As we approach the end of the year, Hollywood begins to fully transition into awards season mode. The more Oscar-friendly movies begin their theatrical roll-outs, and the nominations start coming in as filmmakers attend numerous ceremonies in the build-up to the Academy Awards. While there are a few obvious frontrunners this year, there’s always one dark horse that looks to break out from the pack and score a few upsets, and in 2019 that movie seems to be Joker.
The R-rated origin story for the Clown Prince of Crime has been surprising people from the very beginning, given that Warner Bros. deemed the project too risky to finance it entirely, even with such a small budget in comparison to other comic book films. Since then, Todd Phillips’ dark thriller has gone from strength to strength, generating wildly positive reviews and breaking box office records left and right, and recently sailed past the billion-dollar mark with ease.
Joker may have generated plenty of controversy in the build-up to release, which many believed would ultimately harm the movie’s chances of awards season success, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, with the recent announcement of the Critics’ Choice Awards nominations handing the most profitable comic book movie of all-time an impressive seven nods.
Usually, the genre doesn’t come under consideration in the major categories, with Black Panther the first and so far only superhero flick to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but Joker could be set to change all that. As well as being under consideration for Best Production Design and Best Hair and Makeup, Arthur Fleck’s origin is also up for Best Picture, Best Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix.
While the Critics’ Choice Awards aren’t a surefire predictor for Oscar success, the nominees for each category usually match up pretty well. If this is any indicator, Joker is set to maintain a serious presence throughout the remainder of the industry’s most prestigious few months.