2025 Oscars: Personal Nominations

My other annual pre-Oscars post. Based on all the movies I saw in 2024, these are the movies I would’ve nominated in my favorite categories. It turns out, I didn’t actually see a ton of new releases last year—there are only 19 films on my total list, and I normally end the year more in the 30-40 range! I guess this was more a year for rewatching old favorites instead of seeking out a lot of new stuff. As such, I didn’t end up straying too far from the real nominations for many of these categories.

Best Picture – A few changes here, but nothing out of left field. Basically, I really loved some of the Oscar films I saw that didn’t earn Best Picture nods, and I would’ve picked them over some of the actual nominees.

Anora

The Apprentice – If this film could only get a few nominations, it makes sense that it’d be more its stellar acting, but I thought the film as a whole was excellent.

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Nickel Boys

A Real Pain – Other than my special-interest-fueled Wicked bias, this was probably my favorite film of the whole awards season. I’d have loved to see it get more nominations, including Best Picture!

Sing Sing – Beautiful film that should’ve gotten more attention.

The Substance

Wicked

Best Leading Actor – This was a solid category to begin with. I only made one swap. (Also, I really wish I’d had time to watch A Different Man before the Oscars. Would I have wound up with two Sebastian Stan nods on this list?)

Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)

Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)

Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain) – I understand why Kieran Culkin more eye-catching performance is the one getting the attention, but Eisenberg is so great in this movie too!

Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)

Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice)

Best Leading Actress – I had a tricky time filling out this category—again, I just didn’t see that many new films this year, and too many of the ones I did watch had no leading actress. While I think all five of these performances are strong, they wouldn’t have necessarily risen to the top for me in a year where I had a wider range of options.

Cynthia Erivo (Wicked)

Mikey Madison (Anora)

Demi Moore (The Substance)

Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding) – Such a wild movie, but Stewart is very good in it.

Zendaya (Dune: Part Two) – Zendaya does excellent, understated work here.

Best Supporting Actor – This category was already solid, but I had to give in to my Wicked agenda! I make no apologies. I also found myself really wanting to fit in Boyd Holbrook for A Complete Unknown—he had maybe five minutes of screentime, but he captured my attention in every one of his few scenes! But I just couldn’t take anybody else off the original list to make room for him.

Jonathan Bailey (Wicked) – I said what I said. His Fiyero just clicked for me in a way the character never has before. Also, did you see “Dancing Through Life”???

Yura Borisov (Anora)

Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)

Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown)

Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice)

Best Supporting Actress – A couple changes here. I liked all the performances in the original category, but there were a few I liked even more.

Maria Barbaro (A Complete Unknown)

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Nickel Boys) – Such a beautiful performance!

Ariana Grande (Wicked)

Felicity Jones (The Brutalist)

Margaret Qualley (The Substance) – The other half of the Substance equation. As with A Real Pain, I get why Demi Moore is getting all the flowers, but Qualley deserves attention too!

 

Best Director – Ooh, this one was tough. Some top-notch direction this year! I knew I had to add in Conclave, but despite other films that were so wonderfully directed, I couldn’t justify knocking more than one movie off the original list. I would’ve loved to fit A Real Pain and Sing Sing in here too.

Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

The Substance

 

Best Adapted Screenplay – On my Wicked agenda again. Sorry not sorry!

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

Wicked – I loved how the film adapted the stage show so well, keeping so much of the original dialogue while expanding on the story and the characters in tons of tiny ways.

 

Best Original Screenplay – I made some of my biggest changes to this category.

Anora

The Apprentice – IMDb only gives one writing credit on this film, with no original source author, so I figure it must qualify as an original screenplay. I thought this script was really well done, both in how it lays out its own story and how it resonates with our present-day circumstances.

The Brutalist

Monkey Man – Eff it, we ball! I thought Monkey Man was a tremendous film and wanted to recognize it somewhere. There just wasn’t room in the other categories I considered it for, but the script is beautifully done, so I’m glad I could fit it in here.

A Real Pain

2025 Oscars: Picks

As always, these are picks, not predictions. If I were an Oscar voter, these are the movies I would’ve picked.

Best Director – Anora

Honestly, I would’ve wanted to pick Conclave for the win here, but it didn’t even get nominated! So we’re going for Anora instead. It does a fine job with its bizarre-slice-of-life meandering style, which can be tough to pull off well.

Best Lead Actor – Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice)

Admittedly, I’m biased and I love the thought of “Oscar winner Sebastian Stan” emblazoned on future movie trailers, but Stan was fantastically good here. I thought he did such a good job of nailing Trump’s persona without letting it descend into parody. And while actors are most often celebrated in biopics for the accuracy of their likeness, he kills it with the emotions of the story as well.

Best Lead Actress – Cynthia Erivo (Wicked)

Honestly, I had to! I’m endeavoring to keep a modicum of chill when it comes to my Wicked picks, acknowledging that it can be my favorite without necessarily being the best, but I continue to be blown away by Erivo’s beautiful work as Elphaba. With both the acting and the singing, she’s just breathtaking to watch!

(Note: I didn’t see Fernanda Torres in I’m Still Here.)

Best Supporting Actor – Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)

This was an easy choice for me, even though there’s plenty of excellent work in the category. Culkin is just so good at what he does—his performance captures so many emotions, changing on a dime at a dizzying pace, and I found it both fascinating and moving.

Best Supporting Actress – Ariana Grande (Wicked)

Hehe, it’s kind of wild that three of the nominees in this category are for singing-heavy performances. Look, the heart wants what the heart wants, and I want Grande’s delightful, compelling, heartfelt performance as Galinda to be rewarded. I liked Galinda before, but I adore her now, and so much of that is down to Grande’s fantastic work.

Best Adapted Screenplay – Conclave

I debated between this one and Sing Sing, but in the end, I had to give it to Conclave. Loved the dialogue, loved the tension, loved the themes—so well done!

Best Original Screenplay – A Real Pain

This was probably the easiest category to pick. There are some other excellent contenders on this list, but I loved A Real Pain, and much of that is down to its stellar script.

Best Picture – Conclave

Yes, Wicked is my favorite of the nominees and the Best Picture of my heart, but the more objective part of my brain is capable of saying that Conclave is the best-made film. It’s crafted with such talent and precision, and it’s firing on all cylinders from moment one! I’ll definitely pump my fist in the air if this one takes home the top prize tomorrow night.

(Note: I didn’t see I’m Still Here.)