The first film the Academy should have recognized from Netflix was Beasts of No Nation in 2015. SAG voters liked that movie so much, to Hollywood’s surprise, they not only gave its cast of mostly unknowns a SAG nomination for Outstanding Ensemble, they also gave Idris Elba—who had been passed over for an Oscar nomination—their prize for Best Supporting Actor. The Academy’s next chance to do right by Netflix was Dee Rees’ brilliant Mudbound. Again, SAG responded with a nomination for Outstanding Ensemble and a supporting nominations for Mary J. Blige. The Academy’s resistance then began to crumble, with nominations for Mudbound’s Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Song, and Blige for Supporting Actress.
But that was then. Last year Roma tied with The Favourite for the most Oscar nominations, in 10 categories across the board, and Alphonso Cuarón’s intimate epic ultimately went home with Oscars for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Foreign Language film. It was clear things had changed.
Was there a debate last year about whether Netflix could pull off a win for Best Picture? Of course. But the argument was less about its distribution model and more about the fact that no international film was likely to win Best Picture as long as it could win in its own category, for Best Foreign Language Film. It makes no sense the Academy would award Cuarón three Oscars and then balk at Best Picture simply because it was a Netflix film. Roma’s case was unique and its Oscar destiny has little relevance to Netflix four juggernauts this year, all in the English language.
Part of the astonishingly fast headway Netflix has made in transforming the way the industry regards its status, is due, no doubt, to the hire of Lisa Taback to lead their awards campaigns. For years a consummate pro at shepherding brilliant movies through the awards gauntlet, Taback is largely responsible for elevating the Netflix Oscar game so elegantly that many people are barely aware that The Irishman, Marriage Story, Dolemite Is My Name, and The Two Popes are Netflix movies. The main thing distinguishing these cinematic achievements from traditional studio contenders is that, as of this week, three of the four films will be available for the entire country to watch—in fact, for most of the entire planet to enjoy—no matter where in the world a movie lover might live.
Additionally, Netflix has hired a couple of veteran awards writers—Kris Tapley and Krista Smith—to do some of their podcast interviews. Tapley will be hosting Call Sheet, and Smith is doing Present Company. They will be in-house writers who come from the awards circuit, with Kris fresh off his gig as Variety’s Oscar columnist and Smith from Vanity Fair, well-known for doing Q&A panel screenings around town. These will represent seamless transitions from experienced awards coverage directly into exclusive Netflix coverage, and it lends authenticity to their film credentials by hiring actual journalists rather than publicity writers.
There was some speculation by The NY Times’ Brooks Barnes that The Irishman’s premiere on Netflix over Thanksgiving weekend dented the box office ever so slightly by doing something the streaming service has never been done before — showcasing a film that played selectively in big cities at the very moment that awards voting began.
Of course that has been an experiment that may or may not pay off. As everyone is now able to see it, everyone can also talk about it, with a wide range of opinions—something that studio ordinarily like to a guide more closely heading into awards voting. But everything is happening so fast this year, it probably won’t matter much what Twitter thinks, not that it ever has.
How all these movies parts will land when the dust clears is a different story. With four movies heading into the race, and all four of them with a strong lead actor contender, it would be remarkable indeed if all four made the cut. But even if two out of the four scored nominations, it would be a triumph for Netflix, a studio that could come to dominate and transform the race, much the same way that Miramax and later the Weinstein Co did when they first burst onto the scene. They carved out a permanent space in the Oscar race and brought in win after win after win after win. They did this mainly by exercising impeccable taste in giving Academy voters the kinds of movies they liked, and sparing no expense to put their film in front of all the right people. Netflix—with no pressure to navigate fickle public whims and no need to worry about box-office numbers—could have the freedom to do the same thing, only better.
There is no doubt that we’re living through an important new era in American film history. Times are changing whether some people want them to or not. It’s great to see the big studios stepping up this year with major contenders—like 1917, Ford v Ferrari, Jojo Rabbit, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Even if they may not be accustomed to having so many Oscar big guns battle it out in the multiplex, just as Netflix has had to fight to score victories the Oscar race.
The model so far seems to have worked best with Marriage Story, The Irishman, and perhaps The Two Popes. Dolemite Is My Name, on the other hand, was probably a film that could have benefited from a wider theatrical release, so that its enthusiastic word-of-mouth could have made it a cultural phenomenon. With the right platform roll-out, Dolemite Is My Name would likely have earned $100 million, giving it the kind of hardcore cred a movie like that needs, heading into awards season. Most pundits have been dropping it entirely from the conversation and focusing on the three other films instead, which is a tad bothersome for those of us who believe it is one of the best films of the year.
Either way, I don’t see how you look at this year and last and not see Netflix as a major game changer for the industry, not just in terms of the way we watch movies, but in how prestige movies have now once again become a broader, communal experience, not limited to the exclusive tastemaker enclaves of New York and LA. And that will ultimately encourage the entire industry to fill the Oscar rosters with attention-grabbing movies, restoring its place as an event that everyone can enjoy, even for people who don’t live in metropolitan areas where the nominated films have been cloistered for far too many years.
There continues to be free-floating anxiety about the impact of easy access to so much great cinema that streams directly into homes of movie lovers. It’s been startling to witness how fast it’s expanded, how popular it has become, and how it’s changing the way movies feel more closely woven into the fabric of American cultural discourse. But remember, we’re lucky to be alive during one of the best years for movies in recent memory, and a big part of that is because Netflix has brought so many good ones to the table.
Netflix is definitely having a big year, though I don’t think any of its films will win the top prizes (other than Marriage Story acting win(s)). And I don’t know what Spielberg is doing with his best friend Marty in the hunt, but I don’t blame him or anyone else for taking issue with the way the game is inevitably changing. I know I’ll be in the minority, but The Irishman is less cinematic by virtue of being a primarily Netflix release. At least Marriage Story was going to be a small actor-dominated indie either way. It’s going to take a more universally beloved film than this year’s offerings to win the top prizes as a Netflix film, though I suppose Marriage Story has more heart and appeal to many than at least OUATIH or Irishman.
How is The Irishman less cinematic by virtue of it being a Netflix movie?They do it show it in theaters. Besides it looks better than most theater-bound fare. Times have changed. Netflix can produce cinematic experiences.
The Irishman is not that cinematic, especially by Scorsese standards, and I firmly believe that if it were made for theaters (I.e. with studio pressure), it would have been more cinematic, let alone tighter and less self indulgent.
How many friends does Steven Spielberg have in the Academy? And will he rally his troops and wage another campaign against Netflix this year too? There’s no getting away from at least two of the 4 high profile Netflix films in the awards race. One of my 10 favourites of last year was Tamara Jenkins’ ‘Private Life’. Great writing, directing and acting especially Kathryn Hahn. I see more films every year from festival circuits or streaming or DVDs from eBay than the big screen ‘hits’. I hazard a guess a lot on this site are similar. Hunting down compelling storytelling is a part time job!
Yea i can assure you Spielberg is not far from only key player amongst I estimate 3000+strong traditional long standing academy membership who are vehemently against Netflix. Netflix is not cinema sorry only way it will is when Netflix ditch their egos think bout giving greater access all year round to their films on cinemas or at least not pandering to awards season thereby releasing their movies topubluconly during awards season of Netflix stroking there egos nothing more time to have re debate of how Disney is true game changer in Hollywood not just Disney + but Disney wheregratirudeto then academy ey?
Great article. I personally like how the race is shifting and Netflix is a part of that change. Making great storytelling accessible for punters like myself is appreciated. There will always be a market for multiplex cinemas and blockbusters but by putting resources into more art house fare they continue to nourish the community that makes more boutique narratives.
If I’m not mistaken Lisa Tayback worked for Harvey Weinstein on his slash and burn Oscar campaigns .
Just imagine this…
Picture – The Irishman
Director – Martin Scorsese
Actor – Eddie Murphy, Dolemite is my name
Actress – Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Supporting Actor – Sir Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Supporting Actress – Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Original Screenplay – Marriage Story
Adapted Screenplay – The Irishman
Animated Feature – Klaus
… in a Netflix sweep.
Why? It will never happen. Ever.
regardless of actual merit on any of these, it is a cinephile’s nightmare. That is why I am unsure, Netflix can actually win big.
Still, I am still thinking that The Irishman is winning Picture, Director, Supporting Actor and Adapted, and Marriage Story is winning Actress and Supporting Actress. I see Netflix only losing Lead Actor and Animated (for Toy Story 4), at this point. But this factor can make the vote switch to 1917 specially, or Ford v Ferrari or Jojo.
I don’t think they’re ready to give BP to a streaming service yet. So in my opinion, Irishman is out. So is Marriage Story.
problem is, The Irishman actually deserves to win it. I would put only Pain and Glory, so far, as a better film. And Parasite comes SO close to both of them, that it could be almost a tie. But I am happy with a quintet of 2019 already like Pain and Glory, The Irishman, Parasite, Us and Toy Story 4… not every year the quality of a top 5 is that high, in my opinion.
that came off harsher than i intended. i just mean in the history of movies, has there EVER been a studio that wins every single above the line Oscar? If there has been, it can’t have happened often, let alone recently…and then you’re saying a streaming service like Netflix would do that? No chance.
check my next commentary. But technically, it can happen… on every category of the Big 8, at least one Netflix film is one of the top 2 or 3 contenders. If they play their cards wisely (focusing on one contender, instead of spreading effort among all their proposals) I think they can win 6 or 7 of the top 8.
I disagree. Can’t wait to see how it all shakes out, regardless!
just a reminder… 10 noms for Roma, won Director and probably came *this close* to be the first Film not in English to win Best Picture.
I’m well aware
Nothing against Eddie but it’d more likely be Driver… Having said that the scenario seems surprisingly possible with the likely exceptions of Klaus and Hopkins.
Netflix allows many non-US Oscar aficionados/-nadas like me to see the contenders before the ceremony takes places. That´s something I´m really grateful for because in the past it was not unusual I was watching the show without really knowing which one to cross fingers for 😉
This might be the right place to note that I finally saw “The Irishman” – probably the biggest Netflix contender this year – and really liked it a lot. It´s familiar ground for Scorsese, of course, but it sets a different, more melancholic tone, and the acting is top notch as expected. Even in a hyper-crowded Best Actor field like this year I´d say it would be shame if de Niro is not getting recognized, Joe Pesci is a sure thing for a nomination in the supporting category (Al Pacino is also pretty great, but I think Pesci is the standout based on showing the audience a new side of his acting range).
Regarding the whole film I´m pretty certain that it will receive about 9-11 nominations but will have a hard time winning above-the-line Oscars – even though it´s IMO easily the best thing Scorsese has done in the past 20-25 years. But it´s been a while since the Academy honored something this epic before, and I suspect many will take the films quality for granted. Like, of course it´s great, Scorsese is the master of this kind of mobster mythology. And he is.
That said, I´m still sticking with my Best Pic-prediction “Parasite”. Because that´s quite a story for them, isn´t it? Maybe more like awarding Scorsese a second time for something that feels quite familiar.
I’m really lucky that I get to watch most of the Netflix films in the theatre, including The Irishman, Marriage Story, The Two Popes, The King, The Laundromat and more.
From what I’ve heard no one’s lucky to see THE LAUNDROMAT.
Hahaha – terrible film but I’m still happy I saw it in the theatre.
Laundromat is so bad. Halfway through I kept thinking did Soderbergh watch any of the cuts or did he just put out his workprint and say fuck it.
Netflix is definitely a game changer, especially this year BUT I think there are limits to what it can achieve / what the Academy will be willing to give it in the end. This is why I still firmly believe it won’t have more than two nominations in Picture, Director, Lead Actor.
I’m not saying The Irishman / Marriage Story duo will definitely score in all three of those categories, I’m saying I don’t think Netflix will score more than two in those categories. So for example if Pryce or Murphy makes the cut in Actor then my guess would be De Niro or Driver could be snubbed.
I like The Irishman and Marriage Story a lot (haven’t seen Two Popes yet) and if I were an Academy member I probably would break down and vote for them, but, if the Academy were to end up giving them the cold shoulder on nominations morning I would on some level be happy. Like, in one fell swoop AMPAS could single-handedly force Netflix to give their awards contenders real theatrical releases in the future instead of playing the stupid games they’re playing now. On some level that would be a better service to the cinema than handing statues to a couple of deserving people.
I support streaming. It takes the pressure off actors’ shoulders to deliver boxoffice, which, in most cases, has nothing to do with actor’s drawing power or lackthereof. Yet it can fuck up with promising careers while giving more work to hacks who luck out with concepts that sell.
That a very valid point maybe rise of Netflix ought to embolden traditional film studios be far more aggressive in marketing campaign than they previously have for Oscar but frankly Netflix to me is a non entity that exists increasingly to favour the elite class in the industry and frankly what good is that to film going public who prior to awards season was unable to see the Irishman. ?
There are not 4 Netflix juggernauts, there are 2, Marriage Story and The Irishman.
I’m really not sure that we can say that for certain before even the NBR announced.
I notice that once a movie is released, the window to see it closes tighter and is shorter. If you don’t see a movie within that first week, it’s hard to find it in the movie houses, and the times they are scheduled dwindling. I like that Netflix (and others) are making movies that can play in rotation on your television; and I notice that Netflix is thinking ahead by buying movie houses for its movies.
No lol Netflix is not Disney + is the real game changer Netflix by your own admission in the post Sasha is trying in vain I believe to artificially engineer through specific personnel appointments a forced evolution to big time player. Well I predict in light of this on my one of 3 will be Oscar contender and I don’t believe there a guarantee for the Irishman. Timing of decision of release of it to more multiplexes wide in us only I may add screams of cynicism that benefits of old still dominant if slightly less so middle aged white male voters ought to prob will reject.
Disney + isn’t trying for awards but I have to say it ability to generate superior quality blending old and new though it not in Oscar discussion the Mandalorian series sets bar for inventive original content on streaming that of supreme quality . But more so disney + elevates quality built for film community Netflix is engineering itself into absolute rip off merchant with exclusive personnel driven drivel of film material frankly in case Irishman has been done before at cinema level , and two films at best while more inventive thematically still focus on awards attention over what customers and film community wants .
I therefore go as far to say the power and influence of Disney far away most successful film studio frankly both with critics and public globally and in states is by far streaks ahead of what Netflix has achieved. And deservedly so this is penultimate year Disney redefined broader term of streaming services to deliver experience no streaming competitor can surpass not just avengers endgame blockbuster redefinition of a event film but fact Disney judgement again is ever so adaptable and rightfully a cinematic industry leader so frankly fuk Netflix, Amazon prime, Stan.
Cos I’m just cos Netflix starts a debate it simply not reflected in outcome and Sasha wow your truly wrong on 5his one but when u consider timing of wide release of Irishman it not bout catering to nor respect public want it on my what Netflix and those personnel want. I believe therefore.
There only one streaming service from organisation that more authentic more game changing than any other by studio I overwhelmingly believe has far too long been pigeonholed as animated powerhouse. Time we all take off our blinkers and truly reflect what we public who drive movies success or no not whims of individual specialist appointments at mercy of the Netflix other streaming execs, in Disney and Disney + unfortunately I think Sasha some others have been doing such thorough job exploring industry and connections no fault of their own thrir views is entrenched in projecting case of supposed ‘ new gamechangers ( that are more limited than we think in influence like netdix), and see that Disney and Disney + will be underappreciated and undervalued by academy which given Hollywood dream factory ( supposedly )and foundation of modern Hollywood by was visionary founder of Disney anyway, Hollywood mentality that it profits Disney reward will only divorce public from fully embracing academy on ratings and public respectability front u count on that the longer Disney not embraced as deserved big game true game changer in best pic categories and other major ones that darker stains stronger hypocrisy on Hollywood and academy own original vision statement as a dream factory we should be debating this not Netflix as lead game changer it total ruse
I love Disney+ as much as the next guy, but you can’t really make that argument until D+ makes an original film that’s good enough to actually sit through let alone win Oscars.
What are talking about? A point for point live action copy of Lady and the Tramp is their “original film” contender, along with the “would have been buried” Christmas movie.
True but then again the Oscars indulge time and again in ‘ I owe u s’ and make no mistake it Disney more than Netflix tenfold more that contributed with integrity and revolutionised the film industry cos of its ability transcend itself as animated /light fantasy / kids dream factory to most powerful full blown motion picture powerhouse I think if won’t happen this year though bloody well should ( overdue by least q decade on my watch) Oscar have yo question objectively their own judgement year on year ” isn’t time to embrace celebrate Disney’s transformational evolution and achievement from kids/ light entertainment to big time player on motion picture scene “? How is it right for us morally to continue to stereotype foolishly Disney as only worthy of winning best animated feature ? ” answer it not fair but fairness and realistic clear thinking is afterthought in academy complete lack of understanding what they should stand for and thrir modern foundations were not only transformed in 60’s onwards by paramount , universal studios/ pictures as it were but Disney has been constant chameleons innovator game changer and when was last time Oscar nominated Disney motion picture won Oscar? NEVER Disney deserve as much credit ad Marvel for delivering decade domination to unforgettable epic in Endgame I strongly feel Netflix is touted more as game changer by pundits ultimately not so much by voters make no mistake snubbing if Disney in a way it does not deserve to only win best animated film for it decades if transformation I come to realize is by far the biggest unjust injustice of all wards snubs in history of academy that a sad depressing fact and look no further yo Oscars resistance of bleeding obvious to us all it ratings continue to fail …longer thr y snub event blockbuster film’s deeper hole they dig for themselves it not unheard of that nothing stays o mn top forever I predict boldly crazy it may sound academy taking their ‘ only motion picture premier global event awards show title for granted so believe me far more to.lose continuing to relegate Disney as merely animated powerhouse thr y are a deserved leader in how studios should incorporate such broad diverse range if entertainment from kids through to adults no other wards competing studio even if they smaller ones has done so much ad Disney has yet for Disney record setting nominations thr y been snubbed for best motion picture for far too many years time for Hollywood to repay that gratitude th4y damn well better s ok we than l8tr even if as extrqorrdinary hard is it is to believe won’t be this year why not I say Endgame and Frozen ii dominate Disney dominate Oscars why fuk not? What have academy got to.lose? What do thr y fear? Netflix is pale imitation Disney + going down a rd to elitism
I have to confess… “Mudbound” remains part of the reason why I have always had a hard time to accept “Lady Bird” as a critical juggernaut and a top 5 awards contender. The post-Weinstein and beginning of Me Too favored “Lady Bird”‘s narrative and boosted its reception… but there was something much better in play that year. The industry still went for the easy route. The blonde, white, young, beautiful actress-turned-into-director over the unknown African American. Quite telling…
And Netflix seems be becoming socialist animal too just adds to global perception Netflix is an exclusive biased sudo- socialist exclusive membership only venue even if odd show or series buck the trend there no denying whatsoever that you look at ‘ Roma ‘ last year as thrir debut undeserved Oscar contender it raises more questions to broader global credibility of Netflix which incidentally is bring overtaken by Amazon prime all which be eclipsed by Disney +
“Socialist”? What in the fuck are you smoking, son?
Honestly I’m looking forward to the day when would be Edge Lords like Aaron here come up with a new descriptor for something they don’t personally like rather than “socialist”
I can’t even believe it’s debatable. Lady Bird is a great Oscar film, a hilarious character study. The Academy has occasionally nominated films with female protagonists and strong supporting turns by other actresses. The Favourite is one example. Working Girl is another. Heck, All About Eve and Terms of Endearment even won Best Picture.
Maybe you mean that it’s odd the Academy would recognize a film in which the main protagonist is a teen girl? But they’ve done it before with Juno, Little Women, Three Smart Girls, and Peyton Place (among others).
Nah, it’s not unusual to see it happen, and it’s certainly better than another cliche biopic.