3. Demolition
What makes Demolition a worthy entry is the fact that - going by the trailer alone - you'd be forgiven for thinking this is nothing more than well-crafted Oscar bait - Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper and Naomi Watts being directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, known for Dallas Buyers Club and Wild, with performances in the trailer that are declared awards-worthy before the feature has even landed. But, then, Demolition is released in the weeks after this year's awards, a slot reserved for films that are long forgotten by next Oscar season... so it's worth taking a second closer look. Davis, an investment banker, loses his wife in a tragic car accident and instead of grieving in the normal way, becomes numb and unemotional. When he meets Karen and her teenage son, with their help he begins to realise that the only way to truly grieve and move on from the death of his wife is to demolish his old life, physically and mentally. On that second look, it promises an honest journey that starts at loss and ends at rebirth, and what better team to showcase those range of emotions than this bunch of Academy Award alumni. Demolition is released in the US on April 8th and in the UK on April 29th.
