An offbeat political thriller, a vampire horror film, and a Shakespearean period drama will compete Sunday (Monday in Manila) at the British Academy Film Awards, widely seen as a preview of the Oscars.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which follows white supremacists hunting down washed-up revolutionaries, led the BAFTA nominations with 14 nods, including best film. It was followed by 13 nominations for the vampire period horror Sinners, which holds a record 16 Oscar nominations, and Timothée Chalamet’s ping-pong drama Marty Supreme with 11.
Other best film nominees include Hamnet, which explores William Shakespeare’s personal life, and Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value.
A-list stars expected on the red carpet at London’s Southbank Centre include Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessie Buckley, and Timothée Chalamet. Scottish actor Alan Cumming will host the ceremony.
Despite Sinners topping Oscar nominations, One Battle is considered the frontrunner after winning nearly every precursor award. Hamnet has also emerged as a contender, winning best drama at the Golden Globes and receiving 11 BAFTA nods compared to seven Oscar nominations. Jessie Buckley, who portrays Shakespeare’s wife Agnes, is favored for best leading actress, facing Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Emma Stone (“Bugonia”), Chase Infiniti (One Battle), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You).
Chalamet is a leading contender for best actor, having won Critics Choice and Golden Globes for his role as an ambitious ping-pong player. He will compete against DiCaprio and Michael B. Jordan; Paul Mescal, who played Shakespeare in Hamnet, was not nominated.
Directors Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), Anderson (One Battle), and Ryan Coogler (Sinners) are in the running for best director, along with BAFTA winner Yorgos Lanthimos (Bugonia), Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value), and Chloe Zhao (Hamnet), the Oscar-winning director of Nomadland.The BAFTAs, unlike France’s César Awards or Spain’s Goya Awards, are open to all nationalities, allowing American films to dominate while still recognizing local cinema in the Outstanding British Film category. This year’s nominees include Hamnet, Bridget Jones, Mad About the Boy, and the biographical I Swear, the latter based on a Scottish man affected by Tourette Syndrome.
Foreign language film nominees feature“Sentimental Value, Brazilian thriller The Secret Agent, Cannes Palme d’Or winner It Was Just An Accident, and Palestinian docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab.
