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The Substance

The Substance
Demi Moore stars in The Substance
Demi Moore stars in The Substance

Hello film fans! Slick Dungeon here. We’re just a couple hours away from the 2025 Oscars so I just have time to slip in my review of The Substance. It’s a great film but it’s decidedly horror so be warned before you watch.

Content warnings

Before I go into the plot of the film, as a good horror movie reviewer, I have to give you the content warnings of why not to watch this movie. Because this is a body horror film and there is no denying it. If you can’t stand gross out scenes, you are going to hate this movie. Also, if you don’t like needles, you are going to spend a lot of this movie with your eyes closed. And, if you don’t like watching a bunch of ugly men deciding who is beautiful and at what age women get to be considered worthy of being on camera, well, this is not for you either. Truly there is some shocking blood, gore, and body horror all over this film. Don’t go in not knowing that.

What is The Substance about?

As far as the plot is concerned it’s the story of a body transformation gone wrong. Elisabeth Sparkle, played by Demi Moore has turned fifty. She was once an adored Academy Award winner but now she hosts a workout program on daytime television. And the male producer of that show, Harvey played by Dennis Quaid thinks Elisabeth is too old to be on television anymore.

Elisabeth is frustrated and upset but she finds out about something called the substance. This stuff allows you to become a “younger, more beautiful, more perfect” version of yourself. I probably don’t need to tell you this sounds too good to be true.

What the substance actually does is birth, in horrifyingly graphic visuals, a new person directly from your spinal column. The old you has to be nurtured and cared for while the new you gets to go out and be the younger, more attractive version of yourself.

When Elisabeth takes the substance, the new version calls herself Sue. Sue is popular with Harvey and lands a prime television gig immediately. But there’s a catch. Every seven days, Sue has to switch places with Elisabeth. The movie shows us the bad stuff that happens when manufacturers instructions are not followed exactly. And boy does it get ugly.

The Awards

Any time a horror film is up for an Oscar, I’m happy about that. It’s the most popular genre of film yet it wins the least Oscars because, well, sometimes people look down on horror. (Almost all the time actually) So it’s great that The Substance is up for five Oscars this year. It’s up for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay.

As far as makeup and hairstyling goes? There are major accolades to be given here. But it’s competing with Wicked and I’m not sure which will win.

I hate to say this but I don’t see a world where The Substance wins best picture. It has too much competition and it’s a genre film so the odds are stacked against it.

I could see a win for best director though. This film took a lot of work as far as directing goes and it pretty much nailed every scene.

For both best actress and best original screenplay I see a possible win. No guarantee but I don’t think anyone would be shocked if either of those went to this film.

The Substance in conclusion

While I am happy a horror picture is being considered, this is not a perfect film. For one, it’s making a statement about beauty standards but it’s using Demi Moore, often considered one of the most beautiful actresses of all time to do it. And she’s 62 but playing a 50 year old so she just might not be the best representative to talk about beauty here. But she does nail her part extremely well.

I will also say, the movie kind of plays into this but the men in the movie are allowed to look, be, and act as ugly as they want with no repercussions. That’s often true in the entertainment industry but there is also a male standard of beauty that is hardly addressed in the film. I would have liked to see that be touched on just a little more here.

And there is a big snub here as far as the Oscars go. Margaret Qualley as Sue is fantastic. But she didn’t get a nomination for best supporting actress and that’s a real shame.

Ultimately, if you can stand body horror you’ve got to see this movie. It’s great. But if you’re squeamish about such things, stay as far away as you can.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

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Anora

Anora
Mikey Madison stars as Anora
Mikey Madison stars as Anora

Welcome to Oscars day movie friends! Slick Dungeon here and I’m back to review another Oscar nominated film. This time I’ll be talking about Anora. It’s a fast paced and frenetic film with one standout performance. Let’s get into it!

What is Anora about?

On the most basic level this film is a Pretty Woman story gone wrong. It follows the story of Ani who is an exotic dancer who hooks up with the son of a Russian oligarch. Ani happens to speak Russian because her grandmother was Russian. Her given name is Anora but she goes by Ani and that’s where we get the name of the film. After Ani hooks up with this wealthy Russian, he wants to see her more and more. And she gladly obliges. Ultimately the guy proposes to Ani and they get married in Las Vegas. From her perspective, her feelings are genuine for this guy. But his family finds out that he’s married and they are not happy about it. They are especially unhappy she has a history of sex work.

The remainder of the film is basically the dude running away and Ani being bossed around by a bunch of thugs until they can find her husband again and straighten out the situation.

Every year there is one film in the Oscar pool that I just can’t figure out why it’s there. This year is an exception because I do think Anora is worthy of being considered. But I think this is the least worthy film in the bunch. I’m not saying it’s a bad film. Obviously lots of people enjoy it. I just think I would have preferred to see a movie like Love Lies Bleeding nominated instead.

To be fair to this movie, I am probably not the target demographic for it and that’s fine. No movie has to be made for my age cohort to be a great film. And also to be fair to the movie, there are a few reasons to watch the movie.

The good

One of the best reasons to watch the film is this deals with sex workers in a non-insulting and humanizing way. It’s not exploitative (although fair warning there is nudity if that offends you) and it doesn’t treat any of these workers as one dimensional. That’s something refreshing to see in a film made for adults.

But the best reason to watch Anora is tied up in one standout performance. And it’s my guess that this performance is most of the reason this movie is even considered for best picture. Mikey Madison has a stellar performance in the title role of Anora. She brings a hard edge to the character but also a kind heart in the more subtle scenes of the film.

While this movie wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I think watching this film for Madison’s performance is a must.

The bad

Mikey Madison’s performance aside, I found a lot of this film to be a bit of a mess. There’s a ton of bilingual shouting in Russian and English which sometimes confuses the plot in an attempt to add in realism. That’s a somewhat minor issue but it became trying after a while.

There is a ton of kinetic energy in this film. If you’ve seen Uncut Gems you’ll know what I mean. It’s got a lot of motion to it, characters talk and move pretty fast and things are paced against the clock of the Russian parents returning. On its own that’s fine but it never seemed to go anywhere. At least with Uncut Gems there was one hell of a payoff at the end.

The ugly

The more I think about this movie, the more I realize there is one section that just killed it for me. Ivan who is the husband, played by Mark Eydelshteyn, at one point runs away. He’s separated from Ani. The only chance of escaping the thugs who have Ani is for her to find Ivan. It’s already been established early on in the movie that Ivan is a major party boy who goes to clubs constantly.

Yet there is a full third of the movie where everyone runs around chasing after Ivan looking everywhere but clubs he is known to frequent. And of course, they find him at the club where he met Ani. Why would you not start there? Just why? That whole section of the movie frustrated me to no end because it just went on and on. It felt like a waste of time, and ironically, Anora has one of the shortest run times of all the Oscar films this year.

Finally, I know this is subjective but I think this was supposed to be a comedy somehow? I didn’t really find anything funny here although there was a trend towards the ridiculous at times. But maybe I’m just not getting the joke, and that’s fine.

The awards

Anora is up for six Oscars this year. It’s nominated for Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing.

I don’t see this getting best picture, directing, or supporting actor. Those were all fine but none so strong that I think it has a real shot. I could see a win for original screenplay or maybe even editing but it’s not my top guess here. The one spot I see a real chance is for Best Actress. Mikey Madison really does stand out and any parts of the film that work are because of her.

Anora in conclusion

This was my least favorite Oscar film this year. But it is still a decent movie. If you have time to watch it, watch it for the performance of Mikey Madison. If you happen to be streaming it, at the point you start to wonder if they’ll ever catch up with Ivan, do yourself a favor and fast forward a whole third of the film and save some time.

I’m sure there are lots of people who disagree with me on this one, and you’re totally entitled to your opinion, no shade from me. But I just don’t recommend this for anything other than the lead performance.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

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Wicked

Wicked
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in Wicked
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in Wicked

Well hello there film fans, Slick Dungeon here. I’m back to review another Oscar contender and this time I’ll be talking about the big, bold, beautiful musical Wicked. Even if this doesn’t win best picture it is well worth watching. Let’s get into it.

What is Wicked about?

Wicked is the film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name. Confession time. I’ve loved the musical since I first saw it in previews at the Curran theater in San Francisco in 2003. I saw it with the original cast and was blown away by it. You might think this would predispose me to love the film but it’s actually the opposite. I went into the film assuming no one could perform the two main roles better than Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.

So imagine my surprise when I watched the film and realized just how good Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are in this movie. The whole film is just pure joy, start to finish.

As far as the story goes this is the story of the famous wicked witch of the west from The Wizard of Oz. We see where she came from, why she is the way she is, and how our original perception of her was mistaken. And it’s told in musical form. With some of the best Broadway songs around. This film is best enjoyed in a theater but you should see it however you can. Although, to be fair, if you hate musicals you won’t like this one either.

My only issue with the movie is the runtime. The theatrical production is about five minutes longer than the film but the film is just the first half of the play. Considering the excessive run times of other films this year (I’m look at you The Brutalist) I feel like they could have made this just a bit longer and released one movie instead of breaking it into two parts. But that’s a minor problem. And I’m looking forward to part two.

The awards

Wicked is up for an impressive ten Oscars. It’s up for Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.

There are some categories here I think Wicked wins easily. Makeup and Hairstyling was fantastic for this movie. For original score? If Wicked doesn’t win that’s an absolute shame. Costume design should also be an easy win here.

Then there are some categories where I could see it winning but it’s not a guarantee. It has fantastic visual effects so I could see it winning but Dune: Part Two also had incredible visuals. The same goes for Best Sound and in that case, I think Dune is the more deserving of the two. This may win for best editing but it does have some competition from other films. Production design is great for this film but there were several films with a lot going on in the production design. I see Wicked winning but it’s a close call.

Then there are the categories where I’d like to see this win but I’m not sure it will. So far, this one is my favorite for Best Picture but The Brutalist would also be a good choice. Cynthia Erivo makes a strong case for best actress this year and I’d love to see her win. As far as supporting actress? Can we please just hand Ariana Grande the trophy now? Because she damn well deserves it. She absolutely nails the part of Galinda.

Wicked in conclusion

This is the most joyful film experience you’ll have this year and it’s not even close. This is full of bright, beautiful colors, it has a deep and meaningful story about friendship. And it has songs that will never leave your head, in the best way. And can this cast sing? Oh yes, they can. It’s a monumentally impressive film and I just wish I could see part two right now. Get out there and see this one as soon as you can.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

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Emilia Perez

Emilia Perez
Zoe Saldana shines in Emilia Perez
Zoe Saldana shines in Emilia Perez

Hello movie lovers, Slick Dungeon here! I’m back to review yet another Oscar contender. This time I’ll be talking about Emilia Perez. Out of all of the Oscar films I have watched so far, this one has surprised me the most. I didn’t know anything about the movie going into it so I was a bit shocked to learn Wicked is not the only musical up for best picture this year. Let’s get into it!

What’s Emilia Perez about?

Just to get this out of the way, this is a musical. I had no idea. If you hate musicals, don’t watch this. The story is pretty interesting but I’m not sure this entirely succeeds as a movie worthy of a best picture nod.

The film follows the story of two people. Rita Mora Castro played by Zoe Saldaña is a brilliant but undervalued attorney. The men in her office give her no credit even though she’s the one writing the arguments that win their cases. Zoe Saldaña really shines in her part here and I think she might be the best part of the movie.

The second person involved in the story is Juan “Manitas” Del Monte a cartel kingpin with loads of money and power. Manitas wants to make a major life change. He wants to become a woman. What I find interesting here is Manitas wants to change not to evade the law, although it certainly helps with that, but because Manitas truly feels like a woman.

It takes some effort but Rita arranges for Manitas to get the necessary operations and get out of the country. Manitas also has a wife and kids who he sends away for their protection. Rita fakes Manitas’ death and Manitas from that point on becomes Emilia Perez.

Emilia Perez is everything Manitas wasn’t. She’s kind and caring and tries to help people. But eventually Emilia decides she can’t be away from her children. From that point on things get complicated. I won’t ruin the movie for anyone but if you think reuniting with your children and wife when they all think your dead is a bad idea, you’d be right.

While the story is decent, it’s also kind of predictable. Most of the people singing here have decent voices and it works on that level. But I feel like there were probably other movies out more deserving of a best picture nomination than this one.

The Awards

This movie is up for a jaw dropping 13 Oscars. It’s up for Best International Feature, Best Original Score, Best Song x2, Best Sound, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

If Wicked could be up for Best Song it would win in that category. But since it can’t this movie has Best Song all but locked up, although it is splitting the vote against itself which could be a problem. This is not going to beat Wicked for best score either. This one or I’m Still Here is bound to win best international feature although my money is on the latter. I could see Karla Sofía Gascón winning for best actress but I know there’s been some controversy surrounding her so who knows? I do think Zoe Saldaña really deserves a win for her performance as best supporting actress. I’d be surprised if this won adapted screenplay, cinematography or best editing. There are just more impressive films out there this year, Wicked included.

Emilia Perez in conclusion

This is definitely a unique film. And it’s entertaining. The story is a little surprising but you can see most of it coming at you from a mile away. I think the reason this didn’t resonate with me personally as much is because of the predictability. The one thing that surprised me was that it was a musical. There are a few good performances here but other movies have some more impressive performances. And this year this movie is competing with the musical juggernaut Wicked. Unfortunately for Emilia Perez when it comes to musical comparisons, Wicked is going to win every time.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

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Conclave

Conclave
Ralph Fiennes stars in Conclave
Ralph Fiennes stars in Conclave

Hello movie fans, Slick Dungeon here! We’re just one day away from the Oscars so I’ve got another movie review for you. This time I’ll be talking about Conclave, the film that examines what happens when the pope dies and it’s time for a new one to be elected. Let’s get into it.

What’s Conclave about?

On the surface Conclave is a simple story. The pope dies and the cardinals elect a new pope. But the film has subtlety and nuance and brings into view what is mostly an opaque process. We see political maneuvering, secrets exposed, and surprising revelations with the main characters along the way. Leading the process is Cardinal Thomas Lawrence played brilliantly by Ralph Fiennes.

There are two basic factions of cardinals in the movie. One side are traditionalists who want the papacy to go back to some of the older attitudes of the church. On the other side are the liberals who want to move some of the ideas of the modern day world into the church.

In both of these factions there are people trying to become pope but they have to advocate for themselves very carefully. After all, it doesn’t seem very humble to say you want to be pope.

As the film progresses we watch as the tides shift one way or another and allies are made and broken. And the end has kind of a twist to it but I still haven’t decided if that twist was entirely necessary here. I don’t want to spoil the ending but I’ll just say there is something surprising about the person who is ultimately elected.

The Awards

This movie is up for a very healthy eight Oscars. It’s up for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.

While this is a contender for Best Picture, I don’t see it winning. It’s a great movie but it has some heavy competition. Ralph Fiennes has a strong shot at Best Actor and I would say he is in the top three to win. My bet is on Adrien Brody for the Brutalist. Isabella Rossellini is up for Best Supporting Actress. She does a fine job but she’s hardly in the movie so I don’t think she’ll win either. I could be wrong though. I could see this winning for Best Adapted Screenplay. It’s a subtle film done well. I could also see it winning Best Original Score as it fit perfectly. While the editing was fine, there were other films that had to be much harder to edit than this one this year. The production design is incredible in this movie. But I think that’s going to go to Wicked. Ditto for costume design.

While all these nominations are great, there was one snub here I can’t quite get over. Stanley Tucci is absolutely fantastic in this movie. But he was not nominated for Best Supporting Actor. I think that’s a shame because he steals every scene he is in.

Conclave in conclusion

This is a fantastic film and well worth watching. There are powerful performances here and it has a lot to say about faith, commitment, humility, and ambition. It’s also gorgeous to look at with an incredible production design and perfect costuming. Unfortunately for this movie, there are other movies out this year that did even better. But I strongly recommend checking this one out. It’s a great film.

Also, considering the state of health of the current pope, it has to be said this film could become a whole lot more relevant in short order. So the timing here is pretty interesting giving a lot more reason to watch it.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

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A Complete Unknown

A Complete Unknown
A Complete Unknown tells the story of Bob Dylan
A Complete Unknown tells the story of Bob Dylan

Hey movie fans! We’ve come to the required musical biopic portion of the Oscars review. This year it’s the Bob Dylan story about one of the key moments in the history of music in A Complete Unknown. I’ll give you my thoughts about the movie but heads up if you don’t like folk music or you hate Bob Dylan songs, this movie is not gonna be for you.

What’s A Complete Unknown about?

If you are looking for a musical biopic that goes deep into the personal life of Bob Dylan, this isn’t it. When Dylan started his career he burst forth on the folk music scene along with people like Pete Seeger and Joan Baez. But Dylan’s vision was larger than that. We do see a few glimpses of his turbulent dating life at the time but the movie focuses on the events leading up to the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. To put it simply, he brought an electric guitar to an acoustic fight.

And he won. Bob Dylan is a music legend who was right when he said, “The times they are a changin’.” Dylan used his influence to get his songs out to the larger public and it was a very controversial move at the time. It almost seems silly now but Bob Dylan could play more than one type of song. But along the way, there are some people he didn’t treat as well as he could have.

Timothée Chalamet stars in the film and puts on a mumbly affectation that works quite well. And he does the vocal work in the movie as well. And he does a great job but for those of us who are a little older, he’s never going to be Bob Dylan. Why? Well, seems a little mean to say but his voice, like his face, is not rough enough. Bob Dylan seemed like the voice of a generation because he looked and sounded like the average guy.

Still, it’s quite an impressive performance and it’s worth watching for that reason.

The awards

This film is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound, and Best Costume Design.

As far as sound goes, well there’s a lot of music here so I could see it winning. But I still think Dune: Part Two makes a better case though. I will not be surprised at all if this takes Best Actor but my personal pick for that is Adrien Brody for The Brutalist. (I suppose I could change my mind as I keep watching these films but that’s where I am right now). Edward Norton has a great turn here as Pete Seeger. But I think the best performance here is from Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez. She plays a complex role with a good amount of subtlety here. I don’t think this is going to take home Best Picture or Best Director. While this film is ambitious, there are several this year that are more ambitious. I also think it’s not taking home best costume design, although the clothing here is very believable for the period.

A Complete Unknown in conclusion

Honestly, I’m tired of the musical biopic at this point. But I will give this film this much. It actually focuses on the music. The music is the central conflict here rather than just telling Bob Dylan’s life story. In fact, almost none of Dylan’s life story (outside of his dating life) is told here. That part was a little refreshing. The movie is worth your time but there’s no need to rush out to theaters for this one. When you’re in a Bob Dylan mood, give it a shot on a streaming service. I enjoyed the movie but it doesn’t feel that consequential to me.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

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The Brutalist

Adrien Brody stars in The Brutalist
Adrien Brody stars in The Brutalist
Adrien Brody stars in The Brutalist

Hey film fans, Slick Dungeon here! With a massive running time of 3 hours and 35 minutes, The Brutalist is by far the longest of the Best Picture nominees this year. I’ll be reviewing this movie here so you can decide if it is worth an entire half day to watch.

What is The Brutalist about?

The film tells the story of a man named László Tóth played by Adrien Brody. He has survived the holocaust and made it to America to live with his cousin in Philadelphia. His wife and niece are also survivors but they are still in Europe at the start of the film. Tóth was an architect prior to the war and through his cousin he meets Harrison Lee Van Buren a wealthy American industrialist played by Guy Pearce. He is hired to complete an ambitious project but there are complications along the way.

The film is divided into two main parts, with an overture at the beginning, and an epilogue at the end added on. The first half of the story tells what happens when Tóth begins to work for Van Buren and tries to get his wife and niece to reunite with him in America. The second half shows what happens after Tóth’s wife and niece make it to America.

The overture, first and second parts of the film are beautiful and tragic all at once. The acting here is amazing and there is a reason three actors are nominated for the film. Hands down, this is Adrien Brody’s best work since The Pianist. And Guy Pearce is a surprisingly good supporting character. Felicity Jones also has a standout performance as Tóth’s wife.

But there is one major problem with the movie. The epilogue adds far more questions than it answers. It’s tonally different from the film and it never answers a huge question left at the very end of the second part of the movie. I would have been okay with an ambiguous ending but with the epilogue it feels to me like they didn’t complete the story. And it’s strange because the speech delivered in the epilogue is actually quite moving. It just feels like it skipped over way too much for the audience here.

Other than that, this is an amazing film. And it is worth watching for the acting alone. Just know you’ll need a heavy time commitment here.

The awards

This one is up for a whopping 10 Oscars. It’s up for Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Production Design.

Personally I don’t think this takes Best Picture. But I think Adrien Brody has a great chance to take Best Actor. He is phenomenal in it. And I think Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones both have good shots at their awards. This might be the best film editing, just for the sheer length of the movie. And I would not be surprised if it won best original screenplay. For the other categories though, I don’t think it’s likely although I could see Brady Corbet sneaking in for best director.

The Brutalist in conclusion

This is an amazing achievement in film. The acting is so good in this movie that the performances are a little jaw dropping. And it is an emotional roller coaster. But don’t be surprised if the last bit of it leaves you frustrated over threads left dangling. I won’t say don’t watch all the way to the end but the epilogue really does have some problems here.

If you watched this one, what did you think of the ending? Let me know in the comments!

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

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Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two
Timothée Chalamet stars in Dune: Part Two
Timothée Chalamet stars in Dune: Part Two

Hello movie lovers, it’s Slick Dungeon here! Today I’ve got a recommendation for a movie you should watch whether or not you are an Oscars fan. Dune: Part Two is a sweeping science fiction masterpiece that has to be seen to be believed. It’s beautifully crafted, well acted, and in some areas, even improves on the source material. Let’s get into it!

What is Dune: Part Two about?

Obviously this film is a sequel to the first Dune film. I won’t spoil that movie here for you but if you want to know more about it, read my review here. The second film in the series continues to follow Paul Atreides. Paul is played by Timothée Chalamet who puts in an epic performance. Zendaya also plays a seriously impressive role in this film. Paul is prophesied to be the savior of many worlds in the galaxy. He has made an alliance on a desert planet with people called the Fremen.

At the same time, there are rival houses who want to kill him, and an oppressive emperor who rules the galaxy with an iron fist. Paul has to navigate faith, politics, love, and family all while he himself is uncertain about the future.

It is an intricately complicated story and while I will always recommend reading the book, the movie actually makes some improvements by speeding up time a bit, introducing some events from later books, and adding to the roles of a few other characters.

And I will say, if you can see this at a theater on a big screen, this is the best experience of the film. I definitely advise you to watch the first part before watching the second but this is a film experience. And I personally think it’s better than the first one.

the Awards

This movie is up for awards in 5 categories. Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Picture are the ones it landed nominations for. I think Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem all deserved to be nominated for their acting but I guess they’ll just have to be satisfied with the huge paychecks they got from this movie. Timothée Chalamet does get a shot for a different movie, A Complete Unknown which I will review later this week.

As far as the technical categories go, it would be a total shame if Dune: Part Two doesn’t win at least some of them. Sound was incredibly impressive and used to great effect in this film. And the cinematography is chef’s kiss perfect. Production design was great but there may be better contenders in that category. And let’s just say, the visual effects are jaw dropping in this movie. It’s fantastic. If this movie does lose in any of those categories, my guess is Wicked will pick them up instead. But I’m hoping Dune gets something here.

As far as Best Picture goes I don’t think this will win. Now, I will say, I thought this was an incredible movie and maybe it should win. But, science fiction almost never wins. I’m still bitter about Star Wars not taking home the win in 1977. I haven’t seen all the movies in the category for this year so there could be a better movie but this one is definitely in the top three, at least for me.

Dune: Part Two in conclusion

If you can get to a theater to watch this before it is gone, run, don’t walk. It’s an incredible movie experience and it just doesn’t work as well at home. But even if you can’t get there, do at least watch it at home if you are a science fiction fan at all. It’s one of the most well made movies in the last decade, hands down.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

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Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys
Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson star in Nickel Boys
Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson star in Nickel Boys

Hello film fans and welcome to Oscar week! Like I do every year, I’m going to review all of the movies up for Best Picture this year. Ten movies are nominated. I’ll do my best to get them all out before the big show. But that does mean some days you’ll get more than one review from me this week. Hope you don’t mind! With that out of the way, let’s get into the first nominated film I watched, Nickel Boys.

What is Nickel Boys about?

Nickel Boys is based on the book titled The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. The book is fictional but based on the real life events of an abusive reform school called the Dozier School. It was the kind of school you’d find in segregated areas where utterly horrific acts of violence, up to murder, were perpetrated upon the kids forced to be there.

In the movie, we see the story of Elwood Curtis who is a good student who is accepted into a trade school. When he goes to the school for the first time, he gets a ride with a stranger who is pulled over by the police. While Elwood is innocent of any crime, he’s forced to go to a reform school for boys called the Nickel Academy. This school has two units, one for white boys and one for non-white boys. It’s obvious the white students are treated far more favorably but there is abuse all around.

While there, Elwood makes friends with a boy named Turner. The two are exposed to abuse and injustice and try to figure a way out of the academy. Things get dark and we see some flashbacks and flashes forward of both Elwood and Turner. Sometimes the shifting perspective is a little hard to follow.

The first person point of view

I have to mention the entire film is shot from a first person point of view. I’m of two minds about this. On the one hand, it feels visceral and you really do get into the head of the characters and feel like you are the one experiencing the story. On the other hand, it’s absolutely apparent that Ethan Herisse who plays Elwood and Brandon Wilson who plays Turner are delivering top notch performances. But you hardly see their faces and that seems like a shame to me.

While I think this is a good film, I’m not as sold on the first person experience as some critics were. It is a unique way to shoot a film but between that technique and the flashes forward and back, sometimes the story is hard to follow and lessens a bit of the impact of the story. And I do think this is an important story to tell. I just think in this case, the book may do a better job conveying it than the film.

I won’t spoil too much of the movie here but I will say there are moments that are seriously shocking and maybe they wouldn’t have worked as well if not in first person point of view. But I found watching this way a bit of an exercise in patience.

The acting is fantastic and it’s beautifully shot with some amazing cinematography and heavy editing work here. The score fits nicely but I don’t think it’s especially amazing. And the directing must have been difficult to do this kind of movie in a first person perspective.

The awards

This film has already been nominated (and won) a bunch of awards. But as far as the Oscars go, it’s only up for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. I’m never good at predicting what will actually win the big awards. But if I had to put money on this (don’t put money on this based on what I say) I’d say this will not win Best Picture. It has a shot at Best Adapted Screenplay, especially considering the unique POV. But I don’t think that’s actually going to be enough to clench the win here.

In conclusion

While I absolutely think this is a story that should be told, I’m not sold on this film being the best way to tell it. The first person camera work is impressive but sometimes comes off as more of a gimmick than it should. But there is a lot of beautiful art to behold. And the acting is excellent. I just wanted to see more of it. I don’t think this one will be my favorite of the nominees but I’m certain it’s far from the worst one. If you saw this one, I’d be curious to know what you thought of the first person point of view. Let me know in the comments if you did.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!