A Christian guide to this year’s Oscar nominations

Films play a big part in shaping our culture, says Nathanael Smith. So it’s good for Christians to know what’s going on and engage with the issues they raise. Here’s his guide to the big hitters

The Oscars are on their way and it’s like the Champion’s League final for people (like me) who were never very good at sport. Cinephiles around the world (well, mostly the USA and the UK) pore over the nominations, debate their relative merits and make predictions based on hype and other awards ceremonies.

I’ve always argued that this is the kind of thing that Christians should have an eye on - often these are the films that are shaping our culture and acting as a thermometer for which themes and ideas are hottest right now.