Megan McLachlan recaps the final days of the 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, including three underdog Oscar contenders she’s advocating for in 2026.

This year’s festival really ran the gamut of award contenders like Hamnet and One Battle After Another, but what I love about the fest is that you never know what — or who! — you’re going to see at the Lucas or Trustees or on the red carpet. Dakota Fanning talked about her new TV show All Her Fault on the final night of the red carpet right after Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, who spoke about her supporting work in Sentimental Value. 

It finally warmed up in Savannah toward the end of the festival (thank god!), and with the sunshine came three films — and two performances! — that blew me away. One is already in theaters, the second is coming soon to Netflix, and the final one is a Cannes winner.

Twinless – Dylan O’Brien for Best Supporting Actor

I know James Sweeney’s charmer has already been released in theaters, but it really seemed to have come and gone (there was bigger hoopla for the leaked sex scenes during the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year).

Dylan O’Brien is not getting enough credit for his work in Twinless. As both Rocky and Roman, he creates two completely different characters that feel distinct and reflective of each other. Hollywood loves twin performances, and if we’re thinking Michael B. Jordan could get in for Sinners, then we should also be talking up O’Brien.

In the Q&A following the film, The Hollywood Reporter’s David Canfield recalled that Sweeney selected O’Brien for this role because he’d never seen him do anything like this before.

“For Roman, [I had to play] the grief in a grounded way that felt really authentic while also balancing this humor, which is one of my favorite things,” said O’Brien. “It’s why I really freaked out when I read the script. I love when something is so funny but with such an emotional throughline where you’re broken at one point, too. That’s something I’m such a personal fan of, and executing it is totally another thing. You really have to stick to a compass of honesty. That was my rule of thumb.”

O’Brien has been working in the business for years and really levels up (as the kids say) with this performance — or performances.

Wake Up Dead Man – Glenn Close, Best Supporting Actress

Ever the underdog, Glenn Close, of course, has yet to win that elusive Oscar, and I would love to see her do it for Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man. (For that matter, I would also love to see Daniel Craig get notice for his work in these films.)

Her role as Martha in WUDM is everything we love about the actress. It highlights her ability to be kooky (Hillbilly Elegy), mischievous, and a little evil (Dangerous Liasons), all while endearing us to her character. One thing you can say about Glenn: She never phones it in. Not even in a fun whodunnit that isn’t Oscar bait.

Speaking of this film, Wake Up Dead Man really is a return to form for the Knives Out genre. I know there have only been three films, but this one is more in line with the first one — which is why I think it works so well. It also makes commentary on religion and politics without being too on the nose (although it does get dangerously close at times).

The President’s Cake – Best International Film

I got to moderate a conversation with director Hasan Hadi following a screening of The President’s Cake, and I just loved this film.

I know that Best International Film is kind of jam-packed this year — with Sentimental Value, It Was an Accident, No Other Choice, and The Secret Agent as major contenders — but I hope the Academy considers this submission from Iraq and winner of the Audience Award and Caméra d’Or at Cannes.

Set in early-’90s Iraq, The President’s Cake follows a little girl as she tries to gather ingredients to bake a cake for Saddam Hussein’s birthday celebration at school. If she doesn’t, she faces ridicule — or worse. But with economic sanctions and food scarcity, gathering the ingredients is one unfortunate misadventure after another, all with her rooster Hindi by her side.

This lovely and devastating film had me on the edge of my seat, and the sound design is also impressive for matching jet sounds of the time and creating urgent tension. A very impressive directorial debut from Hadi, who also wrote the script.

In addition, I nominate Hindi as the second-best animal performance of this year (also Hadi told me there were five rooster actors!).

The SCAD Savannah Film Festival concluded November 1.