Contenders: October Update

For our October update, several films moved on from one stage to the next. Today, we’ll look at where each film moved and look at a new ranking of each of the contenders. In addition to the stage changes, we’ve now removed a total of three films that have either moved into 2024 or have released in a format (TV) that is ineligible for the Oscars. Now removed: Dune: Part Two, The Bikeriders, and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

Moving to Stage 2

We have ten films moving into Stage 2. This means that these films have finally had all of their background information set. Just click on the links below to see their pages. What is most often missing at this stage is information on distribution, MPAA ratings, and length. Rarely, the missing information is credited individuals, such as composers, editors, and cinematographers.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Stage 2 of 6)
The Boy and the Heron (Stage 2 of 6)
The Canterville Ghost (Stage 2 of 6)
The Color Purple (Stage 2 of 6)
Ferrari (Stage 2 of 6)
Migration (Stage 2 of 6)
Origin (Stage 2 of 6)
Society of the Snow (Stage 2 of 6)
Wish (Stage 2 of 6)
The Zone of Interest (Stage 2 of 6)

Moving to Stage 3

There is one films that have moved on to Stage 3. This means their theatrical releases have already closed or a contender has been released wide (which is the case for this film).

Killers of the Flower Moon (Stage 3 of 6)

Moving to Stage 4

If a film has surpassed a month in release, it is eligible for a move to Stage 4, but must first have already completed Stage 3 as well, so a lot of films stay in Stage 3 for a relatively long period of time while others move to Stage 4 rather quickly. We have six films that have arrived in Stage 4, upgraded from Stage 3, and a further three films (for a total of nine) that jumped straight from Stage 2 to Stage 4.

El Conde (Stage 4 of 6)
The Creator (Stage 4 of 6)
Dumb Money (Stage 4 of 6)
King Coal (Stage 4 of 6)
Klondike (Stage 4 of 6)
Our Body (Stage 4 of 6)
Our Father, the Devil (Stage 4 of 6)
Poor Things (Stage 4 of 6)
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Stage 4 of 6)

Moving to Stage 5

Stage 5 is the final stage before the critics, guilds, and other organizations start handing out awards. This will be the final stage all of our films will reach prior to December (at the earliest). This means they have fully completed their box office runs.

Four films have moved into Stage 5 as of this update. Two came from Stage 3 and one from Stage 4. They are below:

Fremont (Stage 5 of 6)
Golda (Stage 5 of 6)
The Inventor (Stage 5 of 6)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Stage 5 of 6)

With that, the number of films waiting at Stage 5 for precursors to begin is now 87.

And those are the films that are moving to new stages. Now, let’s look at the top ranked films in each of the five stages. We’ll look primarily at the top ten at most stages. Those with fewer than ten will have all titles listed while stage stage 5 will be capped at twenty.

Best of Stage 1 (Out of 20 points)

1. The Palace (Stage 1 Rating: 16. out of 20)
2. Coup de Chance (Stage 1 Rating: 14. out of 20)
*. Lee (Stage 1 Rating: 14. out of 20)
4. Wonka (Stage 1 Rating: 12. out of 20)
5. Blitz (Stage 1 Rating: 8. out of 20)
*. Flint Strong (Stage 1 Rating: 8. out of 20)
*. Hit Man (Stage 1 Rating: 8. out of 20)
*. The Piano Lesson (Stage 1 Rating: 8. out of 20)
9. Magazine Dreams (Stage 1 Rating: 6. out of 20)
10. About Dry Grasses (Stage 1 Rating: 2. out of 20)

Best of Stage 2 (Out of 30 points)

1. Maestro (Stage 2 Rating: 27.88 out of 30)
2. The Holdovers (Stage 2 Rating: 25.63 out of 30)
3. Nyad (Stage 2 Rating: 25.38 out of 30)
4. May December (Stage 2 Rating: 25.25 out of 30)
5. Napoleon (Stage 2 Rating: 25.0 out of 30)
6. Saltburn (Stage 2 Rating: 21.63 out of 30)
7. Leave the World Behind (Stage 2 Rating: 21.25 out of 30)
8. Ferrari (Stage 2 Rating: 19.38 out of 30)
9. Next Goal Wins (Stage 2 Rating: 18.63 out of 30)
10. The Color Purple (Stage 2 Rating: 18.38 out of 30)

Best of Stage 3 (Out of 50 points)

1. Killers of the Flower Moon (Stage 3 Rating: 42.54 out of 50)

Best of Stage 4 (Out of 70 points)

1. Oppenheimer (Stage 4 Rating: 55.02 out of 70)
2. Poor Things (Stage 4 Rating: 53.82 out of 70)
3. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Stage 4 Rating: 52.08 out of 70)
4. Barbie (Stage 4 Rating: 51.22 out of 70)
5. El Conde (Stage 4 Rating: 43.36 out of 70)
6. Dumb Money (Stage 4 Rating: 41.08 out of 70)
7. The Creator (Stage 4 Rating: 39.13 out of 70)
8. Scrapper (Stage 4 Rating: 35.24 out of 70)
9. Our Father, the Devil (Stage 4 Rating: 34.82 out of 70)
10. Klondike (Stage 4 Rating: 32.73 out of 70)

Best of Stage 5 (Out of 80 points)

1. The Lost King (Stage 5 Rating: 59.84 out of 80)
2. Air (Stage 5 Rating: 57.16 out of 80)
3. Asteroid City (Stage 5 Rating: 56.66 out of 80)
4. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part One (Stage 5 Rating: 55.94 out of 80)
5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Stage 5 Rating: 55.34 out of 80)
6. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Stage 5 Rating: 54.35 out of 80)
7. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (Stage 5 Rating: 54.28 out of 80)
8. The Little Mermaid (Stage 5 Rating: 53.5 out of 80)
9. Showing Up (Stage 5 Rating: 53.41 out of 80)
10. Elemental (Stage 5 Rating: 53.2 out of 80)
11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Stage 5 Rating: 52.68 out of 80)
12. You Hurt My Feelings (Stage 5 Rating: 52.43 out of 80)
13. BlackBerry (Stage 5 Rating: 52.37 out of 80)
14. A Good Person (Stage 5 Rating: 51.0 out of 80)
15. Past Lives (Stage 5 Rating: 50.85 out of 80)
16. The Starling Girl (Stage 5 Rating: 50.18 out of 80)
17. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Stage 5 Rating: 49.91 out of 80)
18. Emily (Stage 5 Rating: 49.82 out of 80)
19. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Stage 5 Rating: 49.49 out of 80)
20. L’Immensitá (Stage 5 Rating: 49.4 out of 80)