2021 Oscar Predictions: CINEMATOGRAPHY (January)

Beginning to feel pretty good about this top five, as it stays the same as last month. I toyed with the idea of Newton Thomas Sigel (Da 5 Bloods) replacing Dariusz Wolski (News of the World) here as the former is gaining and building at just the right time. News has been largely quiet on the critics’ front outside of today’s National Board of Review wins in Adapted Screenplay and Top 10 mention. The same NBR that gave Da 5 Bloods Best Film.

None of that changes the fact that NBR winner Joshua James Richard (Nomadland) remains the overwhelming critics’ fave with 17 wins. Erik Messerschmidt (Mank), Hoyte van Hoytema (Tenet), Christopher Blauvelt (First Cow) and Miguel I. Littin-Menz (The Vast of Night) are the only other cinematographers to grab one or more mentions so far this season.

Here are my ranked 2021 Oscar predictions in Cinematography for January.

Green – moves up; Red – moves down; Blue – new entry this month

1. Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures)
Joshua James Richards

2. Mank (Netflix)
Erik Messerschmidt

3. Tenet (Warner Bros)
Hoyte van Hoytema

4. News of the World (Universal Pictures)
Dariusz Wolski

5. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
Phedon Papamichael

6. Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Newton Thomas Sigel

7. Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros)
Sean Bobbitt

8. Minari (A24)
Lachlan Milne

9. The Midnight Sky (Netflix)
Martin Ruhe

10. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Tobias A. Schliessler

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Other Contenders (alphabetical by film)

The Father (Sony Pictures Classics)
Ben Smithard

First Cow (A24)
Christopher Blauvelt

Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix)
Maryse Alberti

I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Netflix)
Łukasz Żal

Mulan (Walt Disney Pictures)
Mandy Walker

The Prom (Netflix)
Matthew Libatique

One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Tami Reiker

Image courtesy of David Lee/Netflix