This year’s Academy Awards are shaping up to be a nail-biter, with four top contenders vying for the best picture prize. The epic drama “The Brutalist” was once considered a lock for the top prize but has seen its stock drop after losing at two recent ceremonies. Meanwhile, “Anora”, a comedy-drama about a sex worker in Brooklyn, triumphed at three significant guild awards but now faces stiff competition from “Conclave”, another British film that was also a surprise best picture winner at the Baftas. The Academy’s preferential choice system means that even if “Conclave” is not as widely adored as other two films, it can still benefit from being many people’s second choice. Other dark horses in the running include Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown”, which holds across-the-board appeal and could capitalize on Timothée Chalamet’s best actor victory at the Sags. The drama is also playing out in the supporting actor categories, where favorites seem guaranteed to win despite some controversy surrounding the nominees.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/28/is-this-the-most-open-oscars-race-in-recent-memory