Culture editors’ picks: The Oscars

The 97th Academy Awards are right around the corner, celebrating some of the best work in film of the year. On March 2, the biggest releases of 2024 will be competing to take home some Oscars.

2024 was a big year for film — from “Wicked” to “The Brutalist,” the year was full of extravagant cinematic releases. “A Complete Unknown,” “Anora,” “A Real Pain,” “The Substance,” “Conclave” and “Emilia Pérez” are all up for some of the biggest categories of the night.

While it is ultimately up to the Academy to pick the winners, we are, once again, going to tell you our thoughts. So who’s going to take home this year’s Oscars in the biggest categories of the night?

Actor in a leading role

Nominees:

Adrien Brody — “The Brutalist”

Timotheé Chalamet — “A Complete Unknown”

Colman Domingo — “Sing Sing”

Ralph Fiennes — “Conclave”

Sebastian Stan — “The Apprentice”

Chloe’s pick: Colman Domingo — ‘Sing Sing’

I’m an A24 stan through and through, tried and true. Now, I won’t lie, I haven’t watched “Sing Sing” in its entirety, but from what I’ve seen of Domingo’s performance through clips and trailers, he deserves the win. I’ve heard nothing but good things about “Sing Sing,” and I desperately wish I could have seen it in theaters.

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Stella’s pick: Timotheé Chalamet — ‘A Complete Unknown’

In my mind, Timotheé Chalamet is the only person who should even be in the running for this award. He completely transformed for his role as Bob Dylan and certainly did not disappoint. He put so much work and effort into this film, even learning how to sing and play guitar. His dedication absolutely paid off and because of it, he is my pick for this category.

Actor in a supporting role

Nominees:

Yura Borisov — “Anora”

Kieran Culkin — “A Real Pain”

Edward Norton — “A Complete Unknown”

Guy Pearce — “The Brutalist”

Jeremy Strong — “The Apprentice”

Chloe’s pick: Forfeit

It shames me to admit that I haven’t seen a lot of the nominations this year, so I am forfeiting this category, as I know nothing about any of these performances. Just know that I will be rooting for “The Substance” in any category it’s been nominated for.

Stella’s pick: Kieran Culkin — ‘A Real Pain’

I have to confess: I still have yet to see “A Real Pain.” However, Kieran Culkin’s performance seems to be a hit this awards season. As a fan of “Succession,” I firmly believe Culkin can never miss when it comes to his acting. The Golden Globes seemed to agree, so hopefully the Oscars follow and do the same.

Actress in a leading role

Nominees:

Cynthia Erivo — “Wicked”

Karla Sofía Gascón — “Emilia Pérez”

Mikey Madison — “Anora”

Demi Moore — “The Substance”

Fernanda Torres — “I’m Still Here”

Chloe’s pick: Demi Moore — ‘The Substance’

It’s about damn time the Academy recognizes horror films. No one on the list deserves this film more than Moore (haha, get it). Her performance in “The Substance” was simply phenomenal, and I’m confident it will stick with me for the rest of my life.

This nomination is so much more than “The Substance.” This is for Mia Goth in “Pearl,” for Toni Collette in “Hereditary,” for Keke Palmer in “Nope,” for Florence Pugh in “Midsommar.” It’s for all of the outstanding women in horror films that have been overlooked by the Academy, and I can’t think of anyone to better represent them than Moore and her stellar performance.

Stella’s pick: Mikey Madison — ‘Anora’

As much as I would love for Cynthia Erivo to become the youngest person to hold the EGOT title, Mikey Madison absolutely kills it in “Anora.” She’s talked in interviews about how much research she did for this role and it really shows. She even successfully pulls off a Brooklyn accent, seemingly effortlessly. As a longtime fan of Madison, it is wonderful to see her finally get her starring moment and very well-deserved Oscar nomination.

Actress in a supporting role

Nominees:

Monica Barbaro — “A Complete Unknown”

Ariana Grande — “Wicked”

Felicity Jones — “The Brutalist”

Isabella Rossellini — “Conclave”

Zoe Saldaña — “Emilia Pérez”

Chloe’s pick: Ariana Grande — ‘Wicked’

I was not familiar with Miss Grande’s acting game. Sure, I’ve seen “Victorious” and a few episodes of “Scream Queens,” but I didn’t know that Grande could genuinely act the way she does in “Wicked.” I was seriously blown away by her performance; her Glinda is so endearing but conniving in a way that’s impossible to hate.

Also, Margaret Qualley was absolutely snubbed in this category.

Stella’s pick: Ariana Grande — ‘Wicked’

I grew up absolutely obsessed with the show “Victorious,” and, through association, Ariana Grande. Later in life, I discovered her music and also happened to become a full-blown theater kid. Needless t0 say, seeing her take on the role of Glinda in “Wicked,” something pretty much any theater kid dreams of, was spectacular.

Grande delivers in every aspect of the role — her vocals stole the show, but her acting and adaptation of the Glinda voice originally coined by Kristin Chenoweth was nothing short of magical. As much as I loved Monica Barbaro in “A Complete Unknown,” my “Wicked” obsessed heart has to give this one to Grande.

Animated feature film

Nominees:

“Flow” — Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens and Gregory Zalcman

“Inside Out 2” — Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen

“Memoir of a Snail” — Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney

“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham and Richard Beek

“The Wild Robot” — Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann

Chloe’s pick: ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham and Richard Beek

I’m a simple girl — I love “Wallace & Gromit.” As a kid, I enjoyed the man and dog duo, and I still do now. The plot is silly and charming, and Wallace and Gromit bring me an odd sense of comfort.

Not to mention, the claymation is simply outstanding and deserves an award for all of the time and work that goes into the art form alone.

Stella’s pick: ‘Inside Out 2’ — Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen

As a fan of the original, “Inside Out 2” did not disappoint. In fact, I loved it so much that I went to see it twice in theaters. Watching Riley grow older and deal with new emotions in her life was so relatable and so needed. The introduction of the emotion Anxiety and the depiction of an anxiety attack within the film are so powerful and that alone should earn it the win, not to mention the beautiful animation and incredible performances by the cast.

Cinematography

Nominees:

“The Brutalist” — Lol Crawley

“Dune: Part Two” — Greig Fraser

“Emilia Pérez” — Paul Guilhaume

“Maria” — Ed Lachman

“Nosferatu” — Jarin Blaschke

Chloe’s pick: ‘Nosferatu’ — Jarin Blaschke

Like I said earlier, I haven’t seen a lot of these films, and that unfortunately includes “Nosferatu.” However, I have seen clips and screencaps from the film, and they’re absolutely gorgeous. Plus, if there’s a horror film nominated, I’m going to advocate for it.

Stella’s pick: ‘Nosferatu’ — Jarin Blaschke

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of “Nosferatu” as a whole, I found myself in awe of the cinematography. The stunning visuals and unique, dark and gothic aesthetic really carried the film. Out of all the films I have seen this year, the beauty of “Nosferatu” is unmatched, even if it was lacking in a few other departments. Cinematically, “Nosfertatu” stole the show when it comes to this year’s films.

Directing

Nominees:

“Anora” — Sean Baker

“The Brutalist” — Brady Corbet

“A Complete Unknown” — James Mangold

“Emilia Pérez” — Jacques Audiard

“The Substance” — Coralie Fargeat

Chloe’s pick: ‘The Substance’ — Coralie Fargeat

“The Substance” is one of the best horror films to emerge from the 2020s. Fargeat’s depiction of women’s bodies and how society views them as they age is realistic and relevant. While the plot is intense and somewhat absurd, the message is raw, and she uses a compelling way of storytelling to convey it. It’s hard to believe that “The Substance” is only Fargeat’s second film. I can’t wait to see what she does in the future.

Stella’s pick: ‘The Substance’ — Coralie Fargeat

Coralie Fargeat’s unique approach and vision for “The Substance” brought the uncomfortable, unsettling yet somehow still beautiful and empowering story of Elizabeth Sparkle to life. It’s a film unlike anything I have ever seen, and Fargeat’s directing accompanied by stellar performances really make it the Oscar-nominated masterpiece it is. Watching this story unfold was an incredible cinematic experience and Fargeat deserves all the praise for her work.

Best picture

Nominees:

“Anora”

“The Brutalist”

“A Complete Unknown”

“Conclave”

“Dune: Part Two”

“Emilia Pérez”

“I’m Still Here”

“Nickel Boys”

“The Substance”

“Wicked”

Chloe’s pick: ‘The Substance’

I told you I’m rooting for “The Substance” in every category. Compared to all of these films, “The Substance” takes the cake for its sheer originality. So many of these films are adaptations of something else, and others simply pale in comparison to the masterpiece that is “The Substance.” The cinematography is striking, the performances are outstanding, the sound is haunting and the visual/makeup effects are out of this world. There’s no other option here.

Stella’s pick: ‘Wicked’

While there were many great contenders this year, such as “The Substance,” “Anora” and “A Complete Unknown,” the real star of the show has to be “Wicked.” The musical’s long-waited big screen debut did not disappoint, thanks to all of the hard work that went into such a long process. It’s visually stunning and flooded with incredible performances all around, in both acting and vocals. There is something so magical about being transported back into the land of Oz, and for that, “Wicked” is more than deserving of best picture.

Awards season has been interesting this year, to say the least, but the Oscars are filled with top-tier nominees in all categories. Tune in on Sunday, March 2 to find out who takes home the trophies this year.

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