Hello Movie Lovers,
Welcome to my 9th year of utilizing the TLC Method to review the Best Picture Nominees and attempting to predict the winner! The Academy Awards are a week away! First thing you may notice this year, is that my blog is slightly shorter. I am 8.5 months pregnant with my second child and I had not seen any of the Best Picture nominees prior to the nominations being released. This means I had 6 weeks to watch all 10 films and write this blog while working full time and surviving pregnancy with a 3.5 year old during a particularly snowy east coast winter. So, yea… now that I’ve written that down, I am pretty damn proud of myself for actually finishing this. My goal is to reach 10 years with this blog and I wont give up now!
One Battle After Another
How the rating system works
I hope you’ve been here before, but just in case you haven’t here is a refresher on how my rating system works: When you’ve finished watching a film you simply ask yourself if it made you think, made you laugh and/or made you cry and to what degree. When I’m torn about one of those three, I may give a film a half laugh or a half cry. So, if a film made you think, laugh and cry then it is a strong film in the eyes of the TLC Method. Simple as that. If you are aching for more context as to how this method came to be and how it has evolved, then I recommend reading last year’s blog which was published in the Sunday Edition of the digital newsletter, Tangle.
Frankenstein
Warning: Spoilers! Do not read past this point if you plan to see the Best Picture Nominees and do not want my perspective to influence your own TLC ratings!
Nominees
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle after Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Sinners
This was not one of my favorite collections of Best Picture nominees. I typically enjoy at least 75% of the films or find something to like, but this year left me wanting to skip some of the films. However, if I was an Academy Member this year, that would be less of an option… if I wanted to vote in good faith. An interesting update according to Glenn Whipp’s article in the LA Times, “This year, academy members are required to certify through the group’s screening room portal that they have viewed all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in that category.” In the past, it was a “honor system”. Whether this new policy is being upheld by everyone is yet to be seen, but I personally agree with the choice and I think it probably encourages most members to be more active in their roles. More to come on this topic, I am sure. In the meantime, to read more about it, visit the LA Times.
Back by popular demand, my helpful visual that summarizes the last 9 years of Best Picture Nominees. Once again, there were 10 nominees (an unnecessary amount of nominees, in my opinion) and the winners are bolded.
I did not start acknowledging “Originality” until the 2023 Academy Awards.
Originality
I have been successful and unsuccessful at predicting the Best Picture winner. Each year, I have solicited feedback on the TLC Method and in 2023, I decided to add another acknowledgement - Originality. After watching all of the Best Picture Nominees I plan on acknowledging any film that feels truly original to me. Films from previous years like Parasite, Everything, Everywhere All At Once, Poor Things and The Substance come to mind. This year the film that earned the originality acknowledgment is Bugonia. I don’t think that this designation automatically means that it should win Best Picture, in fact sometimes I don’t like the film I’ve given the acknowledgment to, but I am curious how often it does or does not connect to the winner. Of course, this is even more subjective, so I’ll do my best to explain why I feel a film deserves this letter and whether or not that is a factor in how it’s ranked.
F1
The TLC Awards
Top Think
Sinners
(The dance sequence with Sammie performing when all of the different musical genres and generations are visualized)
Top Laugh
One Battle After Another
(Dark Humor)
Top Cry
Sentimental Value
(The “one take” scene at the end)
Top Poster
Bugonia
Top Scene
One Battle After Another
(The climactic car chase scene)
Hamnet
Best Picture Reviews
Bugonia (Think, Laugh) *Originality
I’m choosing to write this first review without thinking about any of the other films directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. If I did, it would be unlikely that I would have a favorable opinion. So, it's with pleasure that I can tell you I enjoyed this film, a lot. What a chaotic rollercoaster. It truly made you question yourself and who was “right” and who was “wrong”. I think one of the things I liked the most is that it told you throughout the film which was which was but you didn’t believe it until you saw those final few minutes. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons were both fantastic. I know they are both decorated actors, but this was my favorite performance from both of them. It was not a particularly emotional film for me, so it did not earn a Cry, but the dialogue and the plot were so creative. It has earned my Originality designation. I enjoyed the bee motif throughout. The ending is the main reason this film is in my top two personal favorites this year. It delivered perfectly. No notes. I didn’t realize how much I wanted it to end that way until it was given to me. I hope this at least wins Best Adapted Screenplay, although I do not think it will win Best Picture.
F1 (Think, ½ Laugh)
While F1 had more heart than a lot of sports/action films in the last few years, I would still say that this film was just ok. The film utilized the classic underdog troupe combined with the comeback troupe and it worked fine. It was entertaining to watch and I wasn’t bored, but the dialogue was rough. I was disappointed with the writing. Brad Pitt’s monologue towards the end was especially awkward. Most characters seemed very 2 dimensional as a result, all except Joshua (Damson Idris), whose evolution I enjoyed the most. I wanted that to be more of the plot’s focus. The length of this film was annoying and it could have easily been 30 mins shorter. Admittedly, I’ve only seen like 1 or 2 F1 races prior to seeing this film and the ½ Laugh was mostly nervous energy during the tension race scenes. Also, I wasn’t sure if my confusion at the ending and the complex “deal” was more a lack of comprehension on my part or poor editing. Brad Pitt, as always, was wonderful to look at, as well as a number of his cast-mates. I would recommend it if you are a sports-film lover or if you just enjoy a come back story. This will not win Best Picture, but if I was betting, I would guess it will win for Best Sound.
Frankenstein (½ Think, ½ Cry)
Well there was no denying that this was a Guillermo del Toro film, it screamed Pan's Labyrinth meets The Shape of Water. Visually beautiful, I loved the sets. The plot however was less inventive. It was simply a retelling of a well-known story from the lens of a different director. My favorite scenes were those of just The Creature surviving on his own and then befriending the old man. The most unique part of the film was Jacob Elordi's portrayal of his character, his character's discovery of the world pulled me back in when I was fading in interest. Otherwise, I found the film long and a bit boring. I did not enjoy the dynamic of Dr Frankenstein and Elizabeth and at times I found it to be overly gory and violent for what felt like little to no reason. I respect the nomination of this film from a production design, costume, and cinematography perspective, but I personally would not watch it again. I do not believe this will win Best Picture, but I think it should win for Production Design and Costumes.
Hamnet (½ Think, Cry)
Devastatingly sad. I’ll keep this one brief. I don’t think this film was for me and as a woman about to give birth, I don’t think this was a good film for my mental health. I respect and appreciate the storytelling and beautiful acting that went into this film but I did not like this. I don’t want to watch films like this. I think I’m officially done with films by Chloé Zhao. It is my opinion that her desire to focus on stories that explore the emotional depth of the human experience just means she wants to make me weep. I was so busy crying for a majority of this film, that I barely had time to think - which is ironic because that's partly Agnes's realization at the end of the film. Again, I respect that not all art is made for all people. I am committed to my effort of watching the nominees and for that reason, I don’t regret being exposed. So, to parrot what we are attempting to teach our 3.5 year old daughter right now, I’ll just say “no thank you”.
Marty Supreme (½ Think)
My one compliment is of Timothée Chalamet’s acting - He did such a fantastic job of making me hate him. This might be my hottest take this season - This movie was cringe. The relationships were cringe. I had no idea that this story was loosely based on a real person who was both a ping pong player and a confidence man, so I went into this believing it to be a sports film. It was not. It was unnecessary chaos 90% of the time and that made it very hard to watch in my opinion. I cursed out loud and had to step away when Timothée fell through the floor in the bathtub. That was the point the film really lost me. His character did not seem to learn anything or change in any way as a person. There were no significant consequences to any of his actions (except for becoming a father) and I just kept asking myself what the point was of anything. I rarely have a strong reaction to soundtracks (especially when they aren't written for the film) - However, I really disliked the music choices.
By the end, I wasn't rooting for anyone. Now, I don't expect every sports film to build and flow the exact same way, but in my opinion there is at least one universal truth. If you have a climactic ending surrounding a game or tournament - your goal is more often than not to have the audience rooting for the main character regardless of his choices earlier in the story. Not only did I not care about Marty, I truly had no idea what the film wanted me to feel. The final backhand was literally the last shot of the movie with Marty looking at his child and seemingly accepting that he was a father. NO. You don't get to throw that in there after building up this singularly focused character with total disregard for others. Cringe. I was actually angry that the film tried to make me “feel” with that final shot. The tag line for the movie is written “Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.” but I think the better wording would be: “Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, takes everyone around him to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.” On Rotten Tomatoes this film has a 93% and I whole heartedly do not believe that's real. If you’re reading this and you liked this film enough to rate it 9/10, please comment below and tell me why.
One Battle After Another (Think, Laugh, Cry)
When I begin this process each year, I watch all the trailers first. After watching the trailer for One Battle After Another, I had pretty low expectations for this film. On top of that, I haven’t been enjoying Leonardo DiCaprio movies in recent years and this film is long with a 2 hour and 41 minute run time.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by my own reaction to this film. I really enjoyed this one. It ended and I turned to my husband and said, holy shit did I like that? I was really impressed by the collaboration of the visuals, the writing and the editing. The visual storytelling and written plot were so well married and the dialogue was interesting and intelligent without being needlessly verbose. This film is tied with Bugonia as one of my top two favorites films from this collection of Best Picture nominees.
I thought a lot about immigration, white supremacy, abuse of power and extremism. On the surface, this film wanted you to think about all of it. I also thought about the current political climate of America, how closely this reminded me of ICE. I don’t think anyone making this film could have predicted its timely connection. It also challenged me to confront the truths I accept everyday. How many of the conspiracy theories out there are true and to what degree? This was a film, taking liberties with exaggeration and reality, but by how much? I cried at Willa’s hug for Bob at the end, an acceptance of the effort her adopted father put forth. I laughed throughout the film at the insane mannerisms of Bob. His dialogue and his personality was a wonderful contrast to the seriousness of the moment, which I believe to be a testament to Director, Paul Thomas Anderson’s dark humor. Well done.
Lastly, as a lover of cinematography, I’d be remiss to mention the climactic car chase sequence. The choice to place the camera in the grill of a car was brilliant. The tension built by the camera movements over the hills as if you were driving on that road too was palpable. I absolutely love when a scene can be told not by dialogue, but through camera movement. Personally, I want this film to win Best Picture and I want Sean Penn to win Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of one of the most interesting and disturbed “bad guys” I’ve seen in a while.
The Secret Agent (½ Think)
I’m not going to waste much time on this one. This film felt plotless and wasted a lot of time with completely random unnecessary scenes. It took 45 mins for us to get into the heart of the story and that's when I realized that the movie was called “The Secret Agent” but that it was not going to fit into any sort of secret agent tropes that I may have expected. (I’m not crazy right, there was no secret agent the entire movie? Why was it named that?) The actual necessary plot points of the movie could have been like 45 mins total. How was this nominated Best Picture? Ironically, after watching this trailer, I had higher expectations and I’m annoyed at the run time. I don't recommend it, I predict that it will win zero Academy Awards.
Sentimental Value (Think, Laugh, Cry)
Well this was another surprise for me, I had low expectations and it really delivered. Sentimental Value was one of the most thoughtful and visually connected films of this year. The beginning and ending tied together so beautifully. For me, the story was relatable and yet told in a unique manner. There were a few plot points that dragged for me, but overall it was a great film that captured multiple perspectives of a challenging part of life. No one was perfect or wholly right. No one was evil and worth deeming the villain. I didn’t cry the entire time or even a majority of the time. This is what’s relatable, life is full of grey - ups and downs. It’s a huge reason this film earned a full Think, Laugh, Cry from me. I cried when the girls spoke in Nora’s bedroom and basically the entire final scene/filming. I laughed at the girls hearing their dad flirting with the nurse and other chuckle moments. The acting was fantastic. I thought throughout the film about why the dad left, how one daughter seemingly moved forward in life and the other daughter suffered more outwardly.
One of this film's strengths, that at first stood out, but I grew to really enjoy, was the editing. A film with this content matter, it would be easy and natural to have long drawn out scenes and the pacing would be slow and lingering. Instead, the Editor, Olivier Bugge Coutté, trusts that the audience is intelligent enough to follow as we move quickly through plot points. The cuts were blunt at times and allowed for a deeper breath in other moments. The editing didn't feel formulaic or overly predictable, which contributed to the film's relatability. It's a reflection of real life. I predict this will win Best International Film and Best Editing, but not Best Picture.
Sinners (Think, ½ Laugh, ½ Cry)
Don’t come for me - This was good, but not great. I just couldn’t give this a full Think, Laugh, Cry. That said, I completely understand the hype. Sinners was an original and captivating story - combining elements of both a time period piece and a vampire horror film. The acting from Michael B Jordan as both Smoke and Stack was exhilarating and award worthy. Of the people I know, more have seen this film than any of the others and I think between the number of nominations and how long it's been viewed by audiences (it was released on April 18, 2025), it is a clear front runner.
However, like I remind my husband, I can enjoy a film and still be critical of it. When this film ended, I had so many questions and not in a “I want to learn more” sort of way. The second half of the movie left me with a lot of unanswered plot points. My biggest confusion was why, if the vampires were a sort of hive mind under Remmick, were Mary & Stack able to walk away so easily? And what motivated Mary and Stack to visit an elderly Sammie at the end? What was the vampire's connection to music, was that connection solely because of Remmick? Was Sammie a “sinner” because his music drew forth the devil or is that what the devil wants you to think as it steals your soul? (Okay, that last question is actually fun to debate and discuss with those who’ve seen it but the other unanswered questions left me frustrated)
& That right there is the heart of my “good, not great” review. If you came into this knowing it was connected to vampires, I think it left a lot on the table. If you came into it knowing nothing about the plot, you were likely swept away by the creativity and storytelling. I will not be upset by any means if this film sweeps the Oscars and runs away with the Best Picture award. I think in a lot of ways it earned it, but I predict it will not win Best Picture. I believe it will win Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Score, and Best Original Screenplay.
Train Dreams (Cry)
I may have given this a chance if I was at a different time in my life, but watching this man’s simple life unfold, framed by the loss of a spouse and child and the process of surviving that grief for 45+ minutes is just not a film I’m going to positively review right now.
Train Dreams is the type of film that has always felt like award-bait to me. Its biographical format with deeply emotional themes fits the mold for films that are considered “serious dramatic works of art” worthy of awards. Yet, those award-bait films always feel one dimensional to me - often only attempting to pry the tears from your eyes. I will concede that it was beautiful to look at but even the visuals began to feel cliché and my mind quickly began to sing Bo Burnham’s comedic song White Women’s Instagram. Even after learning that this premiered first at Sundance, I just don’t understand who convinces who to make these types of films, from a financial perspective. It reportedly had a budget of 10 million, which is not a lot. It was only in theaters long enough to qualify for the Academy Awards and was purchased by Netflix for streaming. I just don’t get it. Sincerely, if you enjoy poetry, the quiet of nature or reading self-help books then this film may be your speed. It was not for me and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you enjoy the aforementioned activities.
Bugonia
Best Picture Nominees
(Ranked by their TLC rating)
One Battle After Another (Think, Laugh, Cry)
Sentimental Value (Think, Laugh, Cry)
Sinners (Think, ½ Laugh, ½ Cry)
Bugonia (Think, Laugh) *Originality
F1 (Think, ½ Laugh)
Hamnet (½ Think, Cry)
Frankenstein (½ Think, ½ Cry)
Train Dreams (Cry)
Marty Supreme (½ Think)
The Secret Agent (½ Think)
One Battle After Another
Who will win? My prediction for the Best Picture winner:
One Battle After Another
The Oscars are Sunday, March 15th at 7pm EST on ABC and Hulu! Click here to figure out how to watch.
I would like to say thank you to the movie-gods for not making me sit in a theater this year, I was able to watch all 10 films at home laying on my side over multiple nights, when needed. At 8.5 months pregnant, it was just much more comfortable to watch from home. A lot of these films were in theaters and I still very much want them to be in theaters, I just had a unique situation. I am predicting that One Battle After Another will be the big winner, even though Sinners has the hype and a few more nominations.
What did you think of the nominees this year? Was there another film you thought deserved to be nominated? How do your opinions line up with my TLC reviews? Do you think the TLC Method is flawed? I love to read feedback from movie lovers! Thank you for taking the time to read.
Jessica is not affiliated in any way with the Academy Awards.
Jessica does not own nor claim to own the rights to the photographs found in this blog.