Casablanca, The Godfather, Gladiator, The Departed, Parasite, etc.

On the evening of March 15, another film will join this almost century-long list of Best Picture winners at the 98th Academy Awards. 

Commonly known as the Oscars, filmmaking’s greatest celebration continues to honor the most impactful cultural films each year. This year is no different.

According to Deadline, 2025 saw a 12% increase from 2024 in the box office internationally, racking up over $1 billion in the US alone. Combined with being the first full year of films unaffected by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, audiences have bought back into the movies.

This year, viewers can enjoy ten unique stories, ranging from drama to suspense to dark comedy. 

Long-time Oscars viewer and film teacher Mr. John Wanninger is particularly interested in this year’s award ceremony and the themes presented amongst the nominees. 

“Because the world is a crazy, unstable place right now, tension is one of the things that is reflected in a lot of the movies that are nominated this year,” he said. “I think some of the best movies are a reflection of what’s going on at the time, and this year is a really good snapshot of that.”

This tension is ever-present amongst the nominees, particularly in four of the highly acclaimed films. 

Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest feature One Battle After Another starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, and Sean Penn has received thirteen nominations, despite underperforming financially during its initial release. 

Its characters continue to find themselves in high pressure situations, adding to the tension culminating in the final act. Wanninger has referred to it as “one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time,” mainly for its cinematography and direction.  

Thriller Sinners has made history, becoming the most nominated nominee of all time with sixteen, including four of the “Big Five” categories. 

Ryan Coogler’s fully original period piece stands out for its praised acting, featuring Michael B. Jordan playing two brothers at once. 

While not being his top choice, Wanninger would still be satisfied if Sinners took home Best Picture. 

Timothée Chalamet owned the Christmas film screenings again, this time with Marty Supreme. Director Josh Safdie modeled his loosely true story based film after he and his brother’s 2019 Uncut Gems. 

Wanninger described it as “a two-hour panic attack,” as it takes a bold take on the American Dream and leaves audiences questioning what they just witnessed.

Perhaps the boldest nominee is Bugonia, the third straight year where Yorgos Lantimos has collaborated with Emma Stone. His distinct comedic and unconventional storytelling takes a polarizing side on current society, as Jesse Plemons plays a conspiracy theorist. 

As a supporter of Lanthimos’s work, Wanninger “always gets a kick out of them,” and this one likely made his top three favorites of the nominees. 

Sentimental Value, Hamnet, Frankenstein, F1, The Secret Agent, and Train Dreams fill out the list of now ten movies up for Best Picture.

Former Hollywood screenwriter and current film teacher Mr. Peter Lubliner comes from the business side of filmmaking. 

Despite not seeing any of the nominees the last few years, he understands the importance of the current award season.

“Getting nominated or winning the award is very lucrative within the industry,” he said. “Especially since they tend to be movies that are not blockbusters.”

Part of the reason Lubliner was not viewed this year’s nominees was the same reason common viewers might have been deterred. Since 2009, the Best Picture pool has increased 100% from five to ten films.

This allows for more money to be brought into the industry, at the expense of more homework for audiences. 

From working behind the scenes, Lubliner continues to look for elements of a typical screenplay in every movie.

“I am so locked into that idea of text and subtext,” he said. “That is not something that they do much anymore.”

Text and subtext is the classic format of storytelling in film, something that he commits to teaching his students.

On the night of the Oscars, Wanninger always gets together with friends and keeps a point tally of his predictions. Meanwhile, Lubliner does not partake in watching the awards show but knows what it means to thousands of people.

Whether you are more like Wanninger or Lubliner this Sunday evening, this year’s Oscars is just as important as ever.