A nod to some awards hopefuls that deserve to be remembered in the coming weeks.
Anytime I see a great movie that was released well before awards season gets underway, I’m always reminded of the FYC ads that appeared as part of the awards push for David Fincher’s Zodiac. That film, which was released in early 2007, had campaign ads proclaiming: “Not all great movies come out in the last six weeks of the year.” It’s a true statement that I wish more awards bodies would remember and take to heart whenever they discover a movie that came out well before voting season kicks off. I certainly remembered it when I originally reviewed The Friend this past spring, which had Naomi Watts front and center in a film about a New York writer/professor who inherits a large dog following the suicide of a longtime friend played by Bill Murray.
For those who may have missed it, and I suspect many did, The Friend was one of the best films of the year. Wonderfully free of schmaltz, but heavy on pathos and genuine emotion, the film fits well into the genre of what happens to us when we lose someone and all that remains are the (sometimes) unanswered traces of them that are left behind. The Friend is also a very thoughtful and sensitive exploration about the power of human/animal relationships and provides an honest insight into the bond that is formed and how much it means to both creatures. Watts gives a career best performance (and at this point, that’s saying something), the screenplay feels incredibly literary, and the whole affair brings out a certain ty of empathy that fills its audience with the kind of warmth that only the most well-crafted of films can provide.
The Friend joins a number of films that have come out in the pre-awards time of the movie year, “shot their shot,” and are now left to be discovered by those who probably didn’t see them on their first go around. In honor of the wave of upcoming nominees, here are five additional titles to The Friend that voters should give a second look to this season.
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Many studios save the great indie movie finds they collect from festivals until the end of the year when the season really heats up. It’s therefore a little puzzling to have seen Focus Features release The Ballad of Wallis Island so early in the year. Director James Griffith and writers Tim Key and Tom Basden’s small tale about a waning singer (Basden) who comes to a remote island in name to perform a concert only to discover the man who hired him (Key) is his sole audience member. The Ballad of Wallis Island is a beautiful film that deals with the creative mind being stuck in the past and the importance of the relationship between artists and those who feel drawn to them. With every element of the film working at full force from the screenplay to the acting, to the score and direction,The Ballad of Wallis Island should be ripe for every one’s consideration.
Black Bag
I’m not sure when or why Stephen Soderbergh fell out of popularity with organizations like the Golden Globes and the Oscars, but in a just world, Black Bag would get him back on their radar. This story about a husband and wife spy team (Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett) is such a throwback to the slick and lavish espionage capers that call to mind the critic-favorite phrase: “They just don’t make them like this anymore.” But Soderbergh also takes advantage of the current times, injecting them into the proceedings in a way that makes this tale about what happens when one spy spouse can’t trust the other, feel both timely and timeless. With a stylish score, intoxicating cinematography, and a screenplay that only gets stronger as the film goes on, Black Bag shows that Soderbergh’s talents as a filmmaker are as alive as ever.
Mickey 17
The fact that Mickey 17‘s release date was pushed back a number of times signified the studio’s uncertainty about the film. Seeing it, it’s more than understandable. The movie takes a collection of ideas, both big and small, and explores them through an assortment of show-stopping sequences wrapped up in a delightfully wild premise. Mickey 17 takes some big swings in this sci-fi tale of a man (Robert Pattinson) who is forced to die and be brought back to life as part of his job. With some direct political allegories, philosophical moments, and a mix of genre styles, director Boon Joon Ho isn’t shy about trying a lot, and the audience is certainly better for it. Mickey 17 has rarely been the kind of movie major award bodies go for, but it’s still one of the boldest and most original offerings of the year.
Seven Veils
Amanda Seyfried may be emerging as a Best Actress contender for The Story of Ann Lee, but if she hadn’t had that project waiting in the wings, this earlier 2025 effort would have been worthy of awards love for her anyways. Seyfried plays Jeanine, a theater director whose been tasked with mounting a planned Lincoln Center production of Salome following her late mentor’s death. Seyfried is given so much to work with here playing a woman trying to reconcile herself with the darkness of her past while trying to assert herself as a figure of creativity and power in a position mainly held by men. Seven Veils isn’t perfect, but director Atom Egoyan (reuniting with Seyfried following their 2009 collaboration Chloe) makes this a thoughtful comment on trauma and the blurring of lines between fantasy and reality.
Highest 2 Lowest
Not many directors have what it takes to remake an Akira Kurosawa film, which is probably why not many have tried. One who was able to successfully pull it off was Spike Lee, whose take on Highest 2 Lowest, a remake of Kurosawa’s highly acclaimed 1963 thriller. Lee reunites with Denzel Washington for this story of a hip hop mogul whose life turns upside down when his son (Aubrey Joseph) gets kidnapped. Lee seamlessly transfers the action from Japan to New York, delivering a story that takes full advantage of the city while honing in on the divide within certain areas of the African American community. Washington is also given his best role in years as a man who is very nearly brought back down to his knees and will do anything to protect his son.
As is obvious to everyone who participates in awards season, not all major awards players have been released at the end of the year. There have been a few cases where early year releases have been able to find themselves scoring victories when awards season comes around; not too many though. Things have definitely changed so that earlier releases have more of a chance than in previous years. Yet so many still get forgotten at that time of year that sometimes feels as if it’s driven more by buzz than merit. In another time, a film as deserving as The Friend would just now be coming out to glowing reviews, emerging as one of the buzziest fall titles and a true awards contender. As it stands right now, it’s a film whose awards consideration has already come and gone. That’s okay; the film itself is here to stay.
The Friend is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Bleeker Street.
