I watched every Best Picture nominee so you don't have to: Oscars 2026
- Zadie Kang
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
As award season rolls around once again, it's easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of films being discussed. Even as an avid consumer of media, I find myself lost in the frenzy of the entertainment industry. You may have caught last Sunday’s award show and felt inspired to turn on a new film. In light of this, I thought it would be a good idea to review every movie nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars and tell you what’s worth your time.
Marty Supreme, Josh Safdie
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen the orange ping-pong balls and polyester puffer jackets that came out of the marketing genius of Marty Supreme. Watching it in theaters over Christmas weekend was an incredible experience, I don’t remember the last time I’d seen lobbies so packed. The movie itself is fast-paced and exciting, keeping you hooked until the very end. It’s an incredible in-theater experience; I never would’ve thought a ping-pong movie could feature scenes that look straight out of Mission: Impossible. There’s no doubt Timothée Chalamet did a fantastic job embodying the obsessive, passionate, and charismatic Marty Mouser, it almost felt natural for him.
That performance is what the movie is built around. However, when looking at the film as a whole, it’s far from a masterpiece. I’ll preface this by saying I went in skeptical; after hearing the premise, it was easy to predict the type of movie it would be. It seemed like it might glorify an all-or-nothing obsessive behavior often excused in white male protagonists. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say it outright glorifies it, it certainly doesn’t clearly condemn it either. I won’t spoil the ending, but the messaging is mixed, and different viewers will inevitably walk away with different interpretations. I encourage you to form your own—go watch it. This one is almost certainly worth your time.
F1 Movie, Joseph Kosinski
I was baffled, to say the least, when I saw this movie was nominated for Best Picture. While I try to approach each film as objectively as possible, that’s difficult here. F1 Movie is, as you might guess, about a Formula One driver (played by Brad Pitt), a retired racer given a second chance after a career-ending crash. It’s about as stereotypical as it gets. I have nothing against corny movies, but this one was genuinely frustrating. Pitt’s character is an unlikeable protagonist, and it’s far less fun when you find yourself rooting against the “good guy.” Additionally, the representation of women is poor. The film clearly fails the Bechdel test, which feels a bit absurd in the big 2026. If I had to say something positive, it is entertaining, you won’t be bored. So if you have two and a half hours to kill, it’s not the worst choice. Still, it's an awful choice for Best Picture.
Train Dreams, Clint Bentley
I’ll start by saying the cinematography in this film is breathtaking—some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. I’d even argue you could watch it on mute and still be deeply moved by the landscape and ambiance. Train Dreams follows a logger navigating life, love, and, most centrally, loss at the turn of the 20th century. It’s slow and almost enchantingly calm, despite the protagonist’s tumultuous experiences. Much of the film’s tone can be credited to Joel Edgerton’s superb performance. The plot takes a back seat while mood and setting shine.
It’s a testament to the nature of life, painting a haunting yet honest portrait of grief. The characters aren’t particularly memorable, and the plot doesn’t twist and turn—but that’s intentional. It may not be for everyone, but where it lacks in conventional storytelling, it is rich in feeling and tone. For those who deeply appreciate film, this is more than worth your
time.
One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson
A beautifully crafted blockbuster is the best way I can describe this film. It’s exactly the kind of action movie critics love. Sharp, witty, and well-structured, it feels like a strong contender for Best Picture—and ultimately, it was. The story feels strikingly relevant: a washed-up revolutionary named Bob is pulled back into a life he thought he’d left behind when his daughter is kidnapped by an old enemy. It’s fast-paced and thrilling, though at times deliberately unserious. I’d describe it as good, bordering on great. The 2-hour-42-minute runtime was a drawback for me, and some of the dark humor felt slightly out of touch. Still, it’s engaging, and the performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Chase Infiniti tie everything together. It’s no surprise it took home Best Picture—Anderson delivers a sharp, chaotic vision of resistance.
The Secret Agent, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Set during Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1977, The Secret Agent follows former professor Armando as he goes into hiding among refugees, assuming a new identity. The film explores the absurdities of the era and feels eerily relevant today. Despite the tense setting, the atmosphere is warm and human. That’s where the film shines, the resilience and beauty of humanity. It’s action-packed with plenty of twists, but it’s the characters that stay with you. Though its two-and-a-half-hour runtime is long, it feels earned, allowing for both suspense and depth. The film offers multiple perspectives on political turmoil, from the refugee to the elite. While political thrillers aren’t for everyone, if it’s your genre, this is a must-watch—exciting and deeply thought-provoking.
Bugonia, Yorgos Lanthimos
I’ll admit, I was dreading watching this one. I’m not a fan of alien conspiracy films, and this seemed like exactly that. However, I was completely wrong. This is one of the best films I’ve seen in a while. Thought-provoking, thrilling, and emotionally absurd in the best way, Bugonia pulls you in and doesn’t let go. The film follows a conspiracy theorist and his autistic cousin who kidnap a healthcare CEO (Emma Stone), believing her to be the leader of an alien civilization. Beneath the surface, though, the story reveals deeply human motivations. With constant twists, it’s hard to describe without spoilers. My advice: just watch it. Its parallels to modern reality and nonlinear storytelling make it rich and layered. The cinematography and performances are outstanding, it’s haunting, beautiful, and unforgettable.
Sinners, Ryan Coogler
A chilling story of twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), Sinners excels in its depiction of setting, tone, and heritage. The gore made it difficult for me to watch at times, but it’s easy to overlook given the strength of the storytelling. The juke joint setting breathes life into the film, contrasted by the looming threat outside. Even minor characters feel fully developed, something rare in horror. It celebrates the Black South, blending past, present, and future into a powerful narrative. Some horror elements didn’t fully work for me—the tension occasionally dissipates too quickly, but overall, it’s thrilling, sharp, and beautifully crafted. Coogler’s direction shines, and the performances elevate the film.
Frankenstein, Guillmero del Toro
For fans of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this adaptation may be disappointing. It’s not a bad film, it just struggles to live up to the depth and nuance of the original. Visually, it’s stunning. The set design, costumes, makeup, and score all capture the chaotic energy of the story. However, it lacks character depth. At times, it feels like an oversimplified version of the original, with rushed pacing. The performances are strong, and the emotion is palpable, but the lack of development makes it harder to fully engage with the story. Still, it’s entertaining, especially for those who haven't discovered the world of Frankenstein. Despite its shortcomings, it poses the timeless question: who is the real monster?
Hamnet, Chloe Zhao
Intimate and powerful, Hamnet tells the story of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes and the grief they experience after losing their son Hamnet (many believe this to be the inspiration for the play Hamlet). It’s every fatal emotion embodied, Jessie Buckley put on a generational performance (which won her the very deserved Best Actress award) which is backed up by a fantastic supporting cast. Visually stunning and tense at just the right moments, Zhao knows how to hit her audience where it really aches. In spite of this I couldn’t help feeling it was almost a little too melodramatic, grief is a powerful thing but it often moves in ways not easily perceived by the human eye. Here it risks feeling a little performative, but it ends up working because of the nature of the film. The world feels so vast, yet so contained in the walls of their family home making their loss so much more momentous. The characters don’t quite feel real, they seem to be a mold of a human, too pure or genius in ways that don’t resonate with us. The feelings they invoke however are undeniably real and it's a tearjerker to say the least.
Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier
Solidifying Trier’s status as one of the best screen writers of the current time, Sentimental Value is a quietly emotional depiction of the many faces of grief and trauma. It’s a movie that’s soul is almost solely in the strong dialogue exchanged between characters, a type of film that I’ve seen countless times. Regardless, while it doesn’t win a lot of creativity points it certainly didn’t fail to hit all the right places. The father daughter relationship central to the film was written and acted so excellently that everything meshed together following it. Having watched Trier’s other recent film The Worst Person In the World, I certainly wasn’t something that stuck with me long after viewing. The ending felt too simple for such a complex web of relationships and tensions, it didn’t reflect the beautiful reality that was otherwise perfectly portrayed.
Overall, while all the movies were appealing in their own ways: my personal favorite was Bugonia. I felt it was the most unique and also thoughtful in both its writing and cinematography. One Battle went home with the award, not my first pick but not at all the wrong one.
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