The 97th Academy Awards, screening for free at The Triplex this Sunday, seem to be as unsettled as everything else in 2025.
By this point in awards season, in which the Oscars serve as the grand finale, a consensus has usually emerged. Precursors like the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and guild awards have weighed in, and frontrunners are solidified in their respective categories. While that is true for some races—count on Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña to pick up wins—this is the first year in recent memory where there has been so much uncertainty heading into the ceremony.
Precursor awards have been split, with the Best Picture frontrunner shifting from ceremony to ceremony. The Golden Globes went for “The Brutalist,” while the Writers Guild, Directors Guild, and Producers Guild all backed “Anora.” Meanwhile, two of the Academy’s most influential voting blocs, the actors and international branches, showed their support for “Conclave” at the SAG and BAFTA awards. It all leaves the very real possibility that a well-received film like “A Complete Unknown” could pull off an upset on a preferential ballot where it is everyone’s second choice.
Meanwhile, nearly all of the 10 Best Picture nominees have had their moment in the spotlight, only to be swiftly brought down by the internet. The controversies range from the trivial—”The Brutalist” used AI to adjust dialogue and the color grading in “Wicked” film nerds in a tizzy—to the serious. “Emilia Pérez” star Karla García Gascón likely tanked her film’s Best Picture chances when past tweets disparaging Muslims, the Black Lives Matter movement, and more resurfaced earlier this month.
It has brought an ugliness to this year’s race, and the cascade of scandals paints a grim picture of Oscar campaigns to come in the digital age. But there is an excitement here that is often missing in the final stretch of the season—the Oscars can often feel preordained, requiring an unexpected moment (the short-lived Best Picture win of “LaLa Land,” The Slap) to make them must-see TV.
But this year, with so many categories still up in the air, the awards themselves might just provide all the drama we need.
Now Playing
“Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story”
An all-access look at the EGOT-winning legend.
Take an intimate look at the life of a living legend in “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story.” Featuring new interviews with Ms. Minnelli and who’s-who of stage and screen legends, “Liza” takes you through the transformative years that took Liza from personal tragedy to becoming one of the most original entertainers in history.
Part of our Limited Engagement Series, “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story” comes to The Triplex for one week, from February 28 to March 6.
“Last Breath”
A true-life tale of survival starring Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu.
A heart-pounding survival thriller, “Last Breath” is based on a real-life story of perseverance set at the bottom of the ocean. Director Alex Parkinson adapts his 2019 documentary about a team of deep-sea divers (Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Cliff Curtis) as they race against time to rescue a crewmate trapped hundreds of feet below the water’s surface.
Starts Friday!
“Eraserhead”
David Lynch’s surreal debut!
The next entry in our series “Time to Wake Up: A Tribute to David Lynch” is Lynch’s debut movie, “Eraserhead”! As startling today as when it premiered in 1977, “Eraserhead” features longtime Lynch collaborator Jack Nance as Henry Spencer, a man navigating the anxieties of sex, parenthood, and all-around existence in this cult classic that cemented Lynch’s status as a surrealist visionary from the very beginning.
Saturday, 8 p.m.
Oscar Watch Party
Watch Hollywood’s biggest night on the big screen!
Join us for Hollywood’s biggest night on March 2! We will be playing the show on the big screen with food specials from our friends at Juju’s and drink specials from our concessions team! We will start at 6 p.m. to catch all the red carpet looks and keep the fun going throughout the show with trivia, giveaways, and an Oscar ballot competition!
This is a free event, but reservations are recommended! Reserve your seat now at thetriplex.org!
March 2, at 6 p.m.
“Clueless”
Indulge your ’90s nostalgia with the stylish romcom classic!
Dig into movies that hit that nostalgic sweet spot with “Comfort Food,” a new series presented with our friends at the Berkshire Food Co-op.
Join us on Tuesday, March 4, as we kick off our series with “Clueless,” the eternally cool romcom starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, and Brittany Murphy. Don’t wait to grab your tickets for this one—the Co-op will be providing a limited quantity of ’90s-themed goodie bags that are available for presale now!
Want to grab some actual comfort food after the screening? Use your ticket to get a discount on your next Co-op purchase!
March 4, 7 p.m.
“Nickel Boys”
An innovative Best Picture nominee from Ramell Ross.
An Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, “Nickel Boys” tells the story of Elwood and Turner, two African-American teenagers sent to an abusive reform school in the Jim Crow South of the 1960s. Shot entirely from the point of view of its protagonists, director RaMell Ross immerses you in a cinematic experience unlike any other in this tale of friendship and survival.
Held over for one more week!
“Paddington in Peru”
Everyone’s favorite bear returns for a new adventure!
The very best bear returns for another adventure in “Paddington in Peru”! The third installment in the beloved family franchise follows Paddington and the Browns as they travel to Paddington’s native Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, only to discover that she has gone missing. Featuring an over-the-top Antonio Banderas and Olivia Colman in supporting roles, “Paddington in Peru” is a heartwarming adventure that is as sweet as marmalade.
Continues this week!
Coming Soon
“Mickey 17”
Visionary director Bong Joon-Ho follows up his Oscar-winning sensation “Parasite” with “Mickey 17”! When Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) signs up to be an expendable clone serving out dangerous missions on an icy space colony, life becomes a never-ending series of ignoble deaths. But when one of Mickey’s iterations is proclaimed dead too soon, it sets off a series of events that bring the colony to the brink of revolution.
Starts March 7.
“I’m Still Here”
Nominated for Best Picture, International Feature, and Best Actress at this year’s Academy Awards, Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here” is a gripping story about pursuing truth while living under an authoritarian regime. Fernanda Torres stars as Eunice Pravia, a woman who risked everything to uncover the truth after her husband was abducted by Brazil’s military dictatorship.
Part of our Limited Engagement series, “I’m Still Here” comes to The Triplex for one week, from March 7 to 13.
“Becoming Led Zeppelin”
Travel along with the legendary rock band on the year they broke through in “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” a new documentary that incorporates interviews, archival footage, and concert performances guaranteed to blow you away. The first official documentary from the surviving members of the band, don’t miss your chance to see this explosive doc with the sound it deserves.
Part of our Limited Engagement Series, “Becoming Led Zeppelin” plays for one week, from March 7 to 13.
