Summary: From historical dramas and musicals to daring independent tales and sci-fi epics, the 2025 Oscars featured a wide range of films that combined artistic merit with commercial success. These nominations demonstrated how compelling narratives, cultural significance, and exceptional performances can enthrall audiences and critics around the globe.
The 2025 Oscars? What a show! They showcased so many cool and different movies from across the globe. The lineup had gripping dramas, flashy musicals, and outlandish sci-fi flicks. These Academy Award candidates were entertaining with their art, and they provoked the establishment of questions. Before moving on, here is a brief preview of the 2025 Oscar nominations, their topics, why everyone loved them, and how much they earned in the box office. If you love movies, you cannot miss these.
10. Nickel Boys
Nickel Boys, a Civil Rights drama, got some award nods for its strong take on past wrongs. The movie didn’t rake in cash – made under $15 million – but folks dug its heartfelt story and the way it tackled some big topics. The nomination says the Academy has a soft spot for movies that explore social problems, teach, and move viewers with strong stories of resilience and systemic failings. Nickel Boys is seen as a key historical and cultural piece, appreciated for its smart filmmaking and emotional punch.
9. The Substance
The second screen performance by Demi Moore, after a decade-long hiatus, has been described as spectacular, as The Substance has earned her major Oscar nominations, namely Best Picture and Actress. The play is receiving rave reviews and acclaim due to being original, having surrealistic narration, and having an unprecedented approach towards suspense that leaves the audience (including critics) intrigued. On top of the positivity of the critical buzz, the movie was also a box office success, as it earned a total of over $77 million worldwide on a relatively low budget of around $18 million. Moore has been touted as a contender at the yearly awards shows, and the quality of the film proves that the mashup of horror, satire, and drama has had an impact in the world market, which makes it one of the most discussed releases of 2025.
8. Wicked
Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, this musical fantasy film is truly something, grabbing a bunch of Oscar nods, and, yeah, even one for Best Picture. Based on the smash-hit Broadway show, the movie really got to people with its killer visuals and acting, earning over $150 million. It is in nomination because it has made musical application work so well as a film, and do not even get me started on the costumes and the performances. People were excited to see this very familiar story on the silver screen. Popular due to an all-star cast, it was certainly the highest-profile and most celebrated entry of 2025 in the Oscar race.
7. I’m Still Here
I’m Still Here, helmed by Walter Salles, is a Brazilian historical drama that really hit it big. It’s actually the top-grossing Brazilian film since the pandemic started, raking in over $36 million worldwide – $6 million in Brazil and $20 million in other countries.
The film is based on the true story about the disappearance of a political rebel during Brazil’s military rule. It even got three Oscar nods, including Best Actress for Fernanda Torres and Best Picture. People really got into the movie’s feels, the actors nailed their parts, and it used the story to talk about politics and rights.
6. Dune: Part Two
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is a sci-fi knockout! The movie looks amazing, the acting is top-notch, and it raked in over $500 million. No shock it got nods for how great it looks and sounds. It’s a hit with both fans and critics, building on the first movie’s win. Everyone’s talking about how grand and technically awesome it is, so keep an eye out – it’s sure to be a front-runner at the 2025 awards for mixing art and fun so well.
5. Conclave
Tracing the guts of a dramatic election to the Vatican, Edward Berger brings us a political thriller, Conclave. Critics extolled it, and it won a SAG Award as the best ensemble. It was not a blockbuster, but still it won some Oscar nominations thanks to really good acting, the screenwriting, and the rich way it raises the issues of faith, the power of people, and secrecy in the Church. The cinema art and the acting of the main characters in terms of the exploration of difficult human and political challenges sparked the interest within the Academy. The critics genuinely liked the film, extolling the performance, direction, script, and visual appearance. It grossed the amount of $127 million globally with a production cost of $20 million. Due to the resulting interest in the film, there was a second surge in the film in April 2025 following the death of Pope Francis and the May election of Pope Leo XIV, who apparently saw the film.
4. Anora
Anora is a very imperfectly dark and humorously heartbreaking film by Sean Baker, the tale of an entangled romance between a sex worker and a relative of a Russian big shot. It is popular among many people, as it is a realistic story with a female lead character in charge. Ana has been attracting some Oscar nominations because it does not dance around the truth, and the lead actress does not give up in her role. It has not necessarily made a huge amount of money, mostly appearing at festivals and indie venues. Nevertheless, the new approach and in-depth characterization of the characters involved in the story have made this film an enjoyment amongst the critics, who argue that the movie has managed to set a new trend on what movies can be based on. Anora was a hit as it was first seen at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2024. Even though it won the Palme d’Or, it was released in theatres by Neon on October 18, 2024. With a budget of $6 million, the movie grossed a total of $57.2 million all around the world; this made it the most profitable movie in the career of the young director Baker.
3. A Complete Unknown
A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold, is a biographical movie that shows the childhood life of Bob Dylan, and Timothée Chalamet presents a heart-rending role as the music star. The movie demonstrates through a special depiction how Dylan went about becoming a legend, and the three dimensions of music, history, and personal struggle are brilliantly intertwined. It has been greeted with critical success, with a total of 8 Oscar nominations, including the best picture and best actor awards. The movie grossed around $140 million worldwide in the box office, which proved to be a box-office and critical behemoth as well as cementing the movie and its legacy as one of the highlights of the year.
2. The Brutalist
With 10 nominations at the 2025 Oscars, Daniel Blumberg’s The Brutalist is indeed splashed with glory. The movie goes to prove the disruptions of the American dream, capitalism, and war scarring people’s lives and buildings. Amazing, considering that such a large theme was done on a budget of $9.6 million. Artful and frugal, hence its appeal to critics and the rising camaraderie of viewers who seek to plunge into history, the film soars with personal sadness interfaced with big societal and political ideas-and stands as a great film of the year.
Also Read: 5 Shocking Indian True Crime Docuseries You Must Watch
1. Emilia Perez
Jacques Audiard’s movie, Emilia Pérez, really connected with audiences! It received eight Oscar nominations, the most nominations of any foreign film of 2025. The film narrates the life of a cartel boss who is moving on to a peaceful life. It has been praised for its courageous plot, catchy melodies, and address of burning social topics. Netflix is backing it, and it’s killing it on streaming, raking in $16.3 million! This nomination proves it’s a film that says lots about identity and gender in a fresh way.
Wrapping Up
The films are nominated for the 2025 Oscar? Staggering! There was heartbreak in the story, mammoth over-the-top productions, and a bit of subtle politics. These films are not made just for entertainment; rather, they provoke intense thought. They’ve got everyone talking and prove that movies with something to say and actors who bring it can still be big hits. If you care about movies, you have to see these.
Written by Nidhi Singh
