4.26-98th Academy Awards Preview-Part 5

4.26-98th Academy Awards Preview-Part 5

Author: Jonathan Ytreberg March 13, 2026 Duration: 1:11:17

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Today is the final episode in my preview of the 98th Academy Awards where I will have broken down every category over the course of this week. Today I am joined by Enrico Banson from the Director's Notes newsletter, Janelle Lathrop from the Right Now, You Like Me newsletter, and Kevin Pettit from the See You At the Movies newsletter to break down all ten films nominated for Best Picture. I've listed the nominees below along with a few other films mentioned throughout the episode.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get all the preview episodes this week, and head over to my Substack to submit your guesses for my annual Oscar prediction contest.

The nominees for each category are listed below.

Best Picture:

  • Bugonia
  • F1
  • Frankenstein
  • Hamnet
  • Marty Supreme
  • One Battle After Another
  • The Secret Agent
  • Sentimental Value
  • Sinners
  • Train Dreams

Other media mentioned in this episode include:

  • Killing of the Sacred Deer directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
  • Kinds of Kindness directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
  • Poor Things directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
  • The Favourite directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
  • Eddington directed by Ari Aster
  • Weapons directed by Zach Cregger
  • Top Gun: Maverick directed by Joseph Kosinski
  • Avatar: Fire and Ash directed by James Cameron
  • Crimson Peak directed by Guillermo del Toro
  • Hellboy directed by Guillermo del Toro
  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson
  • Hamlet by William Shakespeare
  • Balls of Fury directed by Robert Ben Garant
  • Good Time directed by Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
  • Uncut Gems directed by Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
  • There Will Be Blood directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
  • The Battle of Algiers directed by Gillo Potecorvo
  • Hard Eight directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Magnolia directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Boogie Nights directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
  • I'm Still Here directed by Walter Salles
  • The Conversation directed by Francis Ford Coppola
  • The Worst Person in the World directed by Joachim Trier
  • The Wizard of Oz directed by Victor Fleming
  • The Thin Red Line directed by Terrence Malick
  • The Tree of Life directed by Terrence Malick
  • Magellan directed by Lav Diaz
  • No Other Choice directed by Park Chan-wook
  • Sirât directed by Oliver Laxe
  • Caught By the Tides directed by Jia Zhangke
  • On Becoming a Guinea Fowl directed by Rungano Nyoni
  • Sorry, Baby directed by Eva Victor
  • Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery directed by Rian Johnson

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There's a whole century of stories waiting in the Academy's archives, and The Oscar Project Podcast is digging through every single one. Instead of just focusing on the current awards season, this show takes the long view, working its way through every film ever nominated for an Oscar starting all the way back in 1929. Each episode is a deep dive into a specific year or a particular film, unpacking not just the cinematic craft on screen but the historical context that shaped it. You'll hear about forgotten gems, surprising snubs, and how the art of filmmaking has evolved over decades. Alongside these detailed reviews and discussions, the podcast regularly features conversations with filmmakers, historians, and authors who provide unique insights into the industry's past and present. It’s for anyone who loves film history as much as the movies themselves, offering a structured but fascinating journey through Hollywood's most celebrated-and sometimes controversial-moments. Tune in to this thoughtfully crafted podcast for a richer understanding of how the Oscars have reflected, and sometimes directed, the entire trajectory of modern cinema.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 226

The Oscar Project Podcast
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