanton (additional screenplay material), Lauren Gunderson (additional screenplay material)
Starring: Chris Evans (voice), Keke Palmer (voice), Peter Sohn (voice)
Synopsis: While spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg who are attempting to steal his fuel source.
Oscar potential: Best Animated Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on Disney+
Related: ‘Lightyear’ Is the Origin Story Our Favourite Space Ranger Deserves
Living
Directed by: Oliver Hermanus
Written by: Kazuo Ishiguro, Akira Kurosawa (original screenplay)
Starring: Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp
Synopsis: An English-language adaptation of the script of Ikiru (1952), set in London in the 1950s.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Actor (Bill Nighy), Best Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design, Production Design
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas March 2nd, 2023
Luck
Directed by: Peggy Holmes, Javier Abad (co-director)
Written by: Kiel Murray (screenplay by, story by), Jonathan Aibel (story by),
Glenn Berger (story by), Rebeca Carrasco (based on the concept by), Juan De Dios (based on the concept by) Julian Muñoz Romero (based on the concept by), Julia Miranda (additional dialogue by)
Starring: Eva Noblezada (voice), Simon Pegg (voice), Jane Fonda (voice)
Synopsis: The curtain is pulled back on the millennia-old battle between the organisations of good luck and bad luck that secretly affects everyday lives.
Oscar potential: Best Animated Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on AppleTV+
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
Directed by: Dean Fleischer-Camp
Written by: Dean Fleischer-Camp (screenplay by, story by), Elisabeth Holm (story by), Nick Paley (screenplay by, story by), Jenny Slate (screenplay by, story by)
Starring: Jenny Slate (voice), Dean Fleischer-Camp Isabella Rossellini (voice)
Synopsis: Feature adaptation of the animated short film interviewing a mollusk named Marcel.
Oscar potential: Best Animated Feature
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas January 5th, 2023
Moonage Daydream
Directed by: Brett Morgen
Written by: Brett Morgen
Starring: David Bowie (archive footage), Trevor Bolder (archive footage), Ken Fordham (archive footage)
Synopsis: A cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie’s creative and musical journey. From visionary filmmaker Brett Morgen, and sanctioned by the Bowie estate.
Oscar potential: Best Documentary Feature
Where to watch: Rent on AppleTV
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Directed by: Anthony Fabian
Written by: Paul Gallico (based on the novel by), Carroll Cartwright (screenplay by), Anthony Fabian (screenplay by), Keith Thompson (screenplay by), Olivia Hetreed (screenplay by)
Starring: Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson
Synopsis: A widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own.
Oscar potential: Costume Design
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
My Father’s Dragon
Directed by: Nora Twomey
Written by: Meg LeFauve (screenplay), Ruth Stiles Gannett (based on the book by)
Starring: Chris O’Dowd (voice), Judy Greer (voice), Leighton Meester (voice)
Synopsis: Elmer Elevator searches for a captive Dragon on Wild Island and finds much more than he could ever have anticipated.
Oscar potential: Best Animated Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on Netflix
Navalny
Directed by: Daniel Roher
Starring: Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, Dasha Navalnaya
Synopsis: Follows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home.
Oscar potential: Best Documentary Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on SBS on Demand
NOPE
Directed by: Jordan Peele
Written by: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun
Synopsis: The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
Oscar potential: Visual Effects
Where to watch: Rent on AppleTV
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Directed by: Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado (co-director)
Written by: Paul Fisher
Starring: Antonio Banderas (voice), Salma Hayek (voice), Harvey Guillén (voice)
Synopsis: Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burned through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.
Oscar potential: Best Animated Feature
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
The Quiet Girl
Directed by: Colm Bairéad
Written by: Colm Bairéad (adaptation), Claire Keegan (based on the story Foster by)
Starring: Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Catherine Clinch
Synopsis: In rural Ireland in 1981, a quiet, neglected girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer. She blossoms in their care, but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one.
Oscar potential: Best International Feature (Ireland)
Where to watch: Rent on AppleTV
Return to Seoul
Directed by: Davy Chou
Written by: Davy Chou (screenplay)
Starring: Park Ji-Min, Oh Kwang-rok, Guka Han
Synopsis: A 25-year-old French woman returns to Korea, the country she was born in before being adopted by a French couple, for the very first time. She decides to track down her biological parents, but her journey takes a surprising turn.
Oscar potential: Best International Feature (Cambodia)
Where to watch: TBC
RRR
Directed by: S.S. Rajamouli
Written by: Vijayendra Prasad (story), S.S. Rajamouli (screenplay), Sai Madhav Burra (dialogue), Madhan Karky (tamil dialogue)
Starring: N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan Teja, Ajay Devgn
Synopsis: A fictitious story about two legendary revolutionaries and their journey away from home before they started fighting for their country in the 1920s.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (S.S. Rajamouli), Best Actor (N.T. Rama Rao, Jr.), Best Original Song (“Naatu Naatu”, by Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, and Rahul Sipligunj)
Where to watch: Streaming now on Netflix
Saint Omer
Directed by: Alice Diop
Written by: Amrita David (screenplay), Alice Diop (screenplay), Zoé Galeron (script consultant)
Starring: Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanda, Valérie Dréville
Synopsis: Follows Rama, a novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly at the Saint-Omer Criminal Court to use her story to write a modern-day adaptation of the ancient myth of Medea, but things don’t go as expected.
Oscar potential:Best International Feature (France)
Where to watch: TBC
The Sea Beast
Directed by: Chris Williams
Written by: Chris Williams (screenplay by), Nell Benjamin (screenplay by), Mattson Tomlin (story consultant)
Starring: Karl Urban (voice), Zaris-Angel Hator (voice), Jared Harris (voice)
Synopsis: When a young girl stows away on the ship of a legendary sea monster hunter, they launch an epic journey into uncharted waters — and make history to boot.
Oscar potential: Best Animated Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on Netflix
She Said
Directed by: Maria Schrader
Written by: Rebecca Lenkiewicz (screenplay by), Jodi Kantor (based on the New York Times investigation by, based on the book She Said by), Megan Twohey (based on the New York Times investigation by, based on the book She Said by), Rebecca Corbett (based on the New York Times investigation by)
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson
Synopsis: New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor break one of the most important stories in a generation — a story that helped ignite a movement and shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Carey Mulligan), Best Adapted Screenplay, Score
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
The Son
Directed by: Florian Zeller
Written by: Christopher Hampton (screenplay by), Florian Zeller (based on the play by)
Starring: Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Jackman
Synopsis: Peter has his busy life with new partner Beth and their baby thrown into disarray when his ex-wife Kate turns up with their teenage son, Nicholas.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Actor (Hugh Jackman), Best Supporting Actress (Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby), Best Adapted Screenplay
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas February 9th, 2023
Strange World
Directed by: Don Hall, Qui Nguyen (co-directed by)
Written by: Qui Nguyen (screenplay by)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal (voice), Jaboukie Young-White (voice), Gabrielle Union (voice)
Synopsis: The legendary Clades are a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest and most crucial mission.
Oscar potential: Best Animated Feature
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
Tár
Directed by: Todd Field
Written by: Todd Field
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss
Synopsis: Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centres on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and first-ever female music director of a major German orchestra.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Todd Field), Best Actress (Cate Blanchett), Best Supporting Actress (Nina Hoss), Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Production Design, Score
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas January 26, 2023
Tell It Like a Woman
Directed by: Silvia Carobbio (“Aria”), Catherine Hardwicke, Taraji P. Henson (“Pepcy & Kim”), Mipo Oh (“A Week In My Life”) Lucía Puenzo, Maria Sole Tognazzi, Leena Yadav
Written by: Krupa Ge (screenplay and story) (segment “Sharing a Ride”), Shantanu Sagara (screenplay) (segment “Sharing a Ride”), Leena Yadav (screenplay) (segment “Sharing a Ride”)
Starring: Cara Delevingne, Leonor Varela, Marcia Gay Harden
Synopsis: Stories of women, both in front of and behind the camera.
Oscar potential: Best Original Song (“Applause”, performed by Sofia Carson)
Where to watch: TBC
The Territory
Directed by: Alex Pritz
Starring: Neidinha Bandeira, Bitaté Uru Eu Wau Wau
Synopsis: When a network of Brazilian farmers seizes a protected area of the Amazon rainforest, a young Indigenous leader and his mentor must fight back in defense of the land and an uncontacted group living deep within the forest.
Oscar potential: Best Documentary Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on Disney+
Till
Directed by: Chinonye Chukwu
Written by: Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp, Chinonye Chukwu
Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison
Synopsis: In 1955, after Emmett Till is murdered in a brutal lynching, his mother vows to expose the racism behind the attack while working to have those involved brought to justice.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Actress (Danielle Deadwyler), Costume Design, Best Original Song (“Stand Up”, performed by Jazmine Sullivan)
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas February 9th, 2023
Top Gun: Maverick
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Written by: Jim Cash (based on characters created by), Jack Epps Jr. (based on characters created by), Peter Craig (story by)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller
Synopsis: After 30 years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN’s elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Joseph Kosinski), Best Actor (Tom Cruise), Best Supporting Actor (Miles Teller), Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Best Original Song (“Hold My Hand” performed by Lady Gaga), Sound, Visual Effects
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
Triangle of Sadness
Directed by: Ruben Östlund
Written by: Ruben Östlund
Starring: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson
Synopsis: A fashion model celebrity couple join an eventful cruise for the super-rich.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Ruben Östlund), Best Supporting Actress (Dolly De Leon), Best Original Screenplay, Film Editing
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas December 26th, 2022
Turning Red
Directed by: Domee Shi
Written by: Domee Shi (story by), Julia Cho (story by), Sarah Streicher (story by)
Starring: Rosalie Chiang (voice), Sandra Oh (voice), Ava Morse (voice)
Synopsis: A 13-year-old girl named Meilin turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited.
Oscar potential: Best Animated Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on Disney+
Wendell and Wild
Directed by: Henry Selick
Written by: Henry Selick (screenplay), Jordan Peele (screenplay), Clay McLeod Chapman (based on the book by)
Starring: Lyric Ross (voice), Keegan-Michael Key (voice), Jordan Peele (voice)
Synopsis: Two scheming demon brothers, Wendell and Wild, enlist the aid of 13-year-old Kat Elliot to summon them to the Land of the Living.
Oscar potential: Best Animated Feature
Where to watch: Streaming now on Netflix
Related: 11 Films That Influenced Jordan Peele, and Where to Watch Them in Australia
The Whale
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Written by: Samuel D. Hunter (screenplay by)
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins
Synopsis: A reclusive English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Actor (Brendan Fraser), Best Supporting Actress (Hong Chau, Sadie Sink), Best Adapted Screenplay, Makeup and Hair Styling
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas February 2nd, 2023
Where the Crawdads Sing
Directed by: Olivia Newman
Written by: Lucy Alibar (screenplay) based on the novel by Delia Owens
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson
Synopsis: A woman who raised herself in the marshes of the Deep South becomes a suspect in the murder of a man with whom she was once involved.
Oscar potential: Best Original Song (“Carolina”, performed by Taylor Swift)
Where to watch: Rent on AppleTV
White Noise
Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Written by: Noah Baumbach (screenplay), based on a novel by Don DeLillo
Starring: Adam Driver, Raffey Cassidy, Greta Gerwig
Synopsis: Dramatises a contemporary American family’s attempts to deal with the mundane conflicts of everyday life while grappling with the universal mysteries of love, death, and the possibility of happiness in an uncertain world.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song (“New Body Rhumba”, performed by LCD Soundsystem)
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix December 8th, 2022
Related: “Ready for Fun?!” Hear the First Snippet of Margot Robbie’s Barbie Voice
The Woman King
Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Written by: Dana Stevens (screenplay by), Maria Bello (story by)
Starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch
Synopsis: A historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Gina Prince-Bythewood), Best Actress (Viola Davis), Best Supporting Actress (Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch), Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Score
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas now
Women Talking
Directed by: Sarah Polley
Written by: Sarah Polley (screenplay by), Miriam Toews (screenplay by)
Starring: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley
Synopsis: Do nothing. Stay and fight. Or leave. In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith.
Oscar potential: Best Picture, Best Director (Sarah Polley), Best Supporting Actress (Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley), Best Supporting Actor (Ben Whishaw), Best Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Score
Where to watch: In Australian cinemas February 16th, 2023
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