The 98th annual Academy Awards will be held on March 15 to much fan fare. The Oscars are considered the top prize in the film industry, and this year Hollywood did not disappoint. From anticipated blockbusters like F1, Sinners and One Battle After Another to underrated gems like Train Dreams and The Secret Agent, this year’s categories have quite the competition. History was also made during this year’s Oscar nominations, when Ryan Coogler’s Sinners received 16 nominations, the most nominations for a single movie ever. We watched the nominees for five categories: Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Picture. We compiled our picks and decided which nominees delivered an Oscar-winning performance and who fell short.
Best Original Screenplay: This category honors the writers who created a script not based on previous material. The nominees for this category are Marty Supreme, Sinners, Blue Moon, It Was Just an Accident and Sentimental Value.
Mira’s Pick: In 2025, the prominent directing duo of the Safdie brothers (Uncut Gems) diverged for their own solo projects. Benny Safdie made The Smashing Machine, while his brother Josh Safdie created Marty Supreme. The screenplay for Marty Supreme by Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie takes the viewer on an exciting but anxiety-inducing ride. Marty Supreme is a unique movie, highlighting the conflict that comes from being blinded by ambition. The script does a wonderful job, however, the story elements were sometimes lost as the plot continued on. Even though this showcases the selfishness and success obsessed nature of Marty, the main character, at times it is impossible to discern what was by choice and what was a writing flaw.
Zelda’s Pick: Sinners is a beautifully written and exciting movie. What begins as a glimpse into 1935 Mississippi culture and society transitions into a supernatural thriller. Coogler handles this change impeccably, so the shift flows perfectly. It could have been a risk to have both parts take up almost equal halves of the movie, but instead of the two parts feeling disconnected, Coogler writes the change, as not an interruption of the story at hand, but an unexpected, yet reasonable change of course. There is a reason that this movie captured the zeitgeist when it was released, it is a unique and exciting film that captures the attention of almost everyone who watches it.
Best Director: This award honors outstanding directing while creating their film. The nominees are Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Chloé Zhao (Hamnet), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value) and Ryan Coogler (Sinners).
Our Pick: Paul Thomas Anderson: Anderson directs One Battle After Another with the precision of a historian and the nerve of a dramatist. He removed the war drama and replaced it with moral courage. Every moment of the film feels like a lived-in experience, making the mark of a filmmaker who knows that the real war is in the human head. Paul Thomas Anderson deserves the Oscar in this category because of his portrayal of emotional depth in a modern way. He creates a movie with a plot similar to others, but changes the public perception creating an Oscar winning film.
Best Actor: The category honors the best performance from a leading actor. The nominees are Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon) and Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another).
Our Pick: For two and a half hours, Chalamet delivers a career defining performance. In his role as the ambitious, yet selfish, table tennis player Marty Mauser, Chalamet demonstrates his range and talent. Chalamet brings a charm to the easily unlikable Mauser. Mauser is not a character the viewer is supposed to like, and Chalamet seamlessly balances the nuances of his character’s selfishness with the humor and magnetism needed to command the screen. In a stacked category, it was hard to pick who would land on top. We debated between Jordan and Chalamet, but ultimately Chalamet will take home the top prize. Timothée Chalamet deserves the Oscar because his talent, restraint and emotional intelligence converge in his performance. It is the most complete, surprising and vibrant work among all of the nominees. At only 30, if Chalamet wins this year, he would be one of the youngest performers to win the Best Actor Oscar, second only to Adrien Brody who won at 29 for The Pianist.
Best Picture: This award, recognizing the best film of the year, is considered one of the most prestigious of the night, and the final award presented. The nominees are Sinners, F1, One Battle After Another, Frankenstein, Train Dreams, Sentimental Value, Hamnet, The Secret Agent, Marty Supreme and Bugonia.
Mira’s Pick: Sinners deserves the Oscar for Best Picture because of its captivating performances, directing and script. It is the best option for this category because of its excellence in all of the categories that the movie is nominated for. Sinners lost to One Battle After Another in the best Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes, but won box office achievement. Sinners has yet to take home a best picture prize at any of the award shows. However, on March 15, it will.
Zelda’s Pick: In this war film, it rejects spectacle in favor of psychological waste. Every scene is a reminder that conflict isn’t won through heroics, but endured through exhaustion. It is painful, unglamorous and devastating which is the kind of film that leaves a lasting impression on society. One Battle After Another is a thrilling, beautiful and psychological movie that offers seething commentary on today’s political state while still remaining hopeful. The direction, acting and script shape this movie into the stand out of the year. One Battle After Another showcases not just rebellion, but the passing of the torch from one generation to the next.
