We had two films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations.

Call Jane

With the recent overturning of Roe vs. Wade, films about abortion gain a more urgent salience than they might have in prior years. That said, not all films are created equal and a film like Call Jane might be lucky to post a single Oscar nomination. The film is about a woman (Elizabeth Banks) who has to have a life-saving abortion and her difficulty in getting it sets her on a collision course a group of women who secretly arrange abortions in spite of its illegality in the United States.

The film co-stars Sigourney Weaver, Chris Messina, and Kate Mara. The film was well received by critics, but their positive, yet not terribly enthusiastic views of the film may hurt it more than help. The year is already chock full of contenders and a meager 64 rating on MetaCritic and good, but not outstanding, 80% on Rotten Tomatoes mean the film has solid support, but probably not as much as it might otherwise have. That said, the supporting actress slate is somewhat competitive, though it’s possible the long Oscar-absent Sigourney Weaver could well pick up some steam in her supporting role if critics go along with it.

Armageddon Time

James Gray’s latest film, Armageddon Time as a similar issue to that of Call Jane. The film has a decent 77% on Rotten Tomatoes and a more solid 76 on MetaCritic, meaning there’s some support for the film, but the buzz never seems to have materialized. The film is about a young Jewish boy Paul (Paul Graff) and his Black friend (Jaylin Webb) who are caught smoking weed and sent to a private school where prejudice threatens to destroy the kids’ psyches as both struggle to find their place in a world that treats them poorly.

The real acting power here is Anne Hathaway as Paul’s mother, Jeremy Strong as his father, and Anthony Hopkins as his grandfather. All were thought to be players this year, but without a huge backing by critics, the film has been struggling to maintain its traction. While it could have been a Best Picture contender, the film’s lack of ardent enthusiasm will cause it to struggle. Hathaway, if she goes lead, will likely fail to muster enough support to overcome the incredibly stacked race, whereas if she goes support, she might stand a chance of a nomination. Strong doesn’t seem like he’s generating sufficient buzz in support and would likely lose out to Hopkins if the category only tolerates one actor from the film. And since Hopkins isn’t getting much of a push for his role in The Son, it’s possible he lands another late-career nomination. The rest of the film’s craft chances are limited with the nearness of its setting. Then there’s Gray a Best Directing citation is likely impossible, which leaves only the Original Screenplay category with an opportunity for his nomination. The biggest problem there is that, unlike Best Adapted Screenplay, Original Screenplay is overflowing with contenders, which means the film is likely to fall flat on most levels.