I’ve discovered that rather than trying to categorize the five nominated films in Best Original Screenplay into archetypes like you would with Best Picture— the Indie Darling, the Blockbuster, the Genre Defier, etc— it works better to place the films into a few macro-genres. I see three macro-genres as the most dominant categories to place original screenplays. I call these macro-genres “The Real,” “The Weird,” and “The Dramedy.”
“The Real” is the most controversial in my mind. It’s a screenplay using historical figures but not drawn from a single source. Avoiding a single source is how they sidestep the Adapted Screenplay category. These screenplays are either broad, covering a long period of history, or microscopic, covering a singular event in a figure’s life. This category includes films like Maestro (2024), Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), and Vice (2019). They’re apocryphal texts that rely heavily on the “based on a true story” title card.
“The Weird” is filled with everything from sci-fi parables to horror, magical realism, and everything that’s out of the ordinary. “The Weird” is where the subjective nature of art appreciation is tested when our perceptions of reality are challenged. Films like Everything, Everywhere All at Once (2023), Get Out (2018), and Ex Machina (2016) are great examples of when a concept can speak to deep questions about humanity.
“The Dramedy” encompasses the broadest swath of films because it lacks the kind of genre vision of “The Weird” or the grounding of a story you can research like “The Real.” It’s the kind of film that streamers have embraced in abundance. They’re human stories that blend drama and comedy, told well, and in a way we may never have thought of. Some prime examples are Past Lives (2024), Sound of Metal (2021), and The Big Sick (2018). They’re stories that stick with you and change your perspective.
In the last couple of months, we have seen an uptick in original films. Many have been put forward by pundits and prognosticators as potential awards nominees. Here’s where several of these recent original features fit into the macro-genres.
The Real
Even though the production of Saturday Night, written by Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman, has nothing to do with the production of the 50th season of the TV show it’s based on, Saturday Night Live, it is quite a marketing gimmick for both entities. The film is well-written and thoroughly researched, impressively packing in a great deal of pop culture lore into a film shorter than two hours.
There is also an unlikely coincidence that The Apprentice, written by Gabriel Sherman, is out in the same year its subject has been reelected to a second term as president. Its reliance on anecdotal stories and public records is a picture of the man he was and a blueprint of the man he became. It joins other films of living political figures that took the same multi-source material route to be considered original films, like W. (2008), Southside with You (2016), and Vice (2018).
Serial killers are a topic of discussion and obsession for many people. While films that feature them often focus on the grizzly details or the killers themselves, Woman of the Hour, written by Ian McDonald, focuses more on a would-be victim. The killer’s real crimes are portrayed, but the crimes themselves aren’t there to be titillation for the viewer. They reinforce the ideas at the core of the film. It’s really the little asides or small details that make the writing stand out.
The Weird
The Substance, written by Coralie Fargeat, is a satirical allegory that goes beyond merely poking at the long-held beliefs of those in power. It’s a visceral and gruesome testament to the lengths people will go to get back some of what they’ve lost. The script brings horror, comedy, and real dramatic stakes to its mind-bending world. It’s a film that, in this world of segmented zeitgeists and niche culture, might go down as a word-of-mouth cult classic.
Sometimes, a film about change is really about not understanding the real change you need to make in your life. A Different Man, written by Aaron Schimberg, takes on the complicated ideas behind appearance and society. What the film posits is that it’s O.K. to try and change the way you look. Yet, as you see in the film, you must change for the right reasons and can’t go back if you suddenly realize you were wrong. It’s a tantalizing tale that gets very strange indeed.
The Dramedy
Sean Baker’s films are a little haphazard, but Anora, written by Baker, has a coherent purpose that many of his other films lack. This film looks at class and love in a way that shifts our allegiances and makes us laugh through our tears. He pulls off a tremendous tonal balancing act with a character journey that is nearly perfect in every aspect.
Love stories can be complicated, raw, and feel real, which makes them truly worth watching. We Live in Time, written by Nick Payne, plays out a relationship through different periods of time but never loses its connection to the two characters at its core. A film like this is so elegant in design but never feels like too much of a manipulation because it keeps you guessing how it will all come together.
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September and October have completely upended my previous Original Screenplay predictions, and I have come up with a brand new set of five films. Here is where I see the Best Original Screenplay race as of now. The list is limited to films that have had their release in theaters or on streamers.
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- Anora – Sean Baker
- Saturday Night – Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman
- The Substance – Coralie Fargeat
- We Live in Time – Nic Payne
- Woman of the Hour – Ian McDonald
