MovieWeb’s Reviews of Every 2026 Oscar Best Picture Nominee

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The Oscars are almost here! While it can be amusing to guess at winners, watching the nominated films is the best way to enjoy the event. If you’re not sure which movie to start with, the film critics at MovieWeb have written detailed reviews and analyses to help you choose.

‘Sinners’ – 4.5/5

Review: ‘Sinners’ Is Another Spectacular Must-See Blockbuster From Ryan Coogler & Michael B. Jordan

MovieWeb’s Alex Leadbeater has reviewed our latest Oscar predictions for 2026. He believes Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is likely to win Best Picture, surpassing the current frontrunner, One Battle After Another. With a box office of $370 million, Sinners is already a strong contender.

  • Where to Watch: HBO Max
  • Distributor: Warner Bros.
  • Director: Ryan Coogler
  • Oscar Nominations: 16

Julian Roman calls Sinners a powerful depiction of Black life in the segregated, often harsh, South during the Jim Crow era. The film also showcases a rich and lively cultural scene, particularly its strong musical traditions. Adding a menacing vampire to the story creates a thrilling, unforgettable cinematic experience.

‘Train Dreams’ 4.5/5

Review: ‘Train Dreams’ Is a Breathtaking Burial Hymn for the American West

  • Where to Watch: Netflix
  • Distributor: Netflix
  • Director: Joachim Trier
  • ​​​​​​​Oscar Nominations: 4

As a total movie buff, I was really moved by Train Dreams. It’s based on a story by Denis Johnson, and honestly, it feels like it grew right out of the landscape itself – all those trees and streams. The director, Bentley, creates something truly beautiful, exploring life’s big themes like love, loss, and the contrast between beauty and hardship. Tom Edgerton is incredible as Robert Grainier – even his name hints at his connection to nature! He plays this quiet, hardworking logger who slowly feels himself losing touch with everything he cares about as the world modernizes around him with things like chainsaws and bridges.

‘One Battle After Another’ – 4.5/5

Review: ‘One Battle After Another’ Is a Contender for the Best Film of 2025

  • Where to Watch: HBO Max
  • Distributor: Warner Bros.
  • Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
  • ​​​​​​​Oscar Nominations: 13

In One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson delivers a powerful and surprisingly funny action-thriller that tackles some of the most controversial topics in America today. The film offers a raw look at extremist groups, showing both leftist revolutionaries and right-wing supremacists – and suggesting that even those with strong beliefs aren’t always what they seem. It asks a challenging question: how much are people really willing to give up for what they believe in? The answer, the film suggests, is often tainted by desire, deceit, and a fundamental lack of compassion.

‘Bugonia’ – 4.5/5

Review: Emma Stone & Jesse Plemons Duel for Humanity’s Fate in the Thrilling ‘Bugonia’

  • Where to Watch: Peacock
  • Distributor: Focus Features
  • Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
  • ​​​​​​​Oscar Nominations: 4

I’m really excited about Yorgos Lanthimos’s new film, Bugonia! He’s so good at blending really personal stories with big political ideas, and this one seems to do that perfectly. It’s a sci-fi thriller with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons – they’re fantastic together, and I loved their work with Lanthimos before. It’s a dark comedy that feels especially relevant to what’s going on in the world right now. After his recent film Kinds of Kindness, which was a bit unusual in its structure, this one seems to be a bit more straightforward, but still has that unique, thought-provoking quality that makes Lanthimos such a special director.

‘The Secret Agent’ 4.5/5

Review: ‘The Secret Agent’ Is the Dense, Sociopolitical Tale the Cinematic World Needs More Of

  • Where to Watch: Hulu
  • Distributor: Neon
  • Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
  • ​​​​​​​Oscar Nominations: 4

Juan Barquin describes The Secret Agent as a thought-provoking film with a strong political message, though its complexity might leave some viewers feeling lost. He praises the director, Kleber Mendonça Filho, for not over-explaining things or offering easy resolutions, seeing this as a strength. Barquin argues that this type of film—one that fearlessly examines difficult and complicated histories—is exactly what audiences need today.

‘Hamnet’ – 4/5

Review: Jessie Buckley Will Break Your Heart in Chloé Zhao’s Devastating ‘Hamnet’

  • Where to Watch: Peacock
  • Distributor: Focus Features
  • Director: Chloé Zhao
  • ​​​​​​​Oscar Nominations: 8

Director Chloé Zhao (known for films like The Rider and Eternals) beautifully explores how a couple copes with past trauma in her fifth feature film. She transforms their emotional journeys into something poetic, seamlessly connecting their inner worlds with larger, universal themes. The film’s success also relies on the actors’ sensitive performances, which prevent the film’s artistic and introspective nature from feeling distant or inaccessible.

‘Frankenstein’ – 4.5/5

Review: Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ Is a Fiery Personal Take on Mary Shelley’s Classic

  • Where to Watch: Netflix
  • Distributor: Netflix
  • Director: Guillermo del Toro
  • ​​​​​​​Oscar Nominations: 9

In a review of Frankenstein, Zachary Lee connected the novel to James Baldwin’s essay, “To Crush the Serpent,” where Baldwin argues that salvation isn’t about avoiding divine punishment, but about embracing and returning love—it’s about connection, not isolation. Lee suggests the characters in Frankenstein are all searching for this kind of salvation. Whether it’s Victor Frankenstein attempting to transcend human limitations through creation, or the Creature striving for self-acceptance despite rejection, they’re all grappling with the tension between beauty and ugliness and seeking a sense of wholeness.

‘F1’ – 3.5/5

Review: Brad Pitt Kicks Asphalt in the Thrilling, but Formulaic ‘F1’

  • Where to Watch: Apple TV
  • Distributor: Warner Bros.
  • Director: Joseph Kosinski
  • ​​​​​​​Oscar Nominations: 4

The film F1 is visually stunning, clearly benefiting from a substantial budget. Director Kosinski, known for films like Tron: Legacy and Top Gun: Maverick, excels at creating thrilling competition sequences – whether it’s light cycles, spaceships, fighter jets, or now, Formula 1 racers speeding at over 220 mph. While it’s all achieved through cinematic techniques, it’s executed so skillfully that you’ll feel completely immersed and on the edge of your seat.

‘Marty Supreme’ – 3.5/5

Review: Timothée Chalamet Is Hellbent on Glory in ‘Marty Supreme’

  • Where to Watch: Video on Demand services (Apple TV, Amazon, Vudu, Fandango, etc.)
  • Distributor: A24
  • Director: Josh Safdie
  • ​​​​​​​Oscar Nominations: 9

Timothée Chalamet plays Marty Supreme, a ridiculously self-assured and narcissistic character completely fixated on table tennis. He’s determined to become a champion and will do whatever it takes to achieve his dream, seeing everyone around him – friends, family, and even admirers – as tools to help him get there. The film shows that this relentless pursuit of success comes at a cost. While Marty Supreme is a compelling look at a complex character, it’s a bit too long, and one storyline slows down the pace. Despite this, Chalamet delivers a captivating and energetic performance that could earn him awards recognition.




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‘Sentimental Value’ – 4/5

  • Where to Watch: Video on Demand services (Apple TV, Amazon, Vudu, Fandango, etc.)
  • Distributor: Neon
  • Director: Joachim Trier
  • ​​​​​​​Oscar Nominations: 9

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2026-03-14 17:54