Paul Mescal Receives Independent Spirit Award Nomination for Best Lead Performance

Paul Mescal Receives Independent Spirit Awards Nomination

Paul Mescal has just been nominated for Best Lead Performance by the Independent Spirit Awards for his work in Aftersun.

Aftersun has quickly become a film that has entered in discussions for some serious awards consideration and, today, the movie received 5 Independent Spirit Awards nominations, including one for its terrific star, Paul Mescal. With these nominations, it seems likely that Mescal could be a serious contender for a Best Actor nomination at next year’s Oscars. His role in Aftersun is one of the best lead performances in films this year and he will, hopefully, ride the success of Aftersun all the way to the Oscars.

Everything Everywhere All at Once and Tar may have led the Independent Spirit Awards nominations with 8 nominations for Everything Everywhere All at Once and 7 for Tar, but Aftersun‘s 5 nods has put it into the race as a movie to contend with. While outside of these awards, other actors are brewing in the race for Best Actor (Austin Butler Hugh Jackman and Colin Farrell, among them), Mescal’s great work in Aftersun cannot be ignored. It may just be rewarded by the Academy come Oscar nomination time.

Aftersun is a very delicate movie which concludes with a masterful sequence that has become one of the most talked about scenes of 2022. It involves Mescal’s character in the film’s relationship with his daughter (played mostly by Independent Spirit Awards nominee for Best Breakthrough Performance, Frankie Corio). The direction of this scene by Charlotte Wells (an Independent Spirt Awards nominee for Best First Feature) is incredible. Footage is intercut with a happy scene where Mescal’s character is dancing with Corio’s and a much darker scenario.  Some of the darker footage revolves around a “rave” Mescal’s character is at with his now grown daughter. Mescal is happy in one of the scenes which is intercut with one where he is in incredible emotional pain (the one at the rave). It’s played to the song “Under Pressure.” If you haven’t seen the film yet, you’ll want to analyze this sequence for yourself once you view the picture.

Mescal has many great scenes in Aftersun. One where he sits on the bed in tears is certainly powerful and almost single-handedly makes the performer worthy of serious awards consideration.

Other films honored with Independent Spirit Award nominations include Women Talking and Bones and All.  However, Mescal is the one star whose Oscar nomination prospects may have been helped by these nominations which were just announced. If you haven’t seen Aftersun, go see it. Paul Mescal’s award nomination worthy work will most likely astound you. The film also received a nomination for Best Cinematography from the Independent Spirit Awards. The results of these awards will be announced March 4, 2023.

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