The 98th Academy Awards will air on Sunday at 7 p.m. CST on ABC and Hulu. As the ceremony approaches, these five movies — this year’s most nominated — are the ones you’ll hear about the most throughout the night.
1. “Sinners” – 16 nominations
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” is not only the most nominated movie of the year, but also the most Oscar-nominated movie of all time. Its recognition surpasses classics like “Titanic” and “La La Land,” even though horror films are typically overlooked by the Academy.
This film is a refreshing, unique addition to the horror genre — taking familiar supernatural tropes and elevating them with intentional historical context and a stylish original soundtrack. With nominations in every major category it qualifies for, “Sinners” is undeniably this year’s crowd-pleasing powerhouse.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Nominated in: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Production Design, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
2. “One Battle After Another” – 13 nominations
14-time Oscar nominee writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson has his best shot at his first win with “One Battle After Another.” Even with its simple setting, Anderson’s direction makes this film one of the most visually striking of the year, bolstered by his long-time collaborator Jonny Greenwood’s reliably memorable score.
Having performed well this awards season with considerable wins at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, BAFTAs and more, it’s reasonable to expect that the film is set to follow the pattern and be the biggest winner at the Oscars.
Nominated in: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (twice), Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design and Best Sound.
3. “Marty Supreme” – 9 nominations
Much like the real-life inspiration behind Marty Mauser, Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” is this award season’s rowdy underdog. The ambitious 150-minute runtime keeps up an energetic, nerve-wracking pace throughout and results in one of the best releases of the year.
With a career-best performance from Timothée Chalamet as the lead and an equally competent ensemble for support, it’d be an upset to watch the film’s talent go home empty-handed. Leading up to the Oscars, the film hasn’t gained much momentum on any podiums, but Chalamet is the leading contender for Best Actor.
Nominated in: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
4. “Sentimental Value” – 9 nominations
As the first Norwegian film to make it to the Oscars’ Best Picture ballot, Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” feels underrated, even with all its nominations. Each actor in the main quartet — Renate Reinsve as Nora Borg, Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg, Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg Pettersen — deliver subtle, moving performances backed by a powerful script.
The film is this year’s clear international favorite, but if the Academy were to award it beyond that, it would be a pleasant surprise.
Nominated in: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress (twice), Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature Film and Best Film Editing.
5. “Frankenstein” – 9 nominations
Despite being the only film on this list to not have a theatrical run, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” cast a wide net as a Netflix release. Adapting Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel of the same name, the film doesn’t have much to add to its all-too-familiar source and suffers at the hands of flattened characters and a bloated runtime.
Made memorable by Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi’s performances as Victor Frankenstein and The Creature, respectively, it’s a tough year to expect Elordi’s nomination to beat out his more worthy opponents. The film, therefore, has its best shot in the technical categories like Best Production Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Nominated in: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score and Best Sound.
