12 movies whose actors are potentially racing to the Oscars

The Toronto International Film Festival is over, but awards season is just getting started.

For more than 40 years, TIFF has been a strong indicator of Oscar hopefuls, with Best Picture winners like “Nomadland,” “Green Book,” “12 Years a Slave,” “The King’s Speech” and “Slumdog Millionaire” all winning the People’s Choice Award at the fest.

This year’s high-profile world premieres included Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans” (this year’s People’s Choice Award winner); Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King.”

With awards season gearing up, here are the top performances in movies that screened at TIFF that are already gathering buzz.

Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy (Women Talking)

Canadian filmmaker Sarah Polley is being touted as a front-runner for her heart-wrenching film “Women Talking,” which she wrote and directed. Based on the novel by Miriam Toews, it follows women in a Mennonite colony deciding how to handle an epidemic of sexual abuse. The film is anchored by riveting and emotionally complex performances from a stunning ensemble cast. Buckley and Foy are almost certainly getting nods, while Rooney Mara, Frances McDormand and Ben Whishaw are also solid candidates for supporting role nominations.

Viola Davis (The Woman King)

Davis gives a standout performance in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s latest, a true story of the Agojie, the all-female military regiment charged with protecting the African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. She’s got a strong chance for a Best Actress Oscar nod and if she wins she’ll be the second Black woman to get a lead acting Oscar, following Halle Berry in 2002 for “Monster’s Ball.”

Gabriel LaBelle and Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans)

Steven Spielberg’s film is an earnest and poignant work based on his childhood passion for filmmaking. LaBelle is disarming as he channels the wide-eyed, cinema-loving young Spielberg or rather, his alter ego in this film, Sam Fabelman. The film is heavily anchored by Williams’ stellar turn as Sam’s mother. While there’s awards buzz for LaBelle and Williams, Paul Dano as father Burt and standout Judd Hirsch as uncle Boris are also in the running.

Daniel Craig, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery)

Academy Award nominee Rian Johnson’s highly anticipated “Glass Onion” won over audiences as the second runner-up for the People’s Choice Award. Besides being in the running for Best Picture, the Netflix film is a showcase for actors Craig, Hudson and Monáe, who all have worthy shots at Oscar nominations.

Brendan Fraser (The Whale)

Fraser, who received the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance, is the clear Oscar front-runner for his remarkable turn as a reclusive 600-pound English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” The film also stars Sadie Sink and Hong Chau, who are garnering their own buzz.

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin)

Martin McDonagh’s latest dark comedy racked up several awards at the Venice International Film Festival, including Best Actor for Colin Farrell. Farrell is a strong contender for Best Actor at the Oscars while Brendan Gleeson has a shot in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Jeremy Pope and Gabrielle Union (The Inspection)

Elegance Bratton’s stellar directorial and writing debut is inspired by his own life story as a young, gay Black man who, after being rejected by his mother, decides to join the Marines. Jeremy Pope shines as Ellis French and has already racked up strong awards season buzz. Gabrielle Union, who gives a career best as his homophobic prison guard mother, has also impressed critics.

Olivia Colman (Empire of Light)

Another beautiful film about the magic of cinema and human connection, Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light” allows Olivia Colman to shine through. She’s among the front-runners in the Oscar Best Actress race.

Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne (The Good Nurse)

Jessica Chastain gives a neatly layered performance in this Netflix film by Tobias Lindholm while Eddie Redmayne will surprise many with his subtle yet deeply chilling portrayal of Charlie Cullen, one of the most prolific serial killers in recorded history. They have a solid chance at Best Actress and Actor nods at the Oscars.

Song Kang-ho (Broker)

“Parasite” star Song Kang-ho, who already won the Cannes award for Best Actor for his performance in this Hirokazu Koreeda film, delivers a heartfelt turn as a child trafficker who sets out to sell a runaway mother’s baby and learns about the meaning of family along the way.

Jennifer Lawrence (Causeway)

Jennifer Lawrence gives a raw and compelling performance in this Apple TV Plus film by Lila Neugebauer, starring as Lynsey, a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who returns from Afghanistan after her vehicle hit an explosive, injuring her body and brain. She’s once again in the running for Best Actress.

Bill Nighy (Living)

Bill Nighy is being touted for giving his career best in this Oliver Hermanus remake of the 1952 Akira Kurosawa classic “Ikiru.” It follows a British bureaucrat who questions the choices he made in life after receiving a terminal diagnosis.

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