All movies are created equally, but some are more equal than others.
Hundreds of movies are released every year, yet not all of those movies make an appearance at the Oscars. The 98th Academy Awards will be historical. No award ceremony in recent memory has been this stacked with amazing films, talented actors and actresses, and brilliant directors.
This year’s Academy Awards are slated for Sunday, March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood. Conan O’ Brien returns as host for the Oscars, making it his second year as master of ceremony.
The 2025 release year has been privy to some of the best movies audiences have seen in a piping hot minute. “Sinners,” “One Battle after Another,” “Sentimental Value,” and “Marty Supreme” are just some of the films nominated in multiple categories this year.
Categories to look out for include: Actor in a leading role, Actor in a supporting role, Actress in a leading role, Actress in a supporting role, Animated feature film, Directing, Music (original song and original score), Best picture, and Writing (original screenplay).
“I want Timotheé Chalamet to win,” film connoisseur Zen Wesselmen said. “Objectively, he outacted Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael B. Jordan.”
Timotheé Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan, and Leonardo DiCaprio are the frontrunners for best actor in a leading role. While I agree that Chalamet is an outstanding, compelling actor, he did not do what Jordan did: represent two distinct characters. In his roles as Smoke and Stack in “Sinners,” Jordan managed to humanize, differentiate, and highlight both characters. An Oscar award for Jordan would be long overdue at this point in his career. DiCaprio has more than enough nods from The Academy as he has proven to himself to be an adaptable and diverse actor, but he’s had his time in the sun.
Speaking of DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another,” is a strong contender for best film and best directing. Paul Thomas Anderson, known for “There Will Be Blood (2007)” and “Inherent Vice (2014),” has had 14 nominations and has yet to secure an award. It pains me to say it, but this year Anderson is going home empty handed once again because Ryan Coogler has been nominated for “Sinners.”
Once again, in the category of best film, it is between the aforementioned “Sinners,” “Marty Supreme,” and “One Battle After Another.” It would be ludicrous to give “Marty Supreme” the oscar on account of its relative newness, compared to “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another.” Additionally, the two latter films have superior direction with two heavyweights– Anderson and Coogler– with years of experience and unique insights. Not to say that Josh Safdie’s work on “Marty Supreme” was subpar, but in comparison to Coogler and Anderson… he’s not quite there.
“It’s between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” to win Best Picture,” Teresa Huber said.
I’ll readily admit that I have not seen any of the films in the Animated feature film category. My sincerest apologies, but “KPOP DEMON HUNTERS” will sweep this category.
Evidently, I am not an impartial person. “Sinners” should sweep the Oscars this year. No other film, this decade or the last, has done what it has been able to do artistically and commercially. The movie reached a domestic total of $278.5 million and $365.8 at the worldwide box office, according to FORBES.
“Sinners” was a compelling, immersive story as well as a celebration of the substantial cultural contributions of Black Americans to American culture. It would be the snub of the century if “Sinners,” and anyone involved with it, left the Dolby Theater without that coveted gold statue in hand.
