Oscars 2025: Your guide to this year's twist-filled race, the films to watch and who to root for

A month ago it seemed the 97th Academy Awards were on the edge of cancellation Los Angeles was still smoldering after a series of out-of-control wildfires, which saw thousands residents displaced, leading to serious questions about whether the Oscars could or even should continue.

Flash forward to today, the Watch Duty fire alert website is finally clear as the city begins the long process of rebuilding, and so, as they say, "the show must go on," with the Oscars telecast set for March 2. 

As someone who watches movie awards season the way others watch hockey, this has been the most riveting race in recent memory. Months filled with controversy, presumed front-runners dethroned and surprises galore. 

In some respects, the race began last May, with Anora winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

In September, I watched Anora for the first time at the Toronto International Film Festival and instantly understood the acclaim. After a summer of shallow pleasures, it was a feast of film, an intense journey following the fortunes of a stripper who believes her life is about to change.  

But as Anora opened in theatres, the conversation intensified with some questioning the accuracy of the sex worker played by Mikey Madison. And soon, another film had displaced Anora as front-runner. 

With multiple wins at the Golden Globes, Emilia Pérez looked set to run the table at the Oscars. After years of campaigning for a Best Picture win, Netflix seemed to have finally unlocked the winning formula in the unlikely form of a Spanish-language musical centred around a transgender woman. 

But like the telenovela style that inspired Emilia Pérez, there was still another twist waiting in the wings. When Canadian writer Sarah Hagi brought to light the offensive tweets of lead actor Karla Sofía Gascón, the film fell hard from its progressive perch. 

Now, with the Oscars approaching, Anora is gathering awards like Marvel infinity gems, racking up wins at the Producers Guild Awards, the Directors Guild Awards and the Critics Choice Awards.  

But what should you, a normal person who doesn't live in a movie theatre, watch to prepare for the big night? Whether you're planning to bluff your way through an Oscar party, or just want to be part of the conversation from your sofa, we've got you covered. Below, a viewer's guide to the Oscars, for pretenders, cinephiles and patriots. 

Currently the front-runner for best picture, actress and original screenplay, Anora has weathered a storm of scandals and could be the belle of the ball come March 2. 

Why watch it? Intense, comedic and chaotic, Anora is the ADHD son of Uncut Gems and Pretty Woman, thrusting us into a few weeks in the life of a sex worker desperate to buy into a fantasy that can't last. 

Timothée Chalamet is the Oscar season wild card. The film capturing the rise of Bob Dylan was a late entry into the race, but Chalamet has been omnipresent, appearing everywhere from NFL broadcasts to chatting with the iconic Nardwuar.

This film, which has Dylan's blessing, is still a serious contender for risk-adverse Oscar voters looking for a pleasant film without a whiff of controversy.