The last full month before the precursors start in earnest. There might be a couple that matter like the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which announced last week and the upcoming nominations from the Gotham Awards but ultimately, it will remain relatively quiet until after Thanksgiving and then the floodgates will open at the beginning of December. For now, here are our best guesses for the current lay of the land.

KEY:

Introductions

Wesley Lovell: It now appears like we have a solidifying slate of contenders. Madden and Star Trek 4 appear to be no-shows this year, so I’ve removed them all. I’ve also eliminated several critical duds like After the Hunt and Caught Stealing. I’ve moved some of the nominees and winners with momentum shifting towards One Battle After Another and Hamnet. That said, not as much movement as I would have expected at this point.
Pete Patrick: The major film festivals have come and gone, and we still don’t know as much as we thought we would at this point.

One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Sentimental Value, It Was Just an Accident, Marty Supreme, Sinners, and the still unseen Wicked: For Good seem like strong contenders for a Best Picture nomination. Bugonia, Frankenstein, and The Secret Agent seem iffy but still possible.

Some of my acting predictions include choices the moviegoing public might question, but they all seem like picks their fellow actors would cheer.
Thomas LaTourette: I was expecting more movement, but I had surprisingly little of it. There look to be certain films that do well and there are some that I am just not that certain about. The November releases should help clarify this, so will expect more changes then.

Best Picture

WLPPTL Ballad of a Small Player
WLPPTL Bugonia
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Hamnet
WLPPTL A House of Dynamite
WLPPTL It Was Just an Accident
WLPPTL Jay Kelly
WLPPTL Kiss of the Spider Woman
WLPPTL Marty Supreme
WLPPTL One Battle After Another
WLPPTL The Secret Agent
WLPPTL Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Sinners
WLPPTL Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
WLPPTL The Voice of Hind Rajab
WLPPTL Wicked: For Good

Best Animated Feature

WLPPTL Arco
WLPPTL Dog Man
WLPPTL Elio
WLPPTL In Your Dreams
WLPPTL KPop Demon Hunters
WLPPTL A Magnificent Life
WLPPTL Scarlet
WLPPTL The Twits
WLPPTL Zootopia 2

Best Directing

WLPPTL Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Kaouther Ben Hania – The Voice of Hind Rajab
WLPPTL Chu – Wicked: For Good
WLPPTL Ryan Coogler – Sinners
WLPPTL Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
WLPPTL Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
WLPPTL Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Chloë Zhao – Hamnet

Best Actor

WLPPTL Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
WLPPTL George Clooney – Jay Kelly
WLPPTL Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Dwayne Johnson – The Smashing Machine
WLPPTL Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
WLPPTL Paul Mescal – Hamnet
WLPPTL Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
WLPPTL Jeremy Allen White – Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Best Actress

WLPPTL Cate Blanchett – Father Mother Sister Brother
WLPPTL Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
WLPPTL Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
WLPPTL Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
WLPPTL Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Emma Stone – Bugonia

Best Supporting Actor

WLPPTL Joe Alwyn – Hamnet
WLPPTL Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
WLPPTL Paul Mescal – Hamnet
WLPPTL Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
WLPPTL Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Jeremy Strong – Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
WLPPTL Christoph Waltz – Frankenstein

Best Supporting Actress

WLPPTL Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
WLPPTL Regina Hall – One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Inga Ibsdotter Lilleas – Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Julie Kavner – Ella McCay
WLPPTL Amy Madigan – Weapons
WLPPTL Charlotte Rampling – Father Mother Sister Brother
WLPPTL Tilda Swinton – Ballad of a Small Player
WLPPTL Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay

WLPPTL It Was Just an Accident
WLPPTL Jay Kelly
WLPPTL Marty Supreme
WLPPTL One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Sinners
WLPPTL The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best Adapted Screenplay

WLPPTL Bugonia
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Hamnet
WLPPTL The Life of Chuck
WLPPTL One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
WLPPTL Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Best Casting

WLPPTL Father Mother Sister Brother
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Hamnet
WLPPTL One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Sinners
WLPPTL Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
WLPPTL Wicked: For Good

Best Original Score

WLPPTL After the Hunt
WLPPTL Bugonia
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Hamnet
WLPPTL Marty Supreme
WLPPTL One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Sinners

Best Film Editing

WLPPTL Bugonia
WLPPTL F1
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Hamnet
WLPPTL A House of Dynamite
WLPPTL Marty Supreme
WLPPTL One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Sentimental Value
WLPPTL Sinners
WLPPTL The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best Cinematography

WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Hamnet
WLPPTL A House of Dynamite
WLPPTL Marty Supreme
WLPPTL Nouvelle Vague
WLPPTL One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Sinners
WLPPTL Wicked: For Good

Best Production Design

WLPPTL Avatar: Fire & Ash
WLPPTL Bugonia
WLPPTL The Fantastic Four: First Steps
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Hamnet
WLPPTL A House of Dynamite
WLPPTL Kiss of the Spider Woman
WLPPTL Sinners
WLPPTL Wicked: For Good

Best Costume Design

WLPPTL Bugonia
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Hamnet
WLPPTL Kiss of the Spider Woman
WLPPTL Sinners
WLPPTL The Testament of Ann Lee
WLPPTL Wicked: For Good

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

WLPPTL 28 Days Later
WLPPTL Bugonia
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Kiss of the Spider Woman
WLPPTL The Phoenician Scheme
WLPPTL Sinners
WLPPTL The Smashing Machien
WLPPTL Wicked: For Good

Best Sound

WLPPTL Avatar: Fire and Ash
WLPPTL F1
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
WLPPTL One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Sinners
WLPPTL Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
WLPPTL Wicked: For Good

Best Visual Effects

WLPPTL Avatar: Fire and Ash
WLPPTL F1
WLPPTL The Fantastic Four: First Steps
WLPPTL Frankenstein
WLPPTL One Battle After Another
WLPPTL Superman
WLPPTL Tron: Ares
WLPPTL Wicked: For Good