LOS ANGELES — Out of a whopping 10 nominations for Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars, "The Power of the Dog" is undoubtedly the one to beat.
Touting 12 Academy Award nominations, "The Power of the Dog" has already won Best Picture awards from various critics groups. However, the movie had some notable misses along the way, losing the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the PGA Awards.
Most previous Academy Award winners for Best Picture have nabbed that. But with that said, the last four winners of the top prize have been able to take home the prize without it, including "The Shape of Water," "Green Book" and last year's "Nomadland."
The feel good, inclusive nature of "CODA" and its wins at the PGA Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards could help it follow in the footsteps of past Screen Actors Guild winners like "Parasite" and "Slumdog Millionaire." The name CODA is an acronym for "Child of Deaf Adult(s)."
"King Richard" boasts a dynamic cast of standout newcomers like Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton and veterans like Tony Goldwyn and Jon Bernthal. There was a snub early in the award season with Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis' omission from the Screen Actors Guild's supporting actress lineup. It could help the film's chances in the Best Picture category to reward her outstanding achievement that was sadly overlooked.
"Belfast" is the first Best Picture nomination for Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, but after losing at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the odds could be against "Belfast."
Director Steven Spielberg is no stranger to the Oscars, and West Side Story has all the makings of a winner, except for early steam. The performances are being celebrated, but the film itself doesn't seem to have the win largely because of underperforming at the box office. Winter swells not only crushed ticket sales but also televised award shows that typically begin in January. They are both the types of things this type of film needs to better its chances.
The same could be said of Guillermo del Toro's "Nightmare Alley." It's a beautiful film with amazing performances.
"Dune" is visually stunning and groundbreaking in a multitude of ways, but voters usually throw every possible technical achievement award at a film like this and call that the tribute.
"Licorice Pizza" is a crowd favorite for many people, but the nomination is the win here.
While it has won numerous major awards to this point, including Best Director and screenplay, "Drive My Car" might be too off the road for most voting members. Again, the nomination itself is the win.
With "Don't Look Up," it was not that long ago that Netflix made history by having a streaming movie created by a streaming service win a nomination in the top honor. This year, they have two Best Picture nominees. "Don't Look Up" has the most previous Oscar winners in its cast of any nominated film, but it is not the Netflix film to beat. That designation goes to "The Power of the Dog."
If "The Power of the Dog" takes home the win, it'll be the first movie released by a streaming service to claim "Best Picture" at the Oscars.
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