Though all Academy Awards are extremely competitive and prestigious, the majority of casual film-watchers mainly tune in for the “Big 5”: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. Previous award ceremonies such as the BAFTAs and the SAG awards are used to predict the Academy’s choices beforehand. Most watchers of the Oscars predict their choices beforehand, and these three are no different. Having made their award predictions in early January, let’s see how Leela, Deeksha and Emma hold up for correct guesses!

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BEST PICTURE

“Anora” was the clear-cut winner, sweeping Best Picture easily. All three predicted this correctly, alongside nearly every guess people secured for this win. The “Anora” win is a landmark for independent studios: Not only did the movie sweep through every award, but it also discussed topics that have been previously censored in the movie industry. The movie isn’t just funny—it’s poignant, completely original and kind of heartbreaking. Discussing the perpetual cycle of atrocities committed throughout the sex worker industry, Anora is simultaneously neon (literally), glamorous and tragic. As lead actress Mikey Madison said: “I just want to say that I see you. You deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and an ally and I implore others to do the same.”

BEST DIRECTOR

Sean Baker has emerged as a force to be reckoned with, focusing on taboo topics in pictures like “The Florida Project” (2017) and “Tangerine” (2015). His acceptance speeches this awards season have acted as a voice for the independent film industry, particularly advocating against streaming giants like Netflix from entering the awards space. He emphasized the importance of in-person moviegoing and remarked that “watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience. We can nod together, cry together, scream and fight together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together.” Deeksha, Leela and Emma were all pleased with this outcome, though they all believe Denis Villeneuve truly deserved the win, or at least nomination.

BEST ACTOR

Adrien Brody’s Best Actor win has been controversial, to say the least. In late January, Brody was revealed to have used AI to hone his accent for the film, causing backlash from viewers who thought it to be ‘cheating the system.’ However, the movie’s editor, Dávid Jancsó, claimed, “It is controversial in the industry to talk about AI, but it shouldn’t be.” Unfortunately, this isn’t the first strike against Brody. He’s been under fire for years, starting with being banned (for life) from SNL, an extremely long (and possibly disrespectful) Oscars speech and being close friends with Roman Polanski, a convicted sexual assaulter of a minor. Deeksha predicted this one correctly (though her top pick would have been Colman Domingo in “Sing Sing”), but Leela had hopes for someone else—Timothée Chalamet. After Chalamet won the SAG award a week prior, the buzz was ignited. Many believed that he would break Brody’s record as the youngest Best Actor winner, but after his loss, some speculated he would receive the “DiCaprio treatment” and would only get his rightful win later in his career. Emma predicted Sebastian Stan to win for his performance in “The Apprentice,” while conceding that Adrian Brody would likely win due to his previous achievements at the Oscars. However, Emma, Leela and Deeksha think Brody is still a phenomenal actor who belongs amongst the greats.

BEST ACTRESS

Best Actress was a shock to nearly everyone tuning in to the awards, but not an unpleasant one. Madison won for her stellar performance as a stripper—Cinderella in “Anora.” This surprised many, as Demi Moore in “The Substance” was the clear favorite (and all three guessed it for the winner). Many people have commented on the parallels between “The Substance,” where older celebrities take dangerous drugs to attempt to stay young, and the Oscar results themselves. Madison, who’s only 25 years old, swiped it away from 62-year-old Moore, who’s worked in the industry for decades. If it had been any other actress to win, the world would have been revolting, but Madison’s performance was so phenomenal that everyone has been appeased.

BEST SCREENPLAY

The Oscars have doubles for screenplay: best original and best adapted. Both Deeksha and Leela were optimistic for the respective categories, hoping that “Nickel Boys” would win Best Adapted and “A Real Pain” would take home Best Original, respectively. Unfortunately, the clear-guessed winners won both categories: “Conclave” stole Best Adapted, and “Anora” continued its rampage and grabbed the Best Original title. Though the hopeful winners didn’t manage to rise from the ashes and garner a win, “Anora” and “Conclave” are still brilliant movies that deserve as many awards as possible!

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

You may be asking yourself, “Why is this category so debated? Why must we discuss a smaller category?” This wouldn’t have been an issue had the Oscars not committed one of the worst snubs in its history and forgotten to nominate “Challengers” as the best soundtrack of the year. “Challengers” isn’t just a score written by previous Academy-Award winners and Nine-Inch-Nails band members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—it’s one of the most evocative, fun and fresh soundtracks ever created. Its combination of synth-pop beats and ‘90s rave music adds raw tension to the film and strings along the viewer. Unfortunately, instead of being hilarious, niche and interesting, the Academy decided not to nominate “Challengers,” instead giving the win to “The Brutalist,” which is still good, but not nearly as groundbreaking as the adrenaline rush given by the former. “Challengers” was completely shut out from the awards this year, without any nominations in categories like Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Screenplay or any actor/actress category. RIP “Challengers”: you were flirty, fascinating and new—you will be mourned. Leela predicted the “Brutalist” win, while Deeksha held out a string of hope for a “Conclave” sweep. Emma refused to submit a prediction for this award due to the aforementioned snub of the film “Challengers.”

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

The “I’m Still Here” win is a landmark in every imaginable way, but its biggest achievement is being the first ever Brazilian film to win an Academy Award. The movie follows the life of a mother, played by actress Fernanda Torres, and her family during the military dictatorship in 1971 Brazil. Her performance is one of the most incredible of this year, being nominated for the Best Actress award, and the work of the cast and crew on this film is undeniably poignant and special. In his acceptance speech, director Walter Salles dedicated the award to Eunice Paiva, “a woman who, after a loss suffered during an authoritarian regime, decided not to bend and to resist.” Here, Salles referenced the fact that this movie is based on an incredible true life story of Paiva, who is an influential human rights lawyer and activist in Brazil and endured hardships under the former regime.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

“Flow” and “The Wild Robot” were the predicted winners of this category, with a slight edge given to “The Wild Robot,” as it was widely released in theatres and heavily marketed by Warner Brothers. But “Flow” made history by winning, becoming the first Latvian film to win an Oscar. The silent 86-minute film, which is also known under the Latvian title “Straume,” was also nominated for Best International Feature Film. “Flow” follows a cat working with a capybara, a lemur, a bird and a dog to escape the peril of their home being flooded, leaving them homeless. In his speech, director Gint Zilbalodis stated, “I hope that it will open the doors to Independent animation filmmakers around the world. We’re all in the same boat. We must overcome our differences and find ways to work together.” Emma and Leela had predicted this underdog win, both enthusiastic supporters of this film due to its brilliant animation. Deeksha had picked “The Wild Robot” to take home the Oscar, taking a more realistic approach while still rooting for the film “Flow.”

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

“No Other Land” winning this award is by far the best thing to come out of this year’s Academy season. With absolutely zero theatre screenings and no pickups by distributors, the film had to claw its way to its rightful position. “No Other Land,” created by both Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, tells the story of Palestinian activist Masafer Yatta’s unlikely friendship with Israeli Journalist (and film director) Yuval Abraham amidst the destruction of the West Bank of Gaza. The film has been described by Abraham as an act of unity. “We made this film as Palestinians and Israelis because, together, our voices are stronger,” shared Abraham. Despite controversy and disparaging comments from the Israeli Cultural Minister, the film’s core message of pure harmony is unsilenceable. All three predicted this award, and its win is exactly what it deserves. If there’s one film to watch from 2024, “No Other Land” is the easy pick.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR/ACTRESS
Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña winning supporting actor and actress respectively came as no surprise considering their sweep throughout the award season. Culkin’s familiar, awkward and dead-pan humor shined through once again as he gave a rambling acceptance speech but also gave a loving nod towards his wife Jazz. Saldaña got emotional and teary-eyed, dedicating the award to her grandmother who immigrated to the U.S. in 1961. All three predicted Culkin’s win, though Deeksha stood out and hoped for a Jeremey Strong win (RIP “The Apprentice”–deserved more than it got). Felicity Jones and Monica Barbaro were hopeful guesses from Deeksha and Emma, but Leela accurately predicted Saldaña’s win.

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All things considered, this was an average year for film and the Academy Awards. Despite some saddening snubs and best actor backlash, fan-favorite films won in their respective categories and independent films and media got their shoutouts. There will always be controversy, but this year, film fanatics managed to steer away from any crazy Big 5 wins. Here’s to more movies, ceremonies and wins in the years to come.