The 98th Academy Awards (2026)

[John Adams]

Posted: 1/22/26 at 8:54pm

Movies I’ve seen for free via paid subscription service
(Rather than attempt a predicted winner, I’ve added a set of asterisks after the titles I enjoyed most. The number of asterisks indicate how many times I’ve viewed the films.)
    •    Bugonia (HBO Max)
    •    One Battle After Another (HBO Max) ***
    •    Frankenstein (Netflix)
    •    Sinners (HBO Max) **
    •    Elio (Disney+/hulu)
    •    KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix) **
    •    Train Dreams (Netflix)
    •    The Alabama Solution (HBO Max)
    •    The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix) ***
    •    All the Empty Rooms (Netflix)
    •    Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud (HBO Max) **

Special note and WARNING re: “Armed Only With a Camera…”: The word, “unflinching” is sometimes used to describe movies like this one. This doc does not shy away from showing brutal depictions of death and tragedy. If you know yourself to be sensitive to such depictions, DO NOT WATCH ALONE, AND BE PREPARED TO WALK AWAY FROM YOUR SCREEN. 

Nominations Announced Today:

Best Picture
    •    Bugonia
    •    F1
    •    Frankenstein
    •    Hamnet
    •    Marty Supreme
    •    One Battle After Another
    •    The Secret Agent
    •    Sentimental Value
    •    Sinners
    •    Train Dreams

Best Director
    •    Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
    •    Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
    •    Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
    •    Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
    •    Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Best Actor
    •    Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
    •    Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
    •    Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
    •    Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
    •    Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Best Actress
    •    Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
    •    Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
    •    Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
    •    Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
    •    Emma Stone, Bugonia

Best Supporting Actor
    •    Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
    •    Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
    •    Delroy Lindo, Sinners
    •    Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
    •    Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress
    •    Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value
    •    Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
    •    Amy Madigan, Weapons
    •    Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
    •    Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Best International Feature
    •    The Secret Agent
    •    It Was Just an Accident
    •    Sentimental Value
    •    Sirât
    •    The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best Animated Feature
    •    Arco
    •    Elio
    •    KPop Demon Hunters
    •    Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
    •    Zootopia 2

Best Documentary Feature
    •    The Alabama Solution
    •    Come See Me in the Good Light
    •    Cutting Through Rocks
    •    Mr Nobody Against Putin
    •    The Perfect Neighbor

Best Original Screenplay
    •    Blue Moon
    •    It Was Just an Accident
    •    Marty Supreme
    •    Sentimental Value
    •    Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay
    •    Bugonia
    •    Frankenstein
    •    Hamnet
    •    One Battle After Another
    •    Train Dreams

Best Casting
    •    Hamnet
    •    Marty Supreme
    •    One Battle After Another
    •    The Secret Agent
    •    Sinners

Best Film Editing
    •    F1
    •    Marty Supreme
    •    One Battle After Another
    •    Sentimental Value
    •    Sinners

Best Cinematography
    •    Frankenstein
    •    Marty Supreme
    •    One Battle After Another
    •    Sinners
    •    Train Dreams

Best Production Design
    •    Frankenstein
    •    Hamnet
    •    Marty Supreme
    •    One Battle After Another
    •    Sinners

Best Costume Design
    •    Avatar: Fire and Ash
    •    Frankenstein
    •    Hamnet
    •    Marty Supreme
    •    Sinners

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
    •    Frankenstein
    •    Kokuho
    •    Sinners
    •    The Smashing Machine
    •    The Ugly Stepsister

Best Original Song
    •    "Dear Me," Diane Warren: Relentless
    •    "Golden," KPop Demon Hunters
    •    "I Lied to You," Sinners
    •    "Sweet Dreams of Joy," Viva Verdi!
    •    "Train Dreams," Train Dreams

Best Original Score
    •    Bugonia
    •    Frankenstein
    •    Hamnet
    •    One Battle After Another
    •    Sinners

Best Sound
    •    F1
    •    Frankenstein
    •    One Battle After Another
    •    Sinners
    •    Sirât

Best Visual Effects
    •    Avatar: Fire and Ash
    •    F1
    •    Jurassic World: Rebirth
    •    The Lost Bus
    •    Sinners

Best Live-Action Short
    •    Butcher's Stain
    •    A Friend of Dorothy
    •    Jane Austen's Period Drama
    •    The Singers
    •    Two People Exchanging Saliva

Best Animated Short
    •    Butterfly
    •    Forevergreen
    •    The Girl Who Cried Pearls
    •    Retirement Plan
    •    The Three Sisters

Best Documentary Short
    •    All the Empty Rooms
    •    Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
    •    Children No More: "Were and Are Gone"
    •    The Devil Is Busy
    •    Perfectly a Strangeness

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 1/23/26 at 9:05am

Only "Best Picture" I saw was "Marty Supreme" and really liked it. Timothee Chamalet was excellent again, saw him in the "Bob Dylan" movie. I also saw "Song Sing Blue" and glad Kate Hudson got a nomination.

[John Adams]

Posted: 1/24/26 at 8:56am

I watched, "Weapons" last night (HBO Max). I'm not a fan of jump-scares (they're always too effective on me), but they're used and spaced well in this movie.

I'd seen online pics of the hair and make-up for Madigan's Aunt Gladys character, but not much more beyond the basic plot description of the missing children. I also remember that around Halloween of last year, there was a "thing" of people running with their arms extended back in the position of the characters from the movie.

I was curious to see the ratio between acting : make-up of Madigan's Aunt Gladys, because when the make-up is that “forward”, I expect that it’s also providing at least a portion of a noticeable performance on its own. (If one was used, I would love to have seen the make-up morgue of inspiration photos for that design.)

It definitely stood out, but it never overshadowed or overtook Madigan's performance. Wow. She was brilliant as Aunt Gladys. 

I'm going to watch this again today.

[John Adams]

Posted: 1/26/26 at 10:30am

I saw "Blue Moon" (Amazon, $5.99 rental) this weekend. I agree w/some critics who found the beginning of the movie to be a bit sleepy. There are a LOT of monologues by Hawke that are interesting, but static.

The movie really picks up when Andrew Scott comes in. Although I find his performance to be multi-layered, his characterization of Rodgers is basically the complete opposite of Hawke's Hart. I wish he'd been nominated for Supporting Actor. 

For me, I was most moved by the scenes in the third section of the movie between Hawke and Margaret Qualley as Elizabeth Weiland. I thought the writing/acting was so emotionally strong in those scenes.

[John Adams]

Posted: 2/1/26 at 7:05pm

Saw "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You" last night ('free' w/HBO Max subscription).

Rose Byrne gives an incredible performance as a mom who's at the end of her rope. Her performance is so strong that it's hard not be as stressed out as she, out of empathy for what her character's going through. I honestly am in awe thinking about what she, as an actress, must have gone through - balancing what to let go of at the end of a day's shoot, and what to retain in preparation for the next day.

Without giving away any spoiler, Byrne completely wrecked me in a scene with her therapist (played by Conan O'Brien - such an interesting, and smart casting choice!) re: her first pregnancy. 

I read an article from Decider that begins, "I’ll get right to the point: Rose Byrne deserves to win Best Actress at the 2026 Oscars.

Yes, it seems like Jessie Buckley is a lock for Hamnet—after winning the Golden Globe earlier this month—and yes, Buckley gave a devastating performance as a grieving mother in that Shakespeare-inspired period drama. But it ain’t over yet, folks."

I haven't seen "Hamnet" yet, but I'm sure that Jessie Buckley is also deserving of the Best Actress award. Still, from what I know of the plot of "Hamnet", and what I saw in "If IHad Legs...", I'm curious if the demands of Byrne's role were the greater challenge for an actress and could give Byrne an edge over Buckley.

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/3/26 at 4:06pm

I will try to watch "Frankenstein, "Bugonia", "Sinners" and "Train Dreams" as they are on services I have. Would like to see "Hamnet" but the rental price is more than what I would pay to see it in a theater. May rent "One Battle After Another". Only $6.99 to rent.

[John Adams]

Posted: 2/25/26 at 5:08pm

I watched, "Song Sung Blue" yesterday night in lieu of the SOTU. 

I wasn't going to see this one as I'd already seen the documentary a few months ago, and just wasn't interested in watching the story again. But, it turned up on Peacock and (coincidentally), I'd just listened to an NPR interview with Kate Hudson that caused me to re-think.

I'm so glad I changed my mind. Kate Hudson's performance/character is pretty much the exact opposite of Rose Byrne's in "If I Had Legs...". Hudson is equally as captivating, though. 

I couldn't take my eyes off Hudson, and even in a film where Hugh Jackman appears in his tighty-whiteys, I preferred to watch Hudson. ...AND she sings absolutely beautifully. She's not an actor who sings. Shes an actress/singer who does much more than just "hold her own" with Jackman.

I knew the story because of seeing the doc, but as a movie, there's added story elements, and a bit of additional characterization that re-captured my interest. I found that (for me) Jackson and Hudson are actually stronger vocalists/performers than the real people the movie is based on.

Although the movie is based on the doc, The fictionalized "Song Sung Blue" is definitely more movie than doc. That really worked for me, and Hudson is particularly amazing and deserving of an Oscar.

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/25/26 at 5:22pm

John Adams said: "I watched, "Song Sung Blue" yesterday night in lieu of the SOTU.

I wasn't going to see this one as I'd already seen the documentary a few months ago, and just wasn't interested in watching the story again. But, it turned up on Peacock and (coincidentally), I'd just listened to an NPR interview with Kate Hudson that caused me to re-think.

I'm so glad I changed my mind. Kate Hudson's performance/character is pretty much the exact opposite ofRose Byrne's in "If I Had Legs...". Hudson is equally as captivating, though.

I couldn't take my eyes off Hudson, and even in a film where Hugh Jackman appears in his tighty-whiteys, I preferred to watch Hudson. ...AND she sings absolutely beautifully. She's not an actor who sings. Shes an actress/singer who does much more than just "hold her own" with Jackman.

I knew the story because of seeing the doc, but as a movie, there's added story elements, and a bit of additional characterization that re-captured my interest. I found that (for me) Jackson and Hudson are actually stronger vocalists/performers than the real people the movie is based on.

Although the movie is based on the doc, The fictionalized "Song Sung Blue" is definitely more movie than doc. Thatreallyworked for me, and Hudson is particularly amazing and deserving of an Oscar."

I have reasons for not seeing this movie but my interest has been piqued a bit and now that it is on Peacock, I may watch it. I was also impressed with Hudson's performance of "California Dreaming" which closed out the Olympics. I really like her and she is the reason I would see the movie.

 

[John Adams]

Posted: 2/25/26 at 6:57pm

uncageg said: "I have reasons for not seeing this movie but my interest has been piqued a bit and now that it is on Peacock, I may watch it. I was also impressed with Hudson's performance of "California Dreaming" which closed out the Olympics. I really like her and she is the reason I would see the movie."

I liked her cover of "California Dreamin'", too.

She released her debut album, "Glorious" 2 years ago. She was co-writer of every song on the album. For me, it was good, but not a stand-out collection of material. 

I'd like to hear how she might interpret songs written by Sara Bareilles, and a production team outside of her circle of friend/co-writers. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/27/26 at 12:44pm

Yeah, I remember when she released her album. I think I heard one track from it. Maybe I will download it to listen to on the bus ride to work.