10 Overlooked and Undersung Contenders – The Hollywood Reporter

Best Picture

Thirteen Lives

Ron Howard’s masterful portrait of the 2018 Thai cave rescue may have been hindered by a summer release and/or following the 2021 doc The Rescue. It deserves another look.

Best Director

Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun: Maverick

Maverick is one of 2022’s most critically and commercially successful films. It didn’t direct itself. Kosinski may not have a high profile, but he deserves respect.

Best Actor

Paul Mescal, Aftersun

For his subtle performance as a struggling young father in Charlotte Wells’ acclaimed indie, the Normal People star is already up for Critics Choice and Spirit awards. (His young co-star, Frankie Corio, is equally worthy.)

Best Actress

Ana de Armas, Blonde

Sure, the film’s too long and, in the eyes of some, exploitative — but that’s not the fault of this Cuban talent, who took a huge swing and hit a home run with her performance.

Best Supporting Actor

Mark Strong, Tár

It’s hard not to be acted off the screen by Cate Blanchett, but this veteran character actor, donning a hilarious toupée to play a money-man who wishes he had Lydia Tár’s talent, holds his own.

Best Supporting Actress

Gabrielle Union, The Inspection

Mo’Nique won this award for playing a bigoted nightmare of a mother in Precious; Union, for a similarly terrifying turn opposite Jeremy Pope, is equally worthy.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Lady Chatterley’s Lover

D.H. Lawrence’s 1928 novel has been adapted many times, but never better than by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee, who also adapted this season’s A Man Called Otto.

Best Original Screenplay

Nope

More polarizing than Jordan Peele’s earlier films Get Out (for which he won this Oscar) and Us, Nope is nevertheless comparably smart and funny, and arguably even more ambitious.

Best Documentary Feature

Bad Axe

David Siev’s Oscar-shortlisted debut is a portrait of COVID-era America, seen through the lens of his Cambodian Mexican American family in small-town Michigan.

Best Original Song

“Naatu Naatu,” RRR

Chandrabose and M. M. Keeravani’s shortlisted tune is the centerpiece of a giant blockbuster from India, and has had people dancing in the aisles of cinemas around the world.

A version of this story first appeared in a Jan. stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.