10 Possible Oscar Contenders From The First Half Of 2015

2015 has flown by fast, and we're somehow already half-way through the year, which means it's time to start thinking about that most hallowed of Hollywood traditions: the Academy Awards. The latter half of the year is sure to be dominated by what is referred to as "Oscar bait," from prestige period dramas about individuals who challenged the conventions of their eras (that's The Danish Girl, Suffragette and Joy this fall) to thrilling adventure-dramas about individuals battling against the odds in order to survive (The Revenant, In the Heart of the Sea).

Isaac Feldberg

Published: Jul 2, 2015 09:00 am

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6) Ex Machina

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Science fiction hasn’t connected with Academy voters since 2010’s Inception, which received Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay nods (Gravity is much more a survival drama), but there also hasn’t been a sci-fi film like Alex Garland’s Ex Machina in many years. Thought-provoking, philosophical, subtly acted and impeccably written, it’s a fully formed vision of artificial intelligence as bold and mesmerizing as it is deeply terrifying.

At the very least, Garland’s stunningly speculative script deserves a Best Original Screenplay nomination, and it would be thrilling to see Alicia Vikander cement her breakout status with a Best Supporting Actress nomination (though everyone knows Vikander should really be in contention in the lead category). The danger is that Ex Machina‘s early release date will lead to it being forgotten, but something tells me that there’s going to be a considerable awards push that could pay off for the pic.

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