Pt 1 - Sizing up Netflix's contenders in all 23 Oscar categories
Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at 1:10PM by Juan Carlos Ojano
It is already November and the pandemic rages on. With moviegoing risky or unavailable movielovers have turned to streamers for their film consumption. The Academy has even acknowledged this shift in how we consume films by allowing films to qualify for the Oscars even if they only went streaming. While the past few years have seen the rise of streaming wars (Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max, Apple TV+, and Disney+, etcetera), nobody has been able to match the sheer quantity of content that Netflix has been producing or acquiring. Netflix could well dominate this awards season. But by how much?
Important Caveat: Do note that Netflix has not announced the entirety of its slate through February 28, 2021, the final day of eligibility for this Oscars; pieces are still moving and more films will probably show up. With that, here are Netflix’s contenders in all 23 Oscar categories...
With the three short film categories, it’s hard to gauge eligibility. It's always been very tricky to follow since the contenders don't generally use typical "release dates" but involve qualifying festival prizes and more
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Three titles stand out as possible contenders as of the moment: The Letter Reader (about a 12-year-old boy from Johannesburg sent to a village), Baxu and the Giants (about Rhino poaching in Namibia seen through the eyes of a nine-year-old girl), and Poacher (about a farmer who stole from international terrorists). Of course, there might be more. If it qualifies, then also What Did Jack Do?, directed by four-time Oscar nominee and Honorary Oscar recipient David Lynch which is about a monkey being investigated for murder.
Previous nominations: none
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Netflix has asserted its place in this category for several years now. Some of the possible contenders are: Lorena, Light-Footed Woman (about a young woman known for her long distance running abilities), A 3 Minute Hug (about families separated in the US-Mexico border sharing the titular moment), After the Raid (about animmigration raid in a small Tennessee town), The Speed Cubers (about Rubik’s Cube solving champions), and John Was Trying to Contact Aliens (about a man trying to do just that for thirty years through music).
Previous nominations: Extremis, The White Helmets (WIN), Heroin(e), End Game, Period. End of Sentence. (WIN), Life Overtakes Me
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
The stop-motion musical short Robin Robin could easily be a big contender in this category (if it qualifies). Another interesting contender is Sitara: Let Girls Dream, directed by two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, produced by feminist icon Gloria Steinem, which was released on the International Women’s Day. Upcoming shorts include Alien Xmas (about a young elf mistaking a tiny alien for a Christmas gift), If Anything Happens I Love You (about grieving parents, co-directed by Toy Story 4 co-writer Will McCormack), Canvas (about a Black painter whose wife passed away, directed by former Pixar animator Frank E. Abney III), and Cops and Robbers (about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery), which are all arriving on November 20. The latter three titles were especially acquired by Netflix for Oscar consideration so watch out.
Previous nominations: none
VISUAL EFFECTS
With the majority of the usual suspects in this category out of contention, we'll surely have an atypical field of contenders. The most probable from the Netflix stable is The Midnight Sky, the George Clooney starrer about a scientist in the Arctics trying to contact a group of astronauts. This looks like this year’s entry to the space drama that often finds its way in this category (see Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian, First Man). We could also see see contenders featuring “supporting” visual effects like Enola Holmes, The Old Guard, Extraction, and Project Power. A couple of animated features have been nominated in this category so that could happen again this year absent all the traditional action films.
Previous nominations: The Irishman
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
While Netflix has been shortlisted in this category twice (Bright and Dolemite is My Name), it has yet to receive a nomination. That is most certainly bound to change this year. Their high-profile contender in this category is certainly Hillbilly Elegy. Just look at some of the people involved: David LeRoy Anderson (Two time Oscar winner), Matthew W. Mungle (Oscar winner), Patricia Dehaney (Oscar winner), Eryn Krueger Mekas (8 time Emmy winner), Tony Ward (Emmy nominee). And with the requirements of the film (old age/drug addict makeup to transform Glenn Close and Amy Adams, among the other actors), it is hard to see the film missing in this category.
Other potential contenders are the 1970s counterculture in The Trial of the Chicago 7, Viola Davis’ transformation in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, 1940s Hollywood in Mank, the musical glamour in The Prom, the storytelling peculiarity (and old age makeup) in I’m Thinking of Ending Things, the pre-Stonewall NYC in The Boys in the Band, the hairstyling galore in Enola Holmes, and the over-the-top designs of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Previous nominations: none
ORIGINAL SONG
Dear Diane Warren. After a string of Oscar losses (11 to be exact), she might just win her first Oscar ever for the Italian song “Io Si”, sung by Laura Pausini for the drama The Life Ahead starring Sophia Loren. Of course, this is just one of the number of songs she has in contention this year, but seems to be her safest bet. Personally, I want to see “Húsavík (My Hometown)” from the Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga become a nominee. It is a powerful musical moment that stands on its own as well as in the context of the film. Also from that film, “Double Trouble”, “Lion of Love”, and “Volcano Man” are fun choices but none matches the overall impact of “Húsavík”.
Other Netflix backed contenders are “Rocket to the Moon” from the animated musical Over the Moon, “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7, “Only the Young” from the Taylor Swift doc Miss Americana, “Feels Like Home” from the teen drama All Together Now, and “Never Break” from another doc Giving Voice. Meanwhile, there is still no information as to whether or not The Prom will feature an original song.
Previous nominations: “Mighty River” from Mudbound, “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
ORIGINAL SCORE
This category is usually dominated by previous nominees. This year, Netflix has a slate of previous Oscar winners and nominees like Alexandre Desplat (The Midnight Sky), Steven Price (Over the Moon), Terence Blanchard (Da 5 Bloods), Gabriel Yared (The Life Ahead), Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Mank), Howard Shore (Pieces of a Woman), and Hans Zimmer (Hillbilly Elegy, with David Fleming).
For composers never been nominated, the one with the best shot is possibly Daniel Pemberton. His musical star and reputation has been rising and he has three Netflix films this year: the mystery-comedy Enola Holmes, the documentary Rising Phoenix, and the historical courtroom drama The Trial of the Chicago 7. Other potential first-timers include Jay Wadley (I’m Thinking of Ending Things), Brandon Marsalis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Clint Mansell (Rebecca), Jeff Beal (Athlete A), and Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans (The White Tiger).
Previous nominations: Marriage Story
SOUND
This year marks the reunification of the Sound Mixing and Sound Editing categories. Both categories previously favoured Best Picture nominees first while Sound Mixing sometimes leaned toward musicals/music-driven films (Chicago, Dreamgirls, Ray, Les Misérables, Whiplash) and Editing leaned more heavily towards action and war films (The Dark Knight, Skyfall, Zero Dark Thirty, Arrival, Ford v Ferrari). Space-related/sci-fi films often nominated for both (Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, First Man). This year we will see either the combination or clash of these slightly differing sensibilities.
Netflix’s contenders in this category include all sorts of films: music-driven (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Prom), Best Picture hopefuls (Da 5 Bloods, The Trial of the Chicago 7), action/horror (The Old Guard, Enola Holmes, His House, Extraction), space-related (The Midnight Sky ) and animated (Over the Moon). The biggest contender in this category is probably Mank, given that it is about filmmaking and David Fincher films often do well with the sound branch.
Previous nominations: Roma (for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing)
PRODUCTION DESIGN
This category has been dominated by period/historical films with the occasional war and science-fiction films. Netflix has those bases covered with their 2020 films. Mank is probably out front given that it's a period film set in Hollywood’s classic era of filmmaking. Meanwhile, The Midnight Sky could also be in the mix for its extraterrestrial setting. Another possibility is The Trial of the Chicago 7, with its recreation of the 1968 protests. Outside of the traditional fare, there's the haywire interiority of I’m Thinking of Ending Things as an outside possibilities. Perhaps The Prom, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The White Tiger, Da 5 Bloods might be pushed, too.
Previous nominations: Roma, The Irishman
COSTUME DESIGN
Same principle with Production Design, minus the war and science-fiction parts. Mank has a leg up given its time period and setting. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom has previous winner Ann Roth recreating the world of blues in the early 20th century. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga might have a chance for its delicious costumes (it’s a lot) if the Academy is feeling playful. The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Boys in the Band, Rebecca, Enola Holmes, The Prom, and The Dig are also longshot possibilities.
Previous nominations: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Irishman
FILM EDITING
With this category strongly connected to Best Picture especially during the expanded ballot, Netflix has a good shot of occupying at least one slot, if not two. Mank is touted as a technical feat so there is their (probable) top contender. The Trial of the Chicago 7 has been somewhat divisive but it has flashy editing so a campaign is likely there as well. If Da 5 Bloods breaks into Best Picture, then it could also get recognition for mixing multiple storytelling devices throughout the film (flashbacks, real and fictional archival footage). The Prom will need to be well loved upon release to have a shot here. On a more personal take, this category is in dire need of documentaries as nominees; the task of editing them is humongous and recognition in this category is long overdue.
Previous nominations: The Irishman
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Say the name: Mank. With its crisp black-and-white cinematography, it could easily follow the footsteps of Netflix’s last winner in this category. The Trial of the Chicago 7 may not be the most obvious of contenders in this category, but its cinematographer Phedon Papamichael is a previous nominee (Nebraska) so a nomination could theoretically happen. Da 5 Bloods’ visual ambition shines so it might find fans here. The Prom is lensed by previous nominee Matthew Libatique and, depending on the film’s reception, could be in the cards. If The Midnight Sky is a technical feat, then Cinematography is also possible (the Cinematography-Visual Effects correlation has been pretty strong the past decade - 70%!).
Mank isn’t the only black-and-white film from Netflix; there is also the superbly lensed The Forty-Year-Old Version. Hillbilly Elegy is lensed by Maryse Alberti and, if nominated, would make her only the second female cinematographer nominated. And if we are looking for shockers, look no further than I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Its cinematographer Łukasz Żal has been nominated twice for non-English language films (a rarity) and the film itself is visually audacious if claustrophobic.
Previous nominations: Mudbound, Roma (WIN), The Irishman
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
As of the time of writing, there are 31 submissions for this category and four of those are distributed by Netflix: Taiwan’s A Sun, Austria’s What We Wanted, Spain's The Endless Trench, and Canada’s Funny Boy (directed by Deepa Mehta, director of Oscar-nominated Water). We are expecting Netflix to acquire some of the other submissions once more of them come in. Meanwhile, some Netflix releases are shortlisted in their respective countries like Mexico’s I’m No Longer Here and other possibilities include Chile’s Nobody Knows I’m Here and Italy’s The Life Ahead. (Netflix also has Cuties if France submits that controversial film about a pre-teen Muslim girl and her quest for freedom. While American reception to the film has been very harsh but the film has been strongly supported in its home country as well as in other European countries, with industry colleagues defending the film. But France hasn't announced their finalist list and they have a large film industry so who knows.)
Previous nominations: On Body and Soul - Hungary, Roma - Mexico (WIN)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Netflix has dominated this category in the last five years, with two wins to boot. This year will probably be no exception. As part of the ever-rising quantity of documentaries as well as the accessibility of those to the filmgoing audience, the company is back this year with a slate filled with strong contenders including, officially, but not limited to: Miss Americana (about Taylor Swift), Crip Camp (about disability rights activism), Circus of Books (about a gay porno shop), A Secret Love (about a lesbian relationship spanning seven decades), Athlete A (about sexual abuse in the world of gymnastics), Rising Phoenix (about the Paralympic Games), The Social Dilemma (about the dangers of social networking), and Dick Johnson is Dead (about confronting death).
Previous nominations: The Square, Virunga, What Happened Miss Simone?, Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, 13th, Icarus (WIN), Strong Island, American Factory (WIN), and The Edge of Democracy
Tomorrow in part 2 the "big eight" categories plus animated feature
Reader Comments (14)
Re Best Original Song - Would anyone know if Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square is getting theatrical release? It has few original songs in it. Would love to see her get another nom.
For documentaries, what about "My Octopus Teacher," which is one of the most stunning documentaries I have ever seen?
No mention of 4 time Emmy nominated Becoming in Documentary Feature?
Agree with “dtsf”: My Octopus Teacher is an amazing doc!
Other Nathaniel -- i dont know why Juan Carlos didn't mention it but i wouldn't have mentioned it strictly because usually when we see EMMY/OSCAR overlap, the Oscar part happens first. I'm not sure they'd go for a doc that already competed for Emmys.
@Nathaniel... I've never understood how that works. How can a doc be eligible for both Emmys and Oscars?
Are all netflix movies eligible for Oscars?
or can they be submitted for the Emmys too?
What makes the difference???
Carlos -- at least in regards to the Emmys, they have pretty lax rules about that so it's no surprise. Oscar eligibility can be confusing for docs though. They have multiple rounds of voting like International Feature does. But unlike International Feature they have to get a theatrical release of one week (like narrative features have to for Best Picture --- though this year is likely a free for all since theaters were closed so we might see even more EMMY/OSCAR voting overlap.
I recently read that Ryan Murphy had an original song written for 'The Prom'.
They could fill the Original Song ballot with 5 songs from Eurovision and I'd be a very happy man
@Drew... I second that. The film's songwritting achievement is one for the ages, a tribute/spoof of the actual Contest. My jaw was dropped all through the film.
"Circus of Books" has already been Emmy-nominated. That alone should preclude it from Oscar eligibility.
I am glad you mentioned "A secret love'. A touching documentary that deserves more support and recognition. Their story is do inspiring and with Ryan Murphy behind the project, this should be a contender for the win.
Yeah the Oscar/Emmy documentary thing is baffling, but as Nathaniel said, yes, if the Emmy nom comes first it seems hard to believe Oscar would go for it (i can't even remember it being attempted tbh). Becoming doesn't strike as a contender either way, but CRIM CAMP *seems* like a lock -- but we know how that's gone these last few years. The thing with that category is that there are is no shortness of contenders. Docs have continued to come out thick and fast this year.