Here’s Our Dream Picks for the 2023 Oscar Nominations

This is a preview of our pop culture newsletter The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, written by editor Kevin Fallon. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox each week, sign up for it here.

This week:

• Another bad reboot.
• Dream picks for the Oscars.
• Keke Palmer saved my soul.
• Meryl Streep!
• Crucial 80 for Brady update.

The Long National Nightmare of Oscar Season Is Nearly Over

After a brisk 417 months, the 2022-23 award season is nearly coming to a close. On Tuesday morning, the Oscar nominations will finally be announced. Then it’s a short dozen or so weeks (OK, just seven) until the ceremony night.

I’m being cranky about all of this, but the long march to the finish line hasn’t been without its great moments: every Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan win; the Austin Butler accent discourse; Brendan Fraser’s emotional speeches. Many people are saying the highlight was when Julia Roberts and I sat by each other at the Critics’ Choice Awards and appeared on screen together—a moment that changed the history of the moving image as we know it.

Still, with so many award shows and critic organizations and Top 10 lists, it can be overwhelming to still have a handle on what is good or what should be rewarded. So here is my list of what and who should be nominated on Tuesday. You might call it a dream list. I call it facts. And before you protest, yes, I saw your favorite movie that you’re angry I didn’t include. I just like other things better. (Also, maybe I didn’t! There’s a lot of damned movies. Give me a break!)

Best Picture: Aftersun, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Nope, RRR, Tár, Thirteen Lives, Triangle of Sadness

Best Actor: Austin Butler - Elvis, Colin Farrell - The Banshees of Inisherin, Daniel Kaluuya - Nope, Paul Mescal - Aftersun, Jeremy Pope - The Inspection

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett - Tár, Mia Goth - Pearl, Regina Hall - Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul, Emma Thompson - Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Michelle Yeoh - Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Supporting Actor: Bryan Tyree Henry - Causeway, Barry Keoghan - The Banshees of Inisherin, Ke Huy Quan - Everything Everywhere All at Once, Jeremy Strong - Armageddon Time, Ben Whishaw - Women Talking

Best Supporting Actress: Hong Chau - The Menu, Kerry Condon - The Banshees of Inisherin, Dolly de Leon - Triangle of Sadness, Kate Hudson - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Keke Palmer - Nope

My Recent Spiritual Healing

In hindsight, it seems obvious: Listening to two gay guys who are obsessed with pop culture spend 67 minutes gushing with Keke Palmer about her career and the movie industry would be the highlight of my week. Duh, a full hour with Palmer talking about anything would be revelatory. Yet I wasn’t braced for how spiritually thrilling Palmer’s episode of Las Culturistas, the podcast hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, would be. Listen to it here.

She talked about fame, being a child star, what it was like to film Nope, giving yourself space to be and do what you need outside of others’ expectations, becoming a meme, and Avatar and James Cameron: “He needs to be stopped, y’all!” Preach, Keke! (OK, she was actually praising him. But still.)

It’s been a big week for therapy-via-pop-culture for me. I’m still thinking about the moment at the Critics’ Choice Awards when Sheryl Lee Ralph, winning for Abbott Elementary, pointed into the camera (and vaguely at where I was sitting at the ceremony) and said, “People don’t have to like you. People don’t have to love you. They don’t even have to respect you. But when you look in the mirror, you better love what you see. You better love what you see!”

I can’t say that I do, Ms. Ralph. But I’m damn sure gonna work on it! Watch a clip of the speech here.

Meryl Streep news!

I am, as a human who exists, obviously thrilled by the news that Meryl Streep is joining the cast of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building for Season 3. What cracks me up, though, is the way that it was announced. The major casting announcement that Streep (73) would be joining a television series starring Martin Short (72) and Steve Martin (77) was made… on TikTok.

This is not an ageist thing! I am [redacted] years old, and I do not know how to use TikTok. And, yes, I understand that co-star Selena Gomez is a huge social media star. There’s just something about it that I found funny—and in an extremely positive way. Hollywood should do more of this kind of silly stuff! Watch it here.

The Energy I’m Bringing to 2023

We are a mere week away from the event of our lifetimes: the release of the film 80 for Brady, in which Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin, and Rita Moreno go on a madcap trip to attempt to see Tom Brady play at the Super Bowl. (Based on a true story!)

As a gift while we wait for the film, the group gave an interview that validated everything I think and feel about the world. “I don’t really like people that much,” Lily Tomlin said. “I don’t either,” added Field. “I try to avoid them.” My legends. My friends. My spirit guides. Watch the clip here.

What to watch this week:

American Auto: This is a NBC sitcom starring Ana Gasteyer that didn’t get much attention in Season 1, but I found it really funny. (Tues. on NBC)

Poker Face: Natasha Lyonne does Columbo. Yes, please! (Thurs. on Peacock)

Missing: A great thriller for those who enjoy feeling intensely anxious for an extended period of time. (Now in theaters)

What to skip this week:

The Real Friends of WeHo: As much of a disaster as anyone could have predicted. (Fri. on MTV)

That ’90s Show: It just made me sad. (Now on Netflix)