Column | 2026 Oscars: A night of film progress and problems

As a film student and someone who wants to work in film someday, the Oscars are basically my Super Bowl. This year was no exception, with a ton of buzz, strong competition between nominees and a really stacked lineup of films. The 2026 ceremony ended up being a big night with some great moments and a few disappointments, but at the end of day, it’s still about celebrating film and the people behind it. To keep things fair, I’m mainly focusing on the films I’ve actually seen —“Sinners,” “Marty Supreme,” “Frankenstein,” “Bugonia,” “One Battle After Another,” “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Weapons” — and anything else I mention is just my initial reaction or general perspective. 

Moving right along to the biggest highlights of the night — the well-deserved horror sweep. A while back, I wrote about how horror deserves more respect from the film community, Hollywood and audiences, and it honestly feels like my prayers were answered. Last year, “The Substance” helped pave the way with its nominations and win for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, but this year took things to another level. In fact, the very first award of the night went to a horror performance — Amy Madigan in “Weapons” for Best Supporting Actress — and from that moment, I knew horror was going to have a huge night. 

And it did. “Frankenstein” picked up three well-deserved wins, sweeping Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Production Design, while “Sinners” — with an incredible record-breaking 16 nominations — took home four awards, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Actor. Michael B. Jordan’s underdog win for Best Actor was easily one of the best moments of the night, especially in such a competitive year. Autumn Durald Arkapaw also made history as the first woman to win Best Cinematography, and her speech, during which she asked all the women in the room to stand, was genuinely inspiring. Moments like these are what make award shows feel so impactful, especially for aspiring filmmakers like me who don’t always see people like themselves recognized on that stage. 

Some other standout moments this year came from “Sinners” and “KPop Demon Hunters.” The wins for “KPop Demon Hunters” — Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature — felt pretty inevitable after how huge and culturally relevant it became this past summer.

I also loved how the show leaned into ongoing jokes about Timothée Chalamet’s comments on ballet and opera. That said, while I did enjoy “Marty Supreme,” I don’t think it was robbed by going home empty handed. This year’s lineup was just too competitive, and honestly, Chalamet’s nonstop promotion and early Oscar confidence didn’t help. He’s clearly a talented actor, but some of his recent comments and overall attitude have come across as a little off-putting. Hopefully, he recalibrates soon because I’m still really excited to see what he does next, especially with the next “Dune” on the horizon. 

Now onto my more negative takes from this year’s Oscars, starting with how I couldn’t stand most of the bits between awards. They’re usually awkward, but this year felt especially eye rolling. There were multiple jokes about phones and social media ruining movies, which I get, but did we really need to hear it over and over again? Did we need Conan O’Brien talking about hostmaxxing with Subway Surfers on the screen? No, we really didn’t. On top of that, the pacing felt super slow. While it’s understandable that the In Memoriam segment was long, it really made the whole show drag.

As for the awards themselves, I was really disappointed that “Bugonia” didn’t win anything. I saw it in theaters and thought it was such a fun, original film with an ending that really sticks with you. While I was more than happy to see Michael B. Jordan take Best Actor, I was shocked that Jesse Plemons didn’t even get nominated, especially given how strong his performance was. “Sinners” also deserved way more wins than it received, and I was completely surprised it didn’t win Best Casting and Best Sound.

Now for my least popular Oscars opinion — “One Battle After Another” didn’t deserve most, if any, of the awards it ended up winning. I know — let’s finally address the elephant in the room. 

I really don’t think “One Battle After Another” should have taken both Best Director and Best Picture in the same year as “Sinners.” For me, the films just don’t compare. Paul Thomas Anderson’s win felt more like recognition for his overall career than for this specific film — something he even seemed to acknowledge in his speech. I finally watched the film after the Oscars, so keep in mind I’m incredibly biased. However, even without the hindsight I had, I couldn’t stand parts of it — the dialogue felt grating, the annoying piano soundtrack didn’t work for me at all and the overall direction just came off kind of beige and bland. Compared to Ryan Coogler, it just didn’t hit the same level. 

I also wasn’t convinced by Sean Penn winning Best Supporting Actor. Beyond the performance not landing for me, the abuse allegations surrounding him make it even harder to support that win. Honestly, I would’ve been happy with almost any other nominee, and I was personally rooting for Jacob Elordi after his career-defining performance in “Frankenstein.” 

That said, take my opinions with a grain of salt. I’m more than aware I’m biased, especially toward horror since it so often gets overlooked at awards shows. “Sinners” is easily one of my top four films of all time and feels like a true modern masterpiece. It’s stayed culturally relevant and clearly resonates with audiences in a lasting way, while “One Battle After Another,” at least from what I’ve seen, doesn’t seem to inspire the same level of passion. Still, despite my critiques, this year’s Oscars were a big step forward for film — a historic night for horror, women and people of color, and a reminder of how important continued change in the industry really is. 

Heidi likes to write about film, pop culture and all things spooky. Email her at hab291@pitt.edu.