Best Sound: Ranking Every Nominee of the 97th Academy Awards
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
I want to celebrate this category, because sound is crucial to the majority of motion pictures: just think about the crying shame of how many modern film lovers stay clear of silent films just based on this fact alone. However, ever since the Academy Awards decided to condense the two categories — Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing — together into one general category, I find this vague new group — Best Sound — doesn’t tell a full story. It’s like combining Best Cinematography and Best Editing just because both elements of film affect what we see and how we see it. Sound is not just one basic aspect of cinema. It is the creation of audible noises, the mixing to make sure that all sounds stand out (but not too much or too little) and blend together nicely when needed, and so many other things to appreciate. With that in mind, the ranking below may be a bit strange, but do know that I am going to grade these films based on their sound overall. Some lower films may be great at sound editing but not with mixing, so if there were still two categories, they’d shine in one group and not the other. I’ll try my best to work with what I have here, because it isn’t fair to those who work in this field and do drastically different things from one another, just to be lumped together and not respected as the individual kinds of filmmakers that they are. Let us proceed.
Here are your nominees for Best Sound ranked from worst to best.
Biggest Snub: Nickel Boys
I said in an earlier article that you’ll be seeing Nickel Boys pop up frequently whenever I bring up snubs throughout my discussions of the 97th Academy Awards, and today is no different. In order for the first-person perspective illusion to work, many things need to be flawless, and sound is a part of the equation. I wish there was a better example than just including the film’s trailer, but even this promotional material showcases how tangible and hyper-real the sound is. From how precise the sounds feel, to the mind-bending mix that truly places you in the position of our protagonists, Nickel Boys is as rich audibly as it is visually. If you close your eyes, you will still feel like you are one with the film. Nickel Boys should absolutely be nominated in this category. It reminds me of how rich the sounds of last year’s winner, The Zone of Interest, is, which proves my point.
5. Emilia Pérez-Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta
I love this film, but the biggest issue this nomination has is the combination of both former sound categories. How the sounds are made in Emilia Pérez is quite good, with a flurry of sounds to fill up the audible air around the dynamic tunes. This is where the film shines. Having said that, despite my appreciation for Emilia Pérez, it is known for having a fairly odd sound mix. It is a permanently loud experience from as soon as it starts, and it never lets up on being a full-throttle experience. That’s fine by me, it’s a stylistic choice, but it doesn’t make it for a strong nominee here when all sounds — from dialogue, foley effects, and music — are so deep in the red that they may even be clipping. This film sounds like Rick Rubin went hog wild on it. I love many songs that Rick Rubin produced and I’d call him a strong producer in ways, but I can also acknowledge how the loudness of his tracks are unorthodox. Emilia Pérez is a film I can listen to, but — in the context of this particular article — must point out how the noise of it all bleeds together, which — to me — works for the film but not in favour of this Oscar nomination. Just because Emilia Pérez is a musical, that doesn’t mean it should be a shoe-in here.
4. The Wild Robot-Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts
From this point on, the nominees jump quite a bit in terms of quality. I love how The Wild Robot sounds. This is an example where I feel like the film is even stronger of a nominee regarding how the sounds are made versus how they are mixed (but, even then, the sounds are mixed far better than they are in Emelia Pérez). The noises the central robot, Roz, make are so crispy and believable; toss in the natural noise and ambience surrounding Roz, and you’ve got an experience full of sounds that clatter upon your eardrums with ease. I’m placing this film a bit lower, because there are some mixing issues, but not many; some scenes where tie dialogue of pivotal moments may be drowned out by the noise that surrounds them (especially the one sequence with the geese piloting around attacking robots; the sounds here are to die-for, but it can be a little tricky to make everything out). All things considered, The Wild Robot deserves to be here, and don’t take it being ranked fourth — amongst some stiff competition — as my way of saying it shouldn’t be nominated.
3. Wicked-Simon Hayes, Nancy Hugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis
Between the two musicals nominated here, Wicked does a much better job mixing all of its sounds together. Listen to the musical number below compared to the Emilia Pérez track and see how one feels like a song swarming around you (the latter) and the other feels like it is inviting you into its world (the former). Wicked has a lot going on, but I honestly never felt like any of it got lost in translation. All the foley sounds stand out (yet feel authentic). The dialogue is crisp, so the narrative moments are as crucial as the music is (which, as expected, is handled extremely well). The mix is fantastic in this film. While musical numbers envelop you, you’re still able to make sense of the finer details in between, like little cues or background chatter; this feels like a world you can explore. They clearly put in so much work with how Wicked sounds, and the dedication pays off.
2. Dune: Part Two-Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill
Obviously, Dune: Part Two was going to be nominated here. The film is a tech and production juggernaut, so it goes without saying that this sequel is going to make a presence within the sound category as well. If this was just about the creation of the sounds present in the film, Dune: Part Two would take the cake. This film is full of noises that I simply adore, whether they are whimsical, crushing, mysterious, or blatant. The other-worldly foley work is extraordinary. These sounds seemingly exist, at least within the duration of this motion picture. The mix is terrific as well. Even with the plethora of events happening all at the same time, you can make sense of every situation. No one gets drowned out, even with the massive scope and scale of Dune: Part Two. This is an exemplary case of how a film should sound. I may be nuts for not ranking it first place, but let me explain with the final entry.
1. A Complete Unknown-Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco
How could the sound of A Complete Unknown be better than Dune: Part Two? For sure, the science fiction epic has better generated sounds. A Complete Unknown can’t compete with the robotic drones and futuristic noises of Dune: Part Two. However, considering that A Complete Unknown is a decent film that is completely elevated by how brilliantly it sounds, I cannot shake off the importance of the sound work here. It does possess the best sound mixing of all five nominees; even the example below — which isn’t one of the more mind blowing cases found in the film — sounds divine, as if the film isn’t bringing you into its setting: you’re already there. Once you get to the live performances, the music is crystal clear, the singing can be felt by the hairs on the back of your neck, and the audience ambience is exactly as loud and prominent as it needs to be. A Complete Unknown isn’t a perfect film, but it excels at placing you at the toes of folk Gods and their performances, and a major reason why is because this biopic sounds so damn good. From the metallic sliding of quick fretwork on a guitar, to the tiny breaths in between rampant, musical storytelling, A Complete Unknown excels as a portfolio for how a film should sound.
Who I Want To Win: I would be fine with any of the top four nominees on my list, because they are all significant in their own ways. It sounds like a cop out, but it’s true. I love Emilia Pérez as a film, but it wouldn’t feel deserved compared to its peers.
Who I Think Will Win: Right now, I will pick Wicked just because I think some of the other nominees will do well in other categories, whereas Wicked may only dominate for its sound and production-related categories (and, even then, there is high competition there). Despite having ten nominations, don’t be surprised if Wicked winds up winning just one award, and it could be this one (however, Best Costume Design is a high possibility, too). My next guess would be A Complete Unknown for similar reasons: it may just win for Timothée Chalamet and for sound. For now, I’m going with Wicked.
The Academy Awards Project will continue tomorrow with another category: Best Original Song. We’re going to rank every single nominee in every single category, Monday through Friday. You don’t want to miss it!
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.