Although the films nominated at this year’s Oscars range in genre and style, each appears to take on a contemporary issue.

In the case of The Apprentice, the political aspect is inescapable. The film is a biopic of president Donald Trump’s years as an aspiring real-estate agent in New York. Although Trump denounced the film on X, the Academy seems to have liked it, as it received two acting nominations.

Other nominations aren’t so blatantly political, but that may be precisely why they were such a hit–they approach politics from unexpected angles that are hardly timid in provoking some viewers.

The film with the most Oscar nominations this year is Emilia Perez, a French musical directed by Jacques Audiard. Its 13 nominations include best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay. On top of this, Karla Sofia Gascon is the first trans woman to be nominated for the best actress Oscar, which is quite the statement itself. What’s more, its Oscar-nominated song and dance number, “El Mal,” is an angry disapproval of corrupt politicians and other grandees.

I’m Still Here has also done surprisingly well. The Brazilian drama by Walter Salles has been nominated not just in the expected best international picture category but in the main best picture category. These recognitions will give a huge publicity boost to a film with a thoughtful piece of writing on the importance of being strong-willed and tireless in the face of a totalitarian regime.

Wicked, in its own beautiful fashion, shares similar themes. Nominated in 10 different categories, including best picture, best actress, and best supporting actress, Wicked is a film that has some provoking things to say. The film, at a glance, is about treating everyone kindly, but when examined, it explores the nature of power and how fear and deceit can be used to control a population.

The list goes on, with films like Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist collecting 10 nominations, a film about a Hungarian-Jewish architect struggling to establish himself in the US after World War II. Sean Baker’s Anora, which has six nominations, is about a sex worker in modern-day New York.

Both films shine a light on the immigrant experience and the entitlement that can come with extreme wealth.

Nickel Boys, adapted from a novel, is not a standard period drama. Thanks to its bold use of first-person perspective, the film studies the racist past of the US and how it is reverberating into today. Sing Sing is another adapted screenplay that focuses on a group of incarcerated men. Although it doesn’t directly mention racism, the overwhelming Black cast playing prisoners has turned heads and left those wondering about the reality of US prisons.

Dune: Part Two is nominated for five awards, best picture being one of them. The science-fiction film is transparent with its subjects of religion, politics, and leadership, touching on the dangers of extremities when it comes to them.

In most years, one or two overtly political films may be nominated for Oscars, but in 2025, such films appear to be the rule rather than the exception. It leads one to ponder the cultural shifts that have taken place to entice audiences and critics alike to favour these films.

Now the question that stands is not only who will win, but what will they say when they do?