As the 99th Academy Awards approach in March 2027, the A24 release You Can See Everything, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, is generating intense Oscar buzz for Best Picture, according to Cinemablend and Yahoo.
The Skim-Reader Takeaways
- The film sits at 98% “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes alongside strong box office returns.
- Despite being widely predicted for Best Picture, it faces an uphill battle in the Best Documentary Feature category.
- A24 is mounting a wider campaign across multiple categories including directing, editing, and score.
Why the Best Picture Frontrunner Might Miss Best Documentary
In a field of 10 potential nominees for Best Picture, industry watchers argue that You Can See Everything is a near certainty to make the cut when nominations are announced on January 21st, 2027. Yet, as noted in columns across Cinemablend and Yahoo, the film faces a paradoxical hurdle in its most natural category: Best Documentary Feature.
In the 98-year history of the Academy Awards, no documentary has ever secured a Best Picture nomination. While that historic barrier looks ready to break, the documentary wing of the Academy may hesitate to reward a film that aggressively blurs the line between nonfiction presentation and creative license. Rather than attempting to deliver a traditional, objective truth, the directors deliberately push audiences to question who is manipulating whom throughout the runtime.
Category Competition and Academy Precedents
Adding to the documentary category hurdle is a recent Academy preference for international titles and projects centered on global conflict. Recent winners include Mr. Nobody Against Putin, No Other Land, and 20 Days in Mariupol. Current frontrunners in the documentary race follow a similar vein, including Naza, focusing on military action in Palestine, and Rehearsals for a Revolution, charting Iranian history.
| Film Title | Primary Focus | Awards Context |
|---|---|---|
| You Can See Everything | Unconventional Non-Fiction / Manipulation | A24 Best Picture & Multi-Category Push |
| Naza | Palestine Conflict | Leading Documentary Contender |
| Rehearsals for a Revolution | Iranian History and War | Leading Documentary Contender |
A24 Wide Campaign Strategy for the 99th Academy Awards
Beyond Best Picture and Best Documentary, distributor A24 has outlined a broad submission strategy reported by Variety. The studio is pushing the film for Best Director, original score by Ari Balouzian, cinematography by David Bolen, film editing by Adam Locke-Norton, sound, production design, costume design, and makeup and hairstyling. While industry forecasters debate whether the unconventional feature can secure a historic five or six nominations ahead of the March 2027 ceremony, the ongoing debate over its classification ensures it remains the buzziest release of the 2026 film calendar.
