The Oscars 2022: Best Director Nominees Ranked By Likelihood To Win, According To GoldDerby

The 94th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 27th, honoring the best movies released in 2021. The Best Director category is one of the most hotly contested awards that also carries among the most interest from the public over who will claim the Oscar statuette. The current year has had many well-received movies in competition, including The Power of the Dog, Belfast, Licorice Pizza, West Side Story, and Drive My Car, among others. 

GoldDerby is the go-to site for those who want to see what the current odds are for the potential winners, as it relies on expert opinions and how the awards race is looking.  Directors Jane Campion, Kenneth Branagh, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi have been shortlisted as the nominees, and the site’s winning odds are the best way to predict who will score the statue.

5 Steven Spielberg: West Side Story

Steven Spielberg is no stranger to the Oscars, with this counting as 20th overall nomination across the Best Picture and Best Direct categories. Speilberg has also won the Best Director Oscar twice before for Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. West Side Story is a remake of the 1957 stage play starring Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, and Ariana DeBose, which Spielberg gave a modern spin in a story about two teenagers in rival gangs and different backgrounds who end up falling in love.

While the film is one of the leading contenders in categories like the Best Cinematography Oscar for the 2022 event, Spielberg’s chances aren’t considered the best among the nominees, so it looks like he’ll have to wait longer for another win. West Side Story is also competing in the Best Picture category, so Spielberg has an additional shot at possibly claiming an Oscar.

4 Paul Thomas Anderson: Licorice Pizza

The nostalgic Licorice Pizza ranks among the highest 2022 Best Picture Oscar nominees in terms of critical reception, garnering a magnificent 91 score from Metacritic. Paul Thomas Anderson has received 11 nominations across his career but never won, with Licorice Pizza garnering him three additional nods. The movie is a coming-of-age story about a young woman, Alana (Alana Haim), and teenager Gary (Cooper Hoffman), who grow up in the ‘70s and fell in love while navigating the struggles of youth.

Anderson has received praise for effectively stretching out the simple premise by focusing on the development of the lead pair’s friendship and romance. However, he’s not a leading contender for the Best Director race and is currently not even expected to threaten the winners’ bid. Anderson could have a better chance at the Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay categories, though.

3 Kenneth Branagh: Belfast

Kenneth Branagh is in the same boat as Paul Thomas Anderson, in that he’s never won an Oscar before despite numerous nominations. Also, like Anderson, Branagh is nominated in three categories, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Belfast stars Jude Bill, Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Ciarán Hinds, and Judi Dench as a working-class family in 1969 Ireland during a turbulent time in the country. Interestingly, the story is told from the point of view of Buddy, a nine-year-old boy played by Bill.

Branagh has been lauded for bringing a story of struggle through the eyes of an innocent child and the way it shapes the character’s future. Although Belfast has received consistent praise and nominations at ceremonies, Branagh is more of a dark horse than a favorite to win. He could surprise everyone by claiming the award, but isn’t one to place bets on.

2 Ryusuke Hamaguchi: Drive My Car

Ryusuke Hamaguchi wasn’t considered among the favorites to receive a Best Director Oscar nomination at the 2022 ceremony, yet surprised many by landing into contention. As a result, he’s now considered the second-most likely director to run away with the award after Drive My Car’s success at previous ceremonies like the Golden Globes.  The film’s story is about depressed director Yūsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima), who’s directing a play not long after his wife’s death and is assigned chauffeur Misaki Watari (Tōko Miura).

The subsequent friendship and understanding between the lead pair are what the core aspect of Drive My Car is all about, as the lead character learns to move on from his wife’s indiscretions and the lack of closure he had with her. Ryusuke Hamaguchi is currently the odds-on favorite to win the Best International Film category and is also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture.

1 Jane Campion: The Power Of The Dog

Of all the nominees, The Power of the Dog has been the most favored movie in the awards circuit this time around, with director Jane Campion also sweeping the Best Director awards in ceremonies like the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil Burbank, a cowboy in 1925 who comes to despise his brother George’s new wife and son after they move into the ranch. Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, and Kodi Smit-McPhee complete the cast. 

The Power of the Dog has received widespread acclaim for dealing with themes of toxic masculinity, sexual repression, and revenge, with each one of the actors also receiving nominations. Jane Campion, however, has been the most favored by award committees and is the leading contender to take home the Oscar for Best Director. Campion is also the favorite to bag the Best Picture Oscar and Best Adapted Screenplay awards at the ceremony, which will mark 28 years since she won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for The Piano.

About The Author

Saim Cheeda
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Saim Cheeda is an entertainment writer covering all of Film, TV, Gaming and Books. He’s been a writer for Valnet since 2017, contributing 500+ articles for The Gamer, The Things, Game Rant, Comic Book Resources and Screen Rant. Apart from freelance writing, Saim is a lifestyle blogger, co-owning the blog 3 States Apart.

http://3statesapart.com

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