Predicting ALL The Oscars 2022 Winners

The tradition continues here at Foul ENT. And the only way is up, frankly, following the depressing landslide of wins for my worst movie of last year, Nomadland. So I am ready and excited to see some really good movies take home their statuettes this year. As always, I have now seen all of the films nominated at this years academy awards, and I am back once again to attempt to predict, either by head or by heart, all of the winners of the famous golden statuette across all 23 categories. 

​You know how this goes. In order to properly inform you for this article, I have watched all 53 nominated feature and short films (A decrease from last year of 3 films, if you're keeping count), and kept my ears to the ground during awards season to identify the trends and surges across the voting bodies.

In case you need refreshing, the predictions are divided into two categories. The Head pick is the one that I think will win and therefore counts as my best guess. This is the whole 'keeping my ears to the ground' pick. The Heart pick, however, is what I consider to be the worthy winner, despite it even having the remotest chance. So, basically, my favourite in the category. And we're covering each category in the order that the nominees were announce, so don't think this is the order we'll see on the night. If I was that clairvoyant, I'd have placed a rider on all 23 categories and used the money to fund something stupid and irrelevant. Like this website. 

We've got last years record of 20/23 correct guesses to beat. Can it be fourth time lucky? Let's find out.

​Actress in a Supporting Role

Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter
Ariana DeBose – West Side Story
Judi Dench – Belfast
​Kirsten Dunst – The Power Of The Dog
Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard
​

Head: Ariana DeBose – West Side Story

With a BAFTA, SAG, Critics Choice and Golden Globe under her belt, it’s hard not to see Ariana Debose running away with this award, and it certainly wouldn’t be unearned. Debose is the centre of energy in all the scenes she's in during Spielberg's West Side Story, to the point of stealing multiple scenes with her clear theatrical talent. Not even a competition at this point, but I thought I would stress that this is not unearned.
​

Heart: Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard

Say what you like about how her co-star Will Smith will walk his acting award, but not enough credit is given to the grounding presence of Aunjanue Ellis. In all the ways that Smith can wind himself up into his own frenzy, Ellis’s rationally straight yet emotionally charged performance reminds the audience of the importance of the family dynamic that makes King Richard such a special movie.

​

​Costume Design

Cruella
Cyrano
Dune
Nightmare Alley
West Side Story
​

Head: Cruella

A costume Oscar given to the movie about costumes and fashion? Far be it from me to assume that the Academy is dim when it comes to costuming, but… well, yeah, the Academy is dim when it comes to costuming. As you know by now, I truly, truly detest this film, but I at least understand the nomination. The garbage truck costume especially helps to make sense of the soon to be phrase “Academy Award Winning Cruella”, and also neatly describes the overall quality of the movie. Ugh. What a truly cursed timeline we live in.
​

Heart: Dune

“But they’re all in black sand suits”, I hear you cry! You seem to be forgetting the truly outstanding work on Lady Jessica and the Bene Gesserit, as well as the ceremonial attire of House Atreides. Honestly, I think just from the costuming on the arrival on Arrakis this should take it home. Sadly, the love Dune is getting from the technical categories is unlikely to bleed into this.

​

Sound

Belfast
Dune
No Time To Die
The Power Of The Dog
West Side Story
​

Head and Heart: Dune

Listen, I’m more than likely going to back Dune in any category it gets, but this one is easy enough to understand. There is a tangible sense of weight when it comes to the sound design in this movie. As the Ornithopter wings build speed, the clunk and boom of oscillating metal reminds you that these machines are as complex and heavy as they look. And although it wasn’t quite Worm Time during our screening, critics have praised the reveal of the sandworm as an impactful moment, where the bass rumble makes the height difference all the more believable.

​

Original Score

Don't Look Up
Dune
Encanto
Parallel Mothers
The Power Of The Dog
​

​Head: Dune

Hans Zimmer already has a Critics Choice and BAFTA for his wailing epic accompaniment to Villeneuve’s Dune, which makes this easy to predict. It certainly isn’t out of place and it feels suitably alien and grand, but it can grate during the 2 and a half hours that this goes on, specifically in the vocal arrangement. As we joked, it does reach ‘banged-your-toe-on-the-furniture’ levels on multiple occasions. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it as much as most.
​

Heart: The Power Of The Dog

Here’s something new. I don’t even really like this score, and yet I do think it captured the sense of the film's tone better than any other in this category. The music can be of-genre on occasion, but often highlight the discordant relationships of our lead characters, as well as the sense of death that hangs over that movie. You can identify where Jonny Greenwood has chosen to focus on the bleeding out of life and joy in so many of the scenes through his excellently matched score and it should really be commended more than it will be this season.

​

Adapted Screenplay

CODA
Drive My Car
Dune
The Lost Daughter
The Power Of The Dog
​

Head: The Power Of The Dog

The little western that could (and has) will need to pick up either an editing, screenwriting or acting award in order to secure its Best Picture win, hence my thought process for its win here. And you can see why. Venom drips from all the dialogue penned for Benedict Cumberbatch, and these scenes are excellently paced in order to maintain tension and dread throughout the otherwise slow and procedural story. It would be more exciting to see a western here, were it not so dulleningly predictable a pick.
​

Heart: CODA

You don’t really expect the heart-warming, feel good story about the deaf family coming to terms with their hearing daughters singing dream to be riotously hilarious, but that’s exactly why it lands as my Heart pick with little contest. This is a laugh out loud comedy in equal measure as it is a feel good drama, with the vast majority of the killer lines given to its deaf cast. It does seem as if it’s picking up steam following its BAFTA win in this category, however I doubt its legs with the Academy whilst The Power Of The Dog remains at large.

​

Original Screenplay

Belfast
Don't Look Up
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
The Worst Person In The World
​

Head: Belfast

The semi-autobiographical story of director Kenneth Brannagh’s childhood worries during a time of civil unrest in Northern Ireland paint memories of fleeting colour set against a grey time in history (Which is reflected in the cinematography). There is no denying the life-affirming moments executed wonderfully in the action, such as the Love Affair singalong, so the win here would not be without merit should it happen. Which it is still likely to be, even if its chances of the top honour are waning.
​

Heart: King Richard

Biopics can often be too greedy, attempting to condense a life of experiences into a 2 hour flick. This is not the case with King Richard, a film that somehow effortlessly pulls off a 3 year time jump whilst focusing on a sole three act arc within the careers of the Williams family and doing so with grace, respect and confidence. Throw in the impactful moments to give the actors something to chew on (The police visit stands out in my mind) and you have one of the best biopics of the past 5 years.

​

Animated Short Film

Affairs Of The Art
Bestia
Boxballet
Robin Robin
The Windshield Wiper
​

Head and Heart: Robin Robin

It’s Aardman, do I have to explain it any further? Alright. So, prior to the Disney Animations renaissance that started with Tangled, Aardman scored a Best Animated Picture award for Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Since then, Aardman's stop-motion efforts have all been recognised with Academy Nominations (With the unfortunate exception of 2019’s Early Man), but were denied wins by the recognisable Disney crowd pleasers. This time, however, the traditional plasticine has been eschewed for a film constructed of felt. And it’s every bit as fuzzy and Christmassy as a film about a robin can be, but most importantly unburdened from the competition from the Disney machine.

Whilst this category might boast the most diverse selection of animation styles in recent memory, from the clay nesting dolls of Bestia to the trippy Spider-Verse-esque colour bleed of Windshield Wiper, take a moment to consider how the Academy recognises animation: Brand recognition. And for the shorts this year, who’s more recognisable than the Wallace and Gromit studio? Case closed.

​

Live Action Short Film

Ala Kachuu – Take And Run
The Dress
The Long Goodbye
On My Mind
Please Hold
​

Head: The Long Goodbye

Oh look, it’s Riz Ahmed. Oh look, its racial tension. Yep, this is a shoe-in, isn’t it? Not to say the short is bad (Even if it is the second outing of Ahmed’s Where You From rap), it’s just woefully predictable for the statuette. Echoes of Two Distant Strangers can be felt here, echoes mainly of everyone's groans when this uninspired short wins. A win for Ahmed's on-the-nose film will inevitably re-affirm the limited consciousness of the Academy, who get to feel superiority for having picked a film with a hyperbolic, if understandable, depiction of race relations in the Western World. Even if they’re not televising this category this year.
​

Heart: Please Hold

A surprising little short that makes the predictability of The Long Goodbye’s win all the more depressing. This film is more interesting and cleverly designed than others in this category could hope to be. When a man belonging to a racial minority is jailed with the supposed crime being revealed, the horror of this story begins, but is truly amplified by its depiction of a corporate-led judicial system that has automated all the biases and prejudices we see reflected in the headlines of today. This short has a well realised gleaming dystopia that really nails its message of total exploitation.

Supporting Actor

Ciarán Hinds – Belfast
Troy Kotsur – CODA
Jesse Plemons – The Power Of The Dog
J.K. Simmons – Being The Ricardos
Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power Of The Dog
​

Head and Heart: Troy Kotsur – CODA

In the podcast for this year's Oscars, you’ll hear me predict Kodi Smit-McPhee for this award, however following a BAFTA, Critics Choice and SAG triple threat, Kotsur is now the frontrunner in the category, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Kotsur truly is the emotional heart and soul of this film, as well as its stand out comedic talent. It’s heard to pull off a truly hysterical depiction of the oversharing, often crass father figure with one that is desperately reaching out with all his heart to a daughter who is slipping away from him. It’s even harder for someone to do this with no spoken dialogue. And yet, Kotsur pulls this off with relative ease. His earnest performance has real depth and tugs on the heartstrings in all the ways you want it to. Plus, a win for Kotsur would be the first acting win for a male performer in the history of the Academy, which makes the impending win all that much sweeter.

​

Editing

Don't Look Up
Dune
King Richard
The Power Of The Dog
Tick, Tick... BOOM!
​

Head: King Richard

Between the two ACE winners here, it’s easier to see King Richard taking this award, seeing as Tick, Tick... BOOM! Sadly didn’t get that coveted Best Picture nomination. And a worthy winner this would be, as the movie successfully adds tension and stakes through its editing, most notable in the final sequence of Venus’s first professional match. If a complaint can be levied here, it would be that an uncomfortable amount of sequences mid-movie lack kineticism, but admittedly this does come back in spades when needed in the big match moments.
​

Heart: Dune

Condensing Frank Herbet’s epic into a digestible film (Admittedly into two digestible parts at present, but shush) is a Herculean effort as it stands. The fact that the film is then presented in a clear, excellently constructed and sequenced movie is a near miracle. Of the non-ACE winners, this feels the next most likely to win, especially as it is so heavily favoured in the technical awards, but it really is that well done. Like, objectively. Honestly, it's hard to believe that this wasn’t the frontrunner.

​

Makeup & Hairstyling

Coming 2 America
Cruella
Dune
The Eyes Of Tammy Faye
House Of Gucci
​

Head and Heart: The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

Evolution is the name of the game here, not just for how the glamour of the Bakkers is evolved, but how the self-made caricature of Tammy Bakker is realised in the excellent makeup job for this film. But don’t get it twisted, it’s not just the permanent eye shadow that wins this award, it's also the efforts to age up the principal cast as time passed, as well as denoting the passing decades in the hairstyles to match the gaudy costuming. Please, for the love of god, don’t let girlboss Joker leapfrog this win, that would break what's left of my shrivelled heart.

​

Animated Feature

Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells Vs. The Machines
Raya And The Last Dragon
​

Head: Encanto

And the award for the most predictable animated win goes to… Well, it’s not like we weren’t going to see a Disney win here, they make up over half of the nominees! Currently, Encanto has the world in its magical palms and it's hard to escape clips of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” across every social media. Despite the fact that it’s box office return wasn’t as to be expected, at least internationally, it is a testament to the power of Disney’s on demand service.
​

Heart: The Mitchells Vs. The Machines

Please be another Spider-Verse! The most likely film to cause an upset would be the Lord and Miller produced animated effort released directly to Netflix here in the UK. It’s an effortlessly funny film with a truly irreverent humour delivered with break-neck speed, at times rivalling comedy greats like Airplane! for laughs per minute. But beneath the millennial non-sequitur humour and the anarchic doodle presentation lies a really well realised story about the burgeoning relationship between a daughter unable to communicate with her old-fashioned but well meaning father. It’s a strong emotional core that any of this year's Disney efforts can only dream of achieving in the fashion that this soon-to-be classic achieved.

​

Original Song

"Be Alive" – King Richard
"Dos Oruguitas" – Encanto
"Down To Joy" – Belfast
"No Time To Die" – No Time To Die
*"Somehow You Do" – Four Good Days
​

Head and Heart: "No Time To Die" – No Time To Die

I’m sure we’re all pondering the same question: Why in the ever loving shit did Disney not campaign for “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”? It’s a question sadly without an answer, and one that due to that lack of foresight will deprive Encanto of a second Oscar. Besides that, with wins for “Skyfall” and “Writings On The Wall”, Bond films have something of a track record for grabbing Academy votes, and this will prove to be no exception. And given that America's alt-goth sweetheart Billie Eilish is on the up and up, this will be a crowd pleasing win for sure. The song itself is much like the movie attached to it, a solid mid-table effort. Not quite as classic as Adele, thankfully better than Sam Smith, just sort of fine, really. Rather fitting to the franchise then, but this middling effort will inevitably finish first in this group.

​

Documentary Short

Audible
Lead Me Home
The Queen Of Basketball
Three Songs For Benazir
When We Were Bullies
​

Head: The Queen Of Basketball

The story of Lusia Harris is most likely to follow in the footsteps of fellow New York Post docu-short Collette in picking up a win, as it presents a digestible yet comprehensive history of who could well be the greatest sportswoman you’ve never heard of. I will concede that Lusia herself is easily the best part of this short, whose humour and beaming positivity pulls you through the runtime with relative ease. But boy howdy, is the rest of the presentation mediocre. Talking head, newspaper clipping, old TV footage, rinse, repeat, snore.

Heart: When We Were Bullies

The story of a New York filmmaker contacting his 5th grade class to reflect on a particularly grim episode of their endemic bullying of their fellow classmate has the potential to be trite, but thankfully this short finds a way to explore the impacts and retrospectives of bullying in an inventive way. I also love the presentation style, using the year group photo in a sort of wanted poster style hit list of interviewees. I can’t see it taking the prize due to the limited scope, but from limitations sprouts creativity, and this was easily the most creative short of this year.

​

Documentary Feature

Ascension
Attica
Flee
Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Writing With Fire
​

Head: Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Look, I’m not even going to dress this up. This doc is nice, but ultimately flat and boring. It’s a would-be televised recording of the Harlem Soul Festival that had the misfortune to take place the same day as the Moon Landing of 1969. There are some great performances and a few scant points about the chronicling of black history, but the editing pulls this one down into Channel 5 music talking heads programme. It really is nothing special and a confusing shoe-in for the gong.
​

Heart: Flee

Now, here is something special. The first film ever to be nominated for Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature Film, Flee is a masterfully realised movie with true heart and terror. I can concede that the animation style can be closer to an animatic at times than a full animation, but it superbly fits the mode of reflecting on a traumatic life. Even the English dub maintains the emotion found in the original Danish track, which is a rarity. Despite the total lack of real life human footage on screen, this is the most human story of the bunch and is certain to awaken empathy in anyone who makes the excellent decision to watch it.

​

Visual Effects

Dune
Free Guy
No Time To Die
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home
​

Head and Heart: Dune

You all expected Spider-Man here, didn’t you? Whilst I would love another Spider-Man Oscar win following Spider-Verse (And would love a spiritual third with an acting win for Andrew Garfield), ultimately the design and presentation for Dune is just too strong to ignore. Unlike the otherworldly, sometimes rubbery effects from the Marvel showings this year, Dune feels suitably mechanical and bulky in its interpretation of the tech described in its source text. Even the design of the Ornithopter, which could have chosen to evoke more of the organic look, chooses to build in that mix of the fantastical and practical. In a way, that decision further blurs that line between practical and visual effects, which solidifies the world building and believability of its design. It’s not hard to see why this has potential to sweep the technicals.

​

Cinematography

Dune
Nightmare Alley
The Power Of The Dog
The Tragedy Of Macbeth
West Side Story
​

Head and Heart: Dune

First verse, same as the first. The directing snub for Villeneuve only solidifies this as the correct choice. Whilst you could argue for the sweeping movements amongst the dancing cast of West Side Story or the silhouette-esque use of light and shadow in Tragedy Of Macbeth, the sheer scale of Dune is something to be admired. The framing of Dune highlights the isolation and unpredictability of Arrakis and serves to show the size of the ever present danger faced by House Atreides. However, when the screen needs to be filled, such as during the Harkonnens' nighttime raid, every inch drips with gorgeous detail. Epic really is the word that comes to mind when trying to describe the experience. It’s proper sci-fi at its best.

​

Production Design

Dune
Nightmare Alley
The Power Of The Dog
The Tragedy Of Macbeth
West Side Story
​

Head: Nightmare Alley

Always one with a flair for the gothic, Guillermo Del Toro’s movies often thrive in the darkness. Nightmare Alley is no exception, as its design tends to work so much better with dramatic low lighting. But that’s not to discredit the work on the period carnival, which looks believable weary and worn. Couple that with some excellent sets and locations for the action of the second half of the movie, as well as some wonderful outdoor locations, and it's an easy to understand win here. Surprisingly, this is not pegged for a win by as many people, but considering it has four nominations, it seems the love for Del Toro is still alive and well in the Academy, and this seems to be the one where it is even in contention. I’d say, then, that if the Academy does want to give Alley an award, it faces the least resistance here.

Heart: Dune

I just adore how this film looks. Suitably sci-fi, with a touch of the neo-industrial, rounded off with ceremonial, monastic and military vibes across its locations, it really does work wonders to embellish worldbuilding. Arrakis looks as unconquered as we are told it is and the design of the gigantic, hollow buildings serves to amplify the scale of the action later in the movie. What strikes me is that the world is as grimy as the betrayal riddle plot that inhabits it, which definitely gives the impression of this universe existing as a galactic work of progress. I genuinely cannot wait for Part 2, where hopefully we see even more strange, living locations in this world.

​

International Feature Film

Drive My Car
Flee
The Hand Of God
Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom
The Worst Person In The World
​

Head: Drive My Car

Slow Burn is the name of the game. At three hours long, Drive My Car is a mercurial deep dive into the ways in which loss affects creative people and the ways in which comfort and peace can later be found. But holy hell, this could have been dramatically trimmed and still got the point across. The dialogue is wonderfully composed, especially in the tenser scenes that detail fragments of shared experiences between different people, but there doesn’t exist a calibre of dialogue that can pull a movie through double what it should have run for. Sadly, its length and low energy make it so hard to recommend to anyone who doesn’t already take part in the awards season traditions.

Heart: Flee

I’m repeating myself, but this really is a special, first-of-its-kind movie that I can’t recommend enough. It’s a story of great heart and resilience, and it is so much more needed in today's world, where the troubles of fleeing conflict and struggling with one's identity are becoming ever more common tropes in our entertainment. Sure it isn’t the prettiest of these films, but it neatly tells its story and brings you along for the often gruesome ride to freedom and security. 

​

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
​

Head: Will Smith – King Richard

Smith turns in an outstanding turn as Richard Williams, father to two of the greatest tennis stars in living memory who obviously need no introduction. What I enjoy is the equal parts charming, smarmy and intellectual turn Smith captures in the film. But there are times where the emotion is dialled up and the rage of the quiet man comes to the front. It could be seen as the typical Oscars shouty and crying scenes that the Academy predictably goes for, but it is thematically relevant. For what it's worth, I really enjoyed this performance and thought that it was a worthy winner. But after there has been absolutely no competition from Cumberbatch as the bookies had predicted, it is getting a bit stale to see the wins roll in for the Fresh Prince.
​

Heart: Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick ...BOOM!

When you pull out the best performance of the bunch hands down, no questions asked and you do this for a character I do not connect with or like in any way, you’ve done something truly special. I pegged Andew Garfield as one to watch and a potential all time great following his turn in Hacksaw Ridge, and boy is it ever sweet to see that prediction come full circle. Garfield's embodiment of the larger-than-life human Berocca that is Jon Larson is note perfect in every way, from his physicality, to the volume that the man seemingly existed at. Even the hair looks spot on. And speaking of note, can this lad sing or what? I was thoroughly surprised and overjoyed to know that Peter #3 took to musicals as easily as he took to playing Parker back in 2012. I want more of it, injected directly into my veins if possible. Give me the loud, big, musical Garfield of new, leaving the angsty teen performances in the past where they belong. Mark my words, he may not win on the night, but he is destined for an Oscar at some point in his career.

Actress In A Leading Role

Jessica Chastain – The Eyes Of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter
Penélope Cruz – Parallel Mothers
Nicole Kidman – Being The Ricardos
Kristen Stewart – Spencer
​

Head: Nicole Kidman – Being The Ricardos

The race is, admittedly, very wide open this year for Best Actress. But predicting the winner is a simple case of profiling the tastes of the Academy voters. Historically, movies that concern Hollywood itself, contain big emotional performances and have some degree of transformational presentation of its stars tend to rake the awards in. Nicole Kidmans plays beloved TV icon Lucille Ball, in a hefty amount of makeup and gets a good number of big, shouty crying scenes. The maths doesn’t lie, my friends.
​

Heart: Jessica Chastain – The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

This is now looking like a more likely scenario following Chastain’s SAG and Critics Choice wins, but it still feels like a slight outsider. Regardless, it would be gratifying to see The Eyes of Tammy Faye pick something up for acting, especially for the tender performance Chastain delivers. There’s a certain believable naivety as the woman with both feet in the door doesn't seem to understand the con she and her husband are running, whilst still trying to do the good thing within her limited world view. That, and Chastain has to act through so many layers of make-up it’s a miracle this didn’t end up as pantomime. It’s a wonderful lead performance in a very enjoyable film that is likely to come away with far less than it deserves this year.

Directing

Belfast – Kenneth Branagh
Drive My Car – Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Licorice Pizza – Paul Thomas Anderson
The Power Of The Dog – Jane Campion
West Side Story – Steven Spielberg
​

Head: The Power Of The Dog – Jane Campion

Even if the stars aligned and The Power Of The Dog suddenly fell from grace and lost all of the categories it was nominated in, this still wouldn’t budge for a Jane Campion win. She’s already picked up the BAFTA, Critics Choice and DGA award for directing this season, as well as the Silver Lion at Venice Film Festival. She’s beloved for her efforts across most of the critics associations and a third female director win and the second in a row is a hard narrative for the Academy to pass up. This is the surest win of the night, and sadly there is no competition in the space. Which is presumably why Denis Villeneuve was snubbed here. Robbed, utterly robbed.
​

Heart: Belfast – Kenneth Branagh

So, with the absence of Villeneuve, I am left with my second choice. Branagh's vision to keep this a family focused and oftentimes childhood led movie should be commended. It’s oh-so-easy to get caught up in trying to tell the story of the Troubles, but the restraint this film shows to focus on the issue faced to the family unit works wonders for the flashback-style presentation of the film. Coupled with performances that excel when required and some truly heart-filling moments in the script, this might be Branagh's best directed effort. To think this gem came from the same man who shat out Artemis Fowl is oftentimes beyond belief.

​

And finally... Best Picture:

Belfast
CODA
Don't Look Up
Drive My Car
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power Of The Dog
West Side Story
​

Head: The Power Of The Dog

Right now, as it stands, I can see two possible scenarios emerging. This is the first and currently most obvious scenario. With 12 nominations, a bolt on for a directing win, a likely screenplay win and an editing nomination, as well as universal praise and accolades from across the important awards ceremonies, my money remains on The Power Of The Dog. And I don’t particularly hate this win, it’s a very strongly put together movie with some incredible performances, a great score and an enjoyably dark story to tell. It’s just so goddamn boring a win. It won at the BAFTAS, it won at the Critics Choice, it won at the Gold Derby, and took the top prize at the Golden Globes. It’s just so predictable at this point. It’s won everything it needed to and been nominated exactly where it needed to be. It’s an Oscar win as painted by numbers. I like it, I understand it, but I don't love it.
​

Heart: CODA

But from the shadows, a contender has emerged and could cause an upset. Whilst many thought that it would be Belfast nipping at the heels of the almighty western wonder, the narrative for a Branagh upset has been eroding over the course of this year's awards season. As the screenplay wins started to trickle in for CODA and Troy Kotsur rose from the deep to shatter the certainty of the Supporting Actor race, so too did the likelihood of an upset for the big prize. And given how much I loved CODA, this would be an incredible scenario to see play out. Sure it’s cheesy at times, but it has real heart, gut-busting humour, sharp dialogue and a packed runtime. It truly would be a crowdpleaser to see the little deaf movie that could take the top prize. Special mention goes also to King Richard, which charted high on my top movies of 2021, but CODA would place even higher than that in retrospect. It’s so easy to recommend this movie to anyone, it has such wide appeal and tells its story so effectively and memorably. It is, at least in my estimation, the best picture in the running this year. How sweet it would be to see this quirky little film take the Oscar. Fingers crossed, everyone.

​

​By Mike Owen
@ThatMikeOwen
​
The Editor in Chief of Foul Entertainment, Mike edits most of what you see on the site. He runs the production of our podcasts, and currently pens Pop Culture Club articles.

---