The Academy Awards are upon us once again. The biggest night in movies is right around the corner, and with 2023 being a fantastic year for films, the Oscars for each category could realistically go to any of the nominees. Here are my personal predictions as to who will take home the coveted award for each category.

The list of nominees can be seen here.

Actor in a Leading Role

Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers

This one is a tough choice between Cillian Murphy and Paul Giamatti. Murphy carried Oppenheimer and managed to portray large levels of emotion very subtly. It’s also worth noting that Jeffrey Wright gave an especially strong performance in American Fiction as well. That being said, Paul Giamatti made his character completely come to life in The Holdovers. His emotions, decisions, and growth all feel completely real because of how fantastic of a performance it is.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenhiemer

Out of each of the nominees in this category this year, Robert Downey Jr. is the standout. His performance was so good that he was able to steal some of the spotlight away from Cillian Murphy in some scenes, which is certainly surprising in a film like Oppenheimer. His portrayal of the petty Lewis Strauss is gripping and proves he can play an antagonistic character shockingly well.

Actress in a Leading Role

Emma Stone – Poor Things

The clear top two for Best Actress in a Leading Role this year are Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone, and it’s almost painful to choose between them. My prediction to take home the gold, though, is Emma Stone. It’s rare to see someone throw themselves into a role in such a way. Not only is she acting through her line reading and facial expressions, but her whole body is used as she shuffles around like an adolescent. The way she’s able to portray the same character as her brain develops and changes over time is incredibly impressive.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers

America Ferrera definitely deserved a nod for her delivery of the iconic monologue in Barbie, but Da’Vine Joy Randolph gave an especially powerhouse performance from beginning to end. The way she uses sarcasm as a guise for a very real pain is touching. What’s even more touching is seeing her eventually have the breakdowns that she needs. It’s impossible not to feel for her character, and that’s heavily due to Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s performance.

Animated Feature Film

The Boy and the Heron – Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki

The award for Best Animated Feature Film is probably one of the most competitive this year. If any of the nominees came out in other years, I could see them being the winner. They’re all that incredible. That being said, the true battle is between The Boy and the Heron and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Across the Spider-Verse blends many different visual styles and animation techniques in one film while also using subtle details to tell an emotional and riveting story. However, it does have some details working against it when it comes to how the Academy usually votes: it’s a sequel, it’s a superhero movie, and it doesn’t really have an ending. These might not mean anything, but it feels like a safe hunch.

On top of that, The Boy and the Heron tells a beautiful and unique story with breathtaking animation. It’s easily one of the most creative animated films that has been released in recent years and deserves to be recognized for such an achievement.

Cinematography

Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto

Poor Things and Oppenheimer are both especially strong contenders for this category, but I gotta give this one to Killers of the Flower Moon. From gorgeous landscape shots to suspenseful closeups, the cinematography in the film has a lot to offer. The lighting in certain scenes is quite brilliant as well, like the fire from the house explosion and the decorative light bulbs being the only sources to light a scene. Every shot looks especially dynamic in this film.

Costume Design

Barbie – Jacqueline Durran

This one has to go to Barbie, right? Poor Things might be a close second thanks to some of the lavish outfits Bella and other characters wear, but those are nothing compared to what’s seen throughout Barbie. There are so many elaborate costumes made throughout the movie that it’s hard to count. Each and everything worn speaks to the personalities of the characters wearing them which proves to be an especially interesting detail. There are even classic outfits for the doll that are completely recreated for the film. That’s nothing short of impressive.

Directing

Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan

It’s bonkers how little women directors are appreciated by the Academy. If Greta Gerwig had been nominated, she would have been a strong candidate for the win. That being said, since she’s not nominated, the most likely to win for Best Directing is Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer. It’s a stupendously directed film, and scenes feel captivating even when there’s very little happening. Nolan proved how excellent of a director he can truly be with this movie. 

Documentary Feature Film

20 Days in Mariupol – Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath

20 Days in Mariupol showcases exactly what’s happening in Ukraine with first-hand experiences. The courageous filmmakers went above and beyond to show the world what people are going through there regardless of what news outlets have been saying. So much of it is hard to watch because of how gruesome the reality of it all is. This film is nothing short of important and definitely deserves the win because of it.

Documentary Short Film

The ABCs of Book Banning – Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic

If production value is the only thing the Academy looks at, then the win will probably go to The Last Repair Shop. However, the win really should go to The ABCs of Book Banning. It touches on a very real and very important topic. It showcases many books that are being banned; speech and art that the government is attempting to erase. The use of children’s point of view, the same audience that the government is supposedly protecting with this erasure, is absolutely brilliant.

Film Editing

Poor Things – Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Poor Things is such a fascinating film, but a fantastic one. That’s partly due to how expertly it’s edited. Editing absurdism can’t be easy to accomplish, but Yorgos Mavropsaridis pulls it off. Quite a lot of time passes throughout the story, but it never feels like it’s hard to keep track of since the editing keeps things moving in the right direction. There’s no doubt in my mind that the award for Best Film Editing should go to Poor Things.

International Feature Film

The Zone of Interest – United Kingdom

The Zone of Interest is such a powerful film. The way the focus lingers on the commandant of Auschwitz and his family as they live happy, successful, and stress-free lives while the terrors happen right next door is absolutely haunting. The screams and gunfire heard as they enjoy a party is extremely uncomfortable. It gets its message across in a unique way that can also be used as a mirror for modern issues as well. It’s a smart movie that has audiences watching with their jaws wide open as they witness it. Something like this deserves any win it gets.

Makeup and Hairstyling

Poor Things – Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and Josh Weston

Barbie should have been the clear winner here, but it’s somehow not even nominated. Therefore, the Oscar should go to Poor Things. The makeup on Willem Dafoe completely warps his face. It looks completely real while also somehow still appearing to be Willem Dafoe. Additionally, the makeup becomes part of the story as it’s smeared on Emma Stone’s face at times. There’s also the incredible detail of Bella’s subtle hair growth throughout the film that shows the passage of time and ultimately how far along her brain development is. The makeup and hairstyling in Poor Things is not only great, but it’s essential to the film.

Music (Original Score)

American Fiction – Laura Karpman

The score for American Fiction has a fun, jazzy feel throughout. It also perfectly captures the layers of emotions that Monk and his family experience during each scene. The incredible music helps tell the story and allows the audience to feel what the characters do. The more fun sequences have fun music while the more dramatic ones have excellent music that matches them just as much. While all the nominees are great this year, American Ficiton’s score is hard to beat.

Music (Original Song)

“What Was I Made For?” – From Barbie – Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

This one’s pretty obvious, right? This award’s got to go to “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie. It’s an extremely powerful song about identity and societal difficulties that women face. It sounds beautiful and captures exactly what the film is about. There’s no doubt that this win will go to Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell.

Production Design

Barbie – Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

This is another category in which the winner feels obvious for this year. The sets made for the Barbie Land scenes are insanely impressive. They literally caused a shortage of pink paint to build it all. These talented artists brought iconic toys to life and put them all together to make something incredible. The same can be said for the props that were made, like the toy-accurate rollerblades. Other sets, like the ones used for the Mattel offices, convey the tone the filmmakers wanted perfectly. It all feels like a unique fantasy world and stands out from any other movie because of it, which is exactly why Barbie deserves this win.

Animated Short Film

War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko – Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

The brilliant animation style of Our Uniform makes it a close second, but this one is likely to go to War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko. It’s exciting, creative, touching, and has a heartfelt message. It uses the lyrics of one of the greatest Christmas songs ever to tell its own story. John Lennon would have been proud of this film.

Live Action Short Film

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – Wes Anderson and Steven Rales

Part of me was leaning toward Red, White and Blue for a while, but I think it will be The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar to be this year’s winner. Wes Anderson’s style works so well for this story as he brings the Roald Dahl tale to life. The performances are top-notch, the dialogue is fantastic, and it’s positively captivating. What really takes this to great heights is the production. Much of it feels like it was done in just a couple of shots with the sets being moved around the characters, which is just as entertaining to watch as the story itself. Everything about this film is impressive.

Sound

Oppenheimer – Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell

The Zone of Interest definitely deserves recognition for the haunting screams and horrifying sounds heard subtly in the backgrounds to match the themes of the film, but the most likely winner for this category is Oppenheimer. The use of silence during the test bombing scene and the overwhelming commotion during the celebratory speech are enough to take the win. The sound adds to just how powerful of a film it is.

Visual Effects

Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima

We definitely need to give some credit to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for making audiences feel so many emotions for CGI animals that don’t even exist, but Godzilla Minus One will more than likely win this award. With just a small team and a fairly low budget, this special effects team accomplished some incredible feats. Godzilla’s scales and toppling buildings look completely real. Part of what makes this emotional film work so well is the audience’s immersion, and the effects need to be done well for that to happen. Thankfully, they’re basically perfect in this movie.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Barbie – Written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach

With how well-written Oppenheimer, Poor Things, American Fiction, and Barbie are, this is probably the most competitive category in the entire show this year. That being said, I’m personally thinking Barbie will take home the coveted award. The movie may be based on an existing property, but it tells a brand-new, unique story. The message is important and clear, the dialogue is clever, and the character growth is meaningful. Screenplays like this don’t come around often, so now is the chance to celebrate it properly.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

The Holdovers – Written by David Hemingson

From witty dialogue to incredible character growth, The Holdovers is brilliantly well-written. It’s a dazzling story that blends humor, drama, and fleshed-out characters in ways that aren’t always done in film. It’s definitely a movie worth watching time and time again, especially around the holiday season, and that’s heavily because of its great screenplay.

Best Picture

Barbie – David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner, Producers

2023 was a spectacular year for movies, so picking one that stands above the rest is tough, but the win’s gotta go to Barbie. Its themes are extremely important and cover very real issues faced in our society today as well as providing character growth that most people can relate to. It’s funny, emotional, and smart. It makes one think while also being wildly entertaining. It’s everything a movie should strive to be. For that, it deserves to be the Best Picture winner of the 2024 Academy Awards.

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