Twenty Five Oscar Contenders to Watch This Awards Season

This year’s awards race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory, with films like Marty Supreme, Hamnet, and Wicked For Good emerging as early favourites. With the Golden Globe nominations set to be revealed on 8 December, audiences are beginning to get a clearer picture of which titles may dominate conversations leading up to the Oscars on 15 March. As always, momentum will shift through the BAFTAs and the newly renamed Actor Awards, but many of the strongest contenders have already begun building buzz after festival debuts at Cannes, Venice, and Telluride. A few late arrivals, including Avatar Fire and Ash, are still awaiting release before the year ends, leaving the field wide open.

Among the films drawing attention is a tense thriller from director Kathryn Bigelow, centred on a missile racing toward Chicago and the frantic attempts by US authorities to stop it. Told from three intersecting perspectives, the film stars Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson and is already streaming on Netflix, making it one of the most accessible contenders this season.

Another powerful entry comes from Luca Guadagnino. This psychological drama follows the aftermath of a rape accusation made by a promising college student against her professor, leaving another teacher trapped emotionally and professionally between the two sides. With a cast led by Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield, the film brings together some of the year’s most compelling performances. It is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.

James Cameron returns with the third instalment of his blockbuster science fiction saga in Avatar Fire and Ash. This chapter introduces an aggressive new Na’vi tribe and expands the world of Pandora with fresh conflict and sweeping visuals. Featuring returning stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, the film will arrive in UK cinemas starting 19 December, making it one of the late breaking entries that may influence the final awards ballots.

Richard Linklater also enters the awards conversation with a deeply felt biographical drama starring Ethan Hawke as lyricist Lorenz Hart. The film follows Hart’s struggles with alcoholism and mental health challenges as he works toward the premiere of Oklahoma!. Already playing in UK cinemas, the film showcases a restrained and emotional performance from Hawke that critics are praising as among his best.

Adding to the diversity of genres in contention is the latest from Yorgos Lanthimos, a darkly comedic and surreal tale about two conspiracy theorists who kidnap the CEO of a pharmaceutical company after becoming convinced he is an alien. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons reunite with Lanthimos in this inventive and unsettling film, which is currently screening in UK cinemas and will be available for digital rental on 1 December.

With so many strong titles across different platforms and genres, this year’s awards season offers audiences a rich selection of films to explore. Whether you prefer psychological dramas, science fiction epics or character driven biographies, the road to the Oscars promises excitement, surprises and standout performances across the board.