Anyone who’s ever watched an awards show knows the satisfaction of being well-informed enough to impress your watch party guests with your predictions, knowledge about nominees and confident declarations of who really deserves to win. My awards show of choice is the Oscars, being an avid movie fan. Before the 97th Academy Awards in March 2025, I saw as many nominees as I could, but I still missed key players like “The Brutalist” and “Nosferatu.” When the night finally came, I had a lot of fun watching the show, but I felt a distracting twinge of FOMO.
How could I make judgments about Best Cinematography when I had only seen two-fifths of the category (and one of them was “Emilia Perez,” which shouldn’t have even been nominated)? I was pulling for “I’m Still Here” to win Best Picture, but what if I had seen “Anora” or “The Brutalist” and liked them better? Some of Conan O’Brien’s zingers flew straight over my head due to my lack of knowledge about certain films! This was simply not acceptable.
So, like any normal person would do, I decided I simply must watch every single nominee (yes, all of them) for the 98th Academy Awards. Fast forward one year, 35 feature films, 15 short films and 16 cinema trips and I’ve done it; with only two days left until the ceremony, I crossed the finish line.
But not everyone has the time to watch so many movies, yet everyone wants to have an opinion on what should win. What’s a person to do? Well, never fear, dear reader, for I have assembled a guide detailing the movies that deserve to win at this year’s Oscars. When you get in a tricky situation, simply remember my words and attribute them to yourself. Your peers will be so impressed.
Nominations: 16
Should Win: 8 – Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Lead Actor (Michael B. Jordan as Elias “Stack” and Elijah “Smoke” Moore), Best Editing, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best Original Song (“I Lied to You”), Best Score
“Sinners,” arguably the most influential movie of the year culturally, also happens to be incredibly good. It inarguably deserves to win Best Picture, the night’s most coveted prize, simply because of the greatness of each of its individual aspects. Its screenplay is multi-layered, working both as a popcorn blockbuster and as a deep story about cultural vampirism. It has something for everyone, whether you prefer dramas, horrors or musicals.
Michael B. Jordan’s dual performance as the Smokestack Twins is captivating, capturing two similar yet distinct personalities and showcasing an extremely wide range of emotions. The film is perfectly paced, allowing an hour and a half to establish the characters and setting, which makes it all the more impactful when the characters start being attacked by vampires. Each individual performer gets their time in the limelight and the makeup and hairstyling helps inform the characters, but it is only when the action ramps up that artists can go to town. The makeup later in the movie is wide-ranging and brilliant, from realistic historical African and Asian makeup to gnarly wounds as our beloved characters die and turn into vampires.
The sound editing and mixing creates gorgeous soundscapes that amplifies each and every scene, elevating some scenes from merely gross to truly disgusting and making musical moments shine beyond belief. One such moment is the phenomenal performance of “I Lied to You,” which blends musical styles from ancient African societies, to 20th-century blues, to modern-day rock and hip-hop. Similarly, Ludwig Goransson’s score incorporates elements from genres as varying as bluegrass and rock, wonderfully soundtracking the film’s intense moments, its emotional moments, and everything in between. Put simply, “Sinners” is everything a film should be, in a way that is unachievable for all but the elite and talented.
Nominations: 13
Should Win: 3 – Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn as Colonel Stephen J. Lockjaw)
When I first saw it, “One Battle After Another” floored me. It is an amazing movie, a behemoth that tells a sprawling story of one man’s life, as he battles through thick and thin to rescue his daughter, making it a touching tale of familial love. Director Paul Thomas Anderson brought together acting veterans, like Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro and newcomers, like Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor, to create a remarkable ensemble. Each actor’s performance is perfectly tuned.
Penn, especially, is impressive as Colonel Lockjaw, creating what is perhaps an all-time great movie villain. He establishes his character within seconds and turns what could have been a goofy and forgettable antagonist into a villainous presence that looms over the entire movie. You fear Lockjaw, you want to laugh at his buffoonery, and you’re grossed out by him all at once, due to Penn’s masterful balance of emotion, drama and comedy, with a grasp over tone that other performers could only hope to one day achieve.
Penn isn’t the only part of the movie that nails this fluid shift; so does Anderson’s miraculous screenplay, which manages to deliver a compelling and emotional story, while also being one of the funniest scripts of the year. Combined with his direction, he creates a film that stuns; simple sequences leave the viewer breathless, the film moves quickly but allows itself to linger within small moments and each character is fully realized. One of the best movie scenes of 2025, the climactic car chase, has benefitted from Anderson’s Midas touch, as a car chase taking place on a nearly straight road would surely have been boring in any other film. Though it is overshadowed by “Sinners,” both movies are remarkably strong. It’s a shame that they released within the same year, as they both deserve all the awards they will receive and more.
Nominations: 11
Should Win: 2 – Best Casting, Best Costume Design
This gritty tale of a New York hustler (well, table tennis player, but really hustler) is a non-stop, anxiety-inducing thrill ride. Similar to “One Battle After Another,” this film assembles a wonderful ensemble, but its casting is superior to the other movies nominated. Casting one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Timothée Chalamet, in your film is no risk, but where the casting of “Marty Supreme” shines is in the details. First-time actors (but experienced performers) Tyler Okonoma (Tyler, The Creator) and Kevin O’Leary (Mr. Wonderful on “Shark Tank”) step into sizable supporting roles as though they were born to do them. Even bolder, casting director Jennifer Venditti was informed by real life to cast several roles, using casting as a story device: gritty crime filmmaker Abel Ferrara plays a gangster; Gwyneth Paltrow portrays an actress that enjoyed success in her youth and is trying to revitalize her career; and Japanese table tennis pro Koto Kawaguchi enjoys a role as a fictional Japanese table tennis champion.
As for the film’s costuming, designer Miyako Bellizzi, who created over a thousand pieces for the film, utilized the style of the film’s 1950s New York setting perfectly. The clothes truly do make the man: the costumes, from table tennis polos to cartoony pajamas, establish the characters and the shifts in the way they present themselves from scene to scene. “Marty Supreme” is a film that revels in reality (or bending it to your will, as so many of its characters do), remaining grounded at all times yet unafraid to be unconventional.
Train Dreams
Nominations: 4
Should Win: 1 – Best Cinematography
Adolpho Veloso, the cinematographer of “Train Dreams,” takes a classic approach to the film’s photography, from its setup to the unusual 3:2 aspect ratio. “Train Dreams” contains truly breathtaking shots that make it all the more disappointing that it is a Netflix film, which was scarcely available in cinemas. The composition and lighting (which is almost entirely natural!) really compliment the film’s quiet, contemplative nature. The colors are very grounded, as well, with some bright, lush colors that stand out among the muted palettes. All in all, the cinematography is remarkable at telling the story of the film, not to mention the fact that it is simply beautiful.
Frankenstein
Nominations: 9
Should Win: 1 – Best Production Design
“Frankenstein” has gorgeous and stylish sets that make its chilling Gothic world feel alive. Each building and structure, from Victor’s tower, to his family home, to the huge ship where he finds himself at the start of the film, feels like a character all its own; the natural world is beautiful, with lush forests and a barren field of ice. Production designer Tamara Deverell uses vibrant colors, dynamic shapes and a steampunk style to create lasting images and iconography. The wonderful set design and dressing makes the film almost feel mythical, a treat for the eyes.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Nominations: 2
Should Win: 1 – Best Visual Effects
Far and away the best nominee in Best Visual Effects, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” blends traditional CGI with motion capture imaging to create an almost entirely imagined world that looks entirely real and truly beautiful. Each “Avatar” movie only pushes the boundaries further in terms of what is possible with visual effects and this installment’s realization of beaches and oceans, lush forests and the most important thing of all, fire, is truly breathtaking.
Sentimental Value
Nominations: 9
Should Win: 1 – Best Supporting Actress (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg)
Rather than provide mindless entertainment to the viewer, “Sentimental Value” works more as a somber and quiet showcase for four brilliant actors. The most remarkable of them is Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, a relatively unknown Norwegian actor who holds her own next to more popular and acclaimed actors like Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning and Renate Reinsve. Lilleaas is the rock of the film, holding steady as the other characters’ turbulent and tumultuous relationships swirl around her. Her performance is subdued, but there are scenes in the film where her dynamic emotional range is shown off and you simply cannot take your eyes off her. This is an essential supporting performance: she is both the glue that holds the characters together and a dynamic force all her own.
Hamnet
Nominations: 8
Should Win: 1 – Best Lead Actress (Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare)
It’s a good year for actresses playing characters named Agnes. The lead of “Hamnet,” Jessie Buckley, is tasked with being the beating emotional heart of the film. Buckley is an amazing actor with a shockingly wide range, going from someone young and in love to a jaded and grieving wife within a two-hour timespan. She succeeds in making the viewer feel exactly what she is feeling, during memorable scenes like the birth of her twins, where she beautifully portrays tragedy, ecstasy and pain. Not to mention, she lets out some truly visceral screams. It may not be the most subtle performance, but it is impressive nonetheless, and she stands out among the other remarkable actresses in this category.
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