With the 98th Academy Awards only days away, the race for Best Picture has narrowed to a closely fought contest between ‘Sinners’ and ‘One Battle After Another’, according to the latest predictions from Variety’s Awards Circuit.
The two films have dominated the awards season and are now widely considered the final contenders for the industry’s top honour at the ceremony scheduled for March 15. The event will be hosted by Conan O’Brien.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, the vampire drama Sinners has gained strong momentum after major wins across several guild awards, including the Screen Actors Guild prize and the Writers Guild Award.
Meanwhile, the political action epic One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, has secured victories at prominent ceremonies such as the Critics’ Choice Awards, Golden Globes and the British Academy Film Awards.
Industry observers note that whichever film ultimately wins Best Picture will also break a significant awards season pattern. Historically, films that sweep major guild and critics’ awards rarely lose the Academy’s top prize. However, the split victories between the two contenders have created one of the most unpredictable Oscar races in recent memory.
A Best Picture win for Sinners would also mark a historic moment for the Academy. The film’s producers include Zinzi Coogler and a victory would make her the first Black woman to receive the Best Picture award. It could also strengthen Coogler’s chances in the Best Director category.
In other major categories, Variety predicts that Michael B. Jordan could take home the Best Actor award for his performance in Sinners, while Jessie Buckley is widely expected to win Best Actress for her role in ‘Hamnet’.
Among supporting performers, Delroy Lindo is tipped to win Best Supporting Actor for Sinners, while Amy Madigan is predicted to take Best Supporting Actress for her role in ‘Weapons’.
Other films expected to make an impact on the night include ‘Frankenstein’, which is projected to secure wins in technical categories such as costume design and makeup and the animated feature ‘KPop Demon Hunters’, which is predicted to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
With blockbuster spectacles and independent films competing side by side this year, the awards season has reflected a wide range of storytelling styles.
