2024 Oscars Predictions

Is Anyone Actually Watching This Thing?

M. D. Kwak

THE BUILDUP OF EXAMS AND SCHOOLWORK (not to mention two SWR articles every week) have driven me to shambles. Forgive me for my shameless Oscars-themed excuse for an article. If you couldn’t care less about the Oscars (which is totally understandable), flick over to my debating report and familiarise yourself with the eminence of Shore debating. Nevertheless, my predictions are as follows.

Best Picture: Oppenheimer. It has everything going for it: Cold War politics, a didactic ‘these are the moral ramifications of scientific endeavour’ and above all, it’s a biopic which have historically been heavy-hitters in this category. In my opinion, not the strongest Best Picture we’ve had over the years, but a deserved one.

Actor in a Leading Role: Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer. Giamatti in The Holdovers is shaping up to be the closest contender, but Murphy is at his peak right now, and there’s no doubting his performance was exceptional – showcasing a wide variety of subtlety and raw emotion.

Actress in a Leading Role: Emma Stone in Poor Things. As the star of a mind-bending Frankenstein-inspired, feminist-leaning, arthouse film that critics have raved over, Emma Stone has clearly showcased her far-reaching talents.

Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things

Best Director: Christopher Nolan. I reckon the entire backstory of how Oppenheimer was directed and produced could be made into its own documentary. Nolan is one of the most talented directors of his generation – he deserves an Oscar.

Original Screenplay: Anatomy of a Fall will most likely win. But Past Lives is the winner in my heart.

Animated Feature: The Boy and the Heron. I haven’t even watched this film, but I have watched its biggest competitor Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and it was dismal. I was a huge fan of its prequel, and despite an improvement in animation quality, the plot contorted into an unnecessarily complex quagmire, the villain was comically underwhelming and the ending was such a blatant cash grab of ‘you better watch the sequel that’ll take five years to develop’, that the movie (even its good parts) were spoiled for me.

The boy and the Heron

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse