We’re currently in the midst of my personal favorite season: awards season. Now that the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, BAFTAs and Actor Awards have all passed, perhaps the most prominent of film award shows remains. The Academy Awards, or Oscars, are set to be held at 8 p.m. on March 15.
Annually, the best films of the year are nominated for a wide variety of awards, ranging from “Actor in a Leading Role” and “Directing” to “Production Design” and “Casting.” Film critics, both amateur social media users and professional journalists, go head-to-head, debating which movie deserves to win in each category.
I’ve taken it upon myself to watch every movie nominated for an Academy Award this year, which was, at times, slightly painstaking but enjoyable nonetheless. After reviewing all of these films, I’ve narrowed down my dream winners and realistic picks for seven of the major Oscars categories.
- Actor In A Leading Role
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For this category, the nominees are Timothee Chalamet in “Marty Supreme,” Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners,” Ethan Hawke in “Blue Moon,” Wagner Moura in “The Secret Agent” and Leonardo DiCaprio in “One Battle After Another.” Out of these five, Chalamet, Jordan and DiCaprio stand out as the frontrunners.
Based on previous award show wins, it seems to be a fairly even tie between Jordan and DiCaprio. However, Chalamet’s performance in “Marty Supreme” has stuck with me since its release.
Timothee Chalamet as Marty Mauser in Josh Safdie’s, “Marty Supreme.” Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a down-on-his-luck table tennis professional endlessly pursuing his dreams of greatness in the sport. Chalamet is incredibly believable in his role as a scrappy 1950s underdog, supporting the story on his shoulders all throughout the film.
If it were up to me, Chalamet would take home the Academy Award, no questions asked, but I would predict that the Academy will push Jordan to the top for his dual role as the Smokestack twins.
- Actor In A Supporting Role
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For “Actor in a Supporting Role,” the nominees are Benicio Del Toro in “One Battle After Another,” Sean Penn in “One Battle After Another,” Jacob Elordi in “Frankenstein,” Delroy Lindo in “Sinners” and Stellan Skarsgård in “Sentimental Value.”
The two nominated supporting actors in “One Battle After Another,” Penn and Del Toro, both gave the strongest performances out of those on this list. However, Penn’s portrayal of Colonel Lockjaw, an uptight and corrupt military officer, rises above.
Sean Penn as Colonel Lockjaw in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another”. From the moment Penn arrives onscreen as Lockjaw, his mere presence indicates the intensity his character carries. He delivers his dialogue in an extremely effective manner, pulling us into the film through Lockjaw. Whether giving commanding military orders or casually chatting with the secret society he’s intent on joining, Penn exudes the pure malice that exists within his character.
While my high praises don’t have any direct sway on the Academy’s voting, Penn’s previous BAFTA and Actor Awards wins serve as evidence that Penn will likely take home the Award for his portrayal of Lockjaw.
- Actress In A Leading Role
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In this category, the nominees are Emma Stone in “Bugonia,” Jessie Buckley in “Hamnet,” Rose Byrne in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Renate Reinsve in “Sentimental Value” and Kate Hudson in “Song Sung Blue.” Across the board, the performances that caught my eye were Buckley’s and Byrne’s.
Both of these leading actresses give emotional, heartfelt performances centered around personal struggle. Buckley portrays a mournful mother after her young son passes, while Byrne performs as an overwhelmed woman grappling to stay afloat as her life seemingly crashes down around her.
Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare in Chloe Zhao’s ‘Hamnet”. While Byrne’s portrayal kept me immersed in the swirling anxiety of a movie that was “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Buckley as William Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, was a performance beyond words. Both as a joyful young woman and, later, as a grief-stricken mother, Buckley pulls the audience into the story with her.
Few other times have I been able to feel an actress’ exact emotions, without falter, from the title card to the end credits, as I did with Buckley’s poignant execution of Agnes Shakespeare. Buckley has already won three of the four other major film awards, nearly cementing her Oscars win.
- Actress In A Supporting Role
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For “Actress in a Supporting Role,” the nominees are Elle Fanning in “Sentimental Value,” Teyana Taylor in “One Battle After Another,” Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in “Sentimental Value,” Amy Madigan in “Weapons” and Wunmi Mosaku in “Sinners.” There is one exceptional performance that stands high above the others, and that is Taylor’s.
Taylor plays Perfidia Beverly Hills, a bold member of the far-left revolutionary group, the French 75, and the partner of DiCaprio’s character. While she only appears in the first about 50 minutes of the two-hour and forty-five minute movie, Taylor’s effect lasts until the very end. Taylor ensures Perfidia shines through as the very beating heart of the film.
Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills in “One Battle After Another”. From the get-go, Taylor plays Perfidia with such consistency and authenticity that she feels like a whole person, not just a character in a movie. The confidence Taylor emanates through Perfidia seeps through every scene she’s in, completing Perfidia’s personality in a full-circle way.
While the race seems tied between Taylor, Madigan and Mosaku, I personally favor Taylor as the clear winner.
- Cinematography
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For the “Cinematography” award, the nominees are Dan Lausten for “Frankenstein,” Darius Khondji for “Marty Supreme,” Michael Bauman for “One Battle After Another,” Autumn Durald Arkapaw for “Sinners” and Adolpho Veloso for “Train Dreams.” One of the most intriguing parts of a film for me is the cinematography, drawing me towards an Arkapaw win for “Sinners.”
If you know anything about me, you know I’m a sucker for a good aspect-ratio change, something Arkapaw pulls off extremely well throughout the film. The ratio change is done to immerse the viewer in particularly significant moments, such as Sammie’s guitar performance and when the vampires are finally let into the barn.
Michael B. Jordan and Miles Caton watch on as the vampires are destroyed in “Sinners”. A 70mm IMAX camera was used for filming, only adding to the innate beauty of the movie. The camera lends itself extraordinarily well to many beautiful shots, particularly the sunrise scene towards the end of the movie.
In addition to “Sinners” already being an obvious frontrunner, Arkapaw would be the first woman to win this award, which feels past due. Especially during Women’s History Month, Arkapaw taking home the Oscar for her work on “Sinners” would be a tremendous achievement.
- Costume Design
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The nominees for the “Costume Design” Oscar are Deborah L. Scott for “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” Kate Hawley for “Frankenstein,” Malgosia Turzanka for “Hamnet,” Miyako Bellizzi for “Marty Supreme” and Ruth E. Carter for “Sinners.” Of the five nominees, Carter’s work on “Sinners” was one-of-a-kind.
“Sinners” is set in Mississippi in 1932, and Carter integrates the characters’ historical and cultural backgrounds into their costumes extremely effectively. She drew inspiration from Chicago gangsters for the Smokestack twins, weathered earth-toned clothing for Sammie and blues culture style for the rest of the cast.
Michael B. Jordan as Smoke and Stack in “Sinners”. The costuming adheres to a specific color palette of deep red, blue and natural hues. The red signifies passion and intensity, the blue represents calm and normalcy and the earthy shades show survival and persistence. These colors were chosen specifically to represent the Southern resilience and dignity that were prevalent in the 1930s.
Carter is a previous “Costume Design” winner, having taken home the award at the 2023 Oscars for her work on “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” This win made Carter the first Black woman in history to win the award. While signs most likely point to Hawley winning for “Frankenstein,” Carter’s efforts in “Sinners” do not go unnoticed.
- Best Picture
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While every other category has just five nominees, “Best Picture” has had ten nominees since the 2010 Academy Awards to ensure a wide range of nominees. The nominated films are “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” ‘Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value,” “Sinners” and “Train Dreams.”
My personal favorites of those listed above are “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme” and “Sinners.”
“Hamnet” is shot so beautifully and artistically; It does a fantastic job of portraying such an intense emotion with such raw intensity. Buckley gives the performance of a lifetime, as does young Noah Jupe, who plays her son. “Hamnet” is a tragedy that evokes constant tears and tugs right on your heartstrings.
“Marty Supreme” does something fascinating: it tricks you into thinking it’s an average sports movie for the first hour before sending Chalamet’s characters down a series of troubles that are only comedic because they’re not happening to us. Melding the sports, drama and comedy genres all in one, “Marty Supreme” is the ultimate entertaining tale of the underdog.
Timothee Chalamet as Marty Mauser in “Marty Supreme”. “One Battle After Another” is, at the end of the day, the movie that just keeps on giving. All of the performances are exceptional, as well as the phenomenal directing. The film delves into the cyclical nature of revolution and the struggles of intergenerational trauma, weaving strong, important themes in without making the tone overly weighty.
While these three films go above and beyond for me, it’s less likely the Academy shares my exact thoughts. I expect the real war for “Best Picture” to be between “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another.”
The process of sitting down to watch all of these movies was, in the end, extremely rewarding. I implore you to try this challenge for the 2027 Academy Awards.
Not only was watching all of these movies gratifying, it also exposed me to numerous films I wouldn’t have thought to watch otherwise. Also, if you do take on this challenge, it’ll be a lot of fun when you’re more knowledgeable than all of the film bros in your classes the day after the awards show.