THE OSCARS (2026)
For a while now, I’ve wondered: what does an Oscar winner win exactly? Is it just a trophy? Is it an unbreakable and unspoken contract with the wizards and string-pullers of Hollywood? One that states, you are and were one of us, if even just for a moment. Is it a collective thank you, a nod from the powers that be? Or is it simply an invitation to a public relations event? One’s acceptance is a part of the job. The Oscars are a display of hard work (or course), promotion of said hard work and a parading of past, present and future walking and talking best bets. It’s a manufactured spectacle. That’s not to say it’s completely devoid of merit. I love movies and there is a lot of talent in the parade. I’m grateful, I truly am and won’t argue that an Oscar brings a fortified majesty so those hard workers who should feel good winning one and that’s good for them and the givers. But that’s not to say they there isn’t an undercurrent of lies amidst these bestowments. For those of us who live in truth, we see the 2025 messaging woven into the nominations, just as it’s painted into the art itself. This isn’t anything new. Go to any art gallery, you’ll see. It’s just that film, at least for a little longer, is our most popular and still most esteemed medium of choice. And so we watch the Oscars knowing what is specifically chosen for us to see. And I see. And I like a lot of it; and I like to think I recognize when the overseers are betting on the message doing its job on me. But I like it most of all when the artists simultaneously pull off some entertaining art, and there are souls in the industry who notice and have successfully willed the awards to reflect and respect these accomplishments. In my opinion (and with humility as I concede that art is subjective), this year’s nominations do not fully uphold this sentiment. This is, in my long-winded way, an offering our own contest and what we feel deserved the best picture nod this year.
BEST PICTURE
Of course this list is just a bit of fun and there is no such thing as a Best Picture, but a contest is a contest. Here are our nominees for the best movie of 2025:
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Amazing to look at, entertaining from start to finish and is impeccably acted and executed: The Fantastic Four: First Steps is an all-around entertaining, big-hearted winner. It deserved to be listed in addition to F1 for being so thoughtfully and genuinely entertaining.
Weapons
Original, terrifying, funny, and harks back to childlike fear. You can only read a fairy tale once for the first time. And when they work, they scare you silly; and for good reason. You can never unsee Weapons and I love it for that.
The Dead of Winter
I love and appreciate it when a simple story is done well. This one also managed to surprise me more than once. It’s immersive, perfectly paced and I’m sure it checks a few representation boxes, at least the one for older, straight white women fighting, with respect to truth and real world physics. The Dead of Winter is an overlooked gem that deserves some midlife shine.
Bugonia
I was happy to see that Bugonia is credited with an Oscar Best Picture nomination. However, it is our suspicion that there is industry messaging embedded in this one. Aliens are here to stay and now communicated with prestige. It’s dark and fun in the most interesting way and it wouldn’t be unwarranted if Emma Stone won for Best Actress (but she won’t).
Frankenstein
This one is also on the Oscar list, and how could it not be. At this point (and in keeping with Hollywood messaging), I wouldn’t be surprised if Guillermo del Toro is an actual alien, it’s that well done. Frankenstein deserves the nod, though it’s not my winner. It’s an indisputably good story, del Toro is a master and it’s mechanically flawless. But it’s ultimately soulless. Jacob Elordi is sensational but with a miscast Oscar Isaac at the centre, the inevitable downfall is no tragedy. The whole endeavour, though beautiful, left me impressed but not unnerved.
Our winner for the 2026 Best Picture is: Weapons
Honourable mentions:
The Long Walk, Train Dreams and The Ugly Stepsister
Additional musings: As far as acting nominations go, everyone nominated deserves the recognition, some more than others for past and potential performances, than let’s say for their work this year (we’re looking at you Michael B. Jordan). Still, it’s our opinion that the following actors and actresses deserved the love just same:
Russell Crowe: Nuremberg
Kirsten Dunst: Roofman
Joel Edgerton: Train Dreams (we know he’s nominated, but it bears repeating)
David Jonsson: The Long Walk
Jennifer Lawrence: Die My Love
Amy Madigan: Weapons (also nominated, and should win it)
Also, see our Top Five Worst Films of 2025
Leave a Reply