Credit: DAVID LEE/NETFLIX; Angal Field/Focus Features; Amazon Studios
Usually the New York Film Critics Circle is the one getting things started. But in this ever-unpredictable Oscar season, the prestigious group played a different role, capping the first significant week of precursor awards, and mostly affirming the trend lines that were started on Tuesday, up north in Boston.
The word is very good for Chloé Zhao,
Nomadland s esteemed director, and Sidney Flanigan, breakout star of
Never Rarely Sometimes Always; the pair won both major regional critics awards. In Zhao s case, it s the beginning of a long campaign season, as she and her film begin the march toward Oscar frontrunner status. Boasting the best reviews of any film in 2020, it ll find further momentum in its February release (it had a qualifying run in December for these awards) before Oscar noms are announced in March. For Flanigan, it