Oscar Predictions: Best Director – 16 Years After ‘Little Children’, Todd Field Returns With ‘TÁR’

Rank Name Film Distributor 1 Steven Spielberg “The Fabelmans” Universal Pictures A semi-autobiography based on Spielberg’s own childhood growing up in post-war Arizona, from age seven to eighteen. 2 Alejandro González Iñárritu “Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths)” Netflix The film explores the political and social modernity of Mexico. 3 Todd Field “TÁR” Focus Features Set in the international world of classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár. widely considered one of the greatest living composer/conductors and first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra. 4 Sarah Polley “Women Talking” MGM/United Artists Releasing A group of women in an isolated religious colony as they struggle to reconcile their faith with a string of sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men. 9 Ruben Östlund “Triangle of Sadness” Neon A cruise for the super-rich sinks thus leaving survivors, including a fashion model celebrity couple, trapped on an island. Next in Line 6 Florian Zeller “The Son” Sony Pictures Classics Peter as his busy life with new partner Emma and their baby is thrown into disarray when his ex-wife Kate turns up with their teenage son, Nicholas. 7 Sam Mendes “Empire of Light” Searchlight Pictures “Empire of Light” is a love story set in and around a beautiful old cinema on the South Coast of England in the 1980s. 8 Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert “Everything Everywhere All at Once” A24 An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led. 9 Park Chan-wook “Decision to Leave” Mubi A detective investigating a man’s death in the mountains meets the dead man’s mysterious wife in the course of his dogged sleuthing. 10 Chinonye Chukwu “Till” Orion/United Artists Releasing The story of Emmett Louis Till and the legacy of his mother who pursued justice for her lynched son. Other Top-Tier Contenders 11 Noah Baumbach “White Noise” Netflix 12 Martin McDonagh “The Banshees of Inisherin” Searchlight Pictures 13 Baz Luhrmann “Elvis” Warner Bros. 14 Joseph Kosinski “Top Gun: Maverick” Paramount Pictures 15 Damien Chazelle “Babylon” Paramount Pictures 16 Gina Prince-Bythewood “The Woman King” Sony Pictures 17 Oliver Hermanus “Living” Sony Pictures Classics 18 Maria Schrader “She Said” Universal Pictures 19 Ryan Coogler “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Marvel Studios 24 Olivia Wilde “Don’t Worry Darling” Warner Bros Also In Contention 21 Darren Aronofsky “The Whale” A24 22 Elegance Bratton “The Inspection” A24 23 Scott Cooper “The Pale Blue Eye” Netflix 24 Rian Johnson “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” Netflix 25 David O. Russell “Amsterdam” 20th Century Studios 26 Sebastián Lelio “The Wonder” Netflix 27 James Cameron “Avatar: The Way of Water” 20th Century Studios 28 Mark Mylod “The Menu” Searchlight Pictures 29 Michael Showalter “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies” Focus Features 30 Marc Forster “A Man Called Otto” Sony Pictures Other Awards Possibilities 31 Tyler Perry “A Jazzman’s Blues” Netflix 32 George Miller “Three Thousand Years of Longing” MGM/United Artists Releasing 33 Santiago Mitre “Argentina, 1985” Amazon Studios 34 Ali Abbasi “Holy Spider” Utopia 35 James Gray “Armageddon Time” Focus Features 36 Peter Farrelly “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” Apple Original Films 37 Guy Nattiv “Golda” Bleecker Street 38 Billy Eichner “Bros” Universal Pictures 39 Audrey Diwan “Happening” IFC Films 40 Lila Neugebauer “Causeway” A24/Apple Original Films All Contenders Listed (Unranked-Alphabetical) — Agnieszka Smoczynska “The Silent Twins” Focus Features — Alejandro González Iñárritu “Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths)” Netflix — Alex Garland “Men” A24 — Alex Lockwood “The End of Medicine” Gravitas Ventures — Ali Abbasi “Holy Spider” Utopia — Alice Diop “Saint Omer” No U.S. Distribution — Alice Winocour “Paris Memories” Pathé — Amy Redford “Roost” No U.S. Distribution — Andrea Pallaoro “Monica” No U.S. Distribution — Andrew Dominik “Blonde” Netflix — Angus MacLane “Lightyear” Pixar — Anthony Fabian “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” Focus Features — Anthony Russo, Joe Russo “The Gray Man” Netflix — Audrey Diwan “Happening” IFC Films — B.J. Novak “Vengeance” Focus Features — Baltasar Kormákur “Beast” Universal Pictures — Baz Luhrmann “Elvis” Warner Bros. — Benedetta Argentieri “The Matchmaker” No U.S. Distribution — Benjamin Millepied “Carmen” Sony Pictures Classics — Bill Pohlad “Dreamin’ Wild” No U.S. Distribution — Biyi Bandele “The King’s Horseman” No U.S. Distribution — Brandon Cronenberg “Infinity Pool” Neon — Carey Williams “Emergency” Amazon Studios — Carrie Cracknell “Persuasion” Netflix — Catherine Hardwicke “Prisoner’s Daughter” No U.S. Distribution — Cesc Gay “Stories Not to Be Told” No U.S. Distribution — Charlotte Wells “Aftersun” A24 — Chinonye Chukwu “Till” Orion/United Artists Releasing — Chris Williams “The Sea Beast” Netflix — Christopher Sharp, Moses Bwayo “Bobi Wine Ghetto President” No U.S. Distribution — Christopher Winterbauer “Wyrm” Vertical Entertainment — Claire Denis “Both Sides of the Blade” IFC Films — Clement Virgo “Brother” No U.S. Distribution — Cooper Raiff “Cha Cha Real Smooth” Apple Original Films — Craig Roberts “The Phantom of the Open” Sony Pictures Classics — Cristian Mungiu “R.M.N.” IFC Films — Damien Chazelle “Babylon” Paramount Pictures — Daniel Adams “The Walk” Vertical Entertainment — Daniel Geller, Dayna Goldfine “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song” Sony Pictures Classics — Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert “Everything Everywhere All at Once” A24 — Darren Aronofsky “The Whale” A24 — David Cronenberg “Crimes of the Future” Neon — David F. Sandberg “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” Warner Bros. — David Leitch “Bullet Train” Sony Pictures — David O. Russell “Amsterdam” 20th Century Studios — Davy Chou “Return to Seoul” Sony Pictures Classics — Dean Fleischer-Camp “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” A24 — Diego Lerman “El Suplente” No U.S. Distribution — Domee Shi “Turning Red” Pixar — Don Hall “Strange World” Walt Disney Pictures — Edward Berger “All Quiet on the Western Front” Netflix — Elegance Bratton “The Inspection” A24 — Emanuele Crialese “L’Immensità” Pathé — Emelie Mahdavian “Bitterbrush” Magnolia Pictures — Emma Holly Jones “Mr. Malcolm’s List” Bleecker Street — Enrico Ghezzi, Alessandro Gagliardo “Gli Ultimi Giorni Dell’Umanità” No U.S. Distribution — Evgeny Afineevsky “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” No U.S. Distribution — Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch “The Eight Mountains” M2 Pictures — Florian Zeller “The Son” Sony Pictures Classics — Francesca Archibugi “The Hummingbird” No U.S. Distribution — Francesco Carrozzini “The Hanging Sun” No U.S. Distribution — Frederick Wiseman “A Couple” No U.S. Distribution — Gabe Polsky “Butcher’s Crossing” Saban Films — George Miller “Three Thousand Years of Longing” MGM/United Artists Releasing — Gianfranco Rosi “In Viaggio” No U.S. Distribution — Gianni Amelio “Il Signore Delle Formiche” No U.S. Distribution — Gina Gammell, Riley Keough “War Pony” Picturehouse Entertainment — Gina Prince-Bythewood “The Woman King” TriStar Pictures — Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson Guillermo del Toro, Lisa Henson, Alexander Bulkley, Corey Campodonico, Gary Ungar Netflix — Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” Netflix — Guy Nattiv “Golda” Bleecker Street — Halina Reijn “Bodies Bodies Bodies” A24 — Henry Selick “Wendell and Wild” Netflix — Hirokazu Koreeda “Broker” Neon — Hong Sang-soo “Walk Up” No U.S. Distribution — Hubert Davis “Black Ice” No U.S. Distribution — J.D. Dillard “Devotion” Sony Pictures — Jafar Panahi “No Bears” No U.S. Distribution — James Cameron “Avatar: The Way of Water” 20th Century Studios — James Gray “Armageddon Time” Focus Features — James Morosini “I Love My Dad” Magnolia Pictures — Jared Stern “DC League of Super Pets” Warner Bros — Jaume Collet-Serra “Black Adam” Warner Bros — Jay Chandrasekhar “Easter Sunday” Universal Pictures — Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne “Tori and Lokita” Janus Films — Jeff Baena “Spin Me Round” IFC Films — Jeremiah Zagar “Hustle” Netflix — Jerzy Skolimowski “EO” Janus Films and Sideshow — Jesse Eisenberg “When You Finish Saving the World” A24 — Jessica M. Thompson “The Invitation” Sony Pictures — Jim Archer “Brian and Charles” Focus Features — Joanna Hogg “The Eternal Daughter” A24 — Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” DreamWorks Animation — Johan Renck “Spaceman” Netflix — John McPhail “Dear David” Lionsgate — John Michael McDonagh “The Forgiven” Roadside Attractions — John Patton Ford “Emily the Criminal” Roadside Attractions — John Ridley “Shirley” Netflix — Jordan Peele “Nope” Universal Pictures — Jørgen Leth, Andreas Koefoed “Music for Black Pigeons” No U.S. Distribution — Joseph Kosinski “Top Gun: Maverick” Paramount Pictures — Josh Gordon, Will Speck “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile” Sony Pictures — Julian Higgins “God’s Country” IFC Films — Julie Cohen, Betsy West “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” Briarcliff Entertainment — Jung Woo-sung “A Man of Reason” No U.S. Distribution — Justin Kurzel “Nitram” IFC Films — Karen Maine “Rosaline” Hulu — Kasi Lemmons “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” Sony Pictures — Kathlyn Horan “The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile” Sony Pictures Classics — Kenneth Branagh “Death on the Nile” 20th Century Studios — Kim Ki-duk “Call of God” No U.S. Distribution — Kogonada “After Yang” A24 — Kôji Fukada “Love Life” No U.S. Distribution — Kyle Balda “Minions: The Rise of Gru” Universal Pictures — Laura Poitras “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” No U.S. Distribution — Laura Terruso “About My Father” Lionsgate — Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” Netflix — Lav Diaz “When the Waves are Gone” No U.S. Distribution — Lee Jung-jae “Hunt” No U.S. Distribution — Lena Dunham “Catherine, Called Birdy” Amazon Studios — Lila Neugebauer “Causeway” A24/Apple Original Films — Lise Akoka, Romane Gueret “The Worst Ones” No U.S. Distribution — Lizzie Gottlieb “Turn Every Page” Sony Pictures Classics — Loren Bouchard, Bernard Derriman “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” 20th Century Studios — Luca Guadagnino “Bones & All” MGM/United Artists Releasing — Luca Guadagnino “Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams” Sony Pictures Classics — Lukas Dhont “Close” A24 — Madeleine Christian Carion “Driving” No U.S. Distribution — Marc Forster “White Bird: A Wonder Story” Lionsgate — Marc Forster “A Man Called Otto” Sony Pictures — Margaret Brown “Descendant” Netflix — Maria Schrader “She Said” Universal Pictures — Mariama Diallo “Master” Amazon Studios — Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat “Official Competition” IFC Films — Marie Kreutzer “Corsage” IFC Films — Mark Mylod “The Menu” Searchlight Pictures — Martin McDonagh “The Banshees of Inisherin” Searchlight Pictures — Mary Nighy “Alice, Darling” Lionsgate — Maryan Touzani “The Blue Caftan” No U.S. Distribution — Matt Reeves “The Batman” Warner Bros. — Mayim Bialik “As They Made Us” Quiver — Mia Hansen-Løve “One Fine Morning” Sony Pictures Classics — Michael Bay “Ambulance” Universal Pictures — Michael Grandage “My Policeman” Amazon Studios — Michael Showalter “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies” Focus Features — Michel Hazanavicius “Final Cut” No U.S. Distribution — Nicholas Stoller “Bros” Universal Pictures — Niki Caro “The Mother” Netflix — Noah Baumbach “White Noise” Netflix — Ol Parker “Ticket to Paradise” Universal Pictures — Oleh Malamuzh, Oleksandra Ruban “Mavka: The Forest Song” Feelgood Entertainment — Oliver Hermanus “Living” Sony Pictures Classics — Oliver Stone “Nuclear” No U.S. Distribution — Olivia Wilde “Don’t Worry Darling” Warner Bros — Paolo Virzì “Siccitá” No U.S. Distribution — Park Chan-wook “Decision to Leave” Mubi — Paul Schrader “Master Gardener” No U.S. Distribution — Paul Weitz “Moving On” No U.S. Distribution — Peggy Holmes “Luck” Apple Original Films — Peter Farrelly “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” Apple Original Films — Phyllis Nagy “Call Jane” Roadside Attractions — Pierre Perifel “The Bad Guys” Universal Pictures — Rebecca Zlotowski “Other People’s Children” No U.S. Distribution — Reginald Hudlin “Sidney” Apple Original Films — Rian Johnson “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” Netflix — Richard Eyre “Allelujah” No U.S. Distribution — Robert Connolly “Blueback” No U.S. Distribution — Robert Eggers “The Northman” Focus Features — Rodrigo García “Raymond & Ray” Apple Original Films — Romain Gavras “Athena” Netflix — Ron Howard “Thirteen Lives” Amazon Studios/MGM — Roschdy Zem “Our Ties” No U.S. Distribution — Ruben Östlund “Triangle of Sadness” Neon — Ryan Coogler “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Marvel Studios — Ryan White “Good Night Oppy” Amazon Studios — S.S. Rajamouli “RRR” Raftar Creations — Saim Sadiq “Joyland” No U.S. Distribution — Sally El Hosaini “The Swimmers” Netflix — Sam Mendes “Empire of Light” Searchlight Pictures — Sam Raimi “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” Marvel Studios — Sanaa Lathan “On the Come Up” Paramount Pictures — Santiago Mitre “Argentina, 1985” Amazon Studios — Sarah Polley “Women Talking” MGM/United Artists Releasing — Scott Cooper “The Pale Blue Eye” Netflix — Scott McGehee, David Siegel “Montana Story” Bleecker Street — Sean Anders, John Morris “Spirited” Apple Original Films — Sebastián Lelio “The Wonder” Netflix — Sergei Loznitsa “The Kiev Trial” No U.S. Distribution — Shekhar Kapur “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” No U.S. Distribution — Shubham Yogi “Kacchey Limbu” No U.S. Distribution — Signe Baumane “My Love Affair with Marriage” No U.S. distribution — Stephanie Allynne, Tig Notaro “Am I OK?” HBO Max — Stephen Frears “The Lost King” Warner Bros. — Stephen Williams “Chevalier” Searchlight Pictures — Steve James “A Compassionate Spy” No U.S. Distribution — Steven Spielberg “The Fabelmans” Universal Pictures — Susanna Nicchiarelli “Chiara” No U.S. Distribution — Taika Waititi “Thor: Love and Thunder” Marvel Studios — Terrence Malick “The Way of the Wind” No U.S. Distribution — Thomas M. Wright “The Stranger” Transmission Films — Ti West “X” A24 — Ti West “Pearl” No U.S. Distribution — Tobias Lindholm “The Good Nurse” Netflix — Todd Field “TÁR” Focus Features — Tom George “See How They Run” Searchlight Pictures — Tom Gormican “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” Lionsgate — Vahid Jalilvand “Beyond the Wall” No U.S. Distribution — Vicky Jenson “Spellbound” Apple Original Films — Walter Hill “Dead For a Dollar” No U.S. Distribution — Zachary Wigon “Sanctuary” No U.S. Distribution