With the Oscars shortlists unveiled in late December, we now know the final 10 films in official contention for the five nomination spots for Best Sound. All the major contenders made it through, but it was disappointing to see The Tragedy of Macbeth miss out. Personally, I thought it was one of the best examples of sound design of the year. It was rather surprising to see Last Night in Soho land in the final 10, given it didn’t show in any other shortlist categories. Nor did it appear Universal were campaigning the film particularly heavily.
It was also a minor shock to see Spider-Man: No Way Home swoop in at the 11th hour to land on the Best Sound shortlist. Naturally, it’s bombastic and loud enough to be fit the mould of a typical contender. However, given the way the film was shrouded in secrecy, it’s surprising enough members of the Sound Branch were shown it in time for the film to be in genuine contention.
While we always knew West Side Story would be a contender across the board, it’s now seeming likely tick, tick… BOOM! will be too. Its inclusion on the Best Sound shortlist certainly highlights that. I think it now feels safer to predict both musicals will make the final five.
Its predecessor scored a nomination for Best Sound Editing, so there’s a good chance A Quiet Place Part II could repeat that success this year. Sound is obviously incredibly integral to the very fabric of this film, so it would be a deserving nominee. That being said, the Academy may not want to repeat itself and honour similar work from the same franchise.
BEST SOUND PREDICTIONS:
1. Dune (Warner Bros.)
2. West Side Story (20th Century Studios)
3. No Time to Die (Universal Pictures)
4. Belfast (Focus Features)
5. tick, tick… BOOM! (Netflix)
IN CONTENTION
Last Night in Soho (Universal Pictures)
The Matrix Resurrections (Warner Bros.)
The Power of the Dog (Netflix)
A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount Pictures)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony Pictures)
