“Oppenheimer,” a sprawling examination of the dawn of the Atomic Age, kicked off the race for the 96th Academy Awards on Tuesday, earning 13 nominations. It was followed closely behind by “Poor Things,” a feminist fantasy set in a steampunk world of mutants and male chauvinist pigs, which earned 11 nominations.
“Killers of the Flower Moon,” a historical crime drama about a vast conspiracy to rob the Osage Nation of its oil wealth, received 10 nominations. Both “Oppenheimer” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” drawn from painful chapters of American history, were recognized at a moment of political unrest and division in the country, which seemed to give their dark subject matter an added resonance.
