Podcast Summary: Blank Check – Critical Darlings: "Hamnet and the History of Oscar Villains"

Podcast: Blank Check with Griffin & David / Blank Check Productions
Episode: Critical Darlings: Hamnet And The History Of Oscar Villains with David Sims
Date: January 15, 2026
Guests: Richard Lawson, Alison Wilmore, David Ehrlich, Marie, Ben (Producer)

Overview

This episode, a co-production with Vulture’s "Critical Darlings," dives deep into the complexities of awards season, focusing on the Oscar race, the perennial role of “Oscar villains,” and most centrally, a critical discussion of Chloe Zhao’s Oscar hopeful "Hamnet." The hosts unpack the current state of the Golden Globes, the transformation and relevance of awards bodies, the concept of "Oscar villainy," and scrutinize whether "Hamnet" fits that infamous mold this year.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Golden Globes Post-Mortem & Awards Show Evolution

• Hosts critique the latest Golden Globes telecast:
  • Grievances about new "box office" awards and their irrelevance ([01:41]), and the controversial PolyMarket betting feature, which “spoils” awards results and brings a dystopian edge ([02:52], [03:02]).
  • Ongoing struggles for legitimacy after HFPA scandals and ownership changes ([05:16], [05:33], [06:22]).
  • Debates on genre splitting (Comedy/Musical vs. Drama), the blurring of these lines, and how comedic works rarely get fair play ([15:16]–[15:57]).
• Awards as "career moves" and PR moment:

  “What they should say… is, 'This is great for my career.'” – David Ehrlich ([07:26])

2. Are the Globes “Real”?

• The show’s credibility, transparency, and relationship to the Oscars is deeply questioned.
  • Globes’ recent reforms cited, but the panel doubts whether the voting body’s makeup or standards have meaningfully improved ([05:38]–[06:45]).
  • Globes viewed as essentially a PR stepping stone to Oscar consideration—especially because speeches land during Oscar nomination voting ([07:45]).

3. Awards Categories and Industry Trends

• Inclusion of Podcast Awards:
  • General skepticism about the new podcast awards. The consensus is they’re often a pay-to-play affair for less prestigious aims, driven more by industry trends and “celebrity podcast” bias than content ([11:02]).
  • Joke about the inherent awkwardness and lack of legitimacy: “Just a way to get money out of podcasts.” – David Ehrlich ([11:04])
• Genre designation gets scrutinized:
  • Why comedies so rarely compete as “real” comedies ([16:11]).

4. The "Oscar Villain" Phenomenon

• Definition & Notable Cases:

  • “Oscar villain” is the film widely expected to take Best Picture against media/fan critical consensus or personal favorites.
  • Historic examples: Crash, Green Book, Shakespeare in Love, Three Billboards, 1917 ([26:19]).
  • Social media and the "vibes" economy now shape villain narratives more than ever ([25:56]).
  • Sometimes, the villain is simply the “boring but safe” choice, not the worst film.

  "I feel like the Oscar villain is something where the public and the media is convinced that a film is going to win and spoil the narrative that we like." – Alison Wilmore ([21:42])

• "Hamnet" as Current Oscar Villain:

  • Hosts debate if "Hamnet" is this year's Oscar villain by default, mainly due to its presumed front-runner status despite divided industry and critical opinion.
  • The film presents as a prestige, awards-friendly period drama, and its emergence in the race is seen as both classic and regressive ([57:01]).

5. In-Depth: "Hamnet"

Plot, Themes, and Artistic Merits

• Structural criticism:
  • The film's chronological approach undermines the emotional impact, particularly Hamnet’s point of view and the focus on grief ([29:07], [32:12]).
• Character depth:
  • Jessie Buckley praised for a fierce, raw performance as Agnes (Anne Hathaway), but the narrative is skewed, with insufficient insight into the title character of Hamnet ([31:46]).
  • Debate over emotional engagement: many find the “suffering” unrelenting and hard to connect with ([28:17], [34:32]).
• Reinventing Shakespeare:
  • The hosts discuss the end of the film, where Agnes experiences "Hamlet" as a play—whether this is emotionally moving, dramatically effective, or just a muddle of historical reference ([33:01]–[36:11]).
  • The logic and historical basis of equating the creation of "Hamlet" with Shakespeare’s grief over Hamnet’s death is questioned, but Mescal's performance as Shakespeare is praised ([42:06], [42:35]).
• On Chloe Zhao’s direction:
  • Acknowledged for her strength in depicting tactile, natural worlds ([54:59]).
  • Noted for an “Earth mama” persona that both attracts admiration and, occasionally, critical suspicion—especially given her privileged background ([52:52], [54:01]).

"Any Shakespeare movie has to be a fantasy. And this is like this sort of tragic, sad fantasy of his family. 'Shakespeare in Love' is this, like, swoony romantic fantasy..." – David Ehrlich ([55:27])

Why "Hamnet?" Why Now?

• Hamnet is "classy," "prestigious," but also perhaps "airless," less vital than its competitors—offering a traditional path to Oscar glory that doesn’t match industry progress ([57:15], [58:25]).
• Its success is partially attributed to the emotional catharsis of the film’s ending, not necessarily its consistent quality ([56:08]).
• Discussion of how Oscar vehicles rooted in a woman’s suffering have evolved, but “Hamnet” gives almost as much weight to Shakespeare’s grief, perhaps increasing Academy appeal ([59:37]).

6. Predictions, Industry Context, & Oscar Race Speculation

• Hamnet’s awards path:
  • Jessie Buckley is an actress front-runner. Paul Mescal and technical categories also possible.
  • Chloe Zhao, despite critical prestige, appears locked out of the Director conversation this year ([64:00]–[65:23]).
• Challenges for other contenders:
  • The role of international films and genre movies (like Sinners, Marty Supreme, the Secret Agent) and how Oscar trends shift away from American-centric narratives ([65:23]–[66:18]).
• Vibes-driven momentum:
  • “It’s all vibes,” Alison Wilmore notes, and the unpredictability of social media-based Oscar forecasting is repeatedly stressed ([66:35], [70:56]).
• Surprise picks & snubs:
  • Ariana Grande’s acting nom is suggested as a possible surprise snub ([69:20]).
  • Blue Moon as a fringe Best Picture dark horse ([70:06]).
  • Sinners potentially losing steam—risk of technical category wins but little major recognition ([67:28]–[68:53]).

7. Memorable Awards Season Oddities

• Astra Awards cited for gimmicky canine acting win ([74:09]).
• The Golden Tomato Awards and AARP "Best Movie for Grown-Ups" celebrated for being quirky but fun metrics of acclaim ([74:45]–[76:09]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Golden Globes' new betting features:

  “It felt close to like Pan-Am Hunger Games... it was a little dystopian.” – Richard Lawson ([02:52])

• On what Globes speeches are really for:

  “This is great for my career... This is a great chance for me to train myself on a speech or whatever.” – David Ehrlich ([07:36])

• On the role of ‘Oscar Villain’:

  “I feel like the Oscar villain is something where the public and media is convinced this film is going to win and spoil the narrative that we really like...” – Alison Wilmore ([21:42])

• On "Hamnet"’s narrative problem:

  “To be like, oh by the way, this is a movie about grief but we're gonna start by being much more about... this marriage. It's a huge problem.” – Alison Wilmore ([32:35])

• On Chloe Zhao’s evolving reception:

  “People feel really divided on her for ways... maybe earned, in other ways are just like cloaked misogyny or, like, racism.” – Alison Wilmore ([52:06]) “She's kind of an earth mama vibe.” – David Ehrlich ([52:44])

• Summing up “Hamnet”’s Oscar fortunes:

  “Hamnet is more the kind of Oscar winner that... defined by big acting, crying, suffering, weighty ideas, death, loss.” – David Ehrlich ([57:01])

• The unpredictability of predictions:

  “All will be revealed next week...” – Richard Lawson ([76:51])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Golden Globes Recap & Critique: [00:26]–[10:30]
• Legitimacy & Realness of Awards Shows: [03:30]–[07:36]
• Oscar Villain Deep Dive: [20:14]–[27:16]
• "Hamnet" as Oscar Villain / Detailed Review: [28:04]–[54:01]
• On Chloe Zhao & Directorial Perceptions: [52:06]–[55:27]
• Best/Worst Oscar Precedents & Parallels: [26:19]–[26:58], [55:27]–[57:01]
• Oscar Predictions & Industry Trends: [64:00]–[70:00]
• Awards Season Oddities: [74:09]–[76:09]

Conclusion

The episode stands as a lively, multi-faceted conversation about the shifting landscape of awards season and the narratives that swirl around Oscar “villains.” With "Hamnet" under the microscope, the hosts weigh its artistic achievements and shortcomings, unpack biases around prestige cinema, and dissect what makes a film "deserving" or "resented" at the Oscars. Predictions for surprises, snubs, and the broader evolution of major awards shows round out a funny, learned, irreverent episode—perfect for film fans tracking every twist on the road to Oscar night.