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January 16, 2026 
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Hi, movie fans!
It’s that time in awards season when we think the picture is getting clearer but we’re not sure. The Golden Globes, which were handed out Sunday night, aren’t necessarily predictive of the Oscars (especially since the voting bodies don’t overlap at all), but there is something to be said for a high-profile victory on television the night before academy members begin casting their ballots for nominations.
Our Oscars expert, Kyle Buchanan, a.k.a. the Projectionist, elaborated on this in his column this week, explaining how a good acceptance speech can make the difference for someone like Teyana Taylor, who won the supporting actress Globe for “One Battle After Another” and who faces stiff competition for an academy nomination. (Voting ends today and the list will be revealed on Thursday.)
Like Taylor, Wagner Moura, the star of “The Secret Agent,” is another Globes winner gaining momentum right now. Buchanan profiled the Brazilian actor for our Oscars issue and found someone with a mischievous streak who was also serious when it came to speaking out about politics in his home country, to the point that he was vilified by the previous right-wing government. “I don’t want to sell myself as a moral compass, but I stick to who I am and the things that I believe are right,” he told Buchanan.
What is happening beyond awards season? The zombie franchise that began with “28 Days Later” in 2003 gets another follow-up, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” on Friday, and is a critic’s pick. Our reviewer, Alissa Wilkinson, writes that Nia DaCosta’s “as a director are a terrific, confident match for this material.”
Then there’s Jodie Foster’s new movie, “A Private Life,” her first solo lead role in which she speaks fluent French. She makes the “performance sing,” writes our chief film critic, Manohla Dargis, who praises Foster’s virtuosity. My colleague Elaine Sciolino spoke with Foster (in English) about her strong French connection, dating to childhood, when her mother enrolled her in a lycée in Los Angeles. “French school is hard,” she recalled, adding, “I did science, I did math, history, everything in French. And every kid in my class was French except me.”
That’s it for now. Whatever you end up watching, enjoy the movies!
