‘Quiz Lady’ poised to win the biggest prize: Best TV Movie at the Emmys
Sandra Oh and Awkwafina proved to be a terrific duo this year in their hit Hulu telefilm “Quiz Lady.” The flick follows the pair as estranged sisters who must reunite and work together in order to pay for their mother’s gambling debts via the game show that one of them is obsessed with.
Oh and Awkwafina subvert expectations with their performances here with Oh playing the zany, wild sister and Awkwafina turning in a subdued performance as the awkward, restrained, quieter one. These dual performances have become the foundation of overwhelmingly positive notices for “Quiz Lady.”
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Charles Bramesco (Indie Wire) opined: “The odd couple… shares a sensational chemistry, building on the base amusement of seeing Oh let her extension-laden hair down and Awkwafina crimp the straight-man character into weird new shapes.”
Emma Simmonds (Radio Times) observed: “Awkwafina and Sandra Oh prove a match made in comedy heaven in this sweet romp from director Jessica Yu.”
Lori Meek (Ready Steady Cut) stated: “The film perfectly intertwines laugh-out-loud scenes with heartfelt moments, making this one of the best feel-good comedies of the year.”
John Serba (Decider) explained: “‘Quiz Lady’ is a potpourri lightning round of jokes, and the highly effective comedy duo of Oh and Awkwafina execute them expertly.
Tania Hussain (Collider) claimed: “Playing to the beat of ‘90s buddy comedies through witty dialogue and sharp slapstick humor, it manages to balance the laughs with strong, relationship drama for a spirited film about sisterhood rarely celebrated on the big screen.”
Buoyed by these rave reviews, “Quiz Lady” reaped an Emmy bid for Best TV Movie. Its competition: “Mr. Monk’s Last Case, “Red, White and Royal Blue,” “Scoop” and “Unfrosted.” There are plenty of reasons to stick with “Quiz Lady” when predicting the winner of this race.
Firstly, it already has a couple of key awards nominations and wins under its belt. It won Best TV Movie at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards, ahead of “Mr. Monk’s Last Case,” “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” and “No One Will Save You.” It was also nominated for Best Streamed/TV Movie at the PGA Awards this year, another high honor. These could prove to be important tea leaves for the movie’s Emmy chances later this year.
Plus, director Jessica Yu is a respected filmmaker. She won the 1997 Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film for “Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien” and was nominated for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking at the 2006 Emmys for “In the Realms of the Unreal.” More recently, she picked up a bid for Best TV Movie/Limited Series/Dramatic Special Director at the 2019 Emmys for “Fosse/Verdon.” Yu’s involvement here adds gravitas and further awards credentials.
“Quiz Lady” boasts the starry names of both Oh and Awkwafina, which could well help the movie to an Emmy win in this category. Lots of other TV movies have been nominated with the help of their A-list stars, such as “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” with Daniel Radcliffe, “Uncle Frank” featuring Paul Bettany, “Oslo” starring Andrew Scott, and “American Son” led by Kerry Washington.
And while spin-offs and feature-length TV episodes such as “Mr. Monk’s Last Case” do get nominated in this category, out-and-out, one-off TV movies are often preferred here. Recent such nominees include “Prey,” “Fire Island,” “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” “The Survivor,” “Uncle Frank,” “Oslo,” and “Sylvie’s Love.”
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