The most talked about films heading into the Oscars
Hamnet, Sinners, and Christy are just a few of the films you'll be hearing more about as the awards race begins.
However, some of the award nominees haven't even been released yet.
Many Oscar-nominated films were released at film festivals such as Venice, Telluride and Toronto.
Productions have also been showcased at festivals such as Sundance and Cannes.
In the long lead-up to the Oscars on March 14th, we're looking at 12 of our favorite films that are being talked about.
If a recipe were to be written for a Best Picture Oscar nomination, elements similar to Hamnet would generally be chosen.
Adapt a very popular novel, work with a recent Oscar-winning director, and star two popular young actors (Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal).
Set in 1596, Hamnet examines the death of William Shakespeare's 11-year-old son and the events that led the poet to write Hamlet.
This film won the People's Choice award on September 14 at the Toronto Film Festival, often cited as a precursor to the Oscars.
The film will be released in UK cinemas on January 9, 2026 (February 6 in Türkiye).
The phrase "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride" might have been coined for director Paul Thomas Anderson.
While nearly all of his previous films, including Licorice Pizza, Phantom Thread, and There Will Be Blood, received multiple Oscar nominations, none of them earned him the Best Picture or Best Director awards.
This may change with the release of One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
The production tells the story of a group of former revolutionaries who reunite to rescue the kidnapped daughter of one of their members.
Critics agree that the film fully deserves its 2 hour and 50 minute running time thanks to its gripping story and fast pace.
This film will be available to watch in the UK from September 26th (in Türkiye on October 3rd).
Released unusually early in an awards year, Sinners is a vampire movie and doesn't look like an Oscar contender.
Still, Ryan Coogler's Sinners was the kind of film that instilled hope in Hollywood during a time of despair.
It was both an original idea and a huge success at the box office.
The film focuses on the fate of twin brothers who return to Mississippi for a fresh start, unaware that an evil force awaits them.
In her latest film, Emma Stone plays a powerful CEO who is kidnapped by two conspiracy theorists who believe she is an alien.
But as you might expect from Yorgos Lanthimos, director of Poor Things and The Favourite, there's a lot more going on beneath the surface.
Stone has won best actress twice in the last decade. Her co-star, Jesse Plemons, could also receive his first best actor nomination for this film.
The film will be released in the UK on November 7 (Türkiye on October 31).
From Jerry Maguire to King Richard and Blind Spot, the Oscars have always been drawn to sports biopics.
There are three such films in the race this year.
The first film stars Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney as Christy Martin, one of America's most famous female boxers.
Directed by David Michôd, Christy follows Martin's rise to fame in the 1990s and her husband's attempted murder in 2010.
Sweeney could receive his first Oscar nomination for the film, which opens in UK cinemas on November 28.
Daniel Day-Lewis announced his retirement from acting in 2017, ahead of the release of his latest film, Phantom Thread.
However, the three-time Oscar winner backed out of his contract to star in a film directed by his son Ronan.
The film follows a former soldier who reunites with his brother after living isolated in the woods for 20 years.
Another sports drama stars Dwayne Johnson as UFC fighter Mark Kerr during the sport's early days in the 1990s.
The Rock star not only undergoes a significant physical transformation with this production, but also becomes a potential Oscar nominee for the first time in his career.
Director Benny Safdie won the best director award in Venice for this film.
(In cinemas in Türkiye on October 17)
Sentimental Value, which won Cannes' second top prize, the Grand Prix, was one of the festival's most-watched films.
The film tells the story of two sisters who reconnect with their distant father after the death of their mother.
Renate Reinsve, whose name was among the nominees for Best Actress, is reuniting with director Joachim Trier four years after the highly acclaimed film The Worst Person in the World.
(In cinemas in Türkiye on December 26)
This movie is sure to spark a debate on social media.
A promising college student (Ayo Edebiri) accuses one of her professors (Andrew Garfield) of rape, and another teacher (Julia Roberts) finds herself caught in the middle of the drama.
Director Luca Guadagnino is hoping this film can bring him back into the awards conversation after his films Queer and Challengers weren't nominated.
Following in the footsteps of last year's best film winner Anora, Jafar Panahi's film won the prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes in May.
The film tells the story of a man who, in a garage, accidentally meets the former intelligence officer who tortured him in prison, amidst political oppression in Iran.
The film is likely to be nominated in the international category because it represents France rather than its home country, Iran.
It Was Just An Accident may also be nominated for Best Picture.
Few films about table tennis have been made in Hollywood, and Josh Safdie aims to rectify that situation.
Starring recent Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme is inspired by ping-pong star Marty Reisman's pursuit of success.
(In cinemas in Türkiye on January 2)
We're cheating by cramming the two movies into one category, but the Wicked and Avatar sequels have a lot in common.
Both are likely to make a big impact at the box office in the run-up to Christmas.
Both films are produced by artists who have previously been nominated for best picture.
Jon M Chu's Wicked: For Good will delve into the origins of the evil witch Elphaba, while James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash will see the Na'vi encounter a hostile new tribe.
With the number of nominees in the Best Picture category increasing, the Academy likes to nominate blockbusters to keep the ceremony appealing to younger audiences.
(Wicked will be in theaters in Türkiye on November 21st, Avatar on December 19th)
Here's a quick rundown of the other films that could receive nominations:
Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein is likely to be nominated in the technical categories, while Jacob Elordi could also receive a supporting actor nomination.
Jay Kelly and George Clooney could be back in the awards running. Clooney plays an aging Hollywood actor.
This year's music film will be The Bear's Jeremy Allen White's Bruce Springsteen biopic. Song Sung Blue, about a band impersonating Neil Diamond, is another music biopic.
A House of Dynamite marks the return of Kathryn Bigelow (2010's The Hurt Locker), the first woman to win Best Director.
Maternity drama If I Had Legs I'd Kick You generated controversy at Sundance.
After winning an Oscar for The Whale in 2022, Brendan Fraser returns with Rental Family, a drama set in Tokyo.
Strong contenders in the international film category include No Other Choice (South Korea), The Secret Agent (Brazil), Sirāt (Spain) and The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia).
Given the Academy's growing international base, several of them could easily be considered for best picture. Other films in the running include Russell Crowe's historical epic Nuremberg, the John Bishop-inspired Is This Thing On?, the gambling drama Ballad of a Small Player, the loneliness study Train Dreams, the Lorenz Hart biopic Blue Moon, the survival thriller The Lost Bus, and the Shakers musical The Testament of Ann Lee.
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