What to watch December 15, 2023: Movie awards contenders

It’s the apex of campaign season, which means prestige titles are hitting more digital platforms to boost their footprints as precursor nominations trickle in. Two summer releases have expanded to additional streaming services, and an A-list wild card still playing in some theaters is debuting on VOD. 

The contender to watch this week: “Priscilla” 

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Cailee Spaeny picked up a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Sofia Coppola‘s even-handed biopic about Priscilla Presley‘s storied relationship with Elvis (Jacob Elordi), giving her a little extra juice in an extremely stacked Best Actress contest. Coppola’s movies haven’t received many awards since “Lost in Translation,” but this is her biggest box-office hit in years. Spaeny had to inhabit Presley from ages 14 to 28, and her efforts won her the best actress prize at the Venice Film Festival. A VOD release right in time for the holidays could be the boost “Priscilla” needs. Maybe Stacey Battat‘s evocative costume design can score the film a below-the-line nod. 

Other contenders: 

• “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget“: The original “Chicken Run” has a rich history. Its lack of Oscar attention in 2000 led to the overdue creation of the Best Animated Feature category the following year. Now, the highest-grossing stop-animation film in history has a long-awaited sequel. “Dawn of the Nugget,” directed by Sam Fell (“ParaNorman”), is streaming on Netflix. 

• “Barbie“: Greta Gerwig‘s second Best Director nomination seems more likely by the day, and there’s still the question of whether Margot Robbie can crack that crowded Best Actress race. The movie has been available on VOD since September, but now Warner Bros. added it on Max, too. 

• “Asteroid City“: If you haven’t caught Wes Anderson‘s latest on Peacock or VOD, it’s also on Prime Video now. 

• “The Delinquents“: Argentina’s Oscar selection for Best International Feature Film is a three-hour existential heist comedy written and directed by Rodrigo Moreno (“A Mysterious World”). Catch it on MUBI. 

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