View in your browser | Update your preferences

The Midyear Oscars Check-In

Emmy nominations voting is in full swing just as the year-end Oscar machinery is starting to whir a little more loudly in the background, gearing up for a fall filled with starry festivals, blockbuster premieres, and vicious (okay, maybe just spirited) campaigns. On this week’s Little Gold Men, hosts David Canfield, Rebecca Ford, and Richard Lawson break down the brightest prospects of the films they’ve seen so far—and what they’re hearing will be serious players in just a few months’ time.

First, the (hopefully) obvious: Sinners is here to stay. Ryan Coogler’s theatrical phenomenon appears bound for a significant embrace from the Academy. The only question is whether it can keep up momentum for a full year in the vein of Everything Everywhere All at Once to have a shot at going all the way. The sheer enthusiasm around the film from all corners tells us it’s possible, even if it’s an unconventional contender that has some genre-tinted hurdles to clear. Otherwise, there’s not a ton of first-half-of-2025 news to report: 2024 TIFF winner The Life of Chuck elicited relatively mixed reactions, while Cannes’s lineup doesn’t feel as assured as last year’s, perhaps outside of Joachim Trier’s stunning Sentimental Value.

Fortunately, there’s still a lot to look forward to, including new films from Paul Thomas Anderson, Chloé Zhao, Kathryn Bigelow, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Guillermo del Toro. We have the biggest dramatic roles for Oscar winners George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Jennifer Lawrence in several years, and potential first-time nominations for everyone from Dwayne Johnson to Rose Byrne to Adam Sandler. This year feels, if nothing else, like a whole lotta fun. We’re still in that period of endless possibility. What more could an awards lover ask for?