The first huge awards show of the season takes place in about a week and a half when the Golden Globes hands out statues to the best in film and television. Due to a scandal that erupted about diversity, the Globes may not broadcast the show in 2022. But although we may not get to see the winners step to the podium, that doesn’t preclude entertainment handicappers from betting on various categories. In this blog, we lay out Golden Globes odds and make picks for best director, and the best picture awards.
Golden Globes Best Director and Best Picture Odds and Picks
2022 Golden Globe Awards
- When: Sunday, Jan. 9
- Where: TBD
- TV / Streaming: TBD
Best Director
- Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) -140
- Kenneth Branagh (Belfast) +150
- Steve Spielberg (West Side Story) +900
- Denis Villeneuve (Dune) +1200
- Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter) +1800
Kenneth Branagh could be in line for another Golden Globe. Belfast is an endearing film about growing up in Ireland. It’s also shot in black and white and, for some reason, that always impresses award voters.
But although Branagh is a decent pick, the top pick is Jane Campion. Regarded as one of the best directors on the planet, The Power of the Dog is Campion’s first film since 2009’s Bright Star. Campion always gets the best out of top talent and The Power of the Dog is no different.
Campion should win. If you’re looking to back an underdog, don’t go with Maggie Gyllenhaal. The Lost Daughter is a good movie, but it’s not The Power of the Dog. Also, don’t back Steven Spielberg. West Side Story bombed at the box office and Spielberg has enough golden statues.
Denis Villeneuve, though, deserves the award. Turning Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction novel into a movie that makes sense, something the great David Lynch struggled with in 1984, is a massive accomplishment.
Golden Globe Top Pick: Jane Campion
Golden Globe Underdog Pick: Denis Villeneuve
Best Picture – Drama
- Belfast +100
- The Power of the Dog +200
- King Richard +330
- Dune +1200
- CODA +1600
King Richard is a great film and should be getting a ton of buzz. But this is the age of streaming, which means long lines standing outside theatres doesn’t happen anymore. If your film doesn’t make a splash in the first week or so, forget it.
Belfast has the pedigree to win, but we’ve seen movies like this before. Few, think Boyhood by Richard Linkletter or Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, win for Best Picture. So we’ll go with Campion and The Power of the Dog to take the top prize.
The second pick, as you might have guessed, is Dune. It’s difficult to stress enough how layered Herbert’s novel is. Dune is brilliant on several levels, you won’t find a better shot film, maybe, in history, but it’s truly brilliant because Villeneuve and his crew adapted it from a classic novel and lost nothing important from the book.
Golden Globe Top Pick: The Power of the Dog
Golden Globe Underdog Pick: Dune
Best Picture – Musical / Comedy
- West Side Story -150
- Licorice Pizza +200
- tick, tick . . . Boom! +750
- Don’t Look Up +900
- Cyrano +2000
Who knows why West Side Story is the chalk. Spielberg’s pet project didn’t make a great splash money wise. At -150, the movie is an underlay.
tick, tick . . . Boom! has a big shot. But it’s difficult to find anyone in love with it. Also, when it comes to stage musicals adapted to film, voters tend to think of the actual stage plays first, which lessens the film’s appeal.
Licorice Pizza, a coming of age story by Paul Thomas Anderson, is the top pick. The movie has gotten tremendous buzz since its release. The National Board of Review made Licorice Pizza their best film of the year.
The second choice is the fantastic Don’t Look Up. The movie stars Leonardo Di Caprio and Jennifer Lawrence as scientists, one’s a professor and the other is a grad student, who discover a comet hurtling to earth. It’s brilliant and funny.
It’s also by Adam McKay. Will Ferrell’s buddy not only directed Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers, but he’s also the mind behind HBO Max’s and Emmy darling Succession. McKay can do no wrong. So Don’t Look Up could win for best picture.
Golden Globe Top Pick: Licorice Pizza
Golden Globe Underdog Pick: Don’t Look Up
