Please be quiet, my show’s on.
While the Academy Awards can be predictable, they never fail to capture my attention from January to March. While the typical action packed, box office performing movies vis-a-vis Marty Supreme and F1 were nominated for Best Picture, some beautiful heart-felt films like Hamnet and Sentimental Value were unsurprisingly given the nod.
In an overall decent year for movies, there’ll be something for everyone this awards season. But before you dive into your watch list, please consider my unsolicited opinion.
I sometimes hate weird movies, because they often feel like they’re trying to “outweird” what came before them, but after Poor Things (2024) I should’ve known Yorgos Lanthimos wouldn’t fall into that trap. The ending was good, but was building up so long that it felt as if its only purpose was to retroactively upgrade the significance of the rest of the movie.
Though I enjoyed Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, I was a little disappointed. The movie was done in a classic del Toro style, high focus in a way that feels strangely animated. While this might be some people’s taste, I found it took me out of the period. Narratively, the film was very well done, and a fresh take on the classic.
F1
With a new perspective on the Formula One craze, F1 was both interesting and visually engaging. However, Brad Pitt’s performance was just alright, and Joseph Kosinski almost over did the obsession with cars, to the point where the audience spends more time wondering if the film’s supposed to be a satire rather than just enjoying the movie.
Hamnet
An adaptation of Maggie O’Farell’s 2020 novel of the same name, Hamnet is a touching portrait of marriage, love, and grief. A fictionalized account of William Shakespeare’s own marriage, and the events that led him to write Hamlet, Chloé Zhao was the perfect director to bring this vision to life. Jessie Buckley was incredible as Agnes, and even if Hamnet doesn’t win best picture, I feel confident about her chances in the Best Actress category.
Marty Supreme
A fast-paced Catch Me if You Can (2002)-esque film, Marty Supreme follows a U.S. table tennis star as he seeks to take down the reigning Japanese champion. The pacing keeps audiences engaged through the entire 2.5 hour run time, while offering an emotional kick near the end. Timothée Chalamet was excellent as the ambitious Marty Mauser; however, I do wonder if the entire premise over relies on the concept of empathy to vindicate Mauser of his crimes.
One Battle After Another is both my pick and prediction for the 2026 Best Picture. The film follows an ex-revolutionary forced out of hiding when his daughter is being hunted by a bigoted military Colonel. Following themes of family and love as closely as it follows anger and political desperation, One Battle After Another is disturbingly similar to the political and cultural environment of militancy and extremism we’re experiencing south of the border and globally. An absolute standout was Sean Penn’s performance as the Colonel, and it’ll be exciting to watch him duke it out with Stellan Skarsgård from Sentimental Value for Best Supporting Actor.
Set during the Brazilian military dictatorship, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent sheds light on the experience of inescapable corruption. The thriller had some exciting turns; however it also had some lulls, but it was the political backdrop that kept me engaged throughout.
Sentimental Value
Objectively, I don’t expect Sentimental Value to beat out One Battle After Another, however, it was without a doubt my favourite movie released this year. Following an estranged father’s relationship with his two daughters, Sentimental Value was touching, with beautiful cinematography and breathtaking performances by Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. In what felt like a mature step from The Worst Person in the World (2021), Sentimental Value confirmed that Joachim Trier is one of the most talented directors working today.
Blurring the lines between horror and historical fiction, Sinners is equally entertaining and thought provoking. Paying homage to black southern folklore, the premise is both vampire story, and love letter to the blues. Michael B. Jordan is excellent as Elijah and Elias Smoke, while R&B singer Miles Caton had an incredible debut as Sammi, a gifted guitarist.
Train Dreams is my most recent watch on this list, and an excellent one at that. The film follows Robert Grainer as he works on railroads in the Pacific Northwest. Tackling the rapid modernization of the western frontier, at the same time as personal grief, isolation, and solitude, Train Dreams is a moving portrait of American desperation. Though it doesn’t pack the same emotional punch as Hamnet and Sentimental Value did for me, Train Dreams was subtle and moving in its own right.
***
While I believe One Battle After Another will rightfully take it home, Sinners and Marty Supreme have generated a lot of buzz amongst followers of the Academy. Regardless, 2025 was a well rounded, and relatively good year for movies, and needless to say, I’m excited to see the results when they’re announced on March 15.
Tags
Academy Awards, best picture, movie review, Movies
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