The 52nd Telluride Film Festival (which always takes place over Labor Day weekend) wraps up tomorrow, with most of the heavy hitters now unveiled. Among the standouts already seen at Cannes (and by yours truly) were Sentimental Value, The Secret Agent, It Was Just an Accident, The Mastermind, Nouvelle Vague, The History of Sound, and Pillion. From Sundance, the program included If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, and from Berlin, Blue Moon. Film arriving from Venice were: Bugonia, Jay Kelly, Cover-Up, Ghost Elephants, La Grazia, and a surprise screening of Frankenstein. The highest-profile world premieres, at least in terms of Oscar prospects, were Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet (curiously absent from the Venice lineup), Edward Berger’s The Ballad of a Small Player, and Scott Cooper’s Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.
As for what’s already screened and what we’ve touched on in previous podcast episodes and our recent “Venice Hot Takes”: audiences remain enamored with Joachim Trier’s Oscar front-runner Sentimental Value; Wagner Moura impressed (unsurprisingly) with his spectacular turn in The Secret Agent; and Harris Dickinson’s directorial debut Urchin confirmed its place as one of Cannes’ best. Rose Byrne wowed (unsurprisingly) in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, while Josh O’Connor turned up in two warmly received films, and Richard Linklater showcased his versatility with two titles—one in French. Jay Kelly also landed far better with Telluride crowds than Venice, reinforcing our hunch that it could be a serious Oscar contender.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, meanwhile, drew a more mixed reception—perhaps even more so than in Venice. While its technical mastery earned unqualified praise and Jacob Elordi’s performance was hailed as a standout, many critics pointed to the uneven script and style-over-substance tendencies. The consensus: an admirable work, but not the dream adaptation fans had hoped for.
Elsewhere, Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player earned some admiration for Colin Farrell’s committed performance and the film’s flashy design, but most found it disjointed and lacking in depth. The Film Stage called it “a morality tale dripping in bombast,” while IndieWire dismissed it as “an empty meditation on the relationship between capitalism and shame.” After Berger’s back-to-back successes with All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave, we suspected this one might not hit the same heights—and current reactions suggest it sits firmly outside Oscar contention.
Scott Cooper’s Springsteen biopic—focusing on the period when Bruce Springsteen wrote Nebraska—had its first look at the festival. Joseph and I have been a bit skeptical about its awards prospects, especially coming right on the heels of A Complete Unknown. We suspect voters may be inclined to give the music-legend-biopic trend a breather. Audience reception sounded very positive, but critics were more measured. The film currently sits at a 69 on Metacritic despite a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score—a telling split between the aggregators.
From the reviews, this is a much more sober, sometimes bleak, meditative character study—not the familiar image of Springsteen as a rock “working-class hero” powering through marathon concerts with grit and connection. Instead, the film delves into his depression during the making of Nebraska, leaning into psychological depth rather than myth-making. The question now is whether that tone will mean smaller box office returns compared to A Complete Unknown—and if so, whether that could undercut its awards chances. Expectations may leave audiences desiring a more traditional biopic structure when the film releases in October.
Most critics are receiving the film as a quiet, emotionally potent biopic, admiring its austere, character-driven approach. Some take issue with the pacing and uneven script, calling certain narrative devices tired or overly familiar. What is unanimous, though, is Jeremy Allen White: critics across the board hail his portrayal as “utterly convincing”—a performance that channels Springsteen’s essence without mimicry, drawing comparisons to Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner’s Daughter. His singing, emotional depth, and physical transformation have been widely praised. Given the Academy’s penchant for honoring actors who embody iconic figures—especially rock stars of late—White looks well-positioned for his first Oscar nomination, provided the film performs decently at the box office.
As for the rest of the film’s Oscar prospects, that too will hinge on financial success. Jeremy Strong has earned mixed notes, with some suggesting his role distracts from Springsteen’s story; it seems unlikely he’ll crack Supporting Actor, especially after last year’s nomination. Stephen Graham, poised for Emmy recognition this fall for Adolescence, also doesn’t appear to have enough here to make a run. Odessa Young, playing a composite of Springsteen’s girlfriends, did receive standout mentions from many, but whether that translates into serious awards traction remains uncertain.
Focus Features was the belle of the ball, bringing two highly acclaimed films to the festival. One was the Venice-debuting Bugonia, which continued to amass fans—many bullish on its Oscar chances, particularly for Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in the lead acting categories. Will Bugonia be the Academy’s thing come Oscar time, strong enough to land a Best Picture nod? Still unclear. What is clear is that it’s a highly praised work from a director the Academy has been embracing of late, and it will most definitely contend.
No summary of Telluride would be complete without mentioning the festival’s biggest winner—and now a sure-fire Oscar contender, just as Joseph and I predicted before its premiere: Focus Features’ Hamnet. Chloé Zhao’s latest was the most talked-about, celebrated, and beloved film of the fest, cementing its status as a Top 5 Best Picture player, the frontrunner for Best Actress (Jessie Buckley), and a strong contender in Cinematography, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. Depending on category placement, Paul Mescal could also emerge as a player in either Best Actor or Supporting Actor.
The pedigree of Hamnet was undeniable from the start, which is why Joseph and I felt so confident in its impending success. Zhao is one of our most gifted filmmakers, with a rare ability to craft poetry that feels lived-in and authentic rather than superficial. Buckley and Mescal are past nominees with bright futures, and the Academy has been keeping a close eye on their celebrated work for some time. The source material is beloved, the story steeped in heartbreak and pathos, and under Zhao’s hands its tragic elements were always destined to become profound, resonant experiences.
The reviews have been rapturous. The Film Stage calls it “the best film Chloé Zhao has made by quite a wide margin” (high praise, especially since I personally consider Nomadland a masterpiece). The Hollywood Reporter calls it “a tremendously acted heartbreaker,” while. Vulture declares it “the most devastating movie I’ve seen in years,” citing its fearless emotional depth and “downright supernatural” success. Buckley’s performance is being hailed as devastating, transcendent, raw, unforgettable—career-best in every sense. She is, without question, our Best Actress frontrunner. Mescal, meanwhile, is described as a luminous presence whose performance is essential to the film’s haunting power. Reports say the last half of the screening left audiences openly sobbing, with many sitting in stunned silence through the end credits. Expect this one to place—if not win—the TIFF People’s Choice Award.