Oscar Death Race 2025

The Oscars are on Sunday, and yet again I did my challenge of watching everything that has been nominated. This year that meant watching 50 films (15 shorts and 35 full length movies). This was one of the hardest, if not the hardest year, to track everything down. I really thought some of those shorts were going to be the death of me. Thank god I saved Flow for my final movie this year, because it was a delight and last year I ended with Napoleon which was… not. I’ll be honest, this is not one of my favourite years I have watched the Oscar movies for. While there have certainly been some good films, overall I’m underwhelmed, and frankly a little depressed (though what did I expect from Oscar movies?). 

Best Picture

This year the best picture nominees were (from my least favourite to favourite):

10. Emilia Perez

A drug cartel leader hires a lawyer to fake her death so she can transition. 

Say what you will about the controversy. This is a bad movie even without all that. It was an interesting premise that could have been great if it had been done well. However, it’s full of harmful Mexican and trans stereotypes. I already hated the movie when I was watching it, but since then I decided to read what those communities thought of it, and needless to say, they are not happy.  I did think the acting was fairly decent (okay some of the acting), but everything else was a mess. Also, why was it a musical? I’m a huge musical fan, but this one just didn’t work. The songs were not good and they had to use AI to change voices. I have no clue how it was nominated for 13 awards. 

9. The Brutalist

A tale of an architect who immigrated to America in 1947 and the wealthy family that changes his life. 

I was not excited to watch this. It’s 3 ½ hours long! However, I went to see it in theatres with Andrea and Erika, and during the intermission (side note: can more movies do this?) we all agreed that we were actually enjoying it. It was a pretty uplifting immigrant story so far. However, the second half happened and everything went all to hell, both story-wise and film-wise. It was just relentless tragedy after tragedy and then the ending was such an unnecessary addition that was so different style-wise and tonially that it kind of ruined the movie. The acting was great, both Adrian Brody and Felicity Jones were very good, and Guy Pearce was chilling. I didn’t love that they used AI to touch up the accents, but apparently the use of it was minimal, unlike Emilia Perez.It seems like the typical kind of movie that would win best picture, and it might, but the criticism of using AI might hurt it’s chances. It hasn’t seemed as popular as I would have thought. 

8. A Complete Unknown

19 year old Bob Dylan rises to fame in New York. 

I’m kind of over biopics. Especially of musicians. While this year I thought Better Man and Maria made interesting choices, this one didn’t. I’m not a Bob Dylan fan to begin with. He’s a great songwriter and a figure in the civil rights movement but certainly not a performer or even a great singer. People were critical of how Timothee Chalamet sounded, but honestly I think he did a good job. Acting was pretty good. Story was just a basic biopic. I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. It was just a movie I watched. 

7. Anora

A sex worker marries the son of a Russian oligarch and must face the consequences. 

I wanted to love this movie. IMDb had it listed as a raunchy romantic comedy so I assumed it would be an updated Pretty Woman. I was excited to see something lighter than the usual Oscar movie for best picture. However, IMDb lied. It was neither romantic nor a comedy. I’m sure I would have liked it more if I’d read up on it a bit and known what I was getting myself into, but because it’s listed as a comedy, that’s what I was expecting. So I couldn’t help but feel let down. I thought the acting was good, but nothing special. Everything seemed so superficial until we finally got character development and backstory in the last minute of the film, which just came way too late. So I guess I liked it okay, but I was disappointed. However, it’s won best picture at the Directors’ Guild Awards, the Producers’ Guild Awards, and the Critics Choice Awards so maybe everyone else is seeing something in it I’m not. I really didn’t think it was going to win Best Picture, but as other awards go on, I really think it’s going to win BP and Sean Baker is going to win best director. 

6. Nickel Boys

The story of two African-American men navigating friendship and a Florida reform school. 

I thought this was a very typical Oscar bait movie. Good story that’s inspiring yet depressing, good acting, yet kind of slow and boring. The acting was strong but some of the film making choices were strange. I found it could be a little hard to follow at times so I did some reading up on it afterwards and found out it’s based on a book of the same name, that provides a lot more context. It wasn’t a bad movie by any means and it’s certainly an important story, it just didn’t capture me. 

5. Dune: Part Two

In this continuation, Paul reunites with the Freman while trying to get revenge against the people who destroyed his family. 

I’m going to be completely honest, I used to be a huge sci-fi person but these days my brain just doesn’t want to focus on it which makes me a little biased against movies like Dune. Did I watch it in IMAX? Yes. Did I have any idea what was going on? No. However, the cinematography is spectacular. What an incredible visual film. I found it kind of long and occasionally boring, but I was so swept up in the film making and the incredible music score that I think I still really liked it. It’s a shame that it was so long ago now that the academy has probably forgotten about it by now. 

4. The Substance

An aging celebrity takes a drug that causes a younger and better version of yourself. 

I don’t do horror. At all. Yet, I was weirdly excited for this one. A movie about unrealistic standards women have to face, written and directed by a woman, and starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley? Yes please! I thought it was brilliant for the most part. The message was strong and the acting was great. The body horror was a little gross, but nothing too bad. That is, until the last 20 minutes or so when the movie kind of goes off the rails. I didn’t hate the ending, but it was a little… yeah. 

3. Conclave

A conspiracy thriller about finding a new pope and solving the mystery of what happened to the old one. 

I’ve never hid how I feel about religion, especially the Catholic Church, so I wasn’t super excited for this one. I thought it was going to be boring and potentially preachy. I was so wrong. I found it really gripping and fascinating. Ralph Fiennes was great as always, John Lithgow was sinister, and Stanley Tucci is always a delight to see. I’m not going to spoil the ending, but it was incredible. I know a lot of people hated it, but I thought it was brilliant. It won the Bafta for best film, so it’s possible it could take the Oscar? Honestly, all the controversy around the Oscars and winners this year are looking more and more like the plot of Conclave. 

2. I’m Still Here

A Brazilian woman has to rebuild her family after the government takes her husband. 

I wasn’t so sure about this one. It sounded kind of depressing, but I absolutely loved it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, anxious to see what was going to happen yet. I didn’t know anything about the true story it was based on, but I’ve done some reading since, and it’s absolutely fascinating. I should have known I was going to find it brilliant though, I don’t think I’ve ever seen any Brazilian movies or tv shows that I haven’t loved. They just make good cinema. The acting was incredible. I’ve never seen Fernanda Torres in anything before, but she completely blew me away. The young actors who played her kids were also great. The only part I didn’t love was the end. They do two flash forwards. I thought the flash forward to the 90s was very important and added to the story. However, the final scene in the 2000s was completely unnecessary and strange. Since I know my favourite best picture nominee isn’t going to win much of anything, let alone best picture, this is my top choice to win best picture. I don’t know if it will, with The Brutalist being a typical Oscar winner, Conclave being the sneaky underdog who won the Bafta, and Anora winning so many awards so far. It probably won’t win best picture, but I’m hoping for at least best foreign language film. 

1.Wicked

The story of the friendship between two women and their journey to meet the Wizard of Oz. 

Okay. I know it’s a blockbuster. I know people will scoff at me for making this my number one. But if anyone read my blog post about it last November, you know that it was hands down my favourite movie of 2024 and how important this musical was to me. I truly thought it was spectacular. Acting, production, music. I love a musical and I love watching something powerful and meaningful that doesn’t make me sad. 

Acting Categories 

The nominees for Best Actor are:

• Ralph Fiennes - Conclave

• Sebastian Stan - The Apprentice

• Timothee Chalamet - A Complete Unknown

• Coleman Domingo -  Sing Sing

• Adrien Brody - The Brutalist

I have a lot of feelings about this category. While, I adore both Sebastian Stan and Timothee Chalamet, I thought they were both better in their other Oscar nominated movies this year (A Different Man for Stan and Dune: Part 2 for Chalamet). Chalamet was fine as Bob Dylan, but I didn’t buy Stan as Trump until the final scene of the movie. The other three were incredible. Ralph Fiennes actually made me care about the goings on of the Catholic Church. I think Adrien Brody will probably take this award. However, I’d love to see Coleman Domingo win it. 

The nominees for Best Actress are:

• Fernanda Torres - I’m Still Here

• Demi Moore - The Substance

• Karla Sofia Gascon - Emilia Perez

• Cynthia Erivo -  Wicked

• Mikey Madison - Anora

Lead actress is a tough one. We won’t even talk about Karla Sofia Gascon, because not only was she unremarkable, she’s extremely problematic and controversial. I honestly won’t be surprised if Emilia Perez doesn’t win much of anything. Mikey Madison was very good, however, I didn’t find her performance to be anything special. I’m really torn between the other three. Fernanda Torres was absolutely incredible and gut wrenching.There’s a good chance that she might take this one and I really hope she does.  Personally, I would love to see Cynthia Erivo win for her incredible Elphaba, and complete her EGOT, but I just don’t think the academy is going to give it to her. Horror is extremely underappreciated by the academy, but even though she isn’t my choice, and I’d prefer Fernanda or Cynthia, I think Demi Moore might win this one. 

The nominees for Supporting Actor are:

• Guy Pearce - The Brutalist

• Yuriy Borisov - Anora

• Edward Norton - A Complete Unknown

• Kieran Culkin -  A Real Pain

• Jeremy Strong - The Apprentice

I don’t even know where to start with this category. I thought Yuriy Borisov and Edward Norton were fine. Kieran Culkin was great in A Real Pain but I would argue that he was the lead, not a supporting actor. Like Jesse Eisenberg was the lead, but they were co-leads. Guy Pearce was kind of scary honestly. Jeremy Strong was unsettling. Kieran pretty much has this one in the bag, as he’s won all the awards leading up to the Oscars. 

The nominees for Supporting Actress are:

• Zoe Saldana - Emilia Perez

• Felicity Jones - The Brutalist

• Monica Barbaro - A Complete Unknown

• Ariana Grande -  Wicked

• Isabella Rossellini - Conclave

I’m mad about this category. Isabella Rossellini was in one scene but got a nom because she’s a legend. Felicity Jones and Monica Barbaro were very good, but probably not going to win. Zoe Saldana, admittedly was the best part of Emilia Perez, however, I don’t want that movie to win anything. She’s been winning pretty much all the awards so far, but the voting was before all the controversy, so who knows if she’ll win the Oscar or not, but I think she probably will. Meanwhile, I would love to see Ariana win it. She was so funny, and the raw emotion during the opening number. And how many good jokes she adlibbed! I really want her to take it. Sadly, even though I would also argue that Zoe was the lead, not a supporting, she’ll most likely take it. 

Other Thoughts

Aside from the things I already talked about, I really loved the French animated short, “Yuck!”. I thought it was extremely cute and wholesome and overall just a good time. My stand out documentaries were No Other Land and Porcelain War, which is very much unlike me, as I normally hate war docs. 

As per usual, I didn’t like most of the live action and animated shorts. They were weird or sad. The doc shorts were hit or miss. Loved the ones about music, was depressed by the rest.  

No movie this year made me scream at my screen as much as Gladiator II. It was just so bad. The villain reveal was weak. The first twenty minutes or so were not bad, but then it just got progressively worse until even Pedro Pascal couldn’t save it. 

I think it’s interesting that we aren’t getting performances of the best song nominees this year, but I’m happy I don’t have to hear those two Émilia Perez songs again. I am sad I won't get to see Elton John perform his song though. But let’s be honest, no Oscar song performance will ever beat “I’m Just Ken” from last year. 

What a weird Oscars year. Like what even was that? Let’s see who wins and hope for a less weird year next year.