WKNDwatchlist – Best Picture Countdown

The countdown is on! With the Oscars just over a week away on 16 March, we’re ramping up the awards season fervour.

This week, Spling dives into three massive contenders that couldn’t be more different: the high-octane thrills of F1, the supernatural intensity of Sinners and the sprawling brilliance of One Battle After Another.

What are YOU watching this weekend? Welcome to the WKNDwatchlist! The Oscars are coming up on March 16th, so it’s time to play catch-up with three of the year’s biggest, boldest titles.

F1

First up, Joseph Kosinski brings that Top Gun: Maverick energy to the tarmac in F1. Brad Pitt radiates punk-rock vibes as a veteran racer mentoring a rookie in this $250 million technical marvel. It’s a visceral, “sound and fury” experience built for the biggest screen possible – high-octane and slick, even if the plot hits a few repetitive laps.

Sinners

Next, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is a wild genre-bender – a blood-soaked vampire musical set in the Prohibition era. Michael B. Jordan pulls double duty as twins in an ambitious “Babylon meets From Dusk Till Dawn” hybrid. It’s gory, unwieldy, and experimental, but the stellar performances and bluesy soundtrack keep this splatterfest firmly on the rails.

One Battle After Another

Finally, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is a zesty, three-hour “arthouse blockbuster.” Leonardo DiCaprio shines as an ex-revolutionary dodging Sean Penn’s “toad-like” villain in a 70s-style conspiracy thriller. It’s a mercurial, hilarious ride that blends heist action with offbeat comedy – a true PTA original.

Which one are you hitting first? Drop a comment below and let me know! For more reviews, head to splingmovies.com. And remember: Don’t WING it, SPL!NG it!

Stay tuned for next week’s episode of the #WKNDWatchlist for your top movie viewing tips! Recorded at Peak Valley studio.