A Best Picture Underdog You Should Know

This year, the list of nominees for the Academy Award for best picture includes some of the most talked about movies of the year, like “Oppenheimer,” “Barbie,” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” But you may find that a few films on that list aren’t as familiar. Our critic Alissa Wilkinson is here to introduce you to some of those lesser-known movies, and tell you why they may be worth your time.

“The Zone of Interest” — written and directed by the British filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, based on the novel by Martin Amis — is a German-language film about the family of a Nazi commandant living just outside the walls of Auschwitz. “It’s both historical and it feels very of the moment,” says Alissa, “and that’s often a really potent combination for the Academy.”

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