The 98th Academy Awards are shaping up to be a battle between two of the biggest films of the year, “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another,” having been nominated for 16 and 13 awards respectively.
We’ll learn the winners during the ceremony on March 15. In the meantime, however, predicting the Oscars is a yearly tradition in the entertainment world. Here are my own predictions for the five major categories everyone’s keeping their eyes on.
For best supporting actor, the nominees are Benicio Del Toro (“One Battle after Another,” aka “OBAA”), Jacob Elordi (“Frankenstein”), Delroy Lindo (“Sinners”), Sean Penn (“OBAA”), and Stellan Skarsgård (“Sentimental Value”).
Although Delroy Lindo gave an absolutely magnificent performance as Delta Slim, a character who is the personification of Black resilience during Jim Crow, the Academy has a history of not giving Oscars to performers on their first nomination.
Benicio Del Toro gave an encapsulating performance as the wise sensei in “OBAA,” stealing the show in all his scenes. Also in “OBAA,” Sean Penn’s performance as the main antagonist who is revealed to be just a pawn in a greater conspiracy is one of the best of his career.
Although I personally want Lindo to win, I think either Del Toro or Penn will win this category, both because of their performances and the Academy’s history against first-time nominees.
The nominees for actress in a supporting role are Elle Fanning (“Sentimental Value”), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (“Sentimental Value”), Amy Madigan (“Weapons”), Wunmi Mosaku (“Sinners”), and Teyana Taylor (“OBAA”).
Most predictions give Teyana Taylor this award for her performance as Perfidia Beverly Hills, leader in the French 75 and mother of Willa Ferguson (played by Chase Infiniti). However, I think that her impactful but short physical presence in the movie will keep her from ultimately winning the award.
Fanning and Mosaku both gave great performances in their respective projects. Fanning was cast in “Sentimental Value” to play the director’s own daughter and Mosaku as the romantic partner of Michael B. Jordan’s character Smoke. Both actresses gave memorable performances that left an impact with audiences.
No matter who wins this award, I think Chase Infiniti was snubbed. Her performance was just breathtaking. She was a master at playing a young woman who was caught up in the sins of her mother and father.
For best actor, the nominees are Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“OBAA”), Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”), Michael B. Jordan (“Sinners”), and Wagner Moura (“The Secret Agent”).
I believe that the real competition in this category is between Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael B. Jordan. DiCaprio’s performance as Bob Ferguson is unbelievable. The paranoia of a man who has been hunted by the government for half his life and a caring but strict father is portrayed masterfully, allowing the audience to get very attached to Bob and his story.
However, Jordan’s double performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack is something completely different. The way he was able to embody such different characters to the point that you forget they’re the same actor was something that I’ve never seen before. Sure, actors have played two different characters in the same movie before, but the way Jordan handled the roles was something that I have never and will probably never see again.
Everything, and I do mean everything, about his performance is phenomenal. From the small changes in how the twins talk and move to their brotherly bond with each other, the nuances in Jordan’s performance are magnificent to see. If he does not win this award, the Academy has some serious soul-searching to do.
For best actress, the nominees are Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”), Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”), Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”), Renate Reinsve (“Sentimental Value”), and Emma Stone (“Bugonia”).
Buckley is the star of the show in “Hamnet,” where she portrays Agnes, wife of Shakespeare and grieving mother. The film as a whole is absolutely devastating for the audience, and the biggest contribution to this atmosphere is Buckley.
For best picture, the nominees are “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “OBAA,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value,” and “Train Dreams.” Although all of these films are excellent in their own right, this category is widely recognized as a two-horse race between “OBAA” and “Sinners.”
In “Sinners,” the main cast’s chemistry, the story of intergenerational influence of music, and the breathtaking original and adapted music will make this film into a classic, and will surely be discussed as one of the greats in the near future. However, I do not think it will win.
“OBAA”, a story of secret societies, familial love, dedication to one’s principles, and, at its heart, a story of a father and daughter relationship, is a film that feels more real than ever. The performances- from small roles such as skater kids who, unsuccessfully, lead Bob to safety to Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead- are all incredible. The editing is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Never in my life did I think a car chase with only three cars on a lonely desert road would have me on the edge of my seat. For these reasons and more, I think “OBAA” will win this award.
Those are my predictions for the five biggest awards of the night. Unfortunately, because of the risk of boring readers, I could not give as much detail as I wanted to. I really hope you understand my choices.
This year is absolutely stacked in nominees- before this, the last time I was actually excited for the Oscars was in 2020. Last year was truly the highest point in film in a long time. If you have not seen even one of these films, I highly recommend you do.
Image credit: Getty Images
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