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Obsession is going to the Oscars; or at least Focus Features is going all in on an Oscar campaign. With the studio submitting Curry Barker’s Obsession in a long list of categories, the question isn't simply whether the movie deserves to be nominated. How does it actually stack up against the competition?

In this special episode of The Physical Cut, I go category by category through Obsession’s Oscar campaign, comparing its chances against movies that have already arrived and some of the biggest contenders still coming later this year. From makeup and cinematography to acting, screenplay, directing and eventually Best Picture, we're looking at where Obsession has a legitimate path, and where the campaign might be stretching a little too far.

And yes, there are some categories where I think Focus Features should absolutely be putting its money. There are others where I'm wondering what the hell they're doing.

In this episode:

• Obsession’s Oscar campaign and the 15 submitted categories
• Makeup & Hairstyling
• Sound and the horror advantage
• Original Score
• Costume Design
• Production Design vs. Project Hail Mary
• Cinematography and why this might be Obsession’s strongest craft category
• Casting and the importance of Inde Navarrette to the campaign
• Supporting Actor: Cooper Tomlinson and Andy Richter
• Why Michael Johnston may have a better chance in Supporting Actor
• Film Editing and the Curry Barker/Sean Baker comparison
• Original Screenplay vs. The Invite, Mother Mary and other contenders
• Best Actor
• Inde Navarrette and the Best Actress race
• Curry Barker vs. Christopher Nolan and the Javis for La Bola Negra
• The crowded Best Picture race
• My final Obsession Oscar scorecard

The Oscar race is still developing, and plenty of major 2026 releases haven't even arrived yet. So this isn't about pretending we know exactly what will happen on Oscar night.

It's about where Obsession stands right now.

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