Is the race for Best Cinematography already over before it’s even begun? Much like Greig Fraser (Dune) in 2021, it feels like Hoyte van Hoytema (Oppenheimer) is going to own this entire season right from the very beginning. He’s already won 20 prizes from the critics groups and sits atop the list of the predictions of every pundit in the business. In a season with many wide-open categories, this is possibly the biggest lock.
If there is to be any competition for van Hoytema, it will come from Rodrigo Prieto for Killers of the Flower Moon. Prieto scored a big win with the National Board of Review and has taken a handful of prizes from the critics. Robbie Ryan (Poor Things) has also snatched a few wins with the critics, so consider these three the absolute locks for nominations.
That leaves the final two spots open to many possibilities. The nominations from the American Society of Cinematographers in mid-January will help light the way. For now, we can look at the Critics Choice Awards, which went with Matthew Libatique (Maestro), Prieto (Barbie), and Linus Sandgren (Saltburn). Saltburn hasn’t really picked up steam this season, but Sandgren is a previous winner for La La Land and likely came close to nods for First Man and No Time to Die.
There’s something about the sweeping cinematography of Maestro that feels right up the Academy’s alley, so Libatique is likely getting the fourth spot. The Zone of Interest is looking like a big contender across the board and Łukasz Żal’s cinematography is extraordinary. Żal is a two-time nominee so there’s clearly love for him within the Academy.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY PREDICTIONS:
1. Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema (Universal Pictures) – CCA
2. Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto (Paramount Pictures / Apple Original Films) – CCA
3. Poor Things – Robbie Ryan (Searchlight Pictures) – CCA
4. The Zone of Interest – Łukasz Żal (A24)
5. Maestro – Matthew Libatique (Netflix) – CCA
IN CONTENTION:
Anatomy of a Fall – Simon Beaufils (NEON)
Barbie – Rodrigo Prieto (Warner Bros.)
The Color Purple – Dan Laustsen (Warner Bros.)
El Conde – Edward Lachman (Netflix)
Ferrari – Erik Messerschmidt (NEON)
The Holdovers – Eigil Bryid (Focus Features)
Napoleon – Dariusz Wolski (Sony Pictures / Apple Original Films)
Past Lives – Shabier Kirchner (A24)
Saltburn – Linus Sandgren (Amazon MGM Studios)
Society of the Snow – Pedro Luque (Netflix)
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