Hi readers and fans, 

Here are my Oscars® predictions and a comment for each category covered ahead of tomorrow’s 2024 Academy Awards ®.

Best Picture Winner 

Oppenheimer

I believe and do want to see Oppenheimer take out the top prize tomorrow, despite the fact Past Lives is my personal favourite film of the lot. Christopher Nolan’s movie is the complete and ultimate all-round epic movie experience you want your best film of the year to be when reflecting in years to come. Oh, and they need to shorten the candidates to 5 movies moving forward! This is an exclusive category. Let’s keep it that way.

Best Director Winner

Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer 

First and foremost, it is beyond a joke that Greta Gerwig missed out on a nomination in this category for Barbie. While Nolan will be a deserved winner, heck I’d love to see Jonathan Glazer cause a major upset in this category for the more subtle and powerful work of horror he superbly executed in The Zone of Interest.

Best Actress in a Leading Role Winner

Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon

Lily was great and it will be a historic win. My personal favourite performance of the nominees goes to Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of a Fall. I also have to add that each of the five female nominees this year deserve to be there, and I’d be happy to see any one of them walk out victorious.

Best Actor in a Leading Role Winner

Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer 

Oppenheimer was great for many reasons. One of them was its reminder of just how excellent an actor Cillian Murphy is. I will applaud when he wins, but my personal applause goes to Bradley Cooper in Maestro. For me, Cooper is a clear standout in this category, which is a big statement coming from someone who LOVES everything Paul Giamatti does and believes what he did in The Holdovers might be his best yet. 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role Winner

Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers

The one acting performance nominated for an Oscar ® I am yet to see if that of Danielle Brooks in The Colour Purple. As for the remainder of the nominees, I’m impartial here. I can’t say that one performance in this category stands out above another. 

Best Actor in a Supporting Role Winner

Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer 

There is a clear standout for me here. From the films of his I have seen; Robert Downey Jr. was never better than he was in Oppenheimer. Wow.

Best Original Screenplay Winner 

Past Lives 

Why not? I’m tipping my personal favourite screenplay to win this category. The Holdovers has plenty of ripping dialogue and is beautifully written too. Anatomy of a Fall is meticulous and magnificent. The other two nominees not quite Oscar-worthy writing in my humble opinion.

Best Adapted Screenplay Winner 

Oppenheimer

Can’t they just have a ‘Barbenheimer’ nominee and grant this award to that double film?

Best Animated Feature 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

I have not seen Robot Dreams, thought Nimona was a quality production, but The Boy and the Heron was the most creative and original work that made me appreciate and admire anime all over again after a several year hiatuses. Hence, despite not being my prediction to win over the very busy and very good Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it is my personal favourite. 

Best Documentary Feature 

20 Days in Mariupol

The only nominee in this category I have not seen is To Kill a Tiger. No title is topping 20 Days in Mariupol this year. Some might assume it’s purely for political reasons, but do not overlook or underestimate this documentary’s emphasis on the importance of free international press. Of course, 20 Days in Mariupol is utterly harrowing and gut-wrenching to experience. At the same time, it is difficult to think of a more bravely documented one and is also finely narrated and presented. A very deserved winner.

Best International Feature 

The Zone of Interest

Unfortunately, this is the only major category where I’ve not seen more films than I have seen. Of the two I have seen – Society of the Snow (Spain) and The Zone of Interest (Germany), the latter is by far and away a better film in every way. I would not be surprised, however, if Io Capitano (Italy) triumphs. 

Compiled by Leigh for Moviedoc

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