Trying to cram in a few movies before the Oscars? Just want to know what to bet on? The SpoilerFreeReviews team collected our thoughts on the nominees, what should win, and what we think will win. We’ve reviewed almost every movie nominated this year – feel free to take a deep dive into our reviews, linked at the beginning of the category.
- AMERICAN FICTION
- ANATOMY OF A FALL
- BARBIE
- THE HOLDOVERS
- KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
- MAESTRO
- OPPENHEIMER
- PAST LIVES
- POOR THINGS
Aaron – OPPENHEIMER
Outside of THE DARK KNIGHT, this is Nolan’s masterpiece.
Eli – OPPENHEIMER
OPPENHEIMER deserves every bit of what’s coming. There have been far, FAR less deserving Best picture winners over the last 20 years.
Esta – OPPENHEIMER
Wouldn’t it be cool if the people’s choice won best pic and it was BARBIE? Not going to happen. It will be OPPENHEIMER.
Jami – OPPENHEIMER
I hope KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON DOESN’T WIN doesn’t win. PAST LIVES was good but not Best Pic material.
Mike – OPPENHEIMER
Who should win: PAST LIVES – Underrated gem of a movie that isn’t getting the credit it deserves.
Who will win: My 6th favorite movie last year, OPPENHEIMER. Because…OPPENHEIMER.
Tarush – OPPENHEIMER
I’m so glad PAST LIVES made the list; wouldn’t be upset if any of these one (other than MAESTRO).
Tavish – OPPENHEIMER
The award truly belongs to PAST LIVES or ANATOMY OF A FALL. Both are unforgettable stories told through stunning performances and breathtaking visuals.
- Justine Triet — ANATOMY OF A FALL
- Martin Scorsese — KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
- Christopher Nolan — OPPENHEIMER
- Yorgos Lanthimos — POOR THINGS
- Jonathan Glazer — THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Aaron – CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
It’s Nolan’s night.
Eli – CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Nolan is the heir apparent to Spielberg. And similar to Spielberg it’s taken too long for him to get the Oscar that he’s always deserved.
Esta – CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Greta got robbed of not being nominated. but Christopher would win either way.
Jami – CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Maybe Glazer gets it from recent buzz but I think this is Nolan’s to lose.
Mike – CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Tarush – CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Tavish – CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Justine Triet should take it home! ANATOMY OF A FALL is directorial masterpiece.
- Annette Bening — NYAD
- Lily Gladstone — KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
- Sandra Hüller — ANATOMY OF A FALL
- Carey Mulligan — MAESTRO
- Emma Stone — POOR THINGS
Aaron – LILY GLADSTONE
Annette Bening was phenomenal, but this is Lily Gladstone’s year.
Eli – EMMA STONE
Stone has won every other precursor to the Oscar, and if you look back over the history of this category, the last upset could probably go all the way back to 2002. This is not the category for surprises.
Esta – LILY GLADSTONE
This will be another first…well deserved and about time.
Jami – LILY GLADSTONE
Outside of Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone, this category is meh.
Mike – LILY GLADSTONE
Tarush – LILY GLADSTONE
So surprised to see Annette Bening on this list. I would love to see either Stone (Glad or otherwise) take this award home.
Tavish – LILY GLADSTONE
Where is Greta Lee? Her omission is a true travesty. Sandra Hüller as Sandra was the perfect match between a masterfully written character and a powerful performer (I know it’s a long-shot, but she deserves the appreciation!)
- Bradley Cooper — MAESTRO
- Colman Domingo — RUSTIN
- Paul Giamatti — THE HOLDOVERS
- Cillian Murphy — OPPENHEIMER
- Jeffrey Wright — AMERICAN FICTION
Aaron – CILLIAN MURPHY
Bradley Cooper should win, but I’m going with the award’s favorite.
Eli – PAUL GIAMATTI
If there were any kind of justice in this world, Bradley Cooper would win. At this point, he’s been nominated for 12 Oscars in four different categories and has come up with nothing. What gives?
Esta – CILLIAN MURPHY
He is the man this year. Amazing actor. As is Bradly Cooper. Both are deserving.
Jami – CILLIAN MURPHY
On the flip, this is a really good category. But I hope Paul Giamatti doesn’t win.
Mike – CILLIAN MURPHY
Tarush – CILLIAN MURPHY
Tavish – CILLIAN MURPHY
OPPENHEIMER gave Cillian Murphy just the right role to radiate his acting excellence, but Barry Keoghan was unfairly looked over for his spine-tingling performance in SALTBURN.
- Emily Blunt — OPPENHEIMER
- Danielle Brooks — THE COLOR PURPLE
- America Ferrera — BARBIE
- Jodie Foster — NYAD
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph — THE HOLDOVERS
Aaron – DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH
Any other year this would be a more open category. However, Randolph appears to have it on lock.
Eli – DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH
So dominant this award season, that if she were to lose this award it would be one of the biggest upsets in Oscar history.
Esta – DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH
I am a Jodie fan, but I know that Da’Vine will take the statue. Margo was robbed.
Jami – DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH
This could go to America Ferrera too.
Mike – DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH
Tarush – DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH
Tavish – AMERICA FERRERA
Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Emily Blunt are two of my other favorites, but America Ferrera was the heart and soul of BARBIE.
- Sterling K. Brown — AMERICAN FICTION
- Robert De Niro — KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
- Robert Downey Jr. — OPPENHEIMER
- Ryan Gosling — BARBIE
- Mark Ruffalo — POOR THINGS
Aaron – ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
It will finally be Iron Man’s night.
Eli – ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
This should be the first award of the night. Downey should already be standing on stage as they read the other nominees, and they should just hand him the trophy. Don’t delay the inevitable. Save yourselves the running time of the show. Easy.
Esta – Robert Downey Jr.
It is his time as well.
Jami – ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
I love this category too except for Mark Ruffalo who almost ruined POOR THINGS for me.
Mike – ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
Tarush – RYAN GOSLING
Love all these performances.
Tavish – ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
- EL CONDE – Edward Lachman
- KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Rodrigo Prieto
- MAESTRO – Matthew Libatique
- OPPENHEIMER – Hoyte van Hoytema
- POOR THINGS – Robbie Ryan
Aaron -OPPENHEIMER
OPPENHEIMER should scoop up most of the technical awards – including this one.
Eli – OPPENHEIMER
The category should be a lot closer than what it will be.
Esta – OPPENHEIMER
POOR THINGS was great too. It’s a toss-up.
Jami – OPPENHEIMER
If OPPENHEIMER doesn’t win anywhere else, it should win here.
Mike – OPPENHEIMER
Tarush – OPPENHEIMER
EL CONDE is still on my watchlist, but OPPENHEIMER or POOR THINGS should take this.
Tavish – OPPENHEIMER
Although OPPENHEIMER was well-composed, POOR THINGS was quite literally fantastical; the cinematography was strange and wondrous in the perfect way.
- ANATOMY OF A FALL – Laurent Sénéchal
- THE HOLDOVERS – Kevin Tent
- KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Thelma Schoonmaker
- OPPENHEIMER – Jennifer Lame
- POOR THINGS – Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Aaron – OPPENHEIMER
The sheer complexity of this story deserves an editing award.
Eli – OPPENHEIMER
This should go to POOR THINGS, but I’m playing to win out here.
Esta – OPPENHEIMER
This is the best choice.
Jami – OPPENHEIMER
ANATOMY OF A FALL is overrated.
Mike – OPPENHEIMER
Tarush – OPPENHEIMER
Tavish – POOR THINGS
I fear that OPPENHEIMER will sweep the awards, just like this one. I think a more deserving candidate would be ANATOMY OF A FALL, with those incredibly tense courtroom scenes, or POOR THINGS, with its dreamy sequences.
- ANATOMY OF A FALL, screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
- THE HOLDOVERS, written by David Hemingson
- MAESTRO , written by Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer
- MAY DECEMBER, screenplay by Samy Burch; story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik
- PAST LIVES, written by Celine Song
Aaron – ANATOMY OF A FALL
Only because I want to hear Justine Triet speak out against France. 😉
Eli – ANATOMY OF A FALL
A tricky one to predict. Anatomy won the Golden Globe and the f****** cannes film festival but didn’t get nominated by the writers guild which is…bizarre.
Esta – ANATOMY OF A FALL
So different and fascinating. But I did love THE HOLDOVERS too.
Jami – PAST LIVES
The very mediocre THE HOLDOVERS will probably win.
Mike – THE HOLDOVERS
Tarush – PAST LIVES
Tavish – PAST LIVES
ANATOMY OF A FALL is definitely a winning-screenplay, but PAST LIVES brought a new simplicity to storytelling that is unforgettably striking.
- AMERICAN FICTION, written for the screen by Cord Jefferson
- BARBIE, written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
- OPPENHEIMER, written for the screen by Christopher Nolan
- POOR THINGS, screenplay by Tony McNamara
- THE ZONE OF INTEREST, written by Jonathan Glazer
Aaron – AMERICAN FICTION
It’s a joke that BARBIE is in this category instead of original screenplay.
Eli – AMERICAN FICTION
Even though BARBIE is favored in this category, I do think there’s an awards season freeze out of everything involving this film, so it’s unsafe to pick it for anything.
Esta – AMERICAN FICTION
Loved this story.
Jami – AMERICAN FICTION
Great category. Don’t know who will take it.
Mike – OPPENHEIMER
Tarush – BARBIE
Tavish – BARBIE
Transforming a plastic doll into a billion-dollar movie about the complexities of womanhood? That is an impossible feat, and definitely, one Greta Gerwig should be recognized for.
- BARBIE, production design: Sarah Greenwood; set decoration: Katie Spencer
- KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, production design: Jack Fisk; set decoration: Adam Willis
- NAPOLEON, production design: Arthur Max; set decoration: Elli Griff
- OPPENHEIMER, production design: Ruth De Jong; set decoration: Claire Kaufman
- POOR THINGS , production design: James Price and Shona Heath; set decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek
Aaron – POOR THINGS
OPPENHEIMER can’t sweep all the awards – can it?
Eli – OPPENHEIMER
It should be POOR THINGS. But I’m playing to win, and I must pick the safe choice.
Esta – POOR THINGS
This could be BARBIE. Both were amazing.
Jami – BARBIE
Barbie needs to win here, but POOR THINGS might take it.
Mike – BARBIE
Tarush – POOR THINGS
Tavish – BARBIE
POOR THINGS felt like a novel come to life, thanks in great deal to its fairytale-esque production design. And while Barbieland was also an playful, silly adventure, ultimately, POOR THINGS out-camped BARBIE for me.
- IO CAPITANO (Italy)
- PERFECT DAYS (Japan)
- SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (Spain)
- THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE (Germany)
- THE ZONE OF INTEREST (United Kingdom)
Aaron – THE ZONE OF INTEREST
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW is the better movie.
Eli – THE ZONE OF INTEREST
*mini rant* A complete joke of a category. For those who don’t know, ANATOMY OF A FALL won the golden palm at Cannes. Triet criticized the president of France in her speech, and they did not submit the film to the Academy. Picking the inferior THE ZONE OF INTEREST simply because a best picture nominee has to win something at this event, I assume…
Esta – THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Compelling and fascinating how it was created. Society of the Snow was stunning as well.
Jami – THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Mike – THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Tarush – THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Tavish – THE ZONE OF INTEREST
- THE BOY AND THE HERON, Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki
- ELEMENTAL, Peter Sohn and Denise Ream
- NIMONA, Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary
- ROBOT DREAMS, Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz
- SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal
Aaron – THE BOY AND THE HERON
Oscars tend to go with the critical darling.
Eli – THE BOY AND THE HERON
Spider-verse is the better movie and we all know it. But I got to hear people talk about honoring Miyazaki’s legacy even though he won in this category for SPIRITED AWAY. Did we not honor him then?
Esta – SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
This should win and will win.
Jami – SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
Elemental is out of it’s element here. <rim shot>
Mike – SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
Tarush – SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
I haven’t seen NIMONA or ROBOT DREAMS yet, but SPIDER-VERSE was a great film. ELEMENTAL fell flat for me but was better than I expected.
Tavish – SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
- LETTER TO A PIG, Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter
- NINETY-FIVE SENSES, Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess
- OUR UNIFORM, Yegane Moghaddam
- PACHYDERME, Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius
- WAR IS OVER! INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF JOHN & YOKO, Dave Mullins and Brad Booker
Eli – NINETY-FIVE SENSES
Aaron – WAR IS OVER!
Esta – WAR IS OVER!
We are a sucker for John and Yoko. But it is deserving.
Jami – NINETY-FIVE SENSES
Ninety-Five senses is just heartbreakingly beautiful. It has a strong message but I don’t want to spoil it.
Mike – LETTER TO A PIG
Tarush – LETTER TO A PIG
Tavish – WAR IS OVER!
- BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT, Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek
- THE ETERNAL MEMORY
- FOUR DAUGHTERS, Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha
- TO KILL A TIGER, Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim
- 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL, Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath
Aaron – 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
Eli – TO KILL A TIGER
Esta – 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
Mike – THE ETERNAL MEMORY
Jami – 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
I feel like this and Four Daughters have the most buzz.
Tarush – 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
Tavish – TO KILL A TIGER
- THE ABCS OF BOOK BANNING, Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic
- THE BARBER OF LITTLE ROCK, John Hoffman and Christine Turner
- ISLAND IN BETWEEN, S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien
- THE LAST REPAIR SHOP, Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
- NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ, Sean Wang and Sam Davis
Eli – THE ABCS OF BOOK BANNING
Aaron – THE LAST REPAIR SHOP
Mike – NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ
Esta – THE LAST REPAIR SHOP
Jami – THE LAST REPAIR SHOP
I’ve seen all but 1 of these (Island In Between). They’re all great and I’d probably vote for The ABCS of Book Banning but I think The Last Repair Shop will win.
Tarush – THE LAST REPAIR SHOP
Tavish – ISLAND IN BETWEEN
- THE AFTER, Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham
- INVINCIBLE, Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron
- KNIGHT OF FORTUNE, Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk
- RED, WHITE AND BLUE, Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane
- THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR, Wes Anderson and Steven Rales
Eli – THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
Aaron – THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
Mike: THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
Esta: THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
Should win and will win. A visual feast.
Jami – THE AFTER
Wes Anderson will most likely take this but I didn’t super love any of his Netflix shorts. Both Invincible and The After broke my heart but The After really rises above with David Oyelowo’s performance.
Tarush – THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
If Wes Anderson shifted his career to adapt all of Roald Dahl’s work, I’d be satisfied.
Tavish – THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
- THE CREATOR, Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould
- GODZILLA MINUS ONE, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima
- GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek
- MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE, Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould
- NAPOLEON, Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould
Aaron – GODZILLA MINUS ONE
Eli – GODZILLA MINUS ONE
One of the most important awards of the night. Godzilla winning this award on a $15 million budget would be a weirdly damning statement on how 15 mil can outshine A LOT of more expensive Hollywood CGI tentpoles out there.
Esta – GODZILLA MINUS ONE
One of the top movies of the year.
Jami – GODZILLA MINUS ONE
I hope everyone is rooting for Godzilla here.
Mike – THE CREATOR
It’ll go to one of the dumbest, best-looking movies of all time. I would have been happy if it went to Godzilla or Guardians. But it’s going to go to the crappiest movie on this list with the best effects.
Tarush – GODZILLA MINUS ONE
Please let GODZILLA win this one.
Tavish – GODZILLA MINUS ONE
- THE FIRE INSIDE from FLAMIN’ HOT, music and lyric by Diane Warren
- I’M JUST KEN from BARBIE, music and lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
- IT NEVER WENT AWAY from AMERICAN SYMPHONY, music and lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson
- WAHZHAZHE (A SONG FOR MY PEOPLE) from KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, music and lyric by Scott George
- WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? from BARBIE, music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
Aaron – WHAT WAS I MADE FOR?
Eli – WHAT WAS I MADE FOR?
Funny thing is the TWO f****** worst Billie Eilish songs are the ones that will win Oscars. I’m just Ken is epic and should win.
Mike – WHAT WAS I MADE FOR?
Esta – WHAT WAS I MADE FOR?
There is no competition. Definitely the song of the year.
Jami – WHAT WAS I MADE FOR?
I think Billie Ellish takes it, but I’m kind of rooting for I’m Just Ken.
Tarush – WHAT WAS I MADE FOR?
I can feel the kenergy, but WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? seems like a lock.
Tavish – WHAT WAS I MADE FOR?
WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? has become anthemic and cathartic, and it was (excuse the pun) made for this Oscar!
- AMERICAN FICTION – Laura Karpman
- INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY John Williams
- KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Robbie Robertson
- OPPENHEIMER – Ludwig Göransson
- POOR THINGS – Jerskin Fendrix
Aaron – OPPENHEIMER
Ludwig continues to make some of the most interesting scores.
Eli – OPPENHEIMER
And it’s not close.
Mike – OPPENHEIMER
Esta – OPPENHEIMER
Jami – OPPENHEIMER
This might end up in Robbie Robertson’s hand but Oppenheimer deserves it.
Tarush – OPPENHEIMER
None of these scores stick out in my mind (except for ZONE OF INTEREST, which isn’t nominated.)
Tavish – POOR THINGS
There is no whimsical world of POOR THINGS without its delightful score.
- THE CREATOR, Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
- MAESTRO, Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
- MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE, Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
- OPPENHEIMER, Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell
- THE ZONE OF INTEREST, Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn
Aaron – OPPENHEIMER
THE ZONE OF INTEREST should win.
Eli – OPPENHEIMER
Mike – OPPENHEIMER
Esta – OPPENHEIMER
The Zone of Interest got my attention, but Oppenheimer is hard to beat.
Jami – OPPENHEIMER
I think Oppenheimer takes this but would love to see Mission: Impossible sneak in.
Tarush – OPPENHEIMER
Tavish – OPPENHEIMER
- GOLDA, Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue
- MAESTRO, Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell
- OPPENHEIMER, Luisa Abel
- POOR THINGS , Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston
- SOCIETY OF THE SNOW, Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé
Aaron – MAESTRO
For Bradley Cooper’s transformation.
Eli – POOR THINGS
Mike – POOR THINGS
Esta – MAESTRO
Poor Things could surprise us all, but MAESTRO will win.
Jami – POOR THINGS
Barbie should be nominated here, but since it’s not, this should be an easy win for Poor Things.
Tarush – POOR THINGS
Tavish – POOR THINGS
- BARBIE – Jacqueline Durran
- KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Jacqueline West
- NAPOLEON – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
- OPPENHEIMER – Ellen Mirojnick
- POOR THINGS – Holly Waddington
Eli – POOR THINGS
Aaron – POOR THINGS
Mike – BARBIE
Esta – POOR THINGS
Period pieces always win. But Barbie was cool too.
Jami – BARBIE
This is another great category. POOR THINGS might take it, but BARBIE was <chef’s kiss> for me.
Tarush – POOR THINGS
Tavish – POOR THINGS
SALTBURN was snubbed! The costume design for the party scene alone deserves this win.
Thanks for tuning in! We aren’t liable if we influence your Oscar bracket in a negative way, but if this helps you win, feel free to leave us a tip 😉
