Last night, the Golden Globes set the stage for the Oscars race, with Emilia Pérez and The Brutalist emerging as big winners. Emilia Pérez, a Netflix film, took home the award for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, along with three other wins out of a record ten nominations. Meanwhile, The Brutalist, a three-and-a-half-hour epic drama from A24, won Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actor for Adrien Brody, and Best Director for Brady Corbet.
These victories are impressive and may hint at a strong Oscars performance for both films. However, with eight weeks to go until the March 2 Academy Awards, the competition is far from over. Emilia Pérez’s lively afterparty at Spago reflected the excitement surrounding the film, which Netflix acquired after its Cannes premiere. On the other hand, The Brutalist director Brady Corbet made a memorable speech, highlighting the ambitious nature of his film and its unique storytelling approach.
Even though these two films are strong contenders, other nominees shouldn’t lose hope. Past years have shown that the Golden Globes don’t always predict the Oscars’ Best Picture winner. Movies like The King’s Speech (2010), Birdman (2014), Parasite (2019), and Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) all won the Best Picture Oscar despite not winning the equivalent Golden Globe. This year’s nominees, including Conclave, Wicked, and The Substance, still have a chance to gain momentum, as do films like A Complete Unknown and Dune: Part Two, which went home empty-handed at the Globes.
In the acting categories, Demi Moore’s win for Best Actress in The Substance was particularly noteworthy. Her heartfelt acceptance speech reflected on her long career and being previously seen as a “popcorn” actress, which could resonate with Academy voters. Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres also made a strong impression with her win for I’m Still Here, a political drama by Walter Salles. Both performances are likely to receive attention from Oscar voters in the coming weeks.
In the animation category, Flow, a Latvian film, continued its winning streak, beating out big studio contenders like Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot. Its underdog status may help it gain even more support as the awards season progresses. Meanwhile, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score for Challengers is shaping up as the frontrunner in the Original Score category.
On the television side, the Golden Globes largely echoed the Emmy Awards. Shows like Shōgun, Baby Reindeer, and Hacks repeated their Emmy successes, while Jeremy Allen White won again for his role in The Bear. The Globes rarely took risks this year, with Colin Farrell’s win for The Penguin being one of the few surprises.
The event itself, held at the Beverly Hilton, marked a return to form for the Globes after recent controversies and industry strikes. The atmosphere on the red carpet was energetic, and Nikki Glaser’s hosting was well-received. However, some awkward production choices, like presenter positioning, could use improvement for future ceremonies.
With Oscar nomination voting beginning this week and major guild nominations on the horizon, the race is just heating up. The winners from last night’s Globes will need to keep the momentum going as the season moves into its busiest phase. It’s clear that anything can still happen in this unpredictable year.
