The big night has finally arrived. Although it would be an early morning for us Indians, the Oscars are still a big deal. Sadly, we don’t have a big Indian title like RRR this year but the Oscars are maintaining their excitement level.
Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Barbie, Maestro, and many more films received widespread appreciation not only in the USA but also in India.
Well, we are here with our predictions. Let’s see how many of them manage to win.
Actor In A Leading Role
Bradley Cooper
Maestro
Colman Domingo
Rustin
Paul Giamatti
The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy
Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright
American Fiction
Predicted Winner – Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)
Personally speaking, Oppenheimer was definitely one of the best watches of my life, and it is unquestionably a Murphy feast. In some shows, Paul Giamatti did provide tough competition, but Oppenheimer’s Murphy emerges victorious in most cases. Bradley Cooper would have won in any other year, but it’s Oppenheimer’s time now; the storm is about to come.
Actor In A Supporting Role
Sterling K. Brown
American Fiction
Robert De Niro
Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr.
Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling
Barbie
Mark Ruffalo
Poor Things
Predicted Winner – You already know it’s Robert Downey Jr (Oppenheimer)
Why are we even discussing who will win in the Best Supporting Actor category at the 2024 Oscars? We strongly believe that Robert Downey Jr. will win by a wide margin for his sensational and gripping performance in Oppenheimer. With all the major awards in his pocket this season, RDJ is all set to grab his first-ever Oscar. Ryan Gosling is the only actor who poses a threat to RDJ’s win, considering the social media firestorm that has spread like wildfire due to the snubs of Margot Robbie (Best Actress) and Greta Gerwig (Best Director).
Actress In A Leading Role
Annette Bening
Nyad
Lily Gladstone
Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller
Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan
Maestro
Emma Stone
Poor Things
Predicted Winner – Lily Gladstone for “Killers of the Flower Moon”
The fight has always been between Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone. There was never a third. The two Stones have given extraordinary performances in their respective films and they both deserve the Award. However, the buzz and politics of “The Killers of the Flower Moon” is far more strong. Also, Lily Gladstone will be the first Native American actress to win the award if she wins at all. Given the fact that the Oscars are trying to be more and more inclusive, the chances of Lily Gladstone bagging the award are the most.
Actress In A Supporting Role
Emily Blunt
Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks
The Color Purple
America Ferrera
Barbie
Jodie Foster
Nyad
Da’vine Joy Randolph
The Holdovers
Predicted Winner – Da’vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
Emily Blunt was certainly a strong contender to win initially, but as the demographics shifted, Da’vine Joy Randolph might emerge as the winner in this category. Da’vine Joy Randolph delivered a performance of a lifetime, and her wit resonates throughout the entire movie, even setting the tone in some instances. America Ferrera was also a strong contender, but she might be overshadowed by the other ladies. Similarly, Jodie Foster faces the same fate.
Animated Feature Film
The Boy And The Heron
Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki
Elemental
Peter Sohn and Denise Ream
Nimona
Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary
Robot Dreams
Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz
Spider-man: Across The Spider-verse
Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal
Predicted winner – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
With Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse pushing its ground-breaking blend of animation styles and technology even further, this should be its loss after taking home the PGA Prize. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won this award five times at the 2019 Oscars. Hayao Miyazaki’s comeback with The Boy and the Heron, his first feature film in ten years and a Golden Globe winner—brings a lot of competition. It’s possible that Spider-Verse has more traction, but this is quite close.
Although Pixar received its customary nomination for Elemental, it would be shocking to win this year. The two contenders, Robot Dreams and Nimona had to overcome extremely formidable opposition to get their positions, and it’s quite unlikely that either will prevail unless there is a significant change in momentum.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
El Conde
Edward Lachman
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Rodrigo Prieto
Maestro
Matthew Libatique
Oppenheimer
Hoyte van Hoytema
Poor Things
Robbie Ryan
Predicted Winner – Oppenheimer
Best Cinematography is a very contested sector with a mix of directors of photography who have had a few nods over the previous ten years, but no clear favorites. Like so many other fields, this one might finish with a triumph for Oppenheimer. With its use of IMAX cameras and transitions between color and black and white, Van Hoytema’s work on Oppenheimer may be the most visually striking of the lot, but each of these films is, well, gorgeous. El Conde is at the back of the pack with Edward Lachman’s stunning endorsement, but a lot might rely on how much support voters choose to offer Oppenheimer.
Costume Design
Barbie
Jacqueline Durran
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Jacqueline West
Napoleon
Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
Oppenheimer
Ellen Mirojnick
Poor Things
Holly Waddington
Predicted Winner – Barbie
Although Jacqueline West (4 nominations) and Jacqueline Durran (2 wins from 8 nominations) bring a wealth of Oscars experience to this category, Holly Waddington, who was not previously nominated, may win. It basically comes down to Barbie vs. Poor Things, and either might win. One of the most remarkable aspects of the film is their respective pieces, which truly stand out; Poor Things is maybe more ostentatious, but Barbie’s outfits became instantly recognizable.
Directing
Anatomy Of A Fall
Justine Triet
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos
The Zone Of Interest
Jonathan Glazer
Predicted Winner – Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
We all know that Christopher Nolan is long overdue. This is his time to win the Oscar for Best Director. Surprisingly, the British helmer has been nominated for Best Director only once (Dunkirk). He has swept the category in all major awards shows this season. Yes, it feels like this is Nolan’s time. But he receives strong competition from Jonathan Glazer and Yorgos Lanthimos.
Documentary Feature Film
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek
The Eternal Memory
Maite Alberdi
FOUR DAUGHTERS
Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha
To Kill A Tiger
Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim
20 Days In Mariupol
Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath
Predicted Winner – To Kill A Tiger
Yes, we do realise that it is a documentary set in India but that is not the reason we are predicting its win. Women’s Day has just passed and the documentary features various nuances of rape in India. It is not just a case of rapist and victim but a whole tapestry of caste, class, shame, influence and whatnot. To Kill A Tiger unapologetically covers that and it could be a reason for its win. However, Four Daughters are also a very strong contender.
Documentary Short Film
The Abcs Of Book Banning
Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic
The Barber Of Little Rock
John Hoffman and Christine Turner
Island In Between
Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien
the last repair shop
Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ
Sean Wang and Sam Davis
Predicted Winner – Island In Between
It is made by S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien. With American Elections on the head, the issue of immigrants is hotter than ever. This documentary features a story of people trapped between Taiwan, China and the USA. The identity crisis, acceptance and more haunt the first generation immigrants who fight against it till their life.
Film Editing
Anatomy Of A Fall
Laurent Sénéchal
The Holdovers
Kevin Tent
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Thelma Schoonmaker
Oppenheimer
Jennifer Lame
Poor Things
Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Predicted Winner – Oppenheimer
Not to be cliche, considering Oppenheimer has already swept up the majority of the awards at the Golden Globes and such, but it is a prime competitor for its display of masterful editing. With impeccable dialogue delivery and placement and progressive, suspenseful and tasteful continuity by interspersing scenes of vital importance to the story and making them black and white for ease of grasping as well as a timely charm, these are few of the factors that make Oppenheimer a compelling candidate poised to win.
International Feature Film
Io Capitano
Italy
Perfect Days
Japan
Society Of The Snow
Spain
The Teachers’ Lounge
Germany
The Zone Of Interest
United Kingdom
Predicted Winner – Perfect Days
Perfect Days brings about a fascinating revelation of the calm and introspective life of a public worker, set in the background of one of the busiest cities in the world. Its calculated minimalistic approach lures viewers into grasping more of their intertwined stories. Providing a fantastic story at its core, whilst remaining simplistic throughout, Perfect Days stands out to us as a necessary echo of the appreciation of our lives.
Makeup And Hairstyling
Golda
Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue
Maestro
Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell
Oppenheimer
Luisa Abel
Poor Things
Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston
Society Of The Snow
Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé
Predicted Winner – Poor Things
The politics of the Oscars work in a way that a film like Barbie has not been nominated in this category. Regardless, Maestro is super good and the other films are also alright. But, Poor Things truly hits it out of the park. The film is streaming on Hotstar and you can see how every costume and hairstyle will be hard to forget. Poor Things indeed is the most probable winner.
Music (Original Score)
American Fiction
Laura Karpman
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
John Williams
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Robbie Robertson
Oppenheimer
Ludwig Göransson
Poor Things
Jerskin Fendrix
Predicted Winner – Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer)
Ludwig Göransson may end up bagging his second Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards after previously winning for Black Panther in 2019 (91st Oscars). Unlike Black Panther, in which the composer heavily used out-of-the-box African musical instruments, Göransson’s decision to stick with conventional string instruments in Oppenheimer worked like a charm. He used string instruments throughout the film’s score to add more depth to different settings, ranging from intimate and romantic scenes to the most gut-wrenching and tension-brimmed sequences. One of the tracks from Oppenheimer’s score, Can You Hear The Music, has become viral on social media.
Music (Original Song)
The Fire Inside
from Flamin’ Hot; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
I’m Just Ken
from Barbie; Music and Lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
It Never Went Away
from American Symphony; Music and Lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson
Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)
from Killers of the Flower Moon; Music and Lyric by Scott George
What Was I Made For?
from Barbie; Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
Predicted Winner – “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie – Lyrics and Music by Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish
The rivalry for Best Original Song is fierce. Diane Warren received her 15th Oscar nomination through “The Fire Inside Me”. The duo of Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish seek to get their second Oscar after previously winning for “No Time To Die” in 2022 in the same category. The odds of another song from Barbie, “I’m Just Ken”, winning in this category should not surprise anyone. However, the nomination of “Wahzhazhe” shocked everyone. Based on all the predictions available online and the results of this year’s Golden Globes, we are going to go with “What Was I Made For?”
Best Picture
American Fiction
Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, Producers
Anatomy Of A Fall
Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, Producers
Barbie
David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, Producers
The Holdovers
Mark Johnson, Producer
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese and Daniel Lupi, Producers
Maestro
Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers
Oppenheimer
Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, Producers
Past Lives
David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, Producers
Poor Things
Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, Producers
The Zone Of Interest
James Wilson, Producer
Predicted Winner – Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a clear frontrunner to bag the Academy Award for Best Picture this year. The film is leading the nominations at the 96th Oscars with 13 nominations. It also won at the Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice Awards, Directors Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and more, in the same category. This scenario gives us a clear idea of how big of an impact Oppenheimer will create at the Oscars.
Production Design
Barbie
Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis
Napoleon
Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff
Oppenheimer
Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman
Poor Things
Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek
Predicted Winner – Poor Things (Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek)
It will definitely be one of the closest battles, but “Poor Things” and “Barbie” will continue their rivalry from all the other categories as well. “Barbie” definitely excels in production design, but “Poor Things” takes it to a whole new level. “Killers of the Flower Moon” might be a surprise winner as well. After all, this is the Oscars.
Animated Short Film
Letter To A Pig
Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter
Ninety-five Senses
Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess
Our Uniform
Yegane Moghaddam
Pachyderme
Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius
War Is Over! Inspired By The Music Of John & Yoko
Dave Mullins and Brad Booker
Predicted Winner – Pachyderme (Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius)
“War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko” is tough competition, but sometimes we have to trust our guts, right? “Pachyderme” will be our pick for the night. The story flourishes, and besides enjoying the simplicity, the film manages to be layered, which is always a plus point for a good watch. Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius, make room for the Oscars on your trophy cabinet.
Live Action Short Film
The After
Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham
Invincible
Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron
Knight Of Fortune
Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk
Red, White And Blue
Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane
THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
Wes Anderson and Steven Rales
Predicted Winner – Red, White And Blue (Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane)
We are sorry, Wes Anderson, but this award is not for you, and Red, White And Blue might just take it. Though The After will be strong competition, we would be safe if we predict two winners. However, Red, White and Blue might just have the edge. But don’t be shocked if The After manages to grab the award after all. See… we are still funny.
Sound
The Creator
Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
Maestro
Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
Oppenheimer
Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell
THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn
Predicted Winner – Oppenheimer (Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell)
If you think the Oppenheimer storm was over, you couldn’t be more wrong. Now, there’s an argument about The Zone Of Interest as it manages to create a phenomenal atmosphere with its sound. Oppenheimer might just have the upper hand. Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn could win it any other year, but Oppenheimer did crush a million dreams..
Visual Effects
The Creator
Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould
Godzilla Minus One
Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould
Napoleon
Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould
Predicted Winner – Godzilla: Minus One (Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima)
Talking about visual effects, Oppenheimer should have been there and would definitely be a strong competitor. But again, let’s go with a gut feeling; Godzilla: Minus One should take the award. With such a small budget, the film nails its effects. The Creator also faces strong competition; even Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 might surprise us. Still, Godzilla Minus One is our pick.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
American Fiction
Written for the screen by Cord Jefferson
Barbie
Written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach
Oppenheimer
Written for the screen by Christopher Nolan
Poor Things
Screenplay by Tony McNamara
The Zone Of Interest
Written by Jonathan Glazer
Predicted Winner – Oppenheimer
All the films nominated in this category are really nice but do they come close to Oppenheimer? We don’t think so. Oppenheimer nails the adaptation to perfection and it is quite evident when you watch the film. It emulates the horror, the dread that one is supposed to feel from one’s own creation. The chances of Oppenheimer winning this category are very very high unless Oscar pulls a “The Power of the Dog” trick with this.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Anatomy Of A Fall
Screenplay – Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
The Holdovers
Written by David Hemingson
Maestro
Written by Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer
May December
Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik
Past Lives
Written by Celine Song
Predicted Winner – Past Lives
Disregarding the obvious bias that can creep into these predictions, Past Lives is our pick. It has a storyline that is sure to leave anyone with a heart, yearning for something so pure. It follows the intricacies of the human mind, when faced with the avenues of reconnecting with your identity and or building a disconnected future for yourself, where love plays a prime factor as well. It is executed phenomenally and is sure to make you rethink and introspect into your own lives. With it being a strong contender for the Golden Globe Awards as well, Past Lives is a rational shout in this category.