With the 94th Annual Academy Awards set to return this Sunday, we here at Queerty have two immediate thoughts: 1. Thank goodness the full show is back, and 2. Thank goodness the movies are better than last year.
Indeed, as most of Hollywood returns to the Dolby for the show, we’re readying our Oscar ballot for the annual pool. And once again, unlike last year, this year the race is wide open.
That always makes for a more exciting evening. So then, without further adieu, find here our predictions for this year’s Oscar glory. Will a queer winner take to the stage? Will the Academy finally silence its critics?
One way to find out: the ceremony airs on ABC on Sunday, March 27.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
- JAVIER BARDEM, Being the Ricardos
- BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, The Power of the Dog
- ANDREW GARFIELD, tick, tick…BOOM!
- WILL SMITH, King Richard
- DENZEL WASHINGTON, The Tragedy of Macbeth
This year features a diverse and rich collection of performances, and while it might seem like one actor has a lock on a win…if last year proved anything, it’s that upsets do still happen. This is Will Smith’s trophy to lose. He’s commanded the movies for three decades now and still ranks as one of the most popular stars in the world. He’s also grown considerably as an actor, as King Richard proves. That said, he does have heavy-duty competition from previous winners Bardem and Washington, who have a stronger pedigree. Voters who don’t think Smith is a real actor could gravitate toward either of them. Garfield and Cumberbatch, likewise, are previous nominees and voters may feel they’re due. Garfield’s crowd-pleasing turn in Spider-Man: No Way Home could endear him to viewers who want the Academy to look pop-culture aware. Cumberbatch gives a magnificent turn in Power of the Dog, and since the movie led this year’s nominations, he could have the momentum to put him over the top.
That said, we’re saving risk-taking for other categories this year.
Who Will Win: Will Smith.
Who Should Win: Benedict Cumberbatch.
Joshooeerr
Olivia Colman should win for her incredibly complex and nuanced performance in The Lost Daughter – a performance that leave’s Chastain’s clown act in the shade. There’s also the fact that The Eyes of Tammy Faye dishonestly whitewashes a vile grifter, pretending she was a wide-eyed innocent rather than deeply complicit in a decades-long fraud – after which she went on to marry yet another fraudster. Chastain does not deserve to be rewarded for cleaning up the act of a criminal for the sake of an Oscar.
BrokebackBob
Your prediction of Jessica Chastain is consistent with your preference that anyone in drag male or female will win.
SFMike
The Oscars have become entirely worthless at this point. You guys’ sure liked Dune, the half a story movie that was pretty and nothing else. West Side Story, Nightmare Alley, Don’t Look Up and Luca were the best pictures I saw last year but it’s all about politics now. The Eyes of Tammy Faye was a worthless vanity project that doesn’t deserve anything as the documentary it’s based on was 1000% better.