21 Jan Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Film Editing, Cinematography, Costume Design
In the last five years, every film nominated in this category has been a Best Picture nominee, with the only exception being tick, tick…BOOM!, which was probably 11th in its year.
Like last year, the American Cinema Editors (ACE) are releasing their nominations on February 1st, a week after the Oscar nominations so we won’t have that guild to help us in predicting this category.
Of the seven films that I think can get nominated here, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Poor Things feel like locks as they’ve hit both precursors and are top five Best Picture contenders. The last two slots will be fought between Barbie, Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, and Maestro.
Many have The Holdovers in Best Editing since they see it as a top two Picture contender but unlike last year’s The Banshees of Inisherin which was number two and received an Editing nod from BAFTA, The Holdovers didn’t receive a nod from either the CCA or BAFTA even though it performed well with both bodies. That leaves Barbie, Maestro, and Anatomy of a Fall. Anatomy of a Fall’s BAFTA success in conjunction with its critical success in this category makes it a likely pick here. It also won the Editing prize at the European Film Awards. Barbie and Maestro make sense as nominees as they’re the type of films that usually get nominated for Best Editing. Maestro has received a lot more love from critics’ groups in the Best Editing category and while I don’t think the film will get more than 5 or 6 nods, I think Editing makes sense.
BEST FILM EDITING
Oppenheimer – CCA, BAFTA
Killers of the Flower Moon – CCA, BAFTA
Poor Things – CCA, BAFTA
Anatomy of a Fall – BAFTA
Maestro – CCA
Could Jump In: The Holdovers, Barbie – CCA
Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things, and Maestro have hit all the major precursors and are Best Picture nominees so they should be locked.
In my eyes, the lasts lot is between The Zone of Interest and El Conde. And while El Conde’s ASC nod is big it really comes down to The Zone of Interest being a major player this year and a Best Picture nominee. This is likely one of the more secure fives this year.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Oppenheimer – ASC, CCA, BAFTA
Killers of the Flower Moon – ASC, CCA, BAFTA
Poor Things – ASC, CCA, BAFTA
Maestro – ASC, CCA, BAFTA
The Zone of Interest – BAFTA
Could Jump In: El Conde – ASC, Saltburn – CCA
Barbie, Poor Things, and Killers of the Flower Moon are locked in for nominations as they’ve hit all the major precursors and are top five Best Picture nominees. Ridley Scott’s Napoleon also hit all three major precursors but as a non-Best Picture nominee, I hesitate to deem it locked. Oppenheimer is the presumed Best Picture winner and we will see it receiving support across the board, why not in Costume Design as well?
Wonka, Maestro, and The Color Purple all have the type of period costuming that the Academy likes to recognize in this category but the other films just seem stronger in this category. Maestro could possibly replace Napoleon but Napoleon’s costuming just seems objectively more deserving of a nomination.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Barbie – CCA, CDG, BAFTA
Poor Things – CCA, CDG, BAFTA
Killers of the Flower Moon – CCA, CDG, BAFTA
Napoleon – CCA, CDG, BAFTA
Oppenheimer – CDG, BAFTA
Could Jump In: Maestro – CDG, Wonka – CCA, The Color Purple – CCA